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Computer Architecture And Design

Instructions:

Answer 38 questions in 15 minutes.
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Match each statement with the correct term.
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This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. What is price performance?
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 - etc.
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
The combination of performance (measured primarily in therms of compute performance and graphics performance) and the price of a system.
Input - output - memory - datapath - control

2. What does jal <proc> do?
Storage that retains data only if it is receiving power
Input - output - memory - datapath - control
Procedure call. Copies PC to $ra - # push $t0 - Subu $sp - $sp - 4 - sw $t0 - ($sp) - # pop $t0 - Lw $t0 - ($sp) - addu $sp - $sp - 4
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer

3. Stored Program Concept
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing
The most expensive computers - costing tens of millions of dollars. They emphasize floating- point performance.
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue

4. What are two examples of instruction - level parallelism?
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception
Input - output - memory - datapath - control
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue

5. Amdahl's Law
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.
Non - volatile memory used to store programs and data between executions.
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.

6. What is volatile memory?
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
The combination of performance (measured primarily in therms of compute performance and graphics performance) and the price of a system.
Storage that retains data only if it is receiving power
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture

7. What is included in the term organization?

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8. What are the classes of computing applications (five)?
Procedure call. Copies PC to $ra - # push $t0 - Subu $sp - $sp - 4 - sw $t0 - ($sp) - # pop $t0 - Lw $t0 - ($sp) - addu $sp - $sp - 4
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.
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 - etc.

9. What is non - volatile memory?
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
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 - etc.
Storage that retains data even in the absence of a power source.
10^9 cycles per sec

10. What is a supercomputer?
The most expensive computers - costing tens of millions of dollars. They emphasize floating- point performance.
High- level aspects of a computer's design - such as the memory system - the memory interconnect - and the design of the internal processor or CPU (central processing unit
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.
Also called TLP. A form of parallelization of computer code across multiple processors in parallel computing environments - which focuses on distributing execution processes (threads) across different parallel computing nodes.

11. What is instruction - level parallelism?
Magnetic disk - flash memory are examples of this type of memory.
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.
Also called DLP. A form of parallelization of computing across multiple processors in parallel computing environments - which focuses on distributing the data across different parallel computing nodes.

12. What is thread- level parallelism?
Also called TLP. A form of parallelization of computer code across multiple processors in parallel computing environments - which focuses on distributing execution processes (threads) across different parallel computing nodes.
Points to the next instruction to be executed.
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.

13. What is throughput?
High- level aspects of a computer's design - such as the memory system - the memory interconnect - and the design of the internal processor or CPU (central processing unit
Points to the current top of the stack
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.

14. What is soft real- time?
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum execution time.
Also called DLP. A form of parallelization of computing across multiple processors in parallel computing environments - which focuses on distributing the data across different parallel computing nodes.
Dedicated argument registers to reduce stack usage during procedure calls - consistently sized opcodes - separate instructions for store and load - improved linkage (jal and jr save $ra without using stack)
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.

15. What is the $epc register used for?
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception
Input - output - memory - datapath - control
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.

16. What are the hardware/software components affecting program performance?
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.

17. What is response time?
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
Points to the current top of the stack
The total time required for the computer to to complete a task. (Includes disk accesses - memory accesses - I/O activities - OS overhead - and CPU execution time.)

18. What is a real- time performance requirement?
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.
Points to the current top of the stack
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum execution time.

19. How can you encode an ISA?
Magnetic disk - flash memory are examples of this type of memory.
The total time required for the computer to to complete a task. (Includes disk accesses - memory accesses - I/O activities - OS overhead - and CPU execution time.)
Using fixed or variable length encoding.
Input - output - memory - datapath - control

20. What are the industry standard benchmarks to measure performance (e.g. - with different vendor chips)?
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
1- response time 2- throughput - response time and throughput are directly proportional or only interrelated - Interrelated only.
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.

21. What are the five classic components of a computer?
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.
Input - output - memory - datapath - control
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue

22. One reason why two's compliment is used as opposed to signed magnitude or one's compliment?
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 - etc.
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum execution time.
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
Points to the current top of the stack

23. Moore's Law
Input - output - memory - datapath - control
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
The total time required for the computer to to complete a task. (Includes disk accesses - memory accesses - I/O activities - OS overhead - and CPU execution time.)

24. An example of volatile memory
Storage that retains data only if it is receiving power
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
Using fixed or variable length encoding.
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.

25. How is CPU performance measured?
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
Dedicated argument registers to reduce stack usage during procedure calls - consistently sized opcodes - separate instructions for store and load - improved linkage (jal and jr save $ra without using stack)
10^9 cycles per sec

26. An example of an improvement that would impact throughput (but not response time).
The combination of performance (measured primarily in therms of compute performance and graphics performance) and the price of a system.
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum execution time.
1- response time 2- throughput - response time and throughput are directly proportional or only interrelated - Interrelated only.

27. What is main/primary memory?
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing

28. What are the base units of GHz?
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.
Also called TLP. A form of parallelization of computer code across multiple processors in parallel computing environments - which focuses on distributing execution processes (threads) across different parallel computing nodes.
10^9 cycles per sec

29. What are embedded computers?
The total time required for the computer to to complete a task. (Includes disk accesses - memory accesses - I/O activities - OS overhead - and CPU execution time.)
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing
Procedure call. Copies PC to $ra - # push $t0 - Subu $sp - $sp - 4 - sw $t0 - ($sp) - # pop $t0 - Lw $t0 - ($sp) - addu $sp - $sp - 4

30. What is the $pc register used for?
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
Points to the next instruction to be executed.

31. What is an Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)?
Also called TLP. A form of parallelization of computer code across multiple processors in parallel computing environments - which focuses on distributing execution processes (threads) across different parallel computing nodes.
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
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 - etc.

32. What is data- level parallelism?
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.
Also called DLP. A form of parallelization of computing across multiple processors in parallel computing environments - which focuses on distributing the data across different parallel computing nodes.
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum execution time.
Magnetic disk - flash memory are examples of this type of memory.

33. What does hardware refer to?
Points to the current top of the stack
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
Points to the next instruction to be executed.
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing

34. What is secondary memory?
The most expensive computers - costing tens of millions of dollars. They emphasize floating- point performance.
Non - volatile memory used to store programs and data between executions.
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
Storage that retains data even in the absence of a power source.

35. An example of an improvement that would impact response time (but not throughput).
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.
A faster processor to complete task sooner - a better algorithm to complete the program/task sooner.
Using fixed or variable length encoding.
Non - volatile memory used to store programs and data between executions.

36. An example of something typically associated with RISC architecture that is not typical in CISC architecture.
Dedicated argument registers to reduce stack usage during procedure calls - consistently sized opcodes - separate instructions for store and load - improved linkage (jal and jr save $ra without using stack)
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
10^9 cycles per sec

37. An example of non - volatile memory
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
Magnetic disk - flash memory are examples of this type of memory.
1- response time 2- throughput - response time and throughput are directly proportional or only interrelated - Interrelated only.
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.

38. What is the $sp register used for?
Also called TLP. A form of parallelization of computer code across multiple processors in parallel computing environments - which focuses on distributing execution processes (threads) across different parallel computing nodes.
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.
Points to the current top of the stack