Unit 15 Hardware

Which of the following is NOT a status register used when carrying out the addition of two binary numbers?

• Carry flag

• Overflow flag

• Negative flag

• Zero flag

What is the primary difference between CISC and RISC processors?

• CISC uses fewer instruction formats

• RISC uses more complex instructions

• CISC emphasizes software design

• RISC emphasizes software design

In pipelining, how many stages are typically involved in the execution of an instruction?

• 3

• 4

• 5

• 6

Answer explanation

• Fetch (IF): The instruction is fetched from memory.

• Decode (ID): The instruction is decoded, and operands are identified.

• Execute (EX): The operation specified by the instruction is performed.

• Memory Access (MEM): Data is read from or written to memory if required.

• Write-back (WB): The result is written back to the register file.

Which computer architecture uses a single processor and one data source?

• SISD

• SIMD

• MISD

• MIMD

What is the main advantage of RISC processors over CISC processors?

• Shorter coding

• More complex instructions

• Faster execution time for instructions

• More addressing modes

Answer explanation

Why Not the Other Options?

1. Shorter coding:

   • RISC typically requires more instructions to achieve the same task as a CISC processor, so programs written for RISC may not have shorter coding.

2. More complex instructions:

   • This is a characteristic of CISC, not RISC. RISC emphasizes simplicity.

3. More addressing modes:

   • RISC processors generally have fewer addressing modes compared to CISC, simplifying the design and execution of instructions.

Which of the following is NOT a stage in the fetch-execute cycle?

• Instruction fetch

• Instruction decode

• Operand fetch

• Instruction compile

What does CISC stand for?

• Complex Instruction Set Computer

• Compact Instruction Set Computer

• Common Instruction Set Computer

• Compressed Instruction Set Computer

In parallel processing, which architecture uses many processors executing the same instruction but on different data inputs?

• SISD

• SIMD

• MISD

• MIMD

What is the main purpose of pipelining in processor design?

• To increase the number of instructions

• To reduce power consumption

• To process several instructions simultaneously

• To simplify the instruction set

Which type of computer system uses SIMD processors networked together to form a larger pseudo-parallel system?

• Supercomputer

• Cluster

• Grid computer

• Mainframe