Digital Systems Basics Quiz
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What are the advantages of 'digital' computers compared to analog ones?

  • Noise robustness
  • Degradation robustness
  • Reconfigurable
  • All of the above (correct)

    • What are the main components of a digital computer?

    Memory, Datapath, Control unit, Input/Output

    Embedded systems are reconfigurable.

    False

    DSP stands for Digital __________ Processor.

    <p>Signal</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the fundamental parameters in the comparison between microcontrollers and DSP?

    <p>Cost and performance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which characteristics determine the level of performance required for a microprocessor?

    <p>Maximum permissible power consumption</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Microcontrollers and DSPs have an operating system that manages multiple concurrent processes.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The computation time can be estimated by the equation ߔ = ߔ௫ଵ/߇

    <p>ߔ௪</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which method can be used to increase the speed of a processor?

    <p>Reducing the total number of instructions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key characteristic of a DSP in terms of power consumption?

    <p>it is designed to consume a minimum amount of power</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common use of DSPs in the creation of algorithms?

    <p>encoding/decoding of audio signals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key feature of a DSP that allows for efficient management of peripherals?

    <p>a DMA (Direct Memory Access)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary difference between a DSP and a microcontroller?

    <p>the computing power required</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term used to describe real-time control processors?

    <p>Digital Signal Controller</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a factor that affects the cost of electronic devices?

    <p>the production volume</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of recent DSPs?

    <p>they often incorporate peripherals traditionally typical of microcontrollers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an important factor to consider when comparing the cost of DSPs and microcontrollers?

    <p>the time needed to complete product development</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of microcontrollers?

    <p>Having a limited or no human interface device</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between analog and digital devices?

    <p>Analog devices use continuous signals, while digital devices use discrete signals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of embedded systems?

    <p>Having embedded software that is not reconfigurable</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of a digital device?

    <p>Button</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of DSP?

    <p>Being a special-purpose computer</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of microcomputer/microcontroller?

    <p>Being a smaller, less powerful computer</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of the datapath unit in a digital computer?

    <p>Performs arithmetic operations and data processing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of the control unit in the operation flow of a digital computer?

    <p>Retrieves the next instruction from memory and executes it</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of interface is provided by the Input/Output unit in a digital computer?

    <p>Digital-analog interface</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Central Processing Unit (CPU) composed of?

    <p>Datapath and control unit</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is stored in the memory of a digital computer?

    <p>Programs, inputs, and intermediate values</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the advantage of digital computers in terms of noise robustness?

    <p>They are less prone to noise interference</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of the processor bus in a computer architecture?

    <p>It facilitates communication between different parts of the computer</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the limitation of the question 'Is the Personal Computer the only digital computer?'?

    <p>It does not consider other types of digital computers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the top-down approach in microcontrollers based on?

    <p>Decomposing complex systems into simpler subsystems</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main benefit of using abstraction layers in microcontrollers?

    <p>Easier to update and improve upper layers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the process of dividing a complex system into smaller subsystems called?

    <p>Divide et impera</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What translates instructions into processor commands?

    <p>Assembler</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the set of instructions and registers available to the processor?

    <p>To provide a way for the processor to execute instructions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of decomposing complex systems into simpler subsystems?

    <p>A simpler system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the ultimate goal of the top-down approach?

    <p>To connect the simple parts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between abstraction layers and the complexity of a system?

    <p>Abstraction layers decrease the complexity of a system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary factor that determines the cost of developing an application?

    <p>Availability of good quality integrated development environments (IDEs)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the key parameter in applications involving signal-processing and/or real-time control activities?

    <p>Computation time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How can the speed of a processor be increased?

    <p>Reducing the processor clock period</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the limitation of reducing the processor clock period?

    <p>Technological: better manufacturing processes, better-performing innovative materials</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of benchmarking in evaluating processor performance?

    <p>To compare the performance of different processors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of a good DSP benchmark program?

    <p>Relevance to typical DSP applications</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the limitation of using MIPS as a performance index?

    <p>It does not consider memory access speed</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between DMIPS and MIPS?

    <p>DMIPS is used for a specific benchmark algorithm, while MIPS is a general measure of performance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary advantage of using kernel benchmarking for DSPs?

    <p>It allows for a more accurate comparison of different DSPs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is the computation time required by a program dependent on the processor architecture?

