Data representation: 2- and 5-marks questions (COA)

2 Marks:

1. Briefly explain the difference between signed and unsigned representation of integers. (2
marks)

2. What is the advantage of using two's complement representation for signed numbers? (2
marks)

3. Define fixed-point representation and explain its limitations compared to floating-point

representation. (2 marks)

4. What is the purpose of the exponent in floating-point representation? (2 marks)

5. Briefly describe ASCII and its importance in character representation. (2 marks)

5 Marks:

1. Explain the signed magnitude, two's complement, and one's complement representation of
negative numbers with examples. (5 marks)

2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of fixed-point and floating-point representation in

the context of COA applications (e.g., signal processing, image analysis). (5 marks)

3. Explain how the IEEE 754 standard defines single and double-precision floating-point
numbers. What are the implications for precision and range? (5 marks)

4. Compare and contrast ASCII, Unicode, and UTF-8-character encoding schemes. Discuss their
suitability for different applications. (5 marks)

5. Describe how character representation is used in COA to store and transmit textual
information. What are the challenges and considerations involved? (5 marks)

6. Given a binary number 101011, convert it to a fixed-point number assuming a binary point at
position 3. Also, explain how this conversion works for both positive and negative numbers.

Functional Blocks of a Computer: 2- and 5-Mark Questions (COA)

2 Marks:

1. Briefly describe the three main components of the Central Processing Unit (CPU). (2 marks)

2. Differentiate between primary and secondary memory in terms of speed, capacity, and
cost. (2 marks)

3. What are the primary functions of the control unit in a computer system? (2 marks)

4. Explain the role of input/output (I/O) subsystems in interacting with external devices. (2
marks)

5. Identify two factors that influence the choice of input/output devices in COA applications. (2
marks)

5 Marks:
 1. Describe the fetch-decode-execute cycle of the CPU and explain its significance in program
execution. (5 marks)

2. Compare and contrast different memory hierarchies (e.g., cache memory, main
memory, secondary storage) in terms of access time and capacity. (5 marks)

3. Discuss the pipelining technique and its impact on improving CPU performance in COA
applications. (5 marks)

4. Explain the concept of DMA (Direct Memory Access) and its advantages for handling high-
speed I/O operations in COA systems. (5 marks)

5. Design a simple I/O interface for a sensor, considering data acquisition, conversion, and
communication with the CPU in a COA context. (5 marks)

Instruction Set Architecture Questions (COA): 2 and 5 Marks

2 Marks:

1. Briefly explain the purpose and different types of registers in a CPU. (2 marks)

2. Describe the fetch-decode-execute cycle and its role in instruction execution. (2 marks)

3. What is the advantage of using a register transfer language (RTL) for representing
instructions? (2 marks)

4. Define immediate addressing mode and provide an example of its use. (2 marks)

5. Briefly explain the difference between CISC and RISC instruction sets. (2 marks)

6. Describe the different stages involved in the instruction execution cycle. (2 marks)

7. What is the role of Register Transfer Language (RTL) in understanding instruction behaviour?
(2 marks)

8. Define the term addressing mode and provide an example. (2 marks)

9. Describe the four stages of the typical instruction execution cycle. (2 marks)

10. What is the importance of addressing modes in instruction design? Give two examples. (2
marks)

11. Identify one key feature of the x86 instruction set and its impact on performance in COA
applications. (2 marks)

5 Marks:

1. Describe the various addressing modes supported by a CPU (e.g., direct, indirect, indexed)
and explain their advantages and disadvantages in the context of COA applications. (5 marks)

2. Analyse the impact of instruction set design on performance, power consumption, and code
size in COA systems. Give examples of how specific instructions can be optimized for COA
tasks. (5 marks)

3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a large number of registers in a CPU for
COA applications. (5 marks)
 4. Interpret a simple assembly language instruction using RTL notation, highlighting its
components and data flow. (5 marks)

5. Compare and contrast different addressing modes (e.g., immediate, direct, indirect) in terms
of their suitability for various instruction types in COA programs. (5 marks)

6. Explain the concept of RTL (Register Transfer Level) and its role in understanding instruction
behaviour. Write an RTL interpretation for a simple arithmetic instruction. (5 marks)

Computer Arithmetic: 2- and 5-Mark Questions (COA)

2 Marks:

1. Briefly explain the difference between signed and unsigned integer representation. (2 marks)

2. What is the advantage of using two's complement representation for addition and
subtraction? (2 marks)

3. Describe the basic operation of a ripple carry adder and its limitations. (2 marks)

4. What is the benefit of using a carry look-ahead adder compared to a ripple carry adder? (2
marks)

5. Differentiate between shift-and-add and Booth multiplication algorithms. (2 marks)

6. Briefly explain the difference between signed and unsigned addition/subtraction in binary
arithmetic. (2 marks)

7. Describe the ripple carry adder and its limitations compared to carry look-ahead adders. (2
marks)

8. What is the principle behind Booth's multiplication algorithm and its advantage over shift-
and-add? (2 marks)

9. Differentiate between restoring and non-restoring division algorithms. (2 marks)

10. Identify one key characteristic of the IEEE 754 single-precision format and its implications for
range and precision. (2 marks)

11. What are the advantages of using a carry look-ahead adder over a ripple carry adder in COA
applications? (2 marks)

12. Define the shift-and-add method for multiplication and provide its key advantage. (2 marks)

5 Marks:

1. Explain the operation of a restoring division algorithm and its limitations in terms of speed
and complexity. (5 marks)

2. Compare and contrast restoring and non-restoring division algorithms, highlighting their
trade-offs in the context of COA applications. (5 marks)

3. Describe the IEEE 754 floating-point standard and its significance for representing real
numbers in computers. (5 marks)
4. Analyse the impact of precision and range on the accuracy of floating-point arithmetic in
COA applications. (5 marks)

5. Design a simple multiplication algorithm (e.g., Booth's algorithm) suitable for a specific COA
application, considering factors like speed and resource limitations. (5 marks)

6. Explain the steps involved in performing signed binary subtraction using two's complement
representation. Provide an example calculation. (5 marks)

7. Discuss the design principles of carry look-ahead adders and their impact on performance in
COA applications. (5 marks)

8. Analyse the efficiency of Booth's multiplication algorithm and compare it to other

multiplication techniques for specific COA applications. (5 marks)

9. Explain the restoring division algorithm and its limitations. Describe the non-restoring
division algorithm and its advantages for specific COA applications. (5 marks)

10. Describe the floating-point arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication,

division) in the context of the IEEE 754 standard. Discuss the importance of normalization
and rounding. (5 marks)