Computer Architecture Quiz

What is a characteristic feature of von Neumann architecture?

• Parallel data processing

• Use of multiple processors

• Data and instructions stored in a single memory

• Use of cloud storage for memory

What does the memory address register (MAR) specify?

• Data to be written into memory

• The address in memory for the next read or write

• A particular I/O device

• The operation to be performed

What role does the memory buffer register (MBR) play?

• Stores the next instruction to execute

• Contains data to be written into memory or receives data read from memory

• Determines the next I/O operation

• Holds the temporary data used by the CPU

What is the function of the control bus?

• Transfers data among system modules

• Specifies the source or destination of the data

• Controls the access and use of the data and address lines

• Increases the speed of data transfer

How does a synchronous bus differ from an asynchronous bus?

• It allows multiple devices to transmit simultaneously

• It requires devices to wait until the bus is idle before using it

• It operates without a clock signal

• It transmits data at irregular intervals

What is the benefit of having a multiple-bus architecture in a computer system?

• Reduced complexity

• Increased flexibility and performance

• Single point of failure

• Simpler design

What is the role of the program counter (PC) in a computer system?

• It stores the address of the currently executing instruction

• It holds the address of the instruction to be executed next

• It stores the result of the last arithmetic operation

• It directs the flow of data between I/O devices

What is Direct Memory Access (DMA)?

• A process where the CPU directly accesses main memory

• A technique that allows an I/O device to read or write to memory without CPU intervention

• A memory management technique that speeds up processing

• A feature that allows peripheral devices to communicate directly with each other

What is the main function of an I/O module?

• To perform arithmetic and logic operations

• To store data temporarily

• To manage direct communication between peripheral devices and the CPU

• To increase the speed of data processing

Which component interprets and executes instructions?

• Memory

• Control unit

• Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

• I/O module