Instruction Set Architecture: Master the Fundamentals of Computer Systems

Question 1

Which addressing mode enables direct access to data at a specific memory location?

Accepted Answer

Direct addressing

Answer

Immediate addressing

Answer

Register addressing

Answer

Indirect addressing

Question 2

What is the primary function of a program counter (PC)?

Accepted Answer

Stores the address of the next instruction to be executed

Answer

Stores the instruction currently being executed

Answer

Stores the return address for function calls

Answer

Stores the data being processed by the CPU

Question 3

Which instruction format places the opcode and operands in separate sections within the instruction word?

Accepted Answer

Two-operand format

Answer

One-operand format

Answer

Three-operand format

Answer

Register-memory format

Question 4

How does a larger instruction set potentially impact a computer system's performance?

Accepted Answer

Reduced performance due to increased instruction decoding time

Answer

Increased performance due to more available instructions

Answer

Improved memory efficiency due to shorter instructions

Answer

Simplified CPU design due to fewer instructions

Question 5

Which of the listed options is NOT a type of instruction pipelining?

Accepted Answer

Parallel pipelining

Answer

Arithmetic pipelining

Answer

Memory pipelining

Answer

Branch pipelining

Question 6

What is a primary advantage of using a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)?

Accepted Answer

Faster execution due to simplified instructions

Answer

Increased memory capacity due to shorter instructions

Answer

Reduced power consumption due to less instruction decoding

Answer

Improved security due to a smaller instruction set

Question 7

What is the primary purpose of a branch predictor?

Accepted Answer

Predict the direction of a branch instruction

Answer

Reduce penalty for branch mispredictions

Answer

Increase speed of instruction fetching

Answer

Enhance accuracy of floating-point calculations

Question 8

Which metric is crucial for evaluating the performance of an instruction set architecture?

Accepted Answer

Cycles per instruction (CPI)

Answer

Instructions per second (IPS)

Answer

Memory access time

Answer

Power consumption

Question 9

What is the primary purpose of an instruction set architecture?

Accepted Answer

To define the behavior and execution of instructions in a computer system

Answer

To provide a standardized interface between hardware and software

Answer

To optimize the performance of specific computer programs

Answer

To facilitate user interaction with the computer

Question 10

What is the key difference between a Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) and a Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) instruction set?

Accepted Answer

RISC instructions are typically shorter and simpler, while CISC instructions are longer and more complex.

Answer

CISC instructions are typically shorter and simpler, while RISC instructions are longer and more complex.

Answer

RISC instructions use a larger number of registers, while CISC instructions use a smaller number of registers.

Answer

CISC instructions use a larger number of registers, while RISC instructions use a smaller number of registers.

Question 11

In an instruction set architecture, what is the role of the program counter?

Accepted Answer

To store the address of the instruction to be executed next

Answer

To contain the result of the most recent instruction executed

Answer

To control the flow of execution

Answer

To store the stack pointer

Question 12

What is the primary purpose of a branch instruction in an instruction set architecture?

Accepted Answer

To transfer program control to a different part of the code

Answer

To load data from memory

Answer

To perform arithmetic operations

Answer

To store data to memory

Question 13

What is the primary purpose of the opcode in an instruction format?

Accepted Answer

To indicate the operation to be performed

Answer

To specify the source operand

Answer

To determine the addressing mode

Answer

To define the number of cycles required

Question 14

What is the fundamental distinction between CISC and RISC instruction set architectures?

Accepted Answer

Instruction complexity

Answer

Number of registers employed

Answer

Addressing modes utilized

Answer

Memory organization

Question 15

How does the choice of instruction set design impact computer system performance?

Accepted Answer

By influencing the number of instructions needed for a task.

Answer

By determining the cache size and organization of the processor.

Answer

By having no significant effect on system performance.

Answer

By primarily affecting the overall cost of the system.

Question 16

Which addressing mode allows data to be accessed directly from the memory address specified in the instruction?

Accepted Answer

Direct

Answer

Immediate

Answer

Indirect

Answer

Register

Question 17

In a three-address instruction format, how many operands are specified explicitly in the instruction?

Accepted Answer

Three

Answer

One

Answer

Two

Answer

Four

Question 18

Which of the following is a primary difference between a Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) and a Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) architecture?

Accepted Answer

RISC has simpler instructions than CISC.

Answer

RISC has a larger instruction set than CISC.

