Computer Organization and Design - Test 1 Study Guide
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Questions and Answers

What is the key observation made by Gordon Moore that led to the concept of "Design for Moore's Law"?

  • The number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles approximately every 18-24 months. (correct)
  • The speed of light limits the speed of computer systems.
  • The cost of manufacturing integrated circuits decreases exponentially over time.
  • The size of transistors will eventually reach the atomic scale, limiting further miniaturization.

    • What was the primary bottleneck in most computer systems prior to the early 2000s, according to the text?

  • Software complexity and limitations.
  • The speed of light and its impact on signal transmission.
  • Hardware limitations in terms of performance. (correct)
  • Limited storage capacity and slow data access.

    • Which of the following is NOT a physical limitation encountered by hardware in the mid-2000s?

  • Power consumption.
  • Heat dissipation.
  • Limited software development resources. (correct)
  • Electron drift.

    • How does replacing a processor with a faster model impact response time and throughput?

    <p>Response time decreases, Throughput increases. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a potential impact of including additional (similar) processors on response time and throughput?

    <p>Throughput decreases. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary benefit of using pipelining in a microprocessor?

    <p>It increases the overall throughput of the processor by allowing multiple instructions to be in different stages of execution simultaneously. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between a track and a cylinder in a hard drive?

    <p>A track is a concentric circle on a platter, while a cylinder combines a single track across multiple platters. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following memory types is volatile?

    <p>DRAM (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between RAID 0 and RAID 1?

    <p>RAID 1 uses mirroring to create a redundant copy of data, while RAID 0 uses striping to spread data across multiple drives. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following RAID levels is MOST capable of surviving multiple hard drive failures?

    <p>RAID 6 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)?

    <p>Performing both math and logic operations (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a stage in the instruction pipeline?

    <p>Instruction Store (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which network topology is commonly used in modern Local Area Networks (LANs)?

    <p>Star (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the key difference between a mechanical mouse and an optical mouse?

    <p>A mechanical mouse uses a ball to track movement, while an optical mouse uses a camera to track movement. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT an example of an input/output device?

    <p>CPU (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about parallelism is TRUE?

    <p>Parallelism can increase throughput by allowing multiple instructions to execute simultaneously. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a common type of logic operation performed by an ALU?

    <p>SUM (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these examples of code can be performed in parallel?

    <p>int a = 2 * b; int c = b + 4; (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about 'firmware' is TRUE?

    <p>Firmware is a program that is permanently stored in a device's memory. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a sector in a hard drive's data structure?

    <p>A pie-shaped section of a platter that geometrically divides tracks into blocks (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the major benefits of utilizing multiple checkout lines at a grocery store, similar to the analogy used for parallelism in computer systems?

    <p>It ensures that smaller purchases are not delayed by larger purchases. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does pipelining affect the total execution time of a program?

    <p>It has minimal impact on the total execution time of the program. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In terms of program code, what is the difference between assembly language and high-level language?

    <p>Assembly language is a textual representation of machine instructions, while high-level language is a more abstract form of instructions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does a computer system use the output of a compiler?

    <p>The output of a compiler is used as input for an assembler. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the role of the control unit in a processor?

    <p>To decode instructions and direct the flow of data within the processor. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about hard drives is TRUE?

    <p>Hard drives are the least dependable component in a computer, due to their moving parts. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of a linker in the process of creating an executable program?

    <p>Combining multiple object code files into a single executable file (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is TRUE about a Floating-Point Unit (FPU)?

    <p>It performs operations on data stored in scientific notation. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does RAID 1 achieve data redundancy and what is the benefit?

    <p>It creates a complete copy of data on two separate drives; it can survive one drive failure. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main purpose of a network adapter?

    <p>To communicate with other computers over a network. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of a register in a CPU?

    <p>To temporarily store values between operations (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a benefit of using parallelism in computer systems?

    <p>Reduced response time for individual tasks. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of memory is commonly used as cache memory?

    <p>SRAM (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements accurately compares elapsed time and CPU time?

    <p>Elapsed time is a measure of total response time, while CPU time focuses specifically on the time spent by the CPU processing instructions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a 'BIOS' in a computer system?

    <p>To initialize the computer system and load the operating system (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following network topologies is known for its high level of fault tolerance?

    <p>Mesh (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important for programmers to consider parallelism when designing software?

    <p>Parallelism can help improve the efficiency of programs and take advantage of multi-core processors. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the assembler directive .globl signify?

    <p>Defines a label that can be referenced by an external program (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which operation does the 'Push' action perform in stack management?

