Practice Question 1
For this question, assume that 1 stands for TRUE and 0 stands for FALSE. For each of the following expressions, specify if the result is a 1 (TRUE) or a 0 (FALSE):
- NOT(1) OR (0 OR NOT(1))
- (1 AND NOT(0)) AND (0 OR NOT(1))
- NOT((1 OR 1) AND (0 OR 0))
Practice Question 2
For this question, assume that 1 stands for TRUE and 0 stands for FALSE. For each of the following bitwise operations, specify the result as a sequence of eight binary (0 or 1) digits.
- BITWISE-AND(00111100, 01010101)
- BITWISE-OR(00111100, 01010101)
- BITWISE-NOT(00111100)
Practice Question 3
An ISA-level language uses 16 bits for each instruction. If you know nothing else about the language, what is the largest possible number of instructions (i.e., largest possible number of different opcodes) that this language can include? Justify your answer.
Practice Question 4
Suppose you were asked to design an ISA-level language that uses no instructions with three address (you can only use instructions with two addresses, one address, or no addresses). How would you accommodate the need to be able to add/subtract/multiply/divide two numbers and store the result somewhere?
Practice Question 5
Consider an ISA specification for a machine that uses microprogramming. Consider the following three options for how to document the use of microprogramming in the ISA specification:
- Do not discuss the use of microprogramming at all.
- Discuss microprogramming in the normative section.
- Discuss microprogramming in the informative section.
Which of those three approaches best matches the best practices that the textbook recommends? What are the advantages of that approach?
Practice Question 6
How is computer security improved by using a kernel mode and a user mode of execution, compared to just using a single mode of execution?
Practice Question 7
Why are load/store architectures preferred in modern CPU designs?
Practice Question 8
Why is regular binary number representation much more common than binary-coded decimal representation in modern systems?
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