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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.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

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 are the hardware/software components affecting program performance?
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.

2. An example of an improvement that would impact response time (but not throughput).
A faster processor to complete task sooner - a better algorithm to complete the program/task sooner.
Using fixed or variable length encoding.
1- response time 2- throughput - response time and throughput are directly proportional or only interrelated - Interrelated only.
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception

3. What is instruction - level parallelism?
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.

4. How is CPU performance measured?
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
Points to the next instruction to be executed.
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum execution time.

5. What is a supercomputer?
Points to the current top of the stack
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.
The most expensive computers - costing tens of millions of dollars. They emphasize floating- point performance.
Magnetic disk - flash memory are examples of this type of memory.

6. What are the classes of computing applications (five)?
Points to the current top of the stack
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing
Points to the next instruction to be executed.
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.

7. Moore's Law
10^9 cycles per sec
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)
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.

8. What is non - volatile memory?
10^9 cycles per sec
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
Using fixed or variable length encoding.
Storage that retains data even in the absence of a power source.

9. An example of volatile memory
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue
Procedure call. Copies PC to $ra - # push $t0 - Subu $sp - $sp - 4 - sw $t0 - ($sp) - # pop $t0 - Lw $t0 - ($sp) - addu $sp - $sp - 4
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.

10. What are embedded computers?
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.

11. An example of non - volatile memory
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
Magnetic disk - flash memory are examples of this type of memory.
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months

12. 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.
Points to the next instruction to be executed.
10^9 cycles per sec
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue

13. What does hardware refer to?
1- response time 2- throughput - response time and throughput are directly proportional or only interrelated - Interrelated only.
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
Storage that retains data even in the absence of a power source.

14. What is secondary memory?
Using fixed or variable length encoding.
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)
Non - volatile memory used to store programs and data between executions.
A faster processor to complete task sooner - a better algorithm to complete the program/task sooner.

15. What is included in the term organization?

16. What is response time?
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.)
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.
A faster processor to complete task sooner - a better algorithm to complete the program/task sooner.
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.

17. What are the industry standard benchmarks to measure performance (e.g. - with different vendor chips)?
1- response time 2- throughput - response time and throughput are directly proportional or only interrelated - Interrelated only.
A faster processor to complete task sooner - a better algorithm to complete the program/task sooner.
Points to the current top of the stack
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.

18. What is throughput?
Non - volatile memory used to store programs and data between executions.
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing

19. What is a real- time performance requirement?
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
Procedure call. Copies PC to $ra - # push $t0 - Subu $sp - $sp - 4 - sw $t0 - ($sp) - # pop $t0 - Lw $t0 - ($sp) - addu $sp - $sp - 4
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum execution time.

20. What does jal <proc> do?
Procedure call. Copies PC to $ra - # push $t0 - Subu $sp - $sp - 4 - sw $t0 - ($sp) - # pop $t0 - Lw $t0 - ($sp) - addu $sp - $sp - 4
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
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.
Magnetic disk - flash memory are examples of this type of memory.

21. Stored Program Concept
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
Input - output - memory - datapath - control
Non - volatile memory used to store programs and data between executions.

22. What are the five classic components of a computer?
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception
Points to the current top of the stack
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
Input - output - memory - datapath - control

23. What is data- level parallelism?
10^9 cycles per sec
Input - output - memory - datapath - control
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.
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.

24. What is the $pc register used for?
Non - volatile memory used to store programs and data between executions.
Points to the next instruction to be executed.
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.
The most expensive computers - costing tens of millions of dollars. They emphasize floating- point performance.

25. How can you encode an ISA?
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
Using fixed or variable length encoding.
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.

26. What is the $sp register used for?
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
Procedure call. Copies PC to $ra - # push $t0 - Subu $sp - $sp - 4 - sw $t0 - ($sp) - # pop $t0 - Lw $t0 - ($sp) - addu $sp - $sp - 4
Points to the current top of the stack

27. Amdahl's Law
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.
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.

28. What is thread- level parallelism?
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
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 address of an instruction that caused an exception
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.

29. 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)
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
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

30. What is soft real- time?
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.
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
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.

31. What is price performance?
Points to the next instruction to be executed.
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
The combination of performance (measured primarily in therms of compute performance and graphics performance) and the price of a system.
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.

32. What is the $epc register used for?
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception
Storage that retains data even in the absence of a power source.
Using fixed or variable length encoding.
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.

33. What is an Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)?
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
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)
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.
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.

34. What are two examples of instruction - level parallelism?
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.

35. An example of an improvement that would impact throughput (but not response time).
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
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.)
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.

36. One reason why two's compliment is used as opposed to signed magnitude or one's compliment?
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
A faster processor to complete task sooner - a better algorithm to complete the program/task sooner.
1- response time 2- throughput - response time and throughput are directly proportional or only interrelated - Interrelated only.
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.

37. What is main/primary memory?
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing
Input - output - memory - datapath - control
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.

38. What is volatile memory?
Storage that retains data only if it is receiving power
A faster processor to complete task sooner - a better algorithm to complete the program/task sooner.
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.