ARM Assembly Instructions Quiz

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What is the purpose of the BL instruction?

To jump to a new address without saving the current state

To branch to an address held in a register

To combine comparison and branching in one instruction

To store the current Program Counter before branching (correct)

How does the CBZ instruction operate?

It only compares values without branching

It combines the functionality of comparison and branching when the value is zero (correct)

It executes a branch regardless of the comparison result

It performs a comparison and then executes a branch if the result is negative

What is a distinguishing feature of the BLX instruction compared to the BL instruction?

BLX requires a direct address rather than a register

BLX only executes a branch without storing the Program Counter

BLX is used for unconditional branching only

BLX allows branching to an address specified in a register (correct)

What is the function of IT-blocks in branching operations?

They allow for executing conditional blocks without branching for several instructions Signup and view all the answers

Which instruction directly combines CMP and BNE functionalities?

CBNZ Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of core memory in terms of data retention?

It maintains state even after power is switched off. Signup and view all the answers

How is a bit stored in Dynamic RAM (DRAM)?

As the presence or absence of charge on a capacitor. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the data stored in DRAM after it is read?

The data is destroyed and must be restored. Signup and view all the answers

Why is Static RAM (SRAM) considered faster than DRAM?

It does not need to be refreshed. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes ROM from PROM in terms of structure?

PROM includes a transistor in every bit cell. Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic makes SRAM less dense compared to DRAM?

It uses more transistors per memory cell. Signup and view all the answers

What is a major downside of using DRAM in memory systems?

It requires constant refreshing to retain data. Signup and view all the answers

In what way does ROM specify the contents of its bit cells?

During manufacturing by setting transistors that cannot be changed. Signup and view all the answers

What is the base of the decimal number system?

10 Signup and view all the answers

How many possibilities does a three-digit decimal number represent?

1000 Signup and view all the answers

What represents a binary digit in digital systems?

Bit Signup and view all the answers

What is the range of a four-bit binary number?

0 to 15 Signup and view all the answers

Which number system provides shorthand notation for binary numbers?

Hexadecimal Signup and view all the answers

In a binary system, what do the two states represent?

Low and High Signup and view all the answers

What does each hexadecimal digit represent in binary?

Four bits Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the main reasons hexadecimal numbers are used?

To provide a short form of binary numbers Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the stack in ARM processors?

To pass parameters and save state between function calls Signup and view all the answers

Which registers must a function preserve during execution?

R4-R8, R10, R11, and SP Signup and view all the answers

How does the stack pointer (SP) behave when values are added or removed from the stack?

It decrements when values are added and increments when values are removed Signup and view all the answers

What must be done with function arguments that do not fit into registers R0-R3?

They should be passed using the stack Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the stored values in the stack when a function returns?

They must be removed explicitly by the function Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between push/pop instructions and the stack pointer in ARM processors?

The compiler adds auto increment or decrement parameters to the SP during memory access Signup and view all the answers

Why is it necessary to store the processor state on the stack before calling a function?

To prevent overwriting crucial register values needed for returning Signup and view all the answers

In ARM processors, what direction does the stack grow as values are added?

It grows towards lower memory addresses Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of instructions that alter the PC on pipeline performance?

It results in a performance hit due to pipeline flushing. Signup and view all the answers

What ranges from 1 to 3 depending on the alignment and width of the target instruction?

The number of instruction fetch cycles. Signup and view all the answers

How does the compiler process C or C++ code for microcontroller programming?

It converts C or C++ code into assembler code. Signup and view all the answers

What are machine instructions composed of?

Patterns of bits with specific interpretation. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following compilers is used to transform C or C++ code?

C Compiler Signup and view all the answers

What happens during the pipeline flushing process?

Previous instructions are completed before new ones are fetched. Signup and view all the answers

What does speculation in the processing pipeline refer to?

Predicting future instruction paths. Signup and view all the answers

What does the ARM architecture depend on for its instruction execution?

Alignment and width of the target instruction. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the Stack Pointer (SP) in a descending stack when a value is pushed onto it?

SP is decremented Signup and view all the answers

What does the Stack Pointer indicate when the stack is considered empty?

SP points to the next free space on the stack Signup and view all the answers

After a pop operation in a descending stack, what change occurs to the Stack Pointer?

SP is incremented by 4 bytes Signup and view all the answers

Given an initial SP of 0x0007FFDC and a push operation that adds a value, what will be the new value of SP?

0x0007FFD8 Signup and view all the answers

What is a key reason for using a stack in function calls?

To save and restore registers without side effects Signup and view all the answers

In a descending stack, where does the stack grow from and to?

From high to low addresses Signup and view all the answers

After performing a push operation, how many elements does the stack have if it started with 9 elements?

10 elements Signup and view all the answers

When the stack contains 9 elements and a pop occurs, what will be the SP value after popping an element?

0x0007FFE0 Signup and view all the answers