29.3. Operational Characteristics

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is the function of the ALU?

   Hint

   Think of what a calculator does.

2. 2.

   How many buses are there in a three bus architecture?

   Hint

   Count the buses!

3. 3.

   What is the primary function of the ALU?

   • Storage
   • Arithmetic and Logic Operations
   • Data Transmission

   Hint

   Consider what kind of tasks a calculator performs.

4. 4.

   In a three-bus architecture, which bus is responsible for writing results back?

   • Bus A
   • Bus B
   • Bus C

   Hint

   It's the bus that conveys the outcome of calculations.

5. 5.

   Assuming a CPU uses a three-bus architecture, explain how it would handle loading an instruction and executing it, detailing the path of data through the buses.

   Hint

   Visualize how each component interacts with the buses step by step.

6. 6.

   Analyze the impact of multi-bus systems on energy consumption compared to single-bus systems, considering operational efficiency.

   Hint

   Consider how operational efficiency translates to energy use.