WGU C952 STUDY GUIDE COMPREHENSIVE
REVIEW WITH SOLVED QUESTIONS 2026
◉machine language . Answer: The language made up of binary-coded
instructions that is used directly by the computer
◉system software . Answer: The set of programs that enables a
computer's hardware devices and application software to work together;
it includes the operating system and utility programs.
◉operating system . Answer: (computer science) software that controls
the execution of computer programs and may provide various services
◉Assembly Language . Answer: Programming language that has the
same structure and set of commands as machine languages but allows
programmers to use symbolic representations of numeric machine code.
◉IBM 360/91 . Answer: Introduced many new concepts, including
dynamic detection of memory hazards, generalized forwarding, and
reservation stations. Tomasulo's algorithm
,The internal organization of the 360/91 shares many features with the
Pentium III and Pentium 4, as well as with several other
microprocessors. One major difference was that there was no branch
prediction in the 360/91 and hence no speculation. Another major
difference was that there was no commit unit, so once the instructions
finished execution, they updated the registers.
◉Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) . Answer: Memory built
as an integrated circuit; it provides random access to any location.
Access times are 50 nanoseconds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was $5
to $10.
Multiple DRAMs are used together to contain the instructions and data
of a program. In contrast to sequential access memories, such as
magnetic tapes, the RAM portion of the term DRAM means that
memory accesses take basically the same amount of time no matter what
portion of the memory is read.
Modern DRAMS consist of rows in each bank
◉frame buffering . Answer: A portion of RAM containing a bitmap that
drives a video display. It is a memory buffer containing a complete
frame of data.
The image to be represented onscreen is stored in the frame buffer, and
the bit pattern per pixel is read out to the graphics display at the refresh
,rate. The animation below shows a frame buffer with a simplified design
of just 4 bits per pixel.
◉Datapath . Answer: The component of the processor that performs
arithmetic operations
◉Control . Answer: The component of the processor that commands the
datapath, memory, and I/O devices according to the instructions of the
program.
◉Integrated circuit . Answer: Also called a chip. A device combining
dozens to millions of transistors.
◉Central processor unit (CPU) . Answer: Also called processor. The
active part of the computer, which contains the datapath and control and
which adds numbers, tests numbers, signals I/O devices to activate, and
so on.
◉Static random access memory (SRAM) . Answer: Also memory built
as an integrated circuit, but faster and less dense than DRAM.
◉Instruction set architecture . Answer: Also called architecture. An
abstract interface between the hardware and the lowest-level software
that encompasses all the information necessary to write a machine
, language program that will run correctly, including instructions,
registers, memory access, I/O, and so on.
◉Application binary interface (ABI) . Answer: The user portion of the
instruction set plus the operating system interfaces used by application
programmers. It defines a standard for binary portability across
computers.
◉Volatile memory . Answer: Storage, such as DRAM, that retains data
only if it is receiving power.
◉Nonvolatile Memory . Answer: A form of memory that retains data
even in the absence of a power source and that is used to store programs
between runs. A DVD disk is nonvolatile.
◉Magnetic disk . Answer: Also called hard disk. A form of nonvolatile
secondary memory composed of rotating platters coated with a magnetic
recording material. Because they are rotating mechanical devices, access
times are about 5 to 20 milliseconds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was
$0.05 to $0.10
◉Main memory . Answer: Also called primary memory. Memory used
to hold programs while they are running; typically consists of DRAM in
today's computers.
REVIEW WITH SOLVED QUESTIONS 2026
◉machine language . Answer: The language made up of binary-coded
instructions that is used directly by the computer
◉system software . Answer: The set of programs that enables a
computer's hardware devices and application software to work together;
it includes the operating system and utility programs.
◉operating system . Answer: (computer science) software that controls
the execution of computer programs and may provide various services
◉Assembly Language . Answer: Programming language that has the
same structure and set of commands as machine languages but allows
programmers to use symbolic representations of numeric machine code.
◉IBM 360/91 . Answer: Introduced many new concepts, including
dynamic detection of memory hazards, generalized forwarding, and
reservation stations. Tomasulo's algorithm
,The internal organization of the 360/91 shares many features with the
Pentium III and Pentium 4, as well as with several other
microprocessors. One major difference was that there was no branch
prediction in the 360/91 and hence no speculation. Another major
difference was that there was no commit unit, so once the instructions
finished execution, they updated the registers.
◉Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) . Answer: Memory built
as an integrated circuit; it provides random access to any location.
Access times are 50 nanoseconds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was $5
to $10.
Multiple DRAMs are used together to contain the instructions and data
of a program. In contrast to sequential access memories, such as
magnetic tapes, the RAM portion of the term DRAM means that
memory accesses take basically the same amount of time no matter what
portion of the memory is read.
Modern DRAMS consist of rows in each bank
◉frame buffering . Answer: A portion of RAM containing a bitmap that
drives a video display. It is a memory buffer containing a complete
frame of data.
The image to be represented onscreen is stored in the frame buffer, and
the bit pattern per pixel is read out to the graphics display at the refresh
,rate. The animation below shows a frame buffer with a simplified design
of just 4 bits per pixel.
◉Datapath . Answer: The component of the processor that performs
arithmetic operations
◉Control . Answer: The component of the processor that commands the
datapath, memory, and I/O devices according to the instructions of the
program.
◉Integrated circuit . Answer: Also called a chip. A device combining
dozens to millions of transistors.
◉Central processor unit (CPU) . Answer: Also called processor. The
active part of the computer, which contains the datapath and control and
which adds numbers, tests numbers, signals I/O devices to activate, and
so on.
◉Static random access memory (SRAM) . Answer: Also memory built
as an integrated circuit, but faster and less dense than DRAM.
◉Instruction set architecture . Answer: Also called architecture. An
abstract interface between the hardware and the lowest-level software
that encompasses all the information necessary to write a machine
, language program that will run correctly, including instructions,
registers, memory access, I/O, and so on.
◉Application binary interface (ABI) . Answer: The user portion of the
instruction set plus the operating system interfaces used by application
programmers. It defines a standard for binary portability across
computers.
◉Volatile memory . Answer: Storage, such as DRAM, that retains data
only if it is receiving power.
◉Nonvolatile Memory . Answer: A form of memory that retains data
even in the absence of a power source and that is used to store programs
between runs. A DVD disk is nonvolatile.
◉Magnetic disk . Answer: Also called hard disk. A form of nonvolatile
secondary memory composed of rotating platters coated with a magnetic
recording material. Because they are rotating mechanical devices, access
times are about 5 to 20 milliseconds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was
$0.05 to $0.10
◉Main memory . Answer: Also called primary memory. Memory used
to hold programs while they are running; typically consists of DRAM in
today's computers.