    <p>Add an item to the top of the stack (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of the .data directive in assembly?

    <p>To declare and define variables and data for the program (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the value represented by the binary number 11011011?

    <p>187 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main reason for using hexadecimal numbers in programming?

    <p>They simplify binary representation, as each hex digit represents four binary digits (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In MIPS assembly, which directive marks the beginning of the instruction segment?

    <p>.text (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the .asciiz directive do?

    <p>Creates a string with a null terminator (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When converting the decimal number 1210 to hexadecimal, what is the resulting value?

    <p>0C16 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of data does the 'Stack' section in system memory primarily hold?

    <p>Function parameters and local variables (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about the .align directive is true?

    <p>It aligns the data to a specific byte boundary determined by n (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How would the binary number 00001111 convert to decimal?

    <p>15 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What information is stored in the text segment of system memory?

    <p>Instructions of the program and constant values (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What action does the Peek operation perform in stack management?

    <p>Returns the value of the top item without removing it (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When converting from binary to decimal, what is the correct process?

    <p>Sum the positional values for which there is a 1 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Flashcards

    Moore's Law

    Gordon Moore's observation that transistor count doubles every 18-24 months.

    Transistor Count

    The number of transistors in a microchip, indicating its processing capability.

    Response Time

    The duration it takes to complete a specific task.

    Throughput

    The amount of work completed in a given time frame, like bytes per second.

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    Multi-core Processors

    Processors with multiple cores, enabling better performance by parallel task processing.

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    Elapsed Time

    Total response time including processing, I/O, OS overhead, etc.

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    CPU Time

    Time spent processing a job, excluding I/O and idle time.

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    Pipelining

    Technique where multiple instructions are executed simultaneously in stages.

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    Parallelism

    Executing multiple instructions at the same time using multiple processors.

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    RAID

    Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks for data redundancy and protection.

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    RAID 0

    Combines multiple drives for increased storage but offers no data protection.

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    RAID 1

    Mirrors data across two drives for redundancy; survives one drive failure.

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    RAID 5

    Uses parity to protect data, can survive one drive failure.

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    RAID 6

    Enhanced RAID 5 that can survive two drive failures with double parity.

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    Control Unit

    Part of the CPU that directs operations within the processor.

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    I/O Intensive

    Programs that frequently use input/output operations compared to CPU processing.

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    CPU Intensive

    Programs that require a lot of CPU processing power.

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    OS Overhead

    Time and resources consumed by the operating system to manage tasks.

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    Parallel Processing

    Using multiple processors to execute multiple instructions simultaneously.

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    Datapath

    Performs operations on data in a CPU.

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    Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

    Executes math and logic operations.

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    Floating-Point Unit (FPU)

    Handles floating-point math operations.

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    Registers

    Small memory for temporary value storage in CPUs.

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    Volatile Memory

    Memory where data can be lost when power is off.

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    Non-volatile Memory

    Memory that retains data without power.

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    SRAM

    Static RAM, faster and used for cache memory.

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    DRAM

    Dynamic RAM, slower, requires refreshes.

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    Mouse

    Input device for pointing and clicking.

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    Hard Drive

    Storage device using platters to hold data.

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    Track

    Concentric circle on a hard drive where data is stored.

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    Linker

    Combines object files to create an executable.

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    Compiler

    Translates high-level code into assembly language.

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    Assembler

    Converts assembly language into machine language.

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    Object Code

    The output from the assembler, not yet executable.

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    .align [n]

    A directive that aligns the data at an address divisible by 2^n bytes.

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    .ascii [str]

    Stores a string of data in memory without a null-terminator.

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    .asciiz [str]

    Stores a null-terminated string of data in memory.

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    .data

    Defines the segment of the program that contains data.

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    .globl [label]

    Defines a label that can be accessed by other programs.

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    .text

    Defines the segment containing the program's executable instructions.

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    Binary System (base 2)

    A number system using only two digits: 0 and 1.

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    Decimal System (base 10)

    The commonly used number system with digits 0-9.

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    Convert Decimal to Binary

    Express a decimal number in its binary equivalent using positional values.

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    Convert Binary to Decimal

    Translate a binary number into its decimal equivalent by summing the positional values.

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    Hexadecimal System (base 16)

    A number system using digits 0-9 and letters A-F to represent values.

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    Convert Decimal to Hexadecimal

    Transform a decimal number to its hexadecimal form by converting to and grouping binary.

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    Convert Hexadecimal to Decimal

    Change a hexadecimal number to decimal by converting each hex digit into binary, then to decimal.

