Input Output (I/O) Systems: A Comprehensive Guide for Computer Architecture Students

Question 1

Which interrupt handling technique assigns priority to devices based on their criticality?

Accepted Answer

Priority interrupt

Answer

Polling

Answer

Vector interrupt

Answer

Daisy-chaining

Question 2

In interrupt-driven I/O, what is a defining characteristic?

Accepted Answer

CPU receives a notification when an I/O device requires attention

Answer

CPU waits for I/O devices to finish their operations

Answer

CPU continuously checks I/O devices for data

Answer

CPU handles I/O operations without interruptions

Question 3

What is the key difference between synchronous and asynchronous I/O operations?

Accepted Answer

Synchronous operations block CPU until completion, while asynchronous operations do not

Answer

Asynchronous operations block CPU until completion, while synchronous operations do not

Answer

Synchronous operations are inherently faster than asynchronous operations

Answer

There is no difference between synchronous and asynchronous I/O operations

Question 4

What is the primary goal of a cache in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

Storing frequently accessed data to optimize performance

Answer

Minimizing the number of I/O operations

Answer

Managing interrupt handling

Answer

Ensuring data integrity

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a type of I/O device?

Accepted Answer

CPU

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Monitor

Answer

Printer

Question 6

What is the function of a bus in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

To connect peripheral devices to the CPU and memory

Answer

To store data temporarily

Answer

To control the flow of data

Answer

To process instructions

Question 7

Which of the following interrupt handling techniques allows multiple devices to share the same interrupt line?

Accepted Answer

Daisy chaining

Answer

Polling

Answer

Vectored interrupts

Answer

Shadow mapping

Question 8

What is a key difference between programmed I/O and interrupt-driven I/O?

Accepted Answer

Programmed I/O requires the CPU to constantly monitor the I/O device, while interrupt-driven I/O does not

Answer

Programmed I/O is faster, but interrupt-driven I/O is more efficient

Answer

Interrupt-driven I/O is more complex to implement, but programmed I/O is more reliable

Answer

There is no difference between programmed I/O and interrupt-driven I/O

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a task performed by an I/O controller?

Accepted Answer

Executing instructions for I/O devices

Answer

Decoding I/O addresses

Answer

Transferring data between the CPU and I/O devices

Answer

Generating interrupts

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a type of I/O device used in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

Central processing unit (CPU)

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Monitor

Answer

Hard disk drive

Question 11

What is the primary role of a bus in an Input/Output (I/O) system?

Accepted Answer

To facilitate the transfer of data between devices and memory

Answer

To manage and control the flow of data in the system

Answer

To temporarily store data during processing

Answer

To process data before it is sent to the CPU

Question 12

Which interrupt handling technique involves the CPU actively checking for interrupt requests from devices?

Accepted Answer

Polling

Answer

Vectored interrupts

Answer

Priority interrupts

Answer

Daisy chaining

Question 13

Which I/O addressing mode allows peripherals to access memory locations directly?

Accepted Answer

Memory-mapped I/O

Answer

Isolated I/O

Answer

Programmed I/O

Answer

Interrupt-driven I/O

Question 14

What is a primary advantage of using a layered approach in I/O system architectures?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced flexibility and extensibility

Answer

Reduced system complexity and cost

Answer

Improved system performance

Answer

Enhanced security

Question 15

Which interrupt handling technique involves storing the program counter and relevant information on a stack?

Accepted Answer

Push-down stack interrupt

Answer

Interrupt polling

Answer

Vectored interrupt

Answer

Direct Memory Access (DMA) interrupt

Question 16

What is the purpose of a DMA controller?

Accepted Answer

To improve I/O performance by allowing I/O devices to directly access memory

Answer

To prioritize I/O requests and manage system resources

Answer

To control the transfer of data between I/O devices and the CPU

Answer

To provide error checking and correction during data transfer

Question 17

What is the advantage of using memory-mapped I/O?

Accepted Answer

It simplifies I/O programming by allowing I/O devices to be accessed like memory locations

Answer

It reduces the number of instructions required for I/O operations

Answer

It increases data transfer speed by allowing direct memory access

Answer

It improves I/O reliability by reducing the risk of data corruption

Question 18

Which of the following factors does NOT affect the speed of data transfer in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

Version of the operating system being used

Answer

Data transfer rate of the I/O device

Answer

Speed of the system bus

Answer

Type of I/O interface

Question 19

What is the purpose of a FIFO buffer in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

To temporarily store data during I/O operations

Answer

To control the flow of data between different devices

Answer

To convert data between different formats

Answer

To check for errors during data transfer

Question 20

Which device is NOT used for input or output in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

Processor

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Mouse

Answer

Monitor

Question 21

What is the primary function of an I/O bus?

