Systems Architecture Exam Questions and Answers (Already Passed)

Systems Architecture Exam Questions and Answers (Already Passed) Computer System - Answers A combination of hardware and software components that allow input, processing and output of data. Hardware - Answers The physical components that make up a computer system. Software - Answers The programs that run on a computer system Input Devices - Answers Hardware that accepts data into the computer. Input Devices - Answers They take real world analogue data and convert it into a digital form that can be stored on a computer Output Device - Answers Hardware that presents the results of processing to the user or actuators that perform a task automatically. Output Device - Answers They use digital data from a computer and produce it in a form that is understandable or usable. Storage Device - Answers Hardware that is used to store files long term and is non-volatile, such as hard disks, memory sticks, magnetic tapes and CDs. Reliability - Answers How far you can depend on the computer system being available when you need it. Usually measured in terms of availability. Availability - Answers The proportion of time that a system is operational, usually expressed as a percentage over a period of time. E.g. 95% measured over one year. Mean Time Between Failure - Answers A measure of availability often quoted by hardware manufacturers. Dedicated System - Answers A system which is designed for one particular purpose. Embedded System - Answers A computer system with a dedicated function within a larger electrical or mechanical system. General Purpose System - Answers A system designed to perform many functions e.g. PC or tablet with the various Applications What does BIOS Stand for? - Answers Basic Input Output System What does GPU stand for? - Answers Graphical Processing Unit What does CPU Stand for? - Answers Central Processing Unit CPU - Answers Interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer. CPU - Answers A silicon chip (microprocessor) located on the motherboard that executes instructions to process data into information. CPU - Answers The key component of a computer system, which contains the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute program instructions CPU - Answers The portion of the computer that controls the functions of the system. CPU - Answers Composed of the 3 sub-units called the control unit, arithmetic unit, and memory unit. Von Neumann - Answers A computer architecture that allows for input, output, processing, and memory; it also includes the stored program concept. Fetch-Execute Cycle - Answers Basic operation cycle of a computer. It is the process by which a computer retrieves a program instruction from its memory, determines what actions the instruction requires, and carries out those actions. Control Unit - Answers A component of the processor that directs and coordinates most of the operations in the computer. Registers - Answers Small high-speed storage locations contained by the processor that temporarily hold data and instructions. What does ALU stand for? - Answers Arithmetic Logic Unit Arithmetic Logic Unit - Answers Carries out arithmetic operations and logical comparisons in the processor. Acts as a gateway to the processor. What does ACC stand for? - Answers Accumulator Accumulator - Answers A register in the CPU that stores data currently being used by the CPU. Accumulator - Answers Holds results of arithmetic carried out in ALU. What does MAR stand for? - Answers Memory Address Register Memory Address Register - Answers Contains the address of the next location to be accessed in memory. May be the address of the next instruction copied from PC OR Address of next data item to be used copied from address part of instruction held in CIR. Memory Address Register - Answers Used to hold the position (the address) in memory that contains the next piece of data or instruction Memory Address Register - Answers A CPU register that either stores the memory address from which data will be fetched to the CPU or the address to which data will be sent and stored. What does MDR stand for? - Answers Memory Data Register Memory Data Register - Answers Holds the next instruction or data to be executed. Can also hold data currently be used. Memory Data Register - Answers Holds the information to be transferred/copy of information received. Memory Data Register - Answers A register in the CPU that acts as a buffer between the memory and the CPU. Memory Data Register - Answers The memory register that holds the data value to be stored or the data value that was just fetched what does IR what for? - Answers Instruction Register Instruction Register - Answers Holds the current instruction being executed in binary. Buses - Answers Sets of wires which connect the processor to the other parts inside the computer system. Address Bus - Answers A one way bus which requests data from an address in memory. Address Bus - Answers Bus that enables the CPU to address RAM. Provides the means by which the CPU can access every location in memory. Data Bus - Answers Moves data between RAM and the microprocessor. Data Bus - Answers Moves data in both directions as data is both read and written to memory. Arithmetic Operations - Answers Add, subtract, multiply, divide, integer division (DIV) and modulus (MOD) are what? Logical Operations - Answers AND, OR, and NOT are what? RAM - Answers Random Access Memory Random Access Memory - Answers Electronic circuits in a computer that can store code and