Computer Organization Chapter 8

What is the main purpose of the fetch stage in the CPU?

To access main memory for the next instruction

Which mode allows privileged instructions to execute and is used by the operating system?

Supervisor mode

What is the main advantage of increasing the number of general-purpose registers?

Increase flexibility and programmer options

What is the main characteristic of indirect addressing?

It requires more memory accesses Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of prefetching in the CPU?

To fetch the next instruction during execution of the current instruction Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the condition code registers?

To set flags based on arithmetic and logical operations Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the fetch stage of a pipeline in a CPU?

To maintain the loop buffer Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a loop buffer in a CPU?

To improve the performance of loops or jumps Signup and view all the answers

How many interrupt vectors are stored in the interrupt vector table of a Pentium processor?

256 32-bit interrupt vectors Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of an Operating System in terms of memory management?

To keep track of primary memory usage Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the program responsible for allocating the processor (CPU) to a process?

Traffic controller Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of an Operating System in terms of processor management?

To keep track of processor status and allocate the processor to a process Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a microprocessor?

To execute instructions in the form of machine code Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of Assembly language?

To provide a low-level programming language for a specific computer architecture Signup and view all the answers

What is an advantage of using Assembly language?

It requires less memory and execution time Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of understanding Assembly language in terms of program execution?

It provides a better understanding of how programs interface with OS, processor, and BIOS Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between combinational logic block and sequential logic block?

The presence or absence of memory elements Signup and view all the answers

How does a microprocessor access and execute instructions?

By receiving instructions in the form of machine code Signup and view all the answers