Test dt

• Who proposed the "difference engine" in the early nineteenth century?

  Charles Babbage
• What was the purpose of Charles Babbage's "difference engine"?

  To calculate numbers from given inputs
• What architecture do most modern computers use?

  Von Neumann architecture
• What are the main components of the Von Neumann architecture?

  • All data and instructions are stored in memory
  • Data and instructions are moved via a system bus
• What is the function of input/output devices in a computer?

  To perform all input and output operations
• Where can programs be permanently stored in a computer?

  On secondary storage devices
• What is the main printed circuit board in a computer called?

  Motherboard
• What is the role of the motherboard in a computer system?

  It holds all crucial electronic components and provides connections for other devices
• What is the central processing unit (CPU) commonly referred to as?

  Processor
• What is the primary function of the CPU?

  To carry out calculations and process data
• What are the principal components of a CPU?

  Control unit (CU), arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers
• What does the control unit (CU) do in a CPU?

  It extracts, decodes, and executes instructions
• What is the fetch-execute cycle?

  It is the process of extracting instructions from memory, decoding, and executing them
• What tasks does the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) perform?

  Arithmetic computations and logical operations
• What are registers in a CPU?

  Temporary, high-speed storage areas for data or instructions
• What is the purpose of the accumulator (ACC) register?

  To store arithmetic and logic data temporarily
• What does the program counter (PC) do?

  It keeps track of the memory address of the next instruction to be executed
• What is the function of the current instruction register (CIR)?

  To hold the instruction that has just been fetched from memory
• What does the memory address register (MAR) hold?

  The address in memory of the next data element to be fetched
• What is the role of the memory data register (MDR)?

  To hold data that has just been fetched or is waiting to be stored
• What is a multi-core processor?

  A single computing component with two or more independent processing units
• How does a 32-bit processor differ from a 64-bit processor?

  A 32-bit processor can address up to 4 GB of RAM, while a 64-bit processor can address much more
• What is the maximum number of memory addresses a 32-bit processor can handle?

  2³² (4,294,967,296) different memory addresses
• What is the theoretical limit of memory addresses for a 64-bit processor?

  2⁶⁴ (18,446,744,073,709,551,616) memory addresses
• What is the significance of clock speed in a processor?

  It determines how many instructions the processor can execute per second
• How is clock speed measured?

  In hertz (Hz), megahertz (MHz), or gigahertz (GHz)
• What is the clock speed of a modern computer running at 2.7 GHz?

  It executes 2.7 billion instructions per second
• How many clock cycles per second does a 3 MHz processor run?

  $3 \times 2^{20} =$$3145728$ clock cycles per second
• What is main memory in a computer?

  The internal storage area that can be directly addressed by the processor
• What are the two types of memory in a computer?

  Read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM)
• What is the key advantage of read-only memory (ROM)?

  It is non-volatile and preserves its content when the computer is turned off
• What is the purpose of random access memory (RAM)?

  To temporarily store data and programs currently in use
• How is the size of RAM measured?

  In megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB)
• What happens to the contents of RAM when the computer is turned off?

  The contents are lost because RAM is volatile memory
• What is cache memory?

  A special type of memory that can be accessed much faster than RAM
• What does cache memory do?

  It holds frequently used information and reads ahead
• What are the levels of cache memory?

  • Level 1 (L1) cache: Extremely fast, small, integrated with CPU
  • Level 2 (L2) cache: Located on CPU or separate chip with dedicated connection
  • Level 3 (L3) cache: Specialised memory for performance improvement
• What is the role of the cache controller?

  To transfer data from RAM into the cache
• What happens when the CPU checks the cache for information?

  If the information is found, it is used; if not, it is fetched from RAM
• Why is it important for cache memory to be full?

  To minimize waiting time for the CPU