Accepted Answer

Transferring data between CPU and I/O devices

Answer

Storing data permanently

Answer

Controlling the operation of I/O devices

Answer

Providing power to I/O devices

Question 22

Which interrupt handling method involves continuously checking for interrupt requests from devices?

Accepted Answer

Polling

Answer

Vectored interrupt

Answer

Priority interrupt

Answer

Daisy chaining

Question 23

What is the register that stores the address of the next instruction to be executed?

Accepted Answer

Program counter

Answer

Stack pointer

Answer

Instruction register

Answer

Data register

Question 24

Which characteristic is NOT associated with RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) architectures?

Accepted Answer

Complex instructions

Answer

Simple instructions

Answer

Few addressing modes

Answer

High clock speeds

Question 25

What is the main purpose of a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller?

Accepted Answer

Allowing data transfer between memory and I/O devices without CPU involvement

Answer

Controlling data flow on the I/O bus

Answer

Providing temporary storage for I/O operations

Answer

Handling interrupt requests from I/O devices

Question 26

Which advantage is offered by using memory-mapped I/O?

Accepted Answer

Simplified programming

Answer

Enhanced performance

Answer

Reduced hardware costs

Answer

Increased memory capacity

Question 27

Which of the following is not a typical I/O device?

Accepted Answer

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Hard drive

Answer

Monitor

Question 28

Which bus type is specifically designed for high-speed data transfer between the CPU and memory?

Accepted Answer

PCI

Answer

ISA

Answer

SCSI

Answer

USB

Question 29

What is the main function of an I/O controller?

Accepted Answer

To manage the communication between the CPU and I/O devices

Answer

To provide error detection and correction for data transferred between the CPU and I/O devices

Answer

To convert data between different formats

Answer

To temporarily store data before it is transferred to or from the CPU

Question 30

Which of the following is not a type of interrupt-driven I/O?

Accepted Answer

Polled I/O

Answer

Interrupt-driven I/O

Answer

Direct Memory Access (DMA)

Answer

Memory-Mapped I/O

Question 31

Which of the following is not a function of a general-purpose I/O system?

Accepted Answer

Performing calculations on data

Answer

Transferring data between the CPU and external devices

Answer

Controlling the flow of data between the CPU and external devices

Answer

Converting data between different formats

Question 32

Which type of I/O bus is used in modern motherboards for connecting high-speed devices like graphics cards?

Accepted Answer

PCI Express bus

Answer

Parallel bus

Answer

Serial bus

Answer

ISA bus

Question 33

What is the purpose of an interrupt controller in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

To manage and prioritize interrupt requests from I/O devices

Answer

To handle data transfer between the CPU and I/O devices

Answer

To control the flow of data on the I/O bus

Answer

To convert data between different formats

Question 34

Which of the following devices is primarily used for permanent storage of data?

Accepted Answer

Hard Disk Drive

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Printer

Answer

Sound card

Question 35

What is the main difference between programmed I/O and interrupt-driven I/O?

Accepted Answer

In programmed I/O, the CPU actively checks for I/O requests, while in interrupt-driven I/O, the I/O device notifies the CPU when data is ready.

Answer

Programmed I/O is faster than interrupt-driven I/O.

Answer

Interrupt-driven I/O is more efficient than programmed I/O.

Answer

Programmed I/O is typically used for high-speed devices, while interrupt-driven I/O is used for low-speed devices.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT a type of I/O port used in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

Memory port

Answer

Parallel port

Answer

Serial port

Answer

USB port

Question 37

What is the primary purpose of utilizing a Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

To facilitate direct data transfer between I/O devices and memory, bypassing the CPU

Answer

To convert data between different formats to ensure compatibility

Answer

To manage and prioritize interrupt requests generated by I/O devices

Answer

To regulate the flow of data along the I/O bus

Question 38

Which of the following is a key advantage of implementing high-speed I/O interfaces in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

Substantially increased data transfer rates

Answer

Lower power consumption during data transfer

Answer

Reduced latency in data transmission

Answer

Enhanced reliability in data transmission

Question 39

What is the primary objective of employing a memory-mapped I/O system in computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

To simplify programming efforts by allowing I/O devices to be addressed as memory locations

Answer

To enhance system flexibility by enabling dynamic reconfiguration of I/O devices

Answer

To improve I/O performance by reducing the number of I/O ports required

Answer

To increase security by isolating I/O devices from the main memory

Question 40

Which technique improves the reliability of an I/O system by using backup parts and methods to prevent failures?

