WGU C952 QUESTION WELL DONE 2024.

Register File - answersA state element that consists of a set of registers that can be read and written by supplying a register number to be accessed. provides 1024 scalar 32-bit registers for up to 64 threads. machine language - answersThe language made up of binary-coded instructions that is used directly by the computer system software - answersThe set of programs that enables a computer's hardware devices and application software to work together; it includes the operating system and utility programs. operating system - answers(computer science) software that controls the execution of computer programs and may provide various services Assembly Language - answersProgramming language that has the same structure and set of commands as machine languages but allows programmers to use symbolic representations of numeric machine code. IBM 360/91 - answersIntroduced many new concepts, including dynamic detection of memory hazards, generalized forwarding, and reservation stations. Tomasulo's algorithm The internal organization of the 360/91 shares many features with the Pentium III and Pentium 4, as well as with several other microprocessors. One major difference was that there was no branch prediction in the 360/91 and hence no speculation. Another major difference was that there was no commit unit, so once the instructions finished execution, they updated the registers. Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) - answersMemory built as an integrated circuit; it provides random access to any location. Access times are 50 nanoseconds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was $5 to $10. Multiple DRAMs are used together to contain the instructions and data of a program. In contrast to sequential access memories, such as magnetic tapes, the RAM portion of the term DRAM means that memory accesses take basically the same amount of time no matter what portion of the memory is read. Modern DRAMS consist of rows in each bank frame buffering - answersA portion of RAM containing a bitmap that drives a video display. It is a memory buffer containing a complete frame of data. The image to be represented onscreen is stored in the frame buffer, and the bit pattern per pixel is read out to the graphics display at the refresh rate. The animation below shows a frame buffer with a simplified design of just 4 bits per pixel. Datapath - answersThe component of the processor that performs arithmetic operations Control - answersThe component of the processor that commands the datapath, memory, and I/O devices according to the instructions of the program. Integrated circuit - answersAlso called a chip. A device combining dozens to millions of transistors. Central processor unit (CPU) - answersAlso called processor. The active part of the computer, which contains the datapath and control and which adds numbers, tests numbers, signals I/O devices to activate, and so on. Static random access memory (SRAM) - answersAlso memory built as an integrated circuit, but faster and less dense than DRAM. Instruction set architecture - answersAlso called architecture. An abstract interface between the hardware and the lowest-level software that encompasses all the information necessary to write a machine language program that will run correctly, including instructions, registers, memory access, I/O, and so on. Application binary interface (ABI) - answersThe user portion of the instruction set plus the operating system interfaces used by application programmers. It defines a standard for binary portability across computers. Volatile memory - answersStorage, such as DRAM, that retains data only if it is receiving power. Nonvolatile Memory - answersA form of memory that retains data even in the absence of a power source and that is used to store programs between runs. A DVD disk is nonvolatile. Magnetic disk - answersAlso called hard disk. A form of nonvolatile secondary memory composed of rotating platters coated with a magnetic recording material. Because they are rotating mechanical devices, access times are about 5 to 20 milliseconds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was $0.05 to $0.10 Main memory - answersAlso called primary memory. Memory used to hold programs while they are running; typically consists of DRAM in today's computers. Secondary memory - answersNonvolatile memory used to store programs and data between runs; typically consists of flash memory in PMDs and magnetic disks in servers. Flash memory - answersA nonvolatile semiconductor memory. It is cheaper and slower than DRAM but more expensive per bit and faster than magnetic disks. Access times are about 5 to 50 microseconds and cost per gigabyte in 2012 was $0.75 to $1.00. Single Instruction Single Data (SISD) - answersA uniprocessor Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD) - answersA multiprocessor. Single Program, Multiple Data Streams (SPMD) - answersThe conventional MIMD programming model, where a single program runs across all processors. Single Instruction Stream, Multiple Data Streams (SIMD) - answersThe same instruction is applied to many data streams, as in a vector processor.