WGU C952 OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
FINAL EXAM 2 S (VERSION A AND B)
EXAM 2026-2027 LATEST VERSION
Register File -Answer--A state element that consists of a set of registers that can be
read and written by supplying a register number to be accessed.
provides 1024 scalar 32-bit registers for up to 64 threads.
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.
Secondary memory -Answer--Nonvolatile memory used to store programs and data
between runs; typically consists of flash memory in PMDs and magnetic disks in
servers.
Flash memory -Answer--A nonvolatile semiconductor memory. It is cheaper and
slower than DRAM but more expensive per bit and faster than magnetic disks.
Access times are about 5 to 50 microseconds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was
$0.75 to $1.00.
Single Instruction Single Data (SISD) -Answer--A uniprocessor
Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD) -Answer--A multiprocessor.
Single Program, Multiple Data Streams (SPMD) -Answer--The conventional MIMD
programming model, where a single program runs across all processors.
Single Instruction Stream, Multiple Data Streams (SIMD) -Answer--The same
instruction is applied to many data streams, as in a vector processor.
Data-level parallelism -Answer--Parallelism achieved by performing the same
operation on independent data
vector-based code -Answer--
conventional code -Answer--
LEGv8 -Answer--assembly instructions
multimedia extensions (MMX) -Answer--An expanded set of instructions supported
by a processor that provides multimedia-specific functions.
FINAL EXAM 2 S (VERSION A AND B)
EXAM 2026-2027 LATEST VERSION
Register File -Answer--A state element that consists of a set of registers that can be
read and written by supplying a register number to be accessed.
provides 1024 scalar 32-bit registers for up to 64 threads.
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.
Secondary memory -Answer--Nonvolatile memory used to store programs and data
between runs; typically consists of flash memory in PMDs and magnetic disks in
servers.
Flash memory -Answer--A nonvolatile semiconductor memory. It is cheaper and
slower than DRAM but more expensive per bit and faster than magnetic disks.
Access times are about 5 to 50 microseconds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was
$0.75 to $1.00.
Single Instruction Single Data (SISD) -Answer--A uniprocessor
Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD) -Answer--A multiprocessor.
Single Program, Multiple Data Streams (SPMD) -Answer--The conventional MIMD
programming model, where a single program runs across all processors.
Single Instruction Stream, Multiple Data Streams (SIMD) -Answer--The same
instruction is applied to many data streams, as in a vector processor.
Data-level parallelism -Answer--Parallelism achieved by performing the same
operation on independent data
vector-based code -Answer--
conventional code -Answer--
LEGv8 -Answer--assembly instructions
multimedia extensions (MMX) -Answer--An expanded set of instructions supported
by a processor that provides multimedia-specific functions.