Accepted Answer

RAID

Answer

ECC

Answer

DMA

Answer

Interrupt Handling

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT considered an I/O device in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Disk drive

Answer

Monitor

Question 42

Which type of bus is commonly utilized for connecting I/O devices to the CPU in modern computer systems?

Accepted Answer

PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)

Answer

Ethernet

Answer

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

Answer

SATA (Serial ATA)

Question 43

What is the fundamental purpose of interrupt handling in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

To alert the CPU to events or requests initiated by I/O devices or other system components

Answer

To store and retrieve data from memory

Answer

To perform arithmetic calculations and logical operations

Answer

To manage the flow of instructions during program execution

Question 44

Which of the following operations represents a typical low-level I/O interaction?

Accepted Answer

Retrieving a single byte of data from a storage device

Answer

Displaying text on a graphical user interface

Answer

Saving a complete file to a storage device

Answer

Printing a document to a physical printer

Question 45

What is the key distinction between synchronous and asynchronous I/O operations in computer systems?

Accepted Answer

Synchronous operations block the calling program until completion, while asynchronous operations do not

Answer

Asynchronous operations require more system resources than synchronous operations

Answer

Synchronous operations are only suitable for high-priority tasks, while asynchronous operations are used for low-priority tasks

Answer

Synchronous operations are always faster than asynchronous operations

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT a primary function of an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

Processing data

Answer

Providing a means for user interaction

Answer

Controlling external devices

Answer

Transferring data between the computer and external devices

Question 47

Which of the following is a common type of input device?

Accepted Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Memory

Answer

Hard Drive

Answer

CPU

Question 48

What is an interrupt?

Accepted Answer

A signal sent by a hardware device to the processor to request attention

Answer

A temporary pause in program execution

Answer

A command sent by the processor to an I/O device

Answer

A data transfer between two I/O devices

Question 49

What is a major trend in the evolution of I/O systems?

Accepted Answer

Increased use of virtualization and cloud-based I/O

Answer

I/O systems will become obsolete as data storage and processing move to the cloud

Answer

I/O systems will primarily be focused on handling massive data sets

Answer

The speed and capacity of I/O systems will continue to increase indefinitely

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a primary function of an I/O controller?

Accepted Answer

Executing application programs

Answer

Converting data between the CPU's format and the I/O device's format

Answer

Handling interrupts generated by I/O devices

Answer

Managing data transfer between the CPU and I/O devices

Question 51

A device that converts digital signals from a computer into analog signals for transmission over a telephone line is called a:

Accepted Answer

Modem

Answer

Scanner

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Printer

Question 52

Which bus type is primarily used for communication between the CPU and main memory?

Accepted Answer

System bus

Answer

Address bus

Answer

I/O bus

Answer

Expansion bus

Question 53

A technique that allows multiple devices to share a single bus by allocating time slots for each device is called:

Accepted Answer

Time-division multiplexing

Answer

Memory-mapped I/O

Answer

Interrupt handling

Answer

Direct memory access (DMA)

Question 54

Which type of interrupt is triggered by an event occurring within the CPU itself, such as an arithmetic overflow?

Accepted Answer

Internal interrupt

Answer

Software interrupt

Answer

Hardware interrupt

Answer

External interrupt

Question 55

In a memory-mapped I/O system, I/O devices are accessed through:

Accepted Answer

Memory addresses

Answer

Special I/O instructions

Answer

Interrupt vectors

Answer

Dedicated I/O ports

Question 56

A technique that allows an I/O device to directly access main memory without involving the CPU is called:

Accepted Answer

Direct memory access (DMA)

Answer

Interrupts

Answer

Polling

Answer

Memory-mapped I/O

Question 57

Which I/O technique involves the CPU repeatedly checking the status of an I/O device?

Accepted Answer

Polling

Answer

Memory-mapped I/O

Answer

Interrupts

Answer

DMA

Question 58

A set of instructions that the CPU executes when an interrupt occurs is called an:

Accepted Answer

Interrupt handler

Answer

Interrupt request line

Answer

Interrupt vector

Answer

Interrupt flag