Intro to Architecture

Spring 2004, Test 1

Please answer all questions carefully and thoughtfully.
Use as much paper as you wish, but make sure that you label your answers and that you put your name on the top of each page.
Please write neatly.

(4 points) Compare and contrast transistors and vacuum tubes
(2 points) State the principle of equivalence of hardware and software.
(4 points) Given the previous statement, describe the principle differences between hardware and software.
(6 points) Draw a diagram of a Von-Neumann computer. Include ALU,CPU,Registers, CU, Memory, I/O systems.
(4 points) Describe, and draw a picture of a non-Von-Neumann computer. How does this differ from the computer in the previous question?
(2 points) A class contains 40 students. How many bits would be required to assign each a fixed size bit representation?
(2 points) Convert 427 to base 2.
(2 points) Convert .451 to base 2.
(2 points) Convert 427.451 to base 2.
(6 points) What difficulties are encountered using sign-magnitude representation for signed integers. Using a 5 bit encoding scheme, demonstrate these problems.
(4 points) Express -10 and 13 in 5 bit excess 12 representation.
(4 points) In IEEE 754 representation, what are the denormals and why do they exist?
A 16 bit floating point representation scheme uses 1 bit for a sign and 6 bits excess 32 exponent. The system assumes an implied 1 as the leading bit in the mantissa.
- (4 points) What number immediately follows 1? Give a fractional (base 10) and representation answer.
- (4 points) Represent -5.125 in this system.
- (4 points) What number is represented by BCA0₁₆ (You may express this as a sum of an integer and fractions if you wish)
(6 points) Why are floating point operations more expensive than integer operations?