Computer architecture mid-term
Question and answers rated A+
What is the difference between computer organization and computer
architecture? - correct answer ✔Organization deals with physical aspects of
a computer like circuit design. Architecture include the instruction set and the
number of bits used
What is an ISA? - correct answer ✔Instruction Set Architecture
What is the importance of the Principle of Equivalence of Hardware and
Software? - correct answer ✔Anything that can be done with software can
also be done with hardware and vice versa.
Name three basic components of every computer. - correct answer ✔Hard
drive, motherboard, and RAM
To what power of 10 does the prefix giga- refer? What is the (approximate)
equivalent power to 2? - correct answer ✔1 Billion = 10^9 = 2^30
To what power of 10 does the prefix micro- refer? What is the (approximate)
equivalent power to 2? - correct answer ✔1 Millionth = 10^-6 = 2^-20
What unit is typically used to measure the speed of a computer clock? -
correct answer ✔Hertz (Hz)
Name two types of computer memory. - correct answer ✔Synchronous and
nonsynchronous
,What is the mission of the IEEE? - correct answer ✔To foster technological
innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.
What is the full name of the organization that uses the initials ISO? Is ISO an
acronym? - correct answer ✔International Organization for Standardization.
No.
ANSI is the acronym used by which organization? - correct answer
✔American National Standards Institute
What is the name of the Swiss organization that devotes itself to matters
concerning telephony, telecommunications, and data communications? -
correct answer ✔International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
Who is known as the father of computing, and why? - correct answer
✔Babbage created the first mechanical computer
What was the significance of the punched card? - correct answer ✔It is the
medium by which people communicate with computers in the olden days
Name two driving factors in the development of computers? - correct answer
✔von Neumann Architecture and Hardware Specs
What is it about the transistor that made it such a great improvement over the
vacuum tube? - correct answer ✔Smaller, lighter, less energy consumption,
lower voltages, and less heat
How does an integrated circuit differ from a transistor? - correct answer ✔An
integrated circuit is a combination of more than 100's of transistors where a
transistor is a single device
,Explain the difference between SSI, MSI, LSI, and VLSI - correct answer
✔They each represent a different number of components fitted into a standard
size integrated circuit
What technology spawned the development of microcomputers? Why? -
correct answer ✔Massive growth in the internet caused people to want to
own a computer
What is meant by an "open architecture"? - correct answer ✔Designed to
make adding, upgrading and swapping components easy
State Moore's Law - correct answer ✔The density of silicon chips doubles
every 18 months
How is Rock's Law related to Moore's Law? - correct answer ✔The cost of
capital equipment to build semiconductors will double every four years
Name and explain the seven commonly accepted layers of the Computer
Level Hierarchy. How does this arrangement help us to understand computer
systems? - correct answer ✔User
High Level Language
Assembly Language
System Software
Machine
Control
Digital Logic
, How does the term abstraction apply to computer organization and
architecture? - correct answer ✔A computer having a hierarchy of levels, in
which each level has a specific function and exists as a distinct hypothetical
machine
What was it about the von Neumann architecture that distinguished it from its
predecessors? - correct answer ✔You didn't have to rewire components to
solve different problems. Memory devices, in the form of mercury delay lines,
could provide a way to store program instructions.
Name the characteristics present in von Neumann architecture? - correct
answer ✔A computer must have input and output, shared memory to store
data and instructions, the device should have the arithmetic and logic unit,
and control unit.
How does the fetch-decode-execute cycle work? - correct answer ✔Fetch
instructions, decode instructions for CPU, process instructions
What is a multi-core processor? - correct answer ✔A parallel processor that
has multiple processing units (cores) on a single chip.
What is meant by parallel computing? - correct answer ✔If a computer isn't
fast enough or powerful enough, instead of trying to develop a faster, more
powerful computer, why not simply use multiple computers?
