Chapter 1

Question 1

What is computer architecture?

Answer 1

a set of rules that defines the computer’s functionality, characterized by the ISA

Question 2

What is ISA?

Answer 2

Instruction Set Architecture

Question 3

What is the ISA concerned with?

Answer 3

Register set, instruction set, and addressing modes

Question 4

ISA defines the…?

Answer 4

model of the computer from the programmer’s point of view

Question 5

What embodies the computer’s ISA?

Answer 5

Its assembly language

Question 6

What is computer organization?

Answer 6

Concerned with the implementation of a computer’s ISA

Question 7

Computer organization is often referred to as…

Answer 7

Microarchitecture

Question 8

“CPU” stands for what?

Answer 8

Central Processing Unit

Question 9

What word is synonymous for the CPU?

Answer 9

Microprocessor

Question 10

What type of memory do most modern CPUs have on-chip?

Answer 10

Cache memory

Question 11

What is a “word”

Answer 11

A single piece of data

Question 12

What are processor registers specified by?

Answer 12

The number of bits they contain (can be 32-bit wide or 64-bit wide typically)

Question 13

What is the FUNDAMENTAL difference between a register and a word in memory?

Answer 13

There is no fundamental difference

Question 14

What is the PRACTICAL difference between a register and word in memory?

Answer 14

Registers are located within the CPU

Question 15

For a stored program computer, the CPU…

Answer 15

reads instructions from memory and carries out operations on input data and data in memory

Question 16

For a stored program computer, both data and instructions are stored…

Answer 16

in the same memory system

Question 17

For a stored program computer, memory is a bottleneck because

Answer 17

both instructions and data must be retrieved from the memory and then the final data is stored back in memory

Question 18

What is the clock?

Answer 18

Essentially a series of pules (ONs and OFFs) used to sequence the events within the computer

Question 19

A clock is defined in terms of its

Answer 19

Repetition rate (frequency) or width

Question 20

The formula for a clock’s width is

Answer 20

WIDTH = 1 / (FREQUENCY)

Question 21

1 us is

Answer 21

1 microsecond (1 / 1 000 000)

Question 22

1 ns is

Answer 22

1 nanosecond (1 / 1 000 000 000)

Question 23

Can a programmer determine the difference between encoded data and encoded instructions simply by looking at the bit pattern?

Answer 23

NO

Question 24

The stored program concept is:

Answer 24

a program that will continuously point to an address in memory for instructions, then point to the next instruction, decode, execute, and repeat forever

Question 25

For the stored program concept, the 3 main memory ports are:

Answer 25

* Address port (1-way) * Data port (2-way) * Control port (1-way)

Question 26

What does RTL Notation mean?

Answer 26

Register Transfer Language Notation

Question 27

In RTL Notation, [ ] (square brackets) represent what?

Answer 27

The contents of a memory location

Question 28

In RTL Notation a backwards arrow represents

Answer 28

A data transfer

Question 29

In RTL Notation, "=" (equals sign) represent what?

Answer 29

The contents of a memory location is equal to the RHS. Can be used as a variable assignment

Question 30

Three Address Instructions take on the form of what?

Answer 30

Operation, Address1 (BOLDED), Address2, Address3

Question 31

"Operation, Address1 (BOLDED), Address2, Address3" is the form of what kind of instructions?

Answer 31

Three Address Instructions

Question 32

Two Address Instructions take on the form of what?

Answer 32

Operation, Address1 (BOLDED), Address2

Question 33

"Operation, Address1 (BOLDED), Address2" is the form of what kind of instructions?

Answer 33

Two Address Instructions

Question 34

What kind of instructions erase one of the original data elements?

Answer 34

Two Address Instructions

Question 35

What is the Memory Hierarchy?

Answer 35

• Registers > Cache > DRAM > Hard Disk

Question 36

What is the fastest memory type?

Answer 36

Registers

Question 37

What is faster: registers or cache?

Answer 37

Registers

Question 38

What is faster: cache or DRAM?

Answer 38

Cache

Question 39

What is the Memory Hierarchy ratio?

Answer 39

1 : 2^18 : 2^28 : 2^35

Question 40

What is a Bus in essence?

Answer 40

A link between two or more functional parts of a computer

Question 41

What is the difference between an Internal Bus and an External Bus?

Answer 41

An Internal Bus is located within the CPU or the motherboard while an External Bus can be a USB or FireWire

Question 42

A USB is an example of what kind of bus?

Answer 42

External Bus

Question 43

What is Bus Width?

Answer 43

the number of parallel data paths OR the number of wires that make up a bus

Question 44

What is Bus Bandwidth?

Answer 44

the rate in which data can be transferred across the bus (bytes or bits per second)

Question 45

What is Bus Latency?

Answer 45

the waiting period between a data transfer request and its completion

Question 46

What is a constant?

Answer 46

a value that DOES NOT change during execution

Question 47

What is a variable?

Answer 47

a value that CAN change during execution

Question 48

what is a symbolic name?

Answer 48

a name given to a constant or a variable

Question 49

What is a pointer?

Answer 49

a variable whose value is an address

Question 50

What is an address?

Answer 50

a specific value that corresponds to a location in memory