Answer

CISC has a simpler instruction structure than RISC.

Answer

CISC uses more registers than RISC.

Question 19

What is a key advantage of using a pipelined instruction execution approach?

Accepted Answer

Reduced instruction latency

Answer

Increased code density

Answer

Lower power consumption

Answer

Elimination of data hazards

Question 20

In an instruction pipeline, the program counter (PC) is responsible for:

Accepted Answer

Storing the address of the next instruction to be executed.

Answer

Storing the value of the last executed instruction.

Answer

Managing the flow of data through the pipeline.

Answer

Synchronizing the execution of different stages of the pipeline.

Question 21

Which type of hazard in instruction pipelining occurs when an instruction depends on the result of a previous instruction that has not yet completed execution?

Accepted Answer

Data hazard

Answer

Structural hazard

Answer

Control hazard

Answer

Memory hazard

Question 22

What is the primary purpose of a cache memory in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

To store frequently accessed data and improve memory latency.

Answer

To store the entire operating system and reduce power consumption.

Answer

To increase memory bandwidth and enhance overall system performance.

Answer

To protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.

Question 23

What is the fundamental distinction between a physical address and a virtual address in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

A physical address refers to the actual location of data in memory, while a virtual address is a logical reference to data translated by the operating system.

Answer

A virtual address refers to the actual location of data in memory, while a physical address is a logical reference to data used by the hardware.

Answer

Both physical and virtual addresses refer to the same physical location in memory.

Answer

Physical and virtual addresses are unrelated concepts.

Question 24

Which benefit of virtual memory is particularly important for running multiple programs simultaneously?

Accepted Answer

Increased memory capacity

Answer

Enhanced security

Answer

Improved performance

Answer

Reduced memory fragmentation

Question 25

How have advancements in semiconductor technology historically impacted the evolution of instruction set architectures?

Accepted Answer

Enabled wider registers and more complex instructions, boosting performance.

Answer

Reduced power consumption, allowing more instructions on a single chip.

Answer

Lowered manufacturing costs, making extensive instruction sets more affordable.

Question 26

How does instruction set architecture (ISA) influence the effectiveness of compiler optimization techniques?

Accepted Answer

ISA significantly affects the performance of compiler optimization techniques.

Answer

ISA has no impact on compiler optimization.

Answer

ISA has a limited impact on compiler optimization.

Question 27

In an addressing mode, what is the primary purpose of the displacement field?

Accepted Answer

To calculate the effective address using a base register

Answer

To specify the memory location directly

Answer

To store the operand's value

Answer

To indicate the operand's size

Question 28

An instruction format that employs fields of fixed length for different instruction components is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Fixed-length instruction format

Answer

Three-address format

Answer

One-address format

Answer

Variable-length instruction format

Question 29

In a typical RISC processor, which register is dedicated to storing the return address?

Accepted Answer

Link register

Answer

Accumulator register

Answer

Program counter

Answer

Stack pointer

Question 30

Which addressing mode falls under the category of relative addressing modes?

Accepted Answer

Displacement

Answer

Register Direct

Answer

Indexed

Answer

Immediate

Question 31

The principal objective of employing pipelines in a CPU is to:

Accepted Answer

Enhance the throughput of instructions

Answer

Improve the accuracy of instruction execution

Answer

Reduce the latency associated with memory access

Question 32

Which addressing mode uses a constant value within the instruction itself to represent the operand?

Accepted Answer

Immediate addressing

Answer

Indirect addressing

Answer

Register addressing

Answer

Direct addressing

Question 33

In a Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) architecture, instructions typically exhibit which characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Simple structure and greater quantity

Answer

Variable length and task-specific optimization

Answer

Complex structure and fewer in number

Answer

Microcoded implementation for flexibility

Question 34

What is a key advantage of employing a load-store architecture in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced efficiency in memory access operations

Answer

Simplified instruction decoding logic

Answer

Reduction in the overall instruction count

Answer

Direct increase in processor clock speed

Question 35

The process of converting assembly language code into executable machine instructions is called:

Accepted Answer

Assembling

Answer

Compiling

Answer

Linking

Answer

Interpreting

Question 36

What is the primary function of the stack pointer register in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Maintaining a reference to the top of the call stack

Answer

Holding the currently executing instruction

Answer

Storing the return address after function calls

Answer

Providing access to dynamically allocated memory (heap)