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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 is secondary memory?
Points to the current top of the stack
Non - volatile memory used to store programs and data between executions.
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum execution 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

2. An example of something typically associated with RISC architecture that is not typical in CISC architecture.
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
The combination of performance (measured primarily in therms of compute performance and graphics performance) and the price of a system.
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
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)

3. What are the five classic components of a computer?
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 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.
Input - output - memory - datapath - control

4. What is soft real- time?
10^9 cycles per sec
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.

5. An example of volatile memory
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
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
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.

6. What is price performance?
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
The combination of performance (measured primarily in therms of compute performance and graphics performance) and the price of a system.
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.

7. Moore's Law
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.)
The combination of performance (measured primarily in therms of compute performance and graphics performance) and the price of a system.
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
The most expensive computers - costing tens of millions of dollars. They emphasize floating- point performance.

8. What are two examples of instruction - level parallelism?
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
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.
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue
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.

9. What is the $sp register used for?
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.
Points to the current top of the stack
Non - volatile memory used to store programs and data between executions.

10. What is a real- time performance requirement?
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.
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum execution time.
Using fixed or variable length encoding.

11. An example of an improvement that would impact throughput (but not response time).
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.

12. What are the industry standard benchmarks to measure performance (e.g. - with different vendor chips)?
Points to the current top of the stack
The most expensive computers - costing tens of millions of dollars. They emphasize floating- point performance.
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.
1- response time 2- throughput - response time and throughput are directly proportional or only interrelated - Interrelated only.

13. 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.)
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture

14. An example of an improvement that would impact response time (but not throughput).
10^9 cycles per sec
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.
Storage that retains data even in the absence of a power source.

15. What is included in the term organization?

16. What is a supercomputer?
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.
DRAM - RAM - Cache are examples of this type of memory.
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

17. What is volatile memory?
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)
Storage that retains data only if it is receiving power
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.
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.

18. What is thread- level parallelism?
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
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.
Magnetic disk - flash memory are examples of this type of memory.
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.

19. What are the base units of GHz?
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception
Points to the current top of the stack
10^9 cycles per sec

20. What are the hardware/software components affecting program performance?
Algorithm - programming language - compiler - instruction set architecture
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.)
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers

21. An example of non - volatile memory
Magnetic disk - flash memory are examples of this type of memory.
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
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.
10^9 cycles per sec

22. What is an Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)?
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.
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 only if it is receiving power
Points to the next instruction to be executed.

23. What is non - volatile memory?
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
Storage that retains data even in the absence of a power source.
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.

24. What is data- level parallelism?
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.
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception
There does not exist the case of negative zero. - Can perform a- b as a+ (- b) without adjustments inside the CPU.
Desktop computer / laptop computer - server - super computer - embedded computer - mobile computing

25. What is main/primary memory?
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
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.
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.

26. What is the $pc register used for?
1- response time 2- throughput - response time and throughput are directly proportional or only interrelated - Interrelated only.
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
Points to the next instruction to be executed.
10^9 cycles per sec

27. What does jal <proc> do?
Storage that retains data even in the absence of a power source.
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
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.

28. What is throughput?
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.

29. One reason why two's compliment is used as opposed to signed magnitude or one's compliment?
Points to the current top of the stack
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.
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers

30. What is the $epc register used for?
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.
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.
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 address of an instruction that caused an exception

31. Stored Program Concept
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
Computer speeds double every 18-24 months
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.
Procedure call. Copies PC to $ra - # push $t0 - Subu $sp - $sp - 4 - sw $t0 - ($sp) - # pop $t0 - Lw $t0 - ($sp) - addu $sp - $sp - 4

32. What does hardware refer to?
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.
10^9 cycles per sec
The specifics of a computer - including the detailed logic design and the packaging technology of the computer
The most expensive computers - costing tens of millions of dollars. They emphasize floating- point performance.

33. What is instruction - level parallelism?
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.)
When it is possible to occasionally miss the time constraint on an event - as long as not too many are missed.
Instructions and data are stored in memory as numbers
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.

34. What are embedded computers?
The number of tasks completed per unit of time.
Add memory - additional processors to handle more tasks in a given time.
Input - output - memory - datapath - control
Computers that are lodged in other devices where their presence is not immediately obvious.

35. Amdahl's Law
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
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.
Points to the next instruction to be executed.

36. How can you encode an ISA?
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)
Using fixed or variable length encoding.
(1) pipelining (2) multiple instruction issue
Memory used to hold program while they are executing.

37. How is CPU performance measured?
The performance enhancement possible with a given improvement is limited by the amount that the improvement feature is used.
Points to the address of an instruction that caused an exception
Instructions/unit time (e.g. - instructions/sec) - equal to 1/execution time
Also called ILP. This is the potential overlap among instructions. There are two approaches: (1) hardware - and (2) software.

38. What are the classes of computing applications (five)?
When a segment of the application has an absolute maximum 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
Using fixed or variable length encoding.