Computer Architecture Senior
What are latches?
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Latches are physical locks used to secure computer cases.
Latches are devices used to measure the temperature of the CPU.
Latches are software tools used to synchronize network connections.
Latches are electronic circuits used to store one bit of data and are commonly used for temporary data storage in digital systems.
What are flip-flops?
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Flip-flops are digital circuits used to store binary data and are fundamental building blocks of sequential logic.
Flip-flops are physical switches used to control the power supply of a computer.
Flip-flops are components of the power management unit in computers.
Flip-flops are types of software algorithms used in data encryption.
What are the five stages in a DLX pipeline?
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The five stages in a DLX pipeline are data fetch, data decode, execute, memory access, and halt.
The five stages in a DLX pipeline are instruction fetch, instruction decode, execute, memory access, and write-back.
The five stages in a DLX pipeline are input fetch, instruction decode, execute, output access, and shutdown.
The five stages in a DLX pipeline are command fetch, command decode, execute, data access, and storage.
What is the role of an instruction cache (I-cache) and a data cache (D-cache) in a CPU?
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The instruction cache (I-cache) stores temporary files, while the data cache (D-cache) stores permanent files.
The instruction cache (I-cache) manages the CPU's clock speed, while the data cache (D-cache) handles power consumption.
The instruction cache (I-cache) handles network connections, while the data cache (D-cache) manages storage devices.
The instruction cache (I-cache) stores instructions fetched from memory, while the data cache (D-cache) stores data fetched from memory.
Explain the role of an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) in a CPU.
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The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) in a CPU controls the power supply and cooling system.
The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) in a CPU handles the input and output devices.
The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) in a CPU performs arithmetic and logical operations on the data.
The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) in a CPU manages the memory addresses and storage.
Explain the concept of superscalar architecture in CPUs.
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Superscalar architecture refers to the design of supercomputers only.
Superscalar architecture is a method of cooling the CPU using multiple fans.
Superscalar architecture is a type of memory used in high-performance computing.
Superscalar architecture allows a CPU to execute more than one instruction per clock cycle by dispatching multiple instructions to appropriate functional units.
What is the difference between little-endian and big-endian byte ordering in computer memory storage?
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Little-endian byte ordering stores the least significant byte at the smallest address, while big-endian stores the most significant byte at the smallest address.
Little-endian byte ordering is used for storing data in external devices, while big-endian is for internal storage.
Little-endian byte ordering requires more memory space than big-endian.
Little-endian byte ordering is faster than big-endian in all types of processing.
What are the types of micro-operations?
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Types of micro-operations include data transfer operations, arithmetic operations, and logical operations.
Types of micro-operations include memory allocation, CPU cooling, and power management.
Types of micro-operations include software installation, network configuration, and data encryption.
Types of micro-operations include user authentication, file compression, and system reboot.
Explain what is vertical micro code?
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Vertical micro code is a method for encrypting data in CPUs.
Vertical micro code involves encoding control signals in a compact form, requiring multiple microinstructions to perform complex operations.
Vertical micro code is used to design the physical layout of memory chips.
Vertical micro code refers to the alignment of data in storage devices.
Explain what is horizontal micro code?
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Horizontal micro code specifies operations to be performed in a single microinstruction, allowing multiple control signals to be activated simultaneously.
Horizontal micro code refers to the physical layout of microchips on a motherboard.
Horizontal micro code is a method of cooling down CPUs.
Horizontal micro code is a coding technique used to organize software programs.
What is DMA?
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DMA (Direct Memory Access) is a technique for compressing data before storing it.
DMA (Direct Memory Access) is a method for encrypting data during transmission.
DMA (Direct Memory Access) allows devices to transfer data to/from memory without involving the CPU, improving efficiency.
DMA (Direct Memory Access) is used to manage the power supply to the CPU.
What is the difference between synchronous and asynchronous processor architectures?
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Synchronous processor architectures operate in lockstep with a global clock, while asynchronous architectures do not rely on a global clock and use handshakes for coordination.
Synchronous processor architectures require manual synchronization, while asynchronous architectures automatically synchronize.
Synchronous processor architectures are used only in gaming systems, while asynchronous architectures are used in office computers.
Synchronous processor architectures are faster than asynchronous architectures in all applications.
What is the purpose of SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) processing in computer architecture?
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SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) processing refers to the storage of instructions in cache memory.
SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) processing is used to compress data before storage.
SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) processing is a method for synchronizing network connections.
SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) processing allows one instruction to be applied to multiple data points simultaneously.
Explain the role of a TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) in virtual memory systems.
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A TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) caches recent translations of virtual memory to physical addresses to speed up memory access.
A TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) monitors the temperature of the CPU to prevent overheating.
A TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) manages the power supply to the memory modules.
A TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) is a component that stores backup copies of data.