CS250 Mid Term 2 Question and
answers verified to pass 2025/2026
In the von Neumann architecture, when the CPU is called upon to execute a program, the program's
code will already reside in the computer's memory. - correct answer ✔True
In general, any function not supported by in hardware by the ALU cannot be realized later, using system
software running on top of the hardware platform. - correct answer ✔False
An m-bit CPU means that the computer architecture has m-bit registers, a m-bit address bus, or a m-bit
data bus or perhaps ALL three are m-bit. - correct answer ✔True
Transmits a value read from (or to be written to) memory - correct answer ✔Data Bus
Selects the memory address that the CPU wishes to access - correct answer ✔Address Bus
Manages the operations happening over the other two buses - correct answer ✔Control Bus
Memory mapped I/O emulates a device by making it appear to the CPU as a regular linear memory
segment - correct answer ✔True
Reduced energy requirements translate into higher power consumption and lower heat generation. -
correct answer ✔False
The key takeaway in Dennard's scaling is that the power consumption stays the same with twice the
number of transistors with every technology generation (at least up until we started to have increased
static power losses.) - correct answer ✔True
, The Harvard architecture needs two separate memory buses: one for instruction and one for data. -
correct answer ✔True
An abstraction describes what a module does, while an implementation describes how the module does
it. - correct answer ✔True
Developers must always pay attention to a module's implementation. - correct answer ✔False
Compilation translates a program stored as a sequence of characters in a text file into an executable
sequence of machine language instructions. - correct answer ✔True
There are no further layers of abstraction below machine language. - correct answer ✔False
Programmers have never needed to write programs in binary. - correct answer ✔False
All machine languages are theoretically equivalent. - correct answer ✔True
The assembler converts symbolic assembly language code into binary machine code. - correct answer
✔True
Software developed for older x86 CPUs typically do not work on newer x86 CPUs. - correct answer
✔False
A 32-bit CPU can operate on values that are 32 bits in length. - correct answer ✔True
Most PC's and servers use Intel or AMD x86 (or x86-64) CPUs, while hand-held devices (such as
smartphones) and new Apple computers use ARM CPUs - correct answer ✔True
answers verified to pass 2025/2026
In the von Neumann architecture, when the CPU is called upon to execute a program, the program's
code will already reside in the computer's memory. - correct answer ✔True
In general, any function not supported by in hardware by the ALU cannot be realized later, using system
software running on top of the hardware platform. - correct answer ✔False
An m-bit CPU means that the computer architecture has m-bit registers, a m-bit address bus, or a m-bit
data bus or perhaps ALL three are m-bit. - correct answer ✔True
Transmits a value read from (or to be written to) memory - correct answer ✔Data Bus
Selects the memory address that the CPU wishes to access - correct answer ✔Address Bus
Manages the operations happening over the other two buses - correct answer ✔Control Bus
Memory mapped I/O emulates a device by making it appear to the CPU as a regular linear memory
segment - correct answer ✔True
Reduced energy requirements translate into higher power consumption and lower heat generation. -
correct answer ✔False
The key takeaway in Dennard's scaling is that the power consumption stays the same with twice the
number of transistors with every technology generation (at least up until we started to have increased
static power losses.) - correct answer ✔True
, The Harvard architecture needs two separate memory buses: one for instruction and one for data. -
correct answer ✔True
An abstraction describes what a module does, while an implementation describes how the module does
it. - correct answer ✔True
Developers must always pay attention to a module's implementation. - correct answer ✔False
Compilation translates a program stored as a sequence of characters in a text file into an executable
sequence of machine language instructions. - correct answer ✔True
There are no further layers of abstraction below machine language. - correct answer ✔False
Programmers have never needed to write programs in binary. - correct answer ✔False
All machine languages are theoretically equivalent. - correct answer ✔True
The assembler converts symbolic assembly language code into binary machine code. - correct answer
✔True
Software developed for older x86 CPUs typically do not work on newer x86 CPUs. - correct answer
✔False
A 32-bit CPU can operate on values that are 32 bits in length. - correct answer ✔True
Most PC's and servers use Intel or AMD x86 (or x86-64) CPUs, while hand-held devices (such as
smartphones) and new Apple computers use ARM CPUs - correct answer ✔True