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    Stack Operation

    A data structure where items are added and removed from the top.

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    Push

    Adds an item to the top of the stack.

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    Pop

    Removes the item from the top of the stack.

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    Study Notes

    Computer Organization and Design - Test 1 Study Guide

    • The course covers computer technology, hardware, and software.
    • The study guide is for the 6th edition of the book "Computer Organization and Design".
    • The study material includes module 1, computer abstractions and technology, eight great ideas, response time and throughput, measuring execution time, performance via pipelining, performance via parallelism, dependability via redundancy, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, components of a computer, inside a processor, inside memory (SRAM, DRAM, ROM), inside input devices (mouse-mechanical, optical, trackball), hard drive components, hard drive data structures, networks (bus, ring, star, mesh), assembler directives, working with binary numbers, and working with hex numbers. Modules 2 and 3 are also mentioned.
    • Moore's Law, observed in 1965 by Gordon Moore (Intel Corporation), predicts a doubling of transistor count and clock speed approximately every 18-24 months.
    • Prior to the early 2000s, hardware was a bottleneck in most computer systems.
    • In the mid-2000s, hardware reached physical limitations of silicon due to power and heat issues, and electron drift. The introduction of multi-core processors and quantum computing addressed these limitations.
    • Response time is the time taken to complete a task, while throughput is the total work completed per unit of time. Replacing a faster processor decreases response time.
    • Elapsed time includes all aspects like processing, I/O, OS overhead, other jobs, and idle time. CPU time is the time spent processing a specific task excluding I/O, other jobs, and idle time. Programs exhibit different performance characteristics based on factors like CPU or I/O intensity, and OS overhead.
    • Performance via pipelining allows multiple instructions to execute simultaneously. The pipelining example uses a laundry system analogy to demonstrate the concept.
    • Performance via parallelism involves executing multiple instructions simultaneously, as demonstrated by a grocery store checkout example and the use of multiple processors or cores.
    • Dependability via redundancy uses redundant hardware components to ensure data integrity and fault tolerance during hard drive failures.
    • RAID 0 combines multiple hard drives to create a larger virtual drive. RAID 1 maintains an exact copy of data on multiple drives (mirroring) for redundancy. RAID 5 calculates parity information to allow data reconstruction from part loss, and RAID 6 employs a second parity value.
    • A computer comprises similar components regardless of its type (desktop, server, embedded). Input/output includes user interface devices (display, keyboard, mouse), storage devices (hard disk, CD/DVD, flash), and network adapters to communicate with other computers.
    • The processor (CPU) contains a control unit that manages the CPU's datapath, memory interaction, other components. A datapath performs data operations. The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) performs mathematical and logical operations. A floating-point unit (FPU) performs floating-point calculations.
    • Modern memory uses SRAM and DRAM, both volatile (data lost when power is off), and ROM (non-volatile). ROM holds permanent programs.
    • Mouse types include mechanical, optical, and trackballs. A mechanical mouse uses a ball, while an optical mouse uses light.
    • Hard drives store data on platters via read/write heads.
    • Hard drive data structures include tracks (concentric circles), cylinders (tracks across multiple platters), and sectors (pie-shaped sections for data partitioning within tracks).
    • Networks are often structured using the bus, ring, star, and mesh topology, while modern systems use star and mesh topologies.
    • Program execution proceeds from high-level languages (C, Java) to assembly, compiled into a machince-readable form (binary), and linked to an executable file by the linker.
    • Assembler directives start with a period and are used to manage common tasks such as defining memory segments (data, text).
    • Binary number system values are based on 0 and 1, representing data using positional values dependent on integer powers of 2.
    • Decimal and hexadecimal numbers are important base systems for human to computer data conversion.
    • Memory structure is organized into sections: reserved, operating system kernel, and modules: data, text, OS-related programs, constants. The stack for local variables, function parameters, and arguments resides on the memory address space.

    Module 2 Material

    • Covers components of a computer (CPU, memory, input/output)
    • Discusses how programs are translated into instructions executable by the hardware

    Module 3 Material

    • Covers program code representation at different levels.
    • Assembler directives, and their respective functions.
    • Details about creating executable programs through the processes of compiling, assembling, and linking programs.

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    Computer Organization and Design Test 1 Study Guide PDF

    Description

    Prepare for your Computer Organization and Design Test 1 with this comprehensive study guide based on the 6th edition of the textbook. Covering key concepts such as computer abstractions, performance metrics, and system components, this guide will help deepen your understanding of hardware and software technologies. Review important topics like RAID configurations, memory types, and network topologies to excel in your exam.

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