1 Exampromax - Stuvia US 2025/2026
CPSC 355 - Midterm Questions and Answers
(100% Correct Answers) Already Graded A+
What does a basic computer system consist of?
Ans: CPU, System Clock, Primary Memory (RAM), Secondary Memory (HDD),
Peripheral Input and Output Devices, Bus
CPU
Ans: The "brains" of the computer. Executes instructions
Usually contained on a single silicon microprocessor chip.
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System Clock
Exampromax - Stuvia US
Ans: Generates a clock signal to synchronize the CPU and other clocked devices
(a square wave)
Signal is measured in GHz.
Primary Memory (aka ___)
Ans: aka RAM (Random Access Memory)
- Any byte can be accessed with known address
- Can be written to and read from
- Is volatile (data in RAM disappears if computer turns off)
- Stores program instructions and variables
Secondary Memory
Ans: A type of memory that allows a user to store data and programs for as long
as desired, in, for example, a hard disk drive.
Peripheral Devices
Ans: Allow communication between the computer and its external environment
Bus
Ans: Physical set of parallel wires (data/signal lines) used to transfer info between
computer components
Parts of CPU (3)
, 2 Exampromax - Stuvia US 2025/2026
Ans: Control Unit (CU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Registers
Control Unit (CU)
Ans: Control Unit (CU) - retrieves the instructions and the raw data that is input
and coordinates or controls the sending of those instructions and data to the ALU
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Ans: Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) - does the actual processing of the data;
completing mathematical calculations and logical operations to process the data
and converting the input of the keyboard text entry to output displayed on the
© 2025 Assignment Expert
screen
Exampromax - Stuvia US
Registers
Ans: Registers - Binary storage units within the CPU (use 0's and 1's to store
values). Can contain data, addresses, instructions, status information, etc.
Clock Signal
Ans: The speed at which a CPU runs instructions. Square wave at a particular
frequency
Address Bus
Ans: Specifies a memory location in RAM
- sometimes a memory-mapped I/O device
- Common sizes: 32 and 64 bits
Data Bus
Ans: Used for bidirectional transfer of data between devices (CPU to RAM
device or vice versa)
Control bus
Ans: Used to control or monitor devices connected to the bus
-(e.g. Read/write signal for RAM)
Accumulator Machines
, 3 Exampromax - Stuvia US 2025/2026
Ans: Operands for an instruction come from the accumulator register (ACC) and
from a single place in RAM.
ALU results are always put into the ACC.
The ACC can be loaded from or stored to RAM.
Load/Store Machines
Ans: Only load and store instructions can access RAM. Other operations like
add, subtract, etc. operate on specified registers in the register file. (registers are
more quickly accessed than RAM).
RISC Architecture
Ans: Reduced Instruction Set Computer
Uses simple instructions that can be executed in one machine cycle.
+ Enables faster clock rates, thus faster execution
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- Being confined to simple commands increases the size of programs
Exampromax - Stuvia US
Machine instructions are always the same size (ARMv8 = 32 bits wide)
CISC Architecture
Ans: Complex Instruction Set Computer
Can have instructions that take many cycles to execute
+ Can do more operations in less instructions, allowing smaller programs
- Complex instructions take longer to execute
Machine instructions vary in length, and can be followed by immediate data (like
a number we want to calculate with)
Instruction Cycle (AKA ____)
Ans: AKA fetch-execute/fetch-decode-execute cycle
CPU Executes each instruction in a series of small steps
1. Fetch the next instruction from memory into the Instruction Register (IR)
2. Increment PC to point to next instruction
3. Decode instruction
4. If the instruction uses an operand in RAM, calculate its address
5. Fetch the operand
6. Execute the instruction
7. If the instruction produces a result that is stored in RAM, calculate its address
8. Store the result in RAM
Opcode
CPSC 355 - Midterm Questions and Answers
(100% Correct Answers) Already Graded A+
What does a basic computer system consist of?
Ans: CPU, System Clock, Primary Memory (RAM), Secondary Memory (HDD),
Peripheral Input and Output Devices, Bus
CPU
Ans: The "brains" of the computer. Executes instructions
Usually contained on a single silicon microprocessor chip.
© 2025 Assignment Expert
System Clock
Exampromax - Stuvia US
Ans: Generates a clock signal to synchronize the CPU and other clocked devices
(a square wave)
Signal is measured in GHz.
Primary Memory (aka ___)
Ans: aka RAM (Random Access Memory)
- Any byte can be accessed with known address
- Can be written to and read from
- Is volatile (data in RAM disappears if computer turns off)
- Stores program instructions and variables
Secondary Memory
Ans: A type of memory that allows a user to store data and programs for as long
as desired, in, for example, a hard disk drive.
Peripheral Devices
Ans: Allow communication between the computer and its external environment
Bus
Ans: Physical set of parallel wires (data/signal lines) used to transfer info between
computer components
Parts of CPU (3)
, 2 Exampromax - Stuvia US 2025/2026
Ans: Control Unit (CU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Registers
Control Unit (CU)
Ans: Control Unit (CU) - retrieves the instructions and the raw data that is input
and coordinates or controls the sending of those instructions and data to the ALU
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Ans: Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) - does the actual processing of the data;
completing mathematical calculations and logical operations to process the data
and converting the input of the keyboard text entry to output displayed on the
© 2025 Assignment Expert
screen
Exampromax - Stuvia US
Registers
Ans: Registers - Binary storage units within the CPU (use 0's and 1's to store
values). Can contain data, addresses, instructions, status information, etc.
Clock Signal
Ans: The speed at which a CPU runs instructions. Square wave at a particular
frequency
Address Bus
Ans: Specifies a memory location in RAM
- sometimes a memory-mapped I/O device
- Common sizes: 32 and 64 bits
Data Bus
Ans: Used for bidirectional transfer of data between devices (CPU to RAM
device or vice versa)
Control bus
Ans: Used to control or monitor devices connected to the bus
-(e.g. Read/write signal for RAM)
Accumulator Machines
, 3 Exampromax - Stuvia US 2025/2026
Ans: Operands for an instruction come from the accumulator register (ACC) and
from a single place in RAM.
ALU results are always put into the ACC.
The ACC can be loaded from or stored to RAM.
Load/Store Machines
Ans: Only load and store instructions can access RAM. Other operations like
add, subtract, etc. operate on specified registers in the register file. (registers are
more quickly accessed than RAM).
RISC Architecture
Ans: Reduced Instruction Set Computer
Uses simple instructions that can be executed in one machine cycle.
+ Enables faster clock rates, thus faster execution
© 2025 Assignment Expert
- Being confined to simple commands increases the size of programs
Exampromax - Stuvia US
Machine instructions are always the same size (ARMv8 = 32 bits wide)
CISC Architecture
Ans: Complex Instruction Set Computer
Can have instructions that take many cycles to execute
+ Can do more operations in less instructions, allowing smaller programs
- Complex instructions take longer to execute
Machine instructions vary in length, and can be followed by immediate data (like
a number we want to calculate with)
Instruction Cycle (AKA ____)
Ans: AKA fetch-execute/fetch-decode-execute cycle
CPU Executes each instruction in a series of small steps
1. Fetch the next instruction from memory into the Instruction Register (IR)
2. Increment PC to point to next instruction
3. Decode instruction
4. If the instruction uses an operand in RAM, calculate its address
5. Fetch the operand
6. Execute the instruction
7. If the instruction produces a result that is stored in RAM, calculate its address
8. Store the result in RAM
Opcode
