Input/Output Devices and Controllers: A Comprehensive Guide for Operating Systems

Question 1

Which I/O device category allows users to interact with the computer visually?

Accepted Answer

Human interface device

Answer

Storage device

Answer

Network adapter

Answer

Controller card

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT an input/output (I/O) device?

Accepted Answer

CPU

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Printer

Answer

Mouse

Question 3

What is the main function of a device controller?

Accepted Answer

To manage data flow and communication between I/O devices and the operating system

Answer

To store instructions and data

Answer

To execute programs

Answer

To provide a physical interface for I/O devices

Question 4

Which I/O device typically does NOT need a dedicated controller?

Accepted Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Hard disk drive

Answer

Network card

Answer

Graphics card

Question 5

What is the primary purpose of an interrupt?

Accepted Answer

To notify the operating system of an I/O device's need for attention

Answer

To end the execution of a program

Answer

To temporarily store data

Answer

To regulate data flow between I/O devices

Question 6

Which type of I/O controller is commonly used in multi-processor systems?

Accepted Answer

Channel controller

Answer

Bus controller

Answer

Device controller

Answer

Memory controller

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

Synchronous I/O waits for an I/O operation to complete before continuing execution, while asynchronous I/O does not

Answer

Asynchronous I/O waits for an I/O operation to complete before continuing execution, while synchronous I/O does not

Answer

Synchronous I/O is used for critical operations, while asynchronous I/O is used for non-critical operations

Answer

Asynchronous I/O is used for critical operations, while synchronous I/O is used for non-critical operations

Question 8

Which of the following is a common type of I/O controller used to interface with human operators?

Accepted Answer

Keyboard controller

Answer

Disk controller

Answer

GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)

Answer

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

Question 9

What is the primary role of an I/O scheduler in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

To determine the order in which I/O requests are processed

Answer

To cache frequently accessed data in memory

Answer

To handle errors and exceptions that occur during I/O operations

Answer

To translate logical I/O requests into physical addresses

Question 10

What is the primary purpose of using interrupt handlers in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

To handle asynchronous events generated by hardware devices

Answer

To execute code in response to user inputs

Answer

To manage memory allocation and deallocation

Answer

To schedule processes and threads

Question 11

A device driver is a:

Accepted Answer

Software program that provides an interface between the OS and a hardware device

Answer

Firmware that controls the physical characteristics of the device

Answer

Hardware component that connects the device to the computer

Answer

User application that interacts with the device

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of an operating system related to I/O devices?

Accepted Answer

Providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for interacting with devices

Answer

Loading and managing device drivers

Answer

Scheduling I/O operations to optimize performance

Answer

Handling interrupts generated by devices

Question 13

A device that converts digital signals to analog signals is called a:

Accepted Answer

Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC)

Answer

Modulator

Answer

Demodulator

Answer

Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)

Question 14

To troubleshoot hardware issues with an I/O device, which diagnostic technique is used to pinpoint potential problems?

Accepted Answer

Device diagnostics

Answer

Driver update

Answer

Event logs

Question 15

Which of the following does not describe a characteristic of I/O devices?

Accepted Answer

Function independently of specific software

Answer

Transfer data between the computer and peripherals

Answer

Operate under the direction of the operating system

Answer

Provide a means for user interaction

Question 16

Which type of I/O controller is responsible for handling data exchange between the CPU and peripheral devices?

Accepted Answer

DMA controller

Answer

Programmable interrupt controller

Answer

I/O port

Answer

Memory controller

Question 17

What is the primary advantage of interrupt-driven I/O?

Accepted Answer

Enables the CPU to continue processing while waiting for I/O operations to complete

Answer

Prevents the CPU from being interrupted by I/O requests

Answer

Increases data transfer speed

Answer

Reduces the burden on the operating system

Question 18

Which of the following is a file system type commonly used to organize data on storage devices?

Accepted Answer

FAT32

Answer

HTTP

Answer

TCP/IP

Answer

SMTP

Question 19

What is the primary purpose of a device driver?

Accepted Answer

Translate commands from the operating system into instructions that the I/O device can execute

Answer

Manage the allocation of system resources to I/O devices

Answer

Provide a user-friendly interface for interacting with I/O devices

Answer

Diagnose and resolve hardware issues related to I/O devices

Question 20

Explain the key difference between synchronous and asynchronous I/O.

Accepted Answer

Synchronous I/O waits for the I/O operation to complete before continuing, while asynchronous I/O does not.

Answer

Asynchronous I/O waits for the I/O operation to complete before continuing, while synchronous I/O does not.

Answer

Synchronous I/O is faster than asynchronous I/O.

Answer

Asynchronous I/O is more efficient than synchronous I/O.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT considered an input/output (I/O) device?

Accepted Answer

CPU

Answer

Sound card

Answer

Monitor

Answer

Keyboard

Question 22

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

Accepted Answer

Manage communication between I/O devices and the computer's internal bus structure.

Answer

Provide temporary data storage

Answer

Interpret user input commands

Question 23

What is the purpose of interrupt handling in the context of I/O operations?

Accepted Answer

It allows the CPU to respond to I/O device requests without continuously checking their status (polling).

Answer

Enhance the speed of data transfer

Answer

Lower the workload on the system bus

Question 24

Which of the following accurately describes polling in I/O operations?

Accepted Answer

The CPU periodically checks the status of I/O devices to determine if they require attention.

Answer

Polling is generally more efficient than interrupt-driven I/O

Answer

Polling minimizes the overhead associated with I/O operations

Question 25

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

Accepted Answer

Synchronous I/O operations require the CPU to wait for completion before proceeding, while asynchronous I/O allows the CPU to continue processing other tasks.

Answer

Synchronous I/O is inherently faster than asynchronous I/O

Question 26

How does the BIOS contribute to I/O device management?

