Sheet 1

Q1. Who developed the Analytical Engine?

Charles Babbage.

Q2. The 1890 census used a new device called a punched card. Who
developed the punched card?

Herman Hollerith.

Q3. Who was the founder of IBM Corporation?

Hermann Hollerith.

Q4. Who developed the first electronic calculator?

Jack Kelby.

Q5. The first electronic computer system was developed for what purpose?

To decode the Enigma code during World War II

Q6. The first general-purpose, programmable computer was called the

ENIAC.
Q7. The world's first microprocessor was developed in 1971 by INTEL
Corporation.

Q8. Who was the Countess of Lovelace?

Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and author who lived in the 19th
century. She is recognized for her collaboration with Charles Babbage on a
machine he called the Analytical Engine, which is a more advanced form of
mechanical computers. As such, she has been eulogized as the rst computer
programmer as she devised the first ever code designed for a machine. She has
been acknowledged for her work and is known as a mother of computer
programming.

Q9. Who developed the first high-level programming language called

FLOWMATIC?

Grace Hopper.

Q10. What is a von Neumann machine?

It’s a computer system that follows the von Neumann architecture, characterized
by a centralized control unit, primary memory for storing instructions and data, an
arithmetic and logic unit for operations, and a register bank for storing
intermediate results.

Q11. Which 8-bit microprocessor ushered in the age of the microprocessor?

8080 Microprocessor
Q12. The 8085 microprocessor, introduced in 1977, has sold Millions of
copies.

Q13. Which Intel microprocessor was the first to address 1M bytes of

memory?

The 8086 was the first microprocessor to address 1M byte of memory.

Q14. The 80286 addresses 224 bytes of memory.

Q15. How much memory is available to the 80486 microprocessor?

The 80486 has 8 k of memory cache built into the processor.

Q16. When did Intel introduce the Pentium microprocessor?

In 1993.

Q17. When did Intel introduce the Pentium Pro processor?

On November 1, 1995.

Q18. When did Intel introduce the Pentium 4 microprocessor?

On November 20, 2000.

Q19. Which Intel microprocessor addresses 1T of memory?

The Intel 80486 through Core2.

Q20. What is the acronym MIPs?

Million of Instructions per second.

Q21. What is the acronym CISC?

Complex Instruction Set Computers.

Q22. A binary bit stores a(n) 0 or a(n) 1.

Q23. A computer K (pronounced kay) is equal to 1024 bytes.

Q24. A computer M (pronounced meg) is equal to 1024 K bytes.

Q25. A computer G (pronounced gig) is equal to 1024 M bytes.

Q26. A computer P (pronounced peta) is equal to 1024 T bytes.

Q27. How many typewritten pages of information are stored in a 4G-byte

memory?

4G bytes of memory can store 1,000,000 typewritten pages.

Q28. The first 1M byte of memory in a DOS-based computer system

contains a(n) Transient Program Area and a(n) system area.
Q29. How large is the Windows application programming area?

2G or 3G for 32-bit mode and currently 8G for 64-bit mode.

Q30. How much memory is found in the DOS transient program area?

640k bytes.

Q31. How much memory is found in the Windows systems area?

1G byte.

Q32. The 8086 microprocessor addresses 1M byte bytes of memory.

Q33. The Core2 microprocessor addresses 1T byte using 40-bit address bytes
of memory.

Q34. Which microprocessors address 4G bytes of memory?

80386, 80486, Pentium 4, and Core2.

Q35. Memory above the first 1M byte is called Extended memory.

Q36. What is the system BIOS?

BIOS (basic input/output system) is the program a computer's microprocessor uses

to start the computer system after it is powered on.
Q37. What is DOS?

A DOS, or disk operating system, is an operating system that runs from a disk
drive.

Q38. What is the difference between an XT and an AT computer system?

The XT was used with the 8088 and 8086 and beginning with the 80286, the AT
became the name of the system.

Q39. What is the VESA local bus?

Video Electronics Standards Association.

Q40. The ISA bus holds 8 bit and 16-bit interface cards.

Q41. What is the USB?

USB, or universal serial bus, is a mechanism used to connect peripheral devices to

computers.

Q42. What is the AGP?

It’s a parallel expansion card standard, designed to support video cards.

Q43. What is the XMS?

XMS “Extended Memory System” is used to specify the initial lower bound of
java heap memory size.
Q44. What is the SATA interface and where is it used in a system?

The serial ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) interface is designed to

support disk drive memory.

Q45. A driver is stored in the System area.

Q46. The personal computer system addresses 64 bytes of I/O space.

Q47. What is the purpose of the BIOS?

The BIOS controls the computer at its most basic level and provides for
compatibility between computers.
Q48. Draw the block diagram of a computer system.
 Research

CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer):

Detailed Definition: A CISC architecture is characterized by its ability to

execute complex operations with a single instruction. These instructions can
be variable-length and often combine multiple simpler operations into a
single step. This can lead to shorter programs but can also make the
processor's design and implementation more complex.

