Chapter 2 - Computer Abstract/Tech

Question 1

1. Input 2. Output 3. Memory 4. Datapath 5. Control

Answer 1

Five classic components of a computer

Question 2

1. design for Moore’s Law 2. Use abstraction to simplify design 3. Make the common case fast 4. Performance via parallelism 5.performance via pipelining 6. performance via prediction 7. Hierarchy of memories

Answer 2

eight great ideas in computer architecture

Question 3

a binary representation of machine instructions

Answer 3

Machine language

Question 4

a class of computers with the highest performance and cost, they are configured as servers and typically cost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars

Answer 4

supercomputer

Question 5

A command that computer hardware understands and obey

Answer 5

Instruction

Question 6

a computer designed for use by an individual usually incorporating a graphics display, a keyboard, and a mouse

Answer 6

personal computer

Question 7

a computer inside another device used for running one predetermined application or collection of software

Answer 7

embedded computer

Question 8

a computer used for running larger programs for multiple users, often simultaneously, and typically accessed only via a network

Answer 8

server

Question 9

a display technology using a thin layer of liquid polymers that can be used to transmit or block light according to whether a charge is applied

Answer 9

Liquid crystal display

Question 10

a form of memory that retains data even in the absence of a power source and that is used to store programs between runs

Answer 10

Nonvolatile memory

Question 11

a form of nonvolatile secondary memory composed of rotating platters coated with a magnetic recording material. Because they are rotating mechanical devices, access times are about 5 to 20 milliseconds

Answer 11

Magnetic disk

Question 12

a liquid crystal display using a transistor to control the transmission of light at each individual pixel

Answer 12

Active-matrix display

Question 13

a mechanism that conveys the result of a computation to a user, such as a display, or to another computer

Answer 13

Output device

Question 14

a mechanism through which the computer is fed information, such as a keyboard

Answer 14

Input device

Question 15

a microprocessor containing multiple processors (“cores”) in a single integrated circuit

Answer 15

multicore microprocessor

Question 16

a nonvolatile semiconductor

Answer 16

Flash memory

Question 17

a portable language such as C, C++, Java or visual basic that is comprised of words and algebraic notation that can be translated by a compiler into assembly language

Answer 17

High-level programming language

Question 18

a program that translates a symbolic version of instructions into the binary version

Answer 18

Assembler

Question 19

a program that translates high-level language statements into assembly language

Answer 19

compiler

Question 20

a small, fast memory that acts as a buffer for a slower, larger memory

Answer 20

Cache memory

Question 21

a symbolic representation of machine instructions

Answer 21

Assembling language

Question 22

Also called a called a chip. A device combining dozens to millions of transistors

Answer 22

Integrated circuit

Question 23

also called a processor. The active part of the computer, which contains the datapath and control and which adds numbers, tests numbers, signals I/O devices to activate, and so on.

Answer 23

Central processor unit (CPU)

Question 24

also memory built as an integrated circuit but faster and less dense than DRAM

Answer 24

Static random access memory (SRAM)

Question 25

an abstract interface between the hardware and the lowest-level software that encompasses all the information necessary to write a machine language program that will run correctly, including instructions, registers, memory access, I/O and so on.

Answer 25

Instruction set architecture

Question 26

delivers software and data as a service over the internet, usually via a thin program such as a browser that runs on local client devices, instead of binary code that must be installed, and runs wholly on that device. Examples include web search and social networking

Answer 26

software as a service

Question 27

hardware that obeys the architecture abstraction

Answer 27

Implementation

Question 28

memory used to hold programs while they are running typically consists of DRAM in today’s computers

Answer 28

Main memory

Question 29

nonvolatile memory used to store programs and data between runs, typically consists of flash memory in PMDs and magnetic disks in servers

Answer 29

Secondary memory

Question 30

memory built as an integrated circuit, it provides random access to any location. Access times are 50 nanoseconds

Answer 30

Dynamic random access memory (DRAM)

Question 31

refers to large collection of servers that provide services over the internet, some providers rent dynamically varying numbers of servers as a utility

Answer 31

cloud computing

Question 32

small wireless devices to connect to the internet, they rely on batteries for power, and software is installed by downloading apps. Conventional examples are smart phones and tablets

Answer 32

personal mobile devices (PMD)

Question 33

software that provides services that are commonly useful, including operating systems, compilers, loaders, and assemblers

Answer 33

system software

Question 34

states that integrated circuit resources double every 18-24 months

Answer 34

Moore’s Law

Question 35

storage, such a DRAM, that retains data only if it is receiving power

Answer 35

Volatile memory

Question 36

supervising program that manages the resources of a computer for the benefit of the programs that run on that computer

Answer 36

operating system

Question 37

the component of the processor that commands the datapath, memory, and I/O devices according to the instructions of the program

Answer 37

Control

Question 38

the component of the processor that performs arithmetic operations

Answer 38

Datapath

Question 39

the storage area in which programs are kept when they are running and that contains the data needed by the running programs.

Answer 39

Memory

Question 40

the user portion of the instruction set plus the operating system interfaces used by application programmer. It defines a standard for binary portability across computer.

Answer 40

Application binary interface (ABI)

Question 41

used to characterize the design at different levels of representation

Answer 41

abstraction