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Questions and Answers
What was the initial target for the Intel 4004 microprocessor?
Which microprocessor was noted for being architected in just 10 weeks?
What type of architecture did the Intel i432 utilize?
Which microprocessor is associated with the introduction of the first DRAM?
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What was a significant issue faced by the Intel i432 microprocessor?
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The Motorola 68000 microprocessor was heavily based on which type of architecture?
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Which component is NOT part of the Intel 8086 architecture?
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What was the first major business application that influenced the personal computer market?
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How many address pins did the Motorola 68000 have?
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Which feature distinguished the Intel 8086 from the Intel 4004?
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What is the key feature that distinguishes in-order execution from out-of-order execution?
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Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the MIPS R10000 microarchitecture?
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What is the purpose of register renaming in out-of-order execution?
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How does speculative execution function in out-of-order execution?
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Which pipeline stage is common to both in-order and out-of-order execution designs?
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What is the typical range of pipeline stages found in both in-order and out-of-order designs?
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What is the function of the Reorder Buffer (ROB) in out-of-order execution?
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What type of cache architecture does the MIPS R10000 employ?
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What processor architecture became essential for high-end systems in the 1990s?
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Which company developed the first superscalar microprocessor?
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What was a significant technology that replaced minicomputers during the rise of personal computers?
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What is primarily responsible for the limited success of Massively Parallel Processors (MPPs) in the supercomputing market?
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Which microarchitecture component is designed specifically for managing and renaming registers?
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What was a notable trend regarding clock frequency and transistor speed during the 1990s?
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What type of applications drove the demand for workstations in distributed network computing?
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What component in modern microarchitecture handles the prefetching of information?
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What technology allows multiple signals to be driven across the chip simultaneously?
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What is a key feature of the advanced circuit designs in the 1990s?
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Study Notes
First Microprocessor
- Intel 4004, launched in 1971, was a 4-bit microprocessor with an accumulator architecture.
- Featured 2,300 transistors and operated at a clock speed of 750 kHz, executing 8-16 cycles per instruction.
- Designed for embedded control in devices like desktop printing calculators.
Microprocessors in the Seventies
- Initial focus on embedded applications; significant usage in hobbyist personal computers.
- Key innovations led to 8-bit microprocessors like Micral, Altair, TRS-80, and Apple-II, though had minimal initial market impact.
- VISICALC for Apple-II marked a pivotal application for personal computers, establishing a business use case.
DRAM in the Seventies
- Rapid advancements in MOSFET memory technology.
- Intel introduced the first 1Kbit DRAM (1103) in 1970, followed by a 64Kbit DRAM from Fujitsu in 1979.
- Indicated trajectory toward personal computers equipped with over 64KBytes of memory.
Microprocessor Evolution
- Progress in size and speed driven by advances in MOSFET technology and market growth.
- Intel i432 (1981) introduced as a complex 32-bit, object-oriented architecture but faced performance and usability issues.
- Motorola 68000 (1979) became notable with 68,000 transistors, offering a 32-bit general purpose architecture.
- Intel 8086 (1978) emerged as a 16-bit processor with 29,000 transistors; designed in 10 weeks to be assembly-compatible with 8080.
Intel 8086 Architecture
- Used various registers for different purposes, such as AX and BX for general operations, and CS, DS for memory segments.
- 250,000 initial sales led to a staggering 100 million units sold over time.
- Microsoft secured OS rights for IBM, modifying QDOS to create MS-DOS, driving software standardization in personal computing.
The Eighties: Personal Computer Revolution
- Surge of personal computers created diverse applications in business and consumer markets.
- Dominated by 8-bit and 16-bit microprocessors including Zilog Z80 and Intel 8088/86.
- Workstations replaced minicomputers, utilizing powerful 32-bit processors with features like virtual memory and hardware floating-point calculations.
- Massively Parallel Processors (MPPs) emerged to rival supercomputers by harnessing multiple inexpensive microprocessors.
The Nineties: Advanced Microprocessors
- Introduction of advanced superscalar microprocessors beginning with IBM POWER in 1990.
- MPPs struggled to compete with high-performance mainframes and vector supercomputers.
- Transition to 64-bit addressing critical due to increasing DRAM costs, stressing architectural advancements.
P-4 Microarchitecture
- Features a pipeline dedicated to signal processing across the chip, demonstrating increased complexity.
- Incorporates multiple caches, queues, and scheduling units, supporting high throughput.
Microarchitecture Comparison
- Distinction between in-order and out-of-order execution styles, with each using branch predictors for enhanced instruction management.
- Both methodologies enable simultaneous instruction execution, with designs traditionally featuring 10-30 pipeline stages.
MIPS R10000 (1995)
- Built on a 0.35µm CMOS process with four instructions executed per cycle.
- Capitalized on out-of-order execution, register renaming, and speculative execution beyond branches while incorporating split caches.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the evolution of microprocessors from the 4004 to the Pentium-4. Explore key developments and technological advancements that have shaped the performance and capabilities of microprocessors over the years. Ideal for computer science enthusiasts and students.
