1. Define the basic components of a digital computer as shown in a block diagram.
List the primary subsystems and explain their fundamental roles in computer
operation.(CO1)
2. Compare and contrast the functions of the Control Unit and Central Processing Unit
(CPU) in a computer system. How do they interact with system buses and memory to
execute instructions? (CO1)
3. Explain the purpose and significance of system buses in facilitating communication
between different components of a computer system.(CO1)
4. Describe how memory and I/O addressing work in a computer system. Illustrate with
an example how data is transferred between different components using the system bus
structure.(CO1)
1. Define the different levels of programming languages and explain the
fundamental differences between high-level, assembly, and machine languages.
(CO2)
2. Compare and contrast the various addressing modes in instruction set architectures.
How do different addressing modes impact the efficiency and complexity of instruction
execution?(CO2)
3. Explain the four stages of the instruction cycle and describe how these stages
facilitate the execution of a machine language program.(CO2)
4. Design a simple machine language program that demonstrates the use of different
instruction types using a specific addressing mode.(CO2)
2. Compare the organizational structures of general registers and stack organization in
CPU design. Analyze how these different organizational approaches impact data
storage and retrieval efficiency.(CO1)
4. Design a simplified CPU organization that demonstrates the interaction between
general registers, stack organization, and memory subsystem, highlighting the data flow
and storage mechanisms.(CO1/CO2)
1. Define two main subsystems in a digital computer's block diagram and their
primary functions. (2 marks) (CO1)
2. List two types of system buses and explain their specific roles in computer
communication. (2 marks) (CO1)
3. Name two levels of programming languages and describe their basic
characteristics. (2 marks) (CO2)
4. Compare Von Neumann and Harvard architectures, highlighting two key
architectural differences. (2 marks) (CO2)
Ans: Von Neumann vs Harvard Architecture Comparison:
Memory Organization:
Von Neumann: Shared memory for instructions and data
Harvard: Separate memories for instructions and data
Processing Characteristics:
Von Neumann: Sequential instruction processing
Harvard: Simultaneous instruction fetch and data access
5. Contrast fixed-length and variable-length instruction set formats, identifying
their implementation challenges. (2 marks)
7. Explain the four stages of the instruction cycle and their significance in program
execution. (2 marks) (CO2)
8. Describe two addressing modes and illustrate their application in instruction
processing. (2 marks)(CO2)
9. Elaborate on the roles of general registers and stack organization in CPU data
management. (2 marks)(CO1)
10. Demonstrate how arithmetic and logical operations are executed using different
instruction types. (2 marks) (CO2)
11. Illustrate the data transfer process between CPU and memory using system bus
structure. (2 marks) (CO2)
13. Critically assess two memory subsystem types, evaluating their performance
characteristics. (2 marks)(CO1)
16. Propose an innovative CPU organization that optimizes register and memory
interactions. (2 marks)(CO1 / (CO2))
17. An instruction is stored at location 300 with its address field at location 301. The
address field has the value 250. A processor register R1 contains the number 200.
Evaluate the EA if the addressing mode of the instruction is.
1) Direct
2) Relative
3) Register Indirect
2-Mark Questions (Remember / Understand)
1. Define fixed-point representation with one example.
2. What is the difference between sign-magnitude and 2’s complement
representation?
3. Write the IEEE 754 single precision floating-point format fields.
4. Convert +18 into 8-bit 2’s complement representation.
5. State one advantage and one limitation of floating-point representation.
6. What is overflow in fixed-point arithmetic? Give an example.
7. Represent –9 in 1’s complement using 8 bits.
8. List the steps involved in floating-point addition.
5-Mark
1. Perform the following operations using 8-bit 2’s complement arithmetic:
(a) 45 + (–30)
(b) –56 + (–40)
2. Convert the decimal number -13.25 into IEEE 754 32-bit floating-point
representation.
3. Explain the floating-point addition and subtraction process with a suitable
example.
4. Compare fixed-point and floating-point arithmetic in terms of range, precision,
and hardware complexity.
5. Using Booth’s algorithm, multiply (–6) × (5). Show step-by-step results. (Apply)
6. An 8-bit computer uses sign-magnitude representation. Compute:
(a) (+23) + (+18)
(b)(–23)+(+18)