    <p>Because the number of instructions required by the program depends on the architecture</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Digital Systems Basics

    • A digital computer is preferred over an analog computer due to its advantages:
      • Noise robustness
      • Degradation robustness
      • Reconfigurability

    The Digital Computer

    • A digital computer consists of:
      • Memory: stores programs, inputs and outputs, and intermediate values
      • Datapath: performs arithmetic operations and data processing
      • Control unit: supervises the flow of information between units
      • Input/Output: digital-to-analog interface for input devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse) and output devices (e.g., screen, printer)

    Operation Flow

    • The control unit retrieves the next instruction from memory
    • It asks memory and inputs for needed parameters
    • It asks the datapath to perform the necessary operations
    • It moves the results to memory and output devices

    Computer Architecture

    • A computer architecture consists of:
      • Separate control unit and datapath
      • Connections between units (e.g., processor bus, input/output bus)
    • Other parts include:
      • External cache
      • Random access memory
      • Input/output devices (e.g., keyboard, LCD)

    Embedded Systems

    • Embedded systems are small, less powerful computers used in devices such as:
      • Microcontrollers
      • Digital signal processors (DSPs)
    • They are not reconfigurable and have:
      • Limited or no human interface devices
      • No mass storage

    Abstraction Layers

    • Abstraction layers are used to simplify complex systems by:
      • Decomposing the system into subsystems
      • Breaking down the subsystems into smaller components
      • Connecting the simple parts to form the complete system
    • This approach has advantages, including:
      • Easy to update
      • Easy to improve upper layers

    Microcontrollers and DSP

    • A microcontroller is a microprocessor optimized for carrying out control, timing, and supervision tasks
    • It has on-chip memory and peripherals, and is used in various applications, including:
      • Home appliances
      • Mobile phones
      • Industrial automation
    • A digital signal processor (DSP) is a microprocessor optimized for real-time digital signal processing
    • It has high computing power and is used in applications such as:
      • Audio and video signal processing
      • Data compression and encryption

    DSP vs µC

    • Microcontrollers (µC) were traditionally used for control functions, while digital signal processors (DSPs) were used for signal processing functions
    • However, the distinction between the two is becoming less clear, as modern DSPs often incorporate peripherals typical of µCs, and some µCs have computing powers similar to those of DSPs
    • The choice between the two ultimately depends on cost and performance considerations### Microcontrollers Basics

    Effective Support

    • Effective support from the manufacturer of the device used is crucial, including:
      • Function libraries
      • Drivers
      • Technical support
      • Support forums

    Performance Comparison

    • Fundamental parameters in comparing microcontrollers and DSPs are:
      • Cost
      • Performance
    • Performance is determined by:
      • Needed peripherals and their specifications (e.g. 8, 10, or 12-bit A/D converter)
      • Operating conditions (e.g. maximum permissible power consumption, temperature)
      • Computing power required (e.g. real-time control, signal processing)

    Computation Time

    • Computation time is a key parameter in applications involving signal-processing and/or real-time control activities
    • Estimating computation time requires:
      • Processor clock period
      • Number of cycles required by the most commonly used instructions in the program
      • Number of instructions (for each type) required by the program
    • The clock period and number of cycles required by the instructions can be obtained from the processor datasheet
    • The number of instructions required by a program depends on the architecture (ISA) of the processor

    Computation Time Estimate

    • The computation time can be estimated using the equation:
      • T = ∑ (n_i * c_i) / f
      • Where T is the computation time, n_i is the number of instructions of class i, c_i is the average number of cycles for an instruction of class i, and f is the processor clock frequency
    • Under the hypothesis that the program is not interrupted by other programs and memory-related delays are not taken into account

    Increasing Speed

    • It is possible to increase the speed by:
      • Reducing the processor clock period
      • Reducing the total number of instructions
      • Reducing the number of cycles needed by the instructions
    • Reducing the processor clock period:
      • Causes an increase in power dissipated by the processor
      • Can be limited by reducing the supply voltage
      • Demands processors with low supply voltages (< 1 V)
    • Reducing the total number of instructions:
      • Depends on the architecture
      • Leads towards architectures with complex instructions (CISC) compared to architectures with simpler and fewer instructions (RISC)
    • Reducing the number of cycles needed by the instructions:
      • Requires more complex hardware/circuit organization
      • Can be achieved through wired control instead of micro-programmed control
      • Reduces the duration of the operation through greater parallelism and pipeline use

    Performance Comparison

    • Performance evaluation of general-purpose processors uses benchmarking (sample programs)
    • Benchmarking is also applied to DSPs, but with specific algorithms for signal-processing applications (e.g. FFT, FIR filters, IIR)
    • Processor benchmarking is inapplicable to DSPs because it evaluates the compiler-processor together rather than the processor alone
    • For DSPs, kernel benchmarking is used instead