What is the underlying premise of Amdahl's Law? - correct answer ✔To
make sure the slowest parts of the computer are the least used
What makes Watson so different from traditional computers? - correct answer
✔It is a technology platform that uses natural language processing and
machine learning to reveal insights from large amounts of unstructured data
Question and answers rated A+
What is the difference between computer organization and computer
architecture? - correct answer ✔Organization deals with physical aspects of
a computer like circuit design. Architecture include the instruction set and the
number of bits used
What is an ISA? - correct answer ✔Instruction Set Architecture
What is the importance of the Principle of Equivalence of Hardware and
Software? - correct answer ✔Anything that can be done with software can
also be done with hardware and vice versa.
Name three basic components of every computer. - correct answer ✔Hard
drive, motherboard, and RAM
To what power of 10 does the prefix giga- refer? What is the (approximate)
equivalent power to 2? - correct answer ✔1 Billion = 10^9 = 2^30
To what power of 10 does the prefix micro- refer? What is the (approximate)
equivalent power to 2? - correct answer ✔1 Millionth = 10^-6 = 2^-20
What unit is typically used to measure the speed of a computer clock? -
correct answer ✔Hertz (Hz)
Name two types of computer memory. - correct answer ✔Synchronous and
nonsynchronous
,What is the mission of the IEEE? - correct answer ✔To foster technological
innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.
What is the full name of the organization that uses the initials ISO? Is ISO an
acronym? - correct answer ✔International Organization for Standardization.
No.
ANSI is the acronym used by which organization? - correct answer
✔American National Standards Institute
What is the name of the Swiss organization that devotes itself to matters
concerning telephony, telecommunications, and data communications? -
correct answer ✔International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
Who is known as the father of computing, and why? - correct answer
✔Babbage created the first mechanical computer
What was the significance of the punched card? - correct answer ✔It is the
medium by which people communicate with computers in the olden days
Name two driving factors in the development of computers? - correct answer
✔von Neumann Architecture and Hardware Specs
What is it about the transistor that made it such a great improvement over the
vacuum tube? - correct answer ✔Smaller, lighter, less energy consumption,
lower voltages, and less heat
How does an integrated circuit differ from a transistor? - correct answer ✔An
integrated circuit is a combination of more than 100's of transistors where a
transistor is a single device
,Explain the difference between SSI, MSI, LSI, and VLSI - correct answer
✔They each represent a different number of components fitted into a standard
size integrated circuit
What technology spawned the development of microcomputers? Why? -
correct answer ✔Massive growth in the internet caused people to want to
own a computer
What is meant by an "open architecture"? - correct answer ✔Designed to
make adding, upgrading and swapping components easy
State Moore's Law - correct answer ✔The density of silicon chips doubles
every 18 months
How is Rock's Law related to Moore's Law? - correct answer ✔The cost of
capital equipment to build semiconductors will double every four years
Name and explain the seven commonly accepted layers of the Computer
Level Hierarchy. How does this arrangement help us to understand computer
systems? - correct answer ✔User
High Level Language
Assembly Language
System Software
Machine
Control
Digital Logic
, How does the term abstraction apply to computer organization and
architecture? - correct answer ✔A computer having a hierarchy of levels, in
which each level has a specific function and exists as a distinct hypothetical
machine
What was it about the von Neumann architecture that distinguished it from its
predecessors? - correct answer ✔You didn't have to rewire components to
solve different problems. Memory devices, in the form of mercury delay lines,
could provide a way to store program instructions.
Name the characteristics present in von Neumann architecture? - correct
answer ✔A computer must have input and output, shared memory to store
data and instructions, the device should have the arithmetic and logic unit,
and control unit.
How does the fetch-decode-execute cycle work? - correct answer ✔Fetch
instructions, decode instructions for CPU, process instructions
What is a multi-core processor? - correct answer ✔A parallel processor that
has multiple processing units (cores) on a single chip.
What is meant by parallel computing? - correct answer ✔If a computer isn't
fast enough or powerful enough, instead of trying to develop a faster, more
powerful computer, why not simply use multiple computers?
What is the underlying premise of Amdahl's Law? - correct answer ✔To
make sure the slowest parts of the computer are the least used
What makes Watson so different from traditional computers? - correct answer
✔It is a technology platform that uses natural language processing and
machine learning to reveal insights from large amounts of unstructured data
