Computer organization And Architecture (COA)
(2MARKS)
1. List the functional blocks of a computer system.
2. What is the function of the control unit in a CPU?
3. Define Von Neumann architecture.
4. Mention two differences between computer architecture and organization.
5. What is the role of registers in a CPU?
6. Differentiate between fixed-point and floating-point representation.
7. What is a ripple carry adder?
8. How does a carry look-ahead adder improve performance?
9. Explain the shift-and-add method of multiplication.
10. Differentiate between hardwired and microprogrammed control units.
11. What is associative memory?
12. Define memory hierarchy with an example.
13. What is the role of cache memory?
14. Mention two characteristics of peripheral devices.
15. Explain DMA (Direct Memory Access).
16. What is asynchronous data transfer?
17. Give two examples of privileged instructions.
18. Differentiate between interrupt and exception.
19. List two characteristics of RISC architecture.
20. Compare CISC and RISC with one key difference.
21. Define pipelining in CPU design.
22. What are pipeline hazards? Name any two types.
23. Differentiate between scalar and vector processing.
24. What is an array processor?
25. What is memory interleaving?
26. Explain hierarchical memory organization.
27. What is a mapping function in cache memory?
28. Differentiate between direct-mapped and associative-mapped cache.
29. What is the impact of block size on cache performance?
30. What is the role of cache memory in performance enhancement?
(6 MARKS)
1. Explain the functional blocks of a computer system with a neat diagram.
2. Describe the Von Neumann architecture and highlight its limitations.
3. Explain the instruction execution cycle in detail with appropriate diagrams.
4. What is Register Transfer Language (RTL)? Illustrate RTL interpretation with an
example.
5. Discuss various addressing modes used in instruction sets with suitable examples.
6. Explain different methods of representing signed numbers. Give examples for each.
7. Differentiate between fixed-point and floating-point number representation. Explain with
examples.
8. Describe the working of a ripple carry adder and a carry look-ahead adder. Compare their
performance.
9. Explain Booth’s algorithm for multiplication with a suitable example.
10. Discuss restoring and non-restoring division techniques.
11. Compare and contrast hardwired and microprogrammed control unit designs.
12. Discuss the concept of memory hierarchy. Explain the role of cache and associative
memory in memory systems.
13. Explain DMA and interrupt-driven I/O transfers. Compare their performance.
14. Describe the characteristics and working of I/O subsystems.
15. Explain various modes of data transfer in I/O systems.
16. Compare RISC and CISC architectures in terms of features and instruction sets.
17. Explain the concept of instruction pipelining. Discuss the types of hazards and how they
are handled.
18. Discuss vector processing and the architecture of array processors.
19. Describe the characteristics and challenges of multiprocessor systems.
20. What is cache coherence? Explain any one protocol used to maintain coherence.
21. Explain memory interleaving and its advantages.
22. Compare different cache replacement algorithms with examples.
23. Discuss the impact of cache size and block size on system performance.
24. Explain write-through and write-back cache write policies with advantages and
disadvantages.
25. Describe hierarchical memory organization and its importance in computing systems.
(16 MARKS)
1. Illustrate each phase with suitable examples and show how it is represented using RTL.
2. Explain the importance of registers, addressing modes, and instruction formats with
examples.
3. Explain various number representation methods including signed numbers, fixed point,
floating point, and character representation with examples.
4. Discuss in detail the ripple carry adder and carry look-ahead adder. Compare their
structures, delay performance, and advantages.
5. Explain the concept of memory hierarchy. Discuss the structure and function of main
memory, cache memory, auxiliary memory, and associative memory.
6. What are interrupts and exceptions? Explain their types and roles in the process state
transition. Describe how I/O device interfaces like USB and SCII handle data.
7. Compare and contrast CISC and RISC architectures in terms of design philosophy,
instruction set, performance, and use-cases.
8. Explain pipelining in detail. Discuss the concepts of speedup, throughput, pipeline
hazards, and techniques to overcome them.
9. Discuss various cache memory mapping techniques (direct, associative, set-associative).
Explain each with diagrams and examples.
10. Explain memory interleaving and hierarchical memory organization. Why are these
important in modern computing systems?