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WGU C952 Computer Architecture
Objective Assessment Exam 2023
1.What is the binary representation of instructions?: machine language
2.Which key design element changed in 2005 to drive continued
improve- ments in computing capability?: Multiprocessor architecture
3.Which term refers to the same instruction applied to multiple
data streams?: SIMD
- What makes vector-based code more efficient than conventional code?:-
frequency of pipeline hazards is lower
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5.Which two elements are required to implement R-format arithmetic
logic unit (ALU) operations?: ALU and register file
- Given the following 8-bit integer binary variables:
X1 = 11000110
X2 = 11110111
What is the value in X3 after the following
command? ADD X3, X2, X1: overflow
7.What does extending to 16 bits yield given -5 in 8-bit 2’s
complement 11111011?: 11111111 11111011 - How many minutes does it take to wash, dry, and fold four loads of
laundry using a pipelining approach, given the following information?
One washer takes 30 minutes
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WGU C952 Computer Architecture EXAM 2023
1.Which access does a register file rely on to properly function ANS Read
and write access
2.What is the binary representation of instructions ANS Machine language3.Which feature of the IBM 360/91 was incorporated into the majority of
mi- croprocessors developed in the 21st century ANS Algorithm
innovations allowed the improved parallel execution of instructions.
4.Which key design element changed in 2005 to drive continued
improve- ments in computing capability ANS Multiprocessor
architecture
5.Which term refers to the same instruction applied to multiple
data streams ANS SIMD
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- What makes vector-based code more efficient than conventional codeANS –
Frequency of pipeline hazards is lower
7.Which two elements are required to implement R-format arithmetic
logic unit (ALU) operations ANS ALU and register file
8.Which component of a computer moderates the action of its other
compo- nents ANS Control - Given the following 8-bit integer binary variables:
X1 = 11000110
X2 = 11110111
What is the value in X3 after the following
command? ADD X3, X2, X1: Overflow
10.What is the approximate range of a 64-bit unsigned integer ANS
0 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615
11.How is the integer 255 represented in memory ANS 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 1111 1111 - 1 / 21
- WGU C952 Computer Architecture Study Guide
- 1.Register File: A state element that consists of a set of registers that
- can be read and written by supplying a register number to be
- accessed.
- provides 1024 scalar 32-bit registers for up to 64 threads.
- 2.machine language: The language made up of binary-coded
- instructions that is used directly by the computer
- 3.system software: The set of programs that enables a computer’s
- hardware devices and application software to work together; it
- includes the operating system and utility programs.
- 4.operating system: (computer science) software that controls the
- execution of computer programs and may provide various services
- 5.Assembly Language: Programming language that has the same
- structure and set of commands as machine languages but allows
- programmers to use symbolic representations of numeric machine
- code.
- 6.IBM 360/91: Introduced many new concepts, including dynamic
- detection of memory hazards, generalized forwarding, and
- reservation stations. Tomasulo’s algorithm
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- The internal organization of the 360/91 shares many features with
- the Pentium III and Pentium 4, as well as with several other
- microprocessors. One major difference was that there was no
- branch prediction in the 360/91 and hence no
- speculation. Another major difference was that there was no commit
- unit, so once the instructions finished execution, they updated the
- registers.
- 7.Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM): Memory built as an
- integrated circuit; it provides random access to any location. Access
- times are 50 nanosec- onds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was $5 to
- $10.
- Multiple DRAMs are used together to contain the instructions and data
- of a program. In contrast to sequential access memories, such as
- magnetic tapes, the RAM portion of the term DRAM means that
- memory accesses take basically the same amount of time no matter
- what portion of the memory is read.
- Modern DRAMS consist of rows in each bank
- 8.frame buffering: A portion of RAM containing a bitmap that drives
- a video display. It is a memory buffer containing a complete frame
- of data.
- The image to be represented onscreen is stored in the frame buffer,
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- and the
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- bit pattern per pixel is read out to the graphics display at the refresh
- rate. The animation below shows a frame buffer with a simplified
- design of just 4 bits per pixel.
- 9.Datapath: The component of the processor that performs arithmetic
- operations
- 10.Control: The component of the processor that commands the
- datapath, mem- ory, and I/O devices according to the instructions of
- the program.
- 11.Integrated circuit: Also called a chip. A device combining dozens to
- millions of transistors.
- 12.Central processor unit (CPU): Also called processor. The active part
- of the computer, which contains the datapath and control and which
- adds numbers, tests numbers, signals I/O devices to activate, and so
- on.
- 13.Static random access memory (SRAM): Also memory built as an
- integrated circuit, but faster and less dense than DRAM.
- 14.Instruction set architecture: Also called architecture. An abstract
- interface between the hardware and the lowest-level software that
- encompasses all the information necessary to write a machine
- language program that will run correctly, including instructions,
- registers, memory access, I/O, and so on.
- 15.Application binary interface (ABI): The user portion of the instruction
- set plus the operating system interfaces used by application
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WGU C952 Computer Architecture Pre-Assessment 2023
- Which access does a register file rely on to properly function?
a) Read and write access
b) Write only access
c) Read only access
d) No access ANS: A - What is the binary representation of instructions?
a) Machine language
b) Assembly language
c) Operating system
d) Systems software ANS: A - Which feature of the IBM 360/91 was incorporated into the majority
of microprocessors developed in the 21st century?
a) Branch prediction allowed the processor to proceed with the next
instruc- tion.
b) Algorithm innovations allowed the improved parallel execution of
instruc- tions.
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c) Pipeline innovations allowed for reservation stations and the commit
unit.
d) Pipeline innovations allowed for dynamically scheduled pipelined
proces- sors. ANS: B
- Which key design element changed in 2005 to drive continued
improve- ments in computing capability?
a) Multiprocessor architecture
b) Transistor architecture
c) DRAM technology
d) Frame buffering ANS: A - Which term refers to the same instruction applied to multiple
data streams?
a) SIMD
b) MIMD
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c) SPMD
d) SISD ANS: A
- What makes vector-based code more efficient than conventional code?
a) Usage of LEGv8 architecture code
b) Usage of Multimedia extensions (MMX)
c) Frequency of pipeline hazards is higher
d) Frequency of pipeline hazards is lower ANS: D - Which two elements are required to implement R-format arithmetic
logic unit (ALU) operations?
a) ALU and register file
b) ALU and GPU
c) GPU and register file
d) Datapath and COD ANS: A - Which component of a computer moderates the action of its other
compo- nents?
a) Control
b) Datapath
c) Memory
d) Output ANS: A - Given the following 8-bit integer binary variables:
X1 = 11000110