Computer Organization and Architecture Chapter #1
The computer component that makes sure that instructions are decoded and executed properly is the ___________.
Control unit
The first general-purpose programmable electronic computer was the ______________ .
ENIAC
What is an ISA?
Instruction set architecture = agreed upon interface between software and hardware. Allows you to talk to the machine.
Computer chips having multiple processing units on a single chip are _________________ architectures.
Multicore
Name two types of computer memory.
RAM and ROM
What is the difference between computer organization and computer architecture?
computer organization = hardware, helps us understand how a computer works. computer architecture = software, helps us understand how to design a computer. Affects logical execution of programs.
The von Neumann bottleneck ______.
describes the single processor-memory path
The level of the computer hierarchy that is composed of gates and wires is the ______.
digital logic level
To what power of 10 does the prefix giga- refer? What is the approximate equivalent power of 2?
giga = 10^9 (billion) 2^30
What unit is typically used to measure the speed of a computer clock?
gigahertz
__________ allow movement of data to and from devices external to the computer.
ports
Name the three basic components of every computer.
1. A processor (CPU) to interpret and execute programs 2. A memory to store both data and programs 3. A mechanism for transferring data to and from the outside world.
What is the importance of the principle of equivalence of hardware and software?
Any task done by software can be done by hardware and vice versa. This tells us we have a choice.
The level with which we interact when we write programs in languages such as C, Pascal, Lisp, and Java.
High-level computer language
The level of the computer hierarchy where an operating system functions is the ______.
The level of the computer hierarchy where an operating system functions is the ______.
To what power of 10 does the prefix micro- refer? What is the approximate equivalent power of 2?
micro = 10^-6 (millionth) 2^-20