1. At a top level, a computer consists of CPU, memory, and I/O
components.
T F 2. The basic function of a computer is to execute programs.
T F 3. Program execution consists of repeating the process of instruction
fetch and instruction execution.
T F 4. Interrupts do not improve processing efficiency.
T F 5. An I/O module cannot exchange data directly with the processor.
T F 6. A key characteristic of a bus is that it is not a shared transmission
medium.
T F 7. Computer systems contain a number of different buses that
provide pathways between components at various levels of the
computer system hierarchy.
T F 8. In general, the more devices attached to the bus, the greater the
bus length and hence the greater the propagation delay.
T F 9. It is not possible to connect I/O controllers directly onto the system
bus.
T F 10. The method of using the same lines for multiple purposes is
known as time multiplexing.
T F 11. Timing refers to the way in which events are coordinated on the
bus.
T F 12. With asynchronous timing the occurrence of events on the bus is
determined by a clock.
T F 13. Because all devices on a synchronous bus are tied to a fixed clock
rate, the system cannot take advantage of advances in device
performance.
T F 14. The unit of transfer at the link layer is a phit and the unit transfer
at the physical layer is a flit.
T F 15. A key requirement for PCIe is high capacity to support the needs
of higher data rate I/O devices such as Gigabit Ethernet.