Microprocessors

Review all questions and their correct answers.

Question 1

What is a microprocessor?

A complete computer system on a single chip.
A memory device for storing programs.
A programmable chip that acts as the CPU.
An interface for input/output devices.

Question 2

Which three components form the core of a basic microcomputer system?

ALU, Control Unit, and System Bus
Microprocessor, Memory, and I/O
ROM, RAM, and Cache
Keyboard, Monitor, and CPU

Question 3

The ability of a microprocessor to be programmed to perform different tasks is known as:

Volatility
Scalability
Programmability
Compatibility

Question 4

What is the fundamental digital circuit inside the microprocessor where arithmetic and logical operations are performed?

Control Unit (CU)
Register Array
System Bus
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

Question 5

Which component fetches instructions from memory, decodes them, and generates timing signals?

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Memory Address Register (MAR)
Control Unit (CU)
Program Counter (PC)

Question 6

What are the fast, temporary storage locations within the microprocessor called?

ROM
RAM
Cache
Registers

Question 7

Which type of memory is non-volatile and stores the system's startup program?

RAM (Read/Write Memory)
Cache Memory
ROM (Read-Only Memory)
Virtual Memory

Question 8

Which type of memory is volatile and is used to store user programs and data?

ROM (Read-Only Memory)
Flash Memory
R/WM (Read/Write Memory or RAM)
EEPROM

Question 9

What is the communication pathway that connects the microprocessor to memory and I/O devices?

Control Unit
System Bus
ALU Pathway
Register Link

Question 10

A keyboard or a mouse is an example of what type of device?

Output Device
Memory Device
Input Device
Storage Device

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a primary function of the ALU?

Performing addition and subtraction.
Performing logical AND, OR, and NOT operations.
Fetching instructions from memory.
Comparing two values.

Question 12

What is the purpose of status signals (flags) from the ALU?

To store the result of the operation.
To report on the outcome of an operation (e.g., Zero, Carry).
To tell the ALU which operation to perform.
To select the input data for the operation.

Question 13

Which flag would be set if the result of an arithmetic operation is too large to fit in the designated register?

Zero Flag
Negative Flag
Carry Flag
Overflow Flag

Question 14

What does the Opcode from the Control Unit tell the ALU?

Where to store the result.
Which arithmetic or logical operation to perform.
The memory address of the next instruction.
The status of the previous operation.

Question 15

Which part of the Control Unit holds the instruction that is currently being executed?

Instruction Decoder
Program Counter
Timing and Control Logic
Instruction Register (IR)

Question 16

What is the main advantage of a hardwired control unit over a micro-programmed one?

It is more flexible.
It is faster.
It is easier to design.
It is cheaper to manufacture.

Question 17

What is the main advantage of a micro-programmed control unit?

It is faster.
It is less complex.
It is more flexible and can be updated.
It consumes less power.

Question 18

Which component of the Control Unit interprets the instruction code to determine the required action?

Instruction Register
Instruction Decoder
Program Counter
ALU

Question 19

Which register holds the memory address of the next instruction to be fetched?

Instruction Register (IR)
Accumulator
Program Counter (PC)
Memory Address Register (MAR)

Question 20

Which register is often used to store one of the operands and the result of an ALU operation?

Program Counter (PC)
Accumulator
Instruction Register (IR)
Status Register

Question 21

Which register holds the address of the memory location that the CPU intends to read from or write to?

Program Counter (PC)
Instruction Register (IR)
Memory Data Register (MDR)
Memory Address Register (MAR)

Question 22

What is a complete system built around a microprocessor, including memory and I/O, called?

Microcontroller
Microcomputer
Supercomputer
Mainframe

Question 23

Which operation is NOT typically performed by the ALU?

Addition
Bit-shifting
Logical AND
Decoding instructions

Question 24

The Carry-Out flag is particularly important for which type of operation?

Logical operations
Single-bit operations
Multi-word arithmetic
Data transfer

Question 25

If the result of an operation is zero, which ALU flag is set?

