Comp Hardware

Question 1

What makes up a computer?

Answer 1

• Internal components ( those within he CPU )

* External components, such as input/output and storage devices.

Question 2

What are the various internal components?

Answer 2

• Processor
• Main memory
• System Bus
• I/O controllers

Question 3

What is the purpose of the processor?

Answer 3

Processor responds to and processes the instructions that drive the computer, contains the:
• Control unit
• ALU
• Registers

Question 4

What does the processor contain?

Answer 4

• Control unit
• ALU
• Registers

Question 5

What is the purpose of the control unit?

Answer 5

Co-ordinates and controls all the operations carried out by the computer, operates by repeating three operations:
• Fetch
• Decode
• Execute

Question 6

What are the three operations of the CPU?

Answer 6

• Fetch
• Decode
• Execute

Question 7

What does the fetch stage do?

Answer 7

Causes the next instruction to be fetched from main memory

Question 8

What does the decode stage do?

Answer 8

Decodes the next instruction

Question 9

What does the execute stage do?

Answer 9

Causes the instruction to be executed

Question 10

What is the purpose of the ALU?

Answer 10

Performs logical, shift and arithmetic operations on data.

Question 11

What are registers?

Answer 11

Special memory cells that operate at very high speed.

Question 12

Where do arithmetic and logical operations take place?

Answer 12

Registers

Question 13

What is a bus?

Answer 13

Set of parallel wires connecting two or more components of a computer

Question 14

How is the processor connected to main memory?

Answer 14

Three separate busses.

Question 15

How does the CPU access a particular memory location?

Answer 15

• Sends an address to memory on the address bus.

* Data in that location is then returned to the CPU on the data bus

Question 16

What is sent along the control bus?

Answer 16

Control signals

Question 17

How are the processor, memory, and I/O connected?

Answer 17

Via busses.

Question 18

What is the system bus?

Answer 18

Term for the address, control & data bus.

Question 19

What directions can data travel on the data and control bus?

Answer 19

• bi-directional

Question 20

What directions can data travel on the address bus?

Answer 20

One way along the address bus.

Question 21

Where does the processor the address of an instruction/data to be stored/retrieved?

Answer 21

• Memory
or
• I/O controller

Question 22

What type of bus is the control bus?

Answer 22

Bi-directional bus, signals can be carried in both directions.

Question 23

Why are control lines needed?

Answer 23

• The data and address busses are shared by all components of the system.
• Control lines must be provided to ensure that access to and use of the data and address busses by the different components of the system does not lead to conflict.

Question 24

What is the purpose of the control bus?

Answer 24

Transmit command, timing and specific status information between system components.

Question 25

What are some control lines?

Answer 25

* Memory Write * Memory read * Interrupt Request * Bus Request * Bus Grant * Clock * Reset

Question 26

What is the purpose of the data bus?

Answer 26

Data bus provides a bi-directional path for moving data and instructions between system components.

Question 27

What determines overall system performance?

Answer 27

Width of the data bus

Question 28

What is a word?

Answer 28

Fixed size group of digits, which is handled by the processor and different types of processor have different word sizes.

Question 29

How is memory divided?

Answer 29

Divided up internally into units called words.

Question 30

How does a processor read a word?

Answer 30

If the processor wishes to read a word of memory: | • Puts the address of the desired word on the address bus

Question 31

What does the width of the address bus determine?

Answer 31

Maximum possible memory capacity of the system.