Pipelining in Processor Design

What is the definition of pipelining?

• A technique to improve processor performance

• A method to slow down instruction execution

• A way to increase memory access time

• A process that eliminates hazards

What are the stages of a pipeline?

• Instruction Fetch, Instruction Decode, Execute, Memory Access, Write Back

• Fetch, Decode, Execute, Write, Access

• Instruction Fetch, Execute, Write Back

• Decode, Execute, Memory Access

What is the purpose of the Control Unit in a pipelined architecture?

• To generate control signals for each stage

• To fetch instructions from memory

• To execute arithmetic operations

• To store results in registers

What is the speedup calculation formula for pipelining?

• Speedup = (Execution time without pipelining) / (Execution time with pipelining)

• Speedup = (Execution time with pipelining) / (Execution time without pipelining)

• Speedup = Number of pipeline stages

• Speedup = Execution time / Clock rate

What are data hazards in pipelines?

• Conditions that cause the pipeline to stall

• Delays in control flow of instructions

• Conflicts for hardware resources

• None of the above

What is the write back stage responsible for?

• Writing results of instruction execution back to registers

• Fetching instructions from memory

• Decoding fetched instructions

• Accessing memory for data

What is the ideal speedup in pipelining?

• Number of pipeline stages

• Execution time with pipelining

• Execution time without pipelining

• None of the above

What are structural hazards?

• When two or more instructions need the same hardware resource at the same time

• Delays in determining control flow of instructions

• Conditions that cause the pipeline to stall

• None of the above

What is the role of the Hazard Detection Unit?

• Identifies and manages hazards

• Generates control signals

• Fetches instructions from memory

• Writes back results to registers

What does the term 'Out-of-Order Execution' refer to?

• Executing instructions based on data availability, not program order

• Executing instructions in strict program order

• A method to increase memory access time

• None of the above