Zero Flag
Negative Flag
Overflow Flag
Carry Flag

Question 26

A monitor or a printer is an example of what type of device?

Input Device
Storage Device
Memory Device
Output Device

Question 27

A micro-programmed control unit uses a special memory called the:

Cache
Main Memory
Control Store
Register File

Question 28

What is the primary characteristic of ROM?

It is volatile.
It is used for temporary data storage.
It is non-volatile.
It is very fast but small.

Question 29

What is another name for Read/Write Memory (R/WM)?

ROM
Flash Memory
User Memory (RAM)
BIOS

Question 30

The term "volatile" in the context of memory means:

It is very fast.
It retains data without power.
It loses data without power.
It is read-only.

Question 31

What is a microcontroller?

A powerful CPU for servers.
A microprocessor with many peripherals integrated on the same chip.
A type of memory.
An external I/O device.

Question 32

Which peripheral is used to control motor speed or LED brightness by varying its duty cycle?

ADC
GPIO
PWM Controller
DAC

Question 33

Which peripheral converts an analog sensor reading into a digital value?

DAC
PWM
ADC
UART

Question 34

Which peripheral converts a digital value from the processor into an analog voltage?

ADC
DAC
SPI
GPIO

Question 35

Digital pins that can be programmed as either input or output are called:

PWM pins
Analog pins
GPIO pins
Serial pins

Question 36

UART, SPI, and I2C are all examples of what type of controllers?

Analog-to-Digital Converters
Memory Controllers
Serial Communication Controllers
PWM Controllers

Question 37

The CPU is another name for which component?

Memory
System Bus
Microprocessor
I/O Device

Question 38

What does the microprocessor operate on?

Analog signals
Decimal numbers
Binary digits
Text characters

Question 39

Which component is NOT typically found inside a microprocessor?

ALU
Control Unit
Register Array
RAM

Question 40

The process of fetching, decoding, and executing an instruction is orchestrated by the:

ALU
System Bus
Memory
Control Unit

Question 41

Bit-shifting is an operation performed by which unit?

Control Unit
Memory
Register
ALU

Question 42

If a hardwired control unit needs a functional change, what is required?

A software update
A microprogram update
A redesign of the hardware
A driver update

Question 43

Which of the following is considered a general-purpose register?

Program Counter
Instruction Register
Accumulator
Memory Address Register

Question 44

A microcontroller is often called a "computer on a chip" because it integrates a CPU with:

A large external hard drive
A high-speed internet connection
Memory and peripherals on the same chip
A graphics processing unit (GPU)

Question 45

To read the state of a physical switch (on/off), you would configure a GPIO pin as:

Input
Output
Analog
Serial

Question 46

To turn an LED on or off, you would configure a GPIO pin as:

Input
Output
Analog
Serial

Question 47

Which of these serial communication protocols is NOT listed as a standard controller?

UART
SPI
I2C
Ethernet

Question 48

What is the "brain" of the computer system?

Memory
Hard Drive
Microprocessor
System Bus

Question 49

A negative result in the ALU is typically indicated by which flag?

Zero Flag
Carry Flag
Negative Flag
Overflow Flag

Question 50

The system BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is typically stored in which type of memory?

RAM
ROM
Cache
Virtual Memory

Question 51

What is the main role of the system bus?

To perform calculations
To act as a communication pathway between components
To store the operating system
To power the computer system

Question 52

The set of wires on the system bus that carries the actual data is called the:

Address Bus
Control Bus
Data Bus
I/O Bus

Question 53

What does the Control Unit use to synchronize all operations in the system?

Data signals
Address signals
Timing and control signals
User input

Question 54

Micro-instructions are stored in the:

Main RAM
The ALU
The Control Store
The BIOS ROM

Question 55

Which component would be used to convert a thermostat's analog temperature reading into a number the microprocessor can use?

DAC
ADC
PWM
GPIO