COM 314(Computer Architecture) TRevision Questions & Answers

SECTION A:
1. The following constitute the basic elements of a computer-based information system EXCEPT
(a) Data (b) hardware (c) software (d) communication (e) None
2. Computer architecture encompasses
(a) Hardware designs (b) software designs (c) all of the above (d) none of the above
3. The difference between ROM and RAM is essentially in the _____ of the memory.
(a) Volatility (b) size (c) access speed (d) location
4. All Except one of the following constitute the functional units of the computer EXCEPT
(a)The input –output unit (b) the memory unit (c) the bus system (d) the Processing units(e)
None
5. The structural features of the Von Neumann Architecture encompass all EXCEPT
(a) CPU (b) Memory (c) I/O interface (d) all of the above
6. Another name for Vector Processors is ________ Processors
(a) Matrix (b) Array (c) Linear (d) None of the above
7. the two main classes of Vector Machines are;
(a) RISC and CISC (b) Linear and Array (c) all of the above (d) none of the above
8. The connecting medium between the functional units of a computer System is the
(a) Software (b) electricity (c) Bus (d) None of the above
9. Which of these Parallelism is odd
(a) Bit-level (b) Instruction level (c) Task (d) Non of the above
10. Which of these is NOT a bus Architecture?
(a) ISA (b) EISA (c) PCI (d) None of the above

SECTION B: Validate the following as True or False

1. Computer architecture and computer organization are exactly the same concepts.F
2. The origin of computer architecture can be traced to Von Neumann and Lovelace. T
3. The concept of trade-off in computer can be interchanged with the concept of benchmarking F
4. Pipelining helps to address the challenge posed by interrupts T
5. Pipelining is a technique where multiple instructions are overlapped during execution . T
6. The main buses in computer system architecture are the Control Bus, Address Bus and
Data Bus. T
7. In theory, instructions and data could be fetched one bit at a time while in practice; a group of bits
is fetched at a time. F
8. An “Address” in computer architecture is associated with each word location. T
9. Op-codes refer to operational codes. T
10. The data or contents of the main memory that are used again and again by CPU, are
stored in the cache memory so that we can easily access that data in shorter time. . T

SECTION C: Fill in the missing words or phrases to complete the assertion below
1. The major aspects of computer architecture are _____________________________,
____________________________ and _______________________________ (3 marks)

There are basically three main aspects of Computer architecture. These are:
i. The Instruction Set Architecture
ii. The System Design
 iii. The Micro - Architecture

2. The Methods of addressing the Key Considerations in Computer Architecture are:

i. __________________________________________________________________
ii. __________________________________________________________________
iii. _____________________________________________________________________
iv. _________________________________________________________________
v. ___________________________________________________________________
vi. ________________________________________________________ ___(6 marks)

The eventual architectural form of a computer system depends on the goal of the design and a number
of considerations, and constraints. The various methods of addressing the considerations in Computer
Architecture include
 software and hardware trade-offs
 Benchmarking
 Implementation
 Performance
 Power efficiency: Low-power electronics
 Shifts in market demand

3. The decision by the computer design architect to minimize or forego one architectural feature or
the other in other to introduce or increase the presence of other features and configurations is
known as ____________________________________________________________(1Mark)

SECTION D:
1. Computer architecture is the art and science around which the conceptual structure and
organization of the hardware, software, data and communication elements of a given computer
system is designed, assembled and configured to function. What is the significance and
implications of this assertion?
The significance and implications of this definition is that computer architecture;
1. Specifies the relationship and the interaction between parts of a computer system.
2. Is the art of determining the needs of the user/system/technology, and creating a logical
design and standards based on those requirements.
3. Describes the set of rules and methods that describe the functionality, organization, and
implementation of computer systems.
4. Computer architecture is an endeavour that explores computer designs that:
a. Maximizes performance while keeping power consumption in check, costs low relative
to the amount of expected performance, and is also very reliable. For this, many
aspects are to be considered which includes instruction set design, functional
 organization, logic design, and implementation. The implementation involves
integrated circuit design, packaging, power, and cooling.
b.Seek the Optimization of the design through familiarity with compilers, operating
systems to logic design, and packaging.
c. It helps in the analysis of the necessary trade off and benchmarking considerations.

2. State and describe various addressing mode in computer processor architecture(10 marks)

These data addressing modes vary with

processor architecture but may include the
following:
i. Immediate Addressing
ii. Direct Addressing
iii. Indirect Addressing
iv. Register Addressing
v. Register Indirect Addressing
vi. Displacement Addressing
vii. Stack Addressing

Figure 1: Addressing Modes

3. State the peculiar Advantages of the RISC Architecture (10 Marks for any correct five)
Advantages of the RISC Architecture
(a) It has less number of instructions.

(b) Execution is faster because of Small code sizes, high cycles per second

(c) Since it has a secret unit for memory, disc space can be saved.

(d) Emphasis on hardware

(e) Includes multi-clock complex instructions

(f) Memory-to-memory:"LOAD" and "STORE “incorporated in instructions

(g) Transistors used for storing complex instructions

4. Tabulate the Difference between hard wired control unit and micro-programmed control unit (10
Marks)
Difference between Hardwired Control and Micro-programmed Control
Hardwired Control Micro-programmed Control
 Technology is circuit based. Technology is software based.
It is implemented through flip-flops, gates, Microinstructions generate signals to control the execution
decoders etc. of instructions.
Fixed instruction format. Variable instruction format (16-64 bits per instruction).
Instructions are register based. Instructions are not register based.
ROM is not used. ROM is used.
It is used in RISC. It is used in CISC.
Faster decoding. Slower decoding.
Difficult to modify. Easily modified.
Chip area is less. Chip area is large.

5. State the common Problems Associated With Pipeline Operation ( 10 Marks for any five
answers)
There are some factors that cause the pipeline to deviate its normal performance. Some of these
factors are given below:
1. Timing Variations
All stages cannot take same amount of time. This problem generally occurs in instruction
processing where different instructions have different operand requirements and thus different
processing time.
2. Data Hazards
When several instructions are in partial execution, and if they reference same data then the
problem arises. We must ensure that next instruction does not attempt to access data before the
current instruction, because this will lead to incorrect results.
3. Branching
In order to fetch and execute the next instruction, we must know what that instruction is. If the
present instruction is a conditional branch, and its result will lead us to the next instruction, then
the next instruction may not be known until the current one is processed.
4. Interrupts
Interrupts set unwanted instruction into the instruction stream. Interrupts effect the execution of
instruction.
5. Data Dependency
It arises when an instruction depends upon the result of a previous instruction but this result is
not yet available.