Practice - Generic Elements of an Instruction and Its Format
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Practice Questions
Test your understanding with targeted questions
Define the term 'opcode'.
💡 Hint: Think of it as the command part of an instruction.
What is the purpose of an operand in a CPU instruction?
💡 Hint: They are the data that the CPU works on.
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Interactive Quizzes
Quick quizzes to reinforce your learning
What is the role of an opcode in an instruction?
💡 Hint: Focus on what the instruction needs to tell the CPU.
True or False: The result operand in an instruction is where the operation's input is located.
💡 Hint: Remind yourself of the roles of source and result operands.
1 more question available
Challenge Problems
Push your limits with advanced challenges
Design an instruction format that contains an opcode for addition, two source operands, and a result operand. What would the minimum bit requirements be if you want to support 16 different addition variants?
💡 Hint: Calculate bits needed for opcodes versus operand storage.
If a CPU has both 2-address and 3-address instruction formats, compare the potential speed and efficiency of execution of both. Which one would you prefer for performance-intensive applications and why?
💡 Hint: Consider trade-offs between instruction length and complexity.
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