    DSP Benchmarking

    • Characteristics of a good DSP benchmark program:
      • Relevance: it must be a typical application of a DSP
      • Ease of unambiguous definition: it must be clear which specific algorithm for implementing an operation it uses
      • Simplicity
      • Optimizability: it must be able to be optimized for each DSP under test

    Performance Indices

    • Common performance indices:
      • MIPS: millions of instructions per second
      • DMIPS: millions of instructions per second for a specific benchmark algorithm (Dhrystone)
      • FLOPS: millions of floating-point operations per second
    • These indices are highly unreliable and do not allow comparisons between devices from different families
    • MIPS:
      • Maximum number of instructions that a CPU can perform in a unit of time
      • The number of instructions required by a certain algorithm depends on the CPU architecture (and the quality of the compiler)
    • DMIPS:
      • Number of instructions that a processor can execute per unit of time during the execution of a specific algorithm (Dhrystone benchmark)
      • Conceived in 1984 to compare the performance of general-purpose processors
      • Sometimes normalized to the clock frequency, expressing the speed in DMIPS/MHz
    • FLOPS:
      • Maximum number of floating-point operations per unit of time
      • Applicable only to processors with floating-point arithmetic
    • None of the indices mentioned consider essential aspects for the performance of a CPU, such as memory access speed and quality of instructions.

    Digital Computer Basics

    • A digital computer can be defined as a machine that can perform operations using 0s and 1s.
    • "Digital" advantages include: • Noise robustness • Degradation robustness • Reconfigurable

    Digital Computer Components

    • Memory stores: • Programs (list of commands) • Inputs and outputs • Intermediate values
    • Datapath performs: • Arithmetic operations • Data processing
    • Control unit supervises: • Information flow between units
    • Input/Output (I/O) is a digital-analog interface, comprising: • Input devices (keyboard, mouse, scanner, touch) • Output devices (screen, printer, LED, sound) • Mixed devices (drives, ETH, WiFi)

    Operation Flow

    • Control unit retrieves the next instruction from memory
    • Control unit asks memory and inputs for needed parameters
    • Control unit asks datapath to perform operations
    • Control unit moves results to memory and outputs

    Computer Architecture

    • Separate control unit and datapath
    • Connections include: • Processor bus • Input/output bus • Bus interface (communications between parts)
    • Other parts include: • External cache • Random access memory (RAM)

    Embedded Systems

    • Microcomputer/microcontroller: smaller, less powerful computers
    • DSP (Digital Signal Processor): special-purpose computers for signal processing
    • Embedded systems are not reconfigurable, with limited or no Human Interface Devices (HID)
    • Embedded systems have no mass storage

    Analog and Digital Systems

    • Analog systems include: • Thermistor • Sensors • Knob • Loudspeaker • Lighting • Motor • Dial • WiFi
    • Digital systems include: • Button • Keypad • Switch • LED • Lighting • Motor • Control • Relays

    Abstraction Layers

    • Top-down approach: • Divide and conquer • Start with a complex system and decompose it into subsystems • Connect the simple parts

    Microcontrollers and DSP

    • A microcontroller is a small computer on a single integrated circuit (IC)
    • A DSP is a microprocessor optimized for digital signal processing
    • DSPs have: • High computing power • Low cost • Low power consumption
    • DSPs are used in: • Audio and video encoding/decoding • Data compression/decompression • Data encryption/decryption • Audio and video mixing • Sound synthesis

    DSP vs Microcontroller

    • The main difference between DSPs and microcontrollers is: • Computing power • Cost • Performance
    • Microcontrollers are used for control functions, while DSPs are used for signal processing
    • The distinction between DSPs and microcontrollers is becoming less clear

    Computation Time

    • Computation time is a key parameter in applications involving signal processing and/or real-time control
    • Computation time can be estimated using: • Processor clock period • Number of cycles required by instructions • Number of instructions required by the program
    • Computation time can be increased by: • Reducing the processor clock period • Reducing the number of instructions • Reducing the number of cycles required by instructions

    Performance Comparison

    • Benchmarking: evaluating the performance of a processor using sample programs
    • Performance indices: • MIPS (millions of instructions per second) • DMIPS (millions of instructions per second for a specific benchmark algorithm) • FLOPS (millions of floating-point operations per second)
    • These indices are unreliable and do not allow comparisons between devices from different families

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