Tutorial 7: WRES1201 – Computer System Architecture
1. In what circumstances that a modem can become an I/O device?
A modem can become an I/O device when it is used for communication. When it
exchanges data between a computer and remote devices via communication lines,
it functions like a communication peripheral which is suitable for I/O operations.
2. List all the factors that may affect the performance of an I/O of a system.
The factors that may affect the performance of an I/O of a system are type of I/)
technique used (programmed I/O, Interrupt-drive I/O or DMA) , bus speed and
bandwidth and interrupt handling efficiency.
3. List and explain briefly the principle of I/O techniques.
Programmed I/O. CPU actively waits and controls I/O operations. This is simple
but inefficient as it wastes CPU time.
Interrupt-driven I/O. CPU issues the I/O command and continues executing other
tasks. Is is interrupted when the device is ready, improving efficiency.
Direct Memory Access (DMA). I/O module transfers data directly between
memory and the device without CPU involvement, suitable for high-speed data
transfers.
4. What is the difference between memory-mapped I/O and isolated I/O?
Devices of memory-mapped I/O share the same address space as memory while
devices of isolated I/O use separate address space. Memory-mapped I/O has a
wide variety of memory instructions can be used while isolated I/O has only
limited instruction set.
5. When a device interrupt occurs, how does the processor determine which device
issued the interrupt?
When a device interrupt occurs, the processor uses one of several methods to
identify the source. With multiple interrupt lines, each device has a dedicated line,
making identification easy. In software polling, the processor checks each device
in turn, which is slower. The daisy chain method passes an interrupt
acknowledgment through devices in sequence until the source responds. Vectored
interrupts allow the device to send a unique identifier directly to the processor. In
bus arbitration, the device gains bus control and sends its interrupt vector when
acknowledged by the processor.
6. When a DMA module takes control of a bus, and while it retains control of the
bus what does the processor do?
The processor is temporarily suspended and cannot use the bus during this time. It
may be idle, waiting for the DMA to finish or it will continue executing
instructions that do not require bus access, depending on the CPU design.