Key Features:

Complex Instructions: CISC instructions can perform a variety of tasks, such

as arithmetic operations, data transfers, and logical operations.

Variable-Length Instructions: The length of a CISC instruction can vary,

depending on the complexity of the operation.

Fewer Registers: CISC architectures typically have a smaller number of

general-purpose registers compared to RISC.

Less Emphasis on Pipelining: While pipelining can be used in CISC

architectures, it is often less efficient due to the complexity of the
instructions.

Example: The Intel 8086, a popular CISC processor from the 1980s, is a
good example of a CISC architecture.
RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer):

Detailed Definition: A RISC architecture is characterized by its simplicity.

RISC instructions are typically fixed-length and perform a single operation.
This makes the processor's design and implementation easier, but it can also
require more instructions to perform complex tasks.

Key Features:

Simple Instructions: RISC instructions are typically limited to basic

operations like arithmetic, data transfer, and logical operations.

Fixed-Length Instructions: RISC instructions are always the same length,

which simplifies the processor's design.

Large Number of Registers: RISC architectures typically have a larger

number of general-purpose registers, which can improve performance by
reducing memory accesses.

Strong Emphasis on Pipelining: RISC architectures are designed to be highly

pipelined, which allows multiple instructions to be executed simultaneously.

Example: The ARM architecture, widely used in smartphones and tablets, is

a popular RISC architecture.

Microprocessor:

Detailed Definition: A microprocessor is an integrated circuit (IC) that

contains the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system. It is
responsible for executing instructions and performing calculations.
Microprocessors are the building blocks of modern computers, from
personal computers to supercomputers.
Key Features:

Central Processing Unit (CPU): The CPU is the core component of a

microprocessor, responsible for executing instructions and performing
calculations.

Control Unit: The control unit coordinates the activities of the

microprocessor, fetching instructions from memory, decoding them, and
executing them.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): The ALU performs arithmetic and logical
operations on data.

Registers: Registers are used to store data temporarily during the execution
of instructions.

Example: The Intel Core i7 and AMD Ryzen 9 are examples of modern
high-performance microprocessors.

Microcontroller:

Detailed Definition: A microcontroller is a specialized microprocessor

designed for embedded systems. It is typically smaller and less powerful
than a general-purpose microprocessor but is often more cost-effective and
energy-efficient. Microcontrollers are used in a wide range of applications,
including automotive electronics, consumer appliances, and industrial
automation.

Key Features:

Integrated Peripherals: Microcontrollers often have integrated peripherals

such as timers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and serial
communication interfaces.
Low Power Consumption: Microcontrollers are designed to be energy-
efficient, making them suitable for battery-powered devices.

Smaller Size: Microcontrollers are typically smaller than general-purpose

microprocessors, making them ideal for embedded applications.

Example: The Arduino Uno and Raspberry Pi Pico are popular

microcontroller boards used in hobbyist and educational projects.

Pipeline:

Detailed Definition: A pipeline is a technique used in computer architecture

to improve performance by executing multiple instructions simultaneously.
In a pipelined processor, each instruction is divided into stages, and different
instructions can be in different stages at the same time. This allows the
processor to process multiple instructions more efficiently.

Key Features:

Stages: A pipeline typically has multiple stages, such as fetch, decode,

execute, and write back.

Overlapping: Different instructions can be in different stages at the same

time, overlapping their execution.

Throughput: Pipelining can improve the throughput of a processor, allowing

it to process more instructions per unit of time.

Example: Modern processors often use multiple-stage pipelines to improve

performance.
Hyperthreading:

Detailed Definition: Hyperthreading is a technology that allows a single

physical processor core to simulate multiple logical processors. This can
improve multitasking performance by allowing the processor to handle more
tasks simultaneously.

Key Features:

Multiple Logical Processors: A hyperthreaded processor can appear to the

operating system as multiple separate processors.

Improved Multitasking: Hyperthreading can help improve the performance

of multitasking applications.

Increased Utilization: Hyperthreading can help to increase the utilization of

the processor's resources.

Example: Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology (HTT) is a popular

implementation of hyperthreading.

Superscalar:

Detailed Definition: A superscalar processor is a processor that can execute

multiple instructions simultaneously, using multiple execution units within a
single core. This can improve performance by allowing the processor to
process more instructions per clock cycle.
Key Features:

Multiple Execution Units: A superscalar processor has multiple execution

units, such as integer units, floating-point units, and load/store units.

Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP): Superscalar processors exploit

instruction-level parallelism to execute multiple instructions simultaneously.

Improved Performance: Superscalar processors can significantly improve

performance compared to scalar processors.

Example: Many modern high-performance processors, such as the Intel Core

i9 and AMD Ryzen Threadripper, are superscalar processors.