Accepted Answer

It initializes and configures I/O devices during the system boot process.

Answer

Manages the allocation of memory for I/O devices

Answer

Interprets user commands intended for specific I/O devices

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT considered an I/O device?

Accepted Answer

CPU

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Monitor

Answer

Printer

Question 28

What is the primary responsibility of an I/O controller?

Accepted Answer

Managing communication between I/O devices and the CPU

Answer

Storing data permanently

Answer

Processing user input

Question 29

Which of the following I/O device types is primarily used for data input?

Accepted Answer

Input device

Answer

Output device

Answer

Storage device

Answer

Network device

Question 30

What is the main purpose of a device driver in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

Facilitating communication between the operating system and specific I/O devices

Answer

Optimizing I/O device performance

Answer

Preventing virus infections on I/O devices

Question 31

In a polled I/O system, which component is responsible for regularly checking the status of I/O devices?

Accepted Answer

CPU

Answer

DMA controller

Answer

I/O device

Question 32

Which type of expansion bus is commonly used to connect high-performance devices to a computer system?

Accepted Answer

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)

Answer

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

Answer

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)

Answer

SATA (Serial ATA)

Question 33

What is the primary function of the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)?

Accepted Answer

Initializing and configuring hardware devices during the boot process

Answer

Providing a graphical user interface for the operating system

Answer

Managing file storage and retrieval

Question 34

Which of the following is an example of an I/O virtualization technology?

Accepted Answer

SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization)

Answer

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)

Answer

HBA (Host Bus Adapter)

Answer

VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network)

Question 35

What is the primary function of a network interface card (NIC) in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Connecting the computer to a network and facilitating data transmission

Answer

Converting digital signals to analog signals

Answer

Controlling the flow of data between the CPU and memory

Question 36

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

Accepted Answer

Execute application programs

Answer

Provide an interface between I/O devices and the CPU

Answer

Manage data transfer between I/O devices and memory

Answer

Control the operation of I/O devices

Question 37

Which type of I/O device relies on the CPU to check for data?

Accepted Answer

Programmed I/O device

Answer

DMA device

Answer

Interrupt-driven I/O device

Question 38

What is the key responsibility of a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller?

Accepted Answer

Transferring data directly between memory and I/O devices, bypassing the CPU

Answer

Providing an interface between the CPU and I/O devices

Answer

Managing interrupts from I/O devices

Question 39

Which of the following is an example of an output device?

Accepted Answer

Printer

Answer

Network card

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Hard disk drive

Question 40

Which of the following is a potential disadvantage of using memory-mapped I/O?

Accepted Answer

Increased memory usage

Answer

Reduced CPU overhead

Answer

Simplified programming

Answer

Improved reliability

Question 41

Identify the component that is NOT a fundamental part of an I/O system:

Accepted Answer

Processor

Answer

Controller

Answer

Device

Answer

Device driver

Question 42

Which of the following accurately describes the primary responsibility of a controller in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

Manages communication between the CPU and I/O devices

Answer

Serves as an interrupt handler

Answer

Stores device-specific information

Question 43

Identify the type of I/O transfer mode that facilitates continuous data flow, eliminating the need for CPU intervention:

Accepted Answer

DMA (Direct Memory Access)

Answer

Interrupt-driven I/O

Answer

Programmed I/O

Question 44

What is the primary purpose of device drivers in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

Provide a seamless interface between the operating system and I/O devices

Answer

Manage device configuration and settings

Answer

Exclusively control low-level device operations

Question 45

Explain the fundamental difference between a polled I/O system and an interrupt-driven I/O system:

Accepted Answer

Polled I/O requires constant monitoring from the CPU, while interrupt-driven I/O relies on devices to notify the CPU when attention is needed

Answer

Polled I/O utilizes multi-threading, whereas interrupt-driven I/O does not

Question 46

Identify a key benefit associated with the implementation of virtual I/O in an I/O system:

Accepted Answer

Enhanced flexibility and portability in device utilization

Answer

Noticeable performance enhancements

Answer

Improved security measures

Answer

Significant reduction in hardware acquisition costs

Question 47

Describe the primary function of a CMOS chip within an I/O system:

Accepted Answer

Stores crucial configuration and setup information for hardware devices

Answer

Handles interrupt handling and management

Answer

Facilitates data transfer between different devices

Question 48

What is the main purpose of an I/O port in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

Establishes a physical connection between the CPU and I/O devices

Answer

Handles device interrupts and notifications

Answer

Converts data between different formats

Question 49

Select the option that does NOT describe a typical function of an I/O controller.

Accepted Answer

Executes user programs

Answer

Manages data flow between devices and memory

Answer

Interprets device commands into system commands

Answer

Detects and corrects hardware issues

Question 50

Which I/O device category includes devices used for interacting with the computer using a pointing device?

Accepted Answer

Input device

Answer

Output device

Answer

Network device

Answer

Storage device

Question 51

What is a primary benefit of employing DMA (Direct Memory Access) for data transfer?

Accepted Answer

Reduced CPU workload

Answer

Enhanced fault tolerance

Answer

Simplified device coding

Answer

Increased data encryption

Question 52

What is the main function of an interrupt handler?

Accepted Answer

Executes device-specific code in response to an interrupt

Answer

Manages memory allocation for I/O devices

Answer

Translates user commands into device commands

Question 53

Identify the commonly used interface standard for connecting external I/O devices.

Accepted Answer

USB

Answer

SATA

Answer

PCI

Answer

HDMI

Question 54

What is the primary role of a device driver?

Accepted Answer

Provides an interface between the operating system and a specific hardware device

Answer

Interprets user commands and sends them to the device

Answer

Converts device-specific data into a format recognized by the CPU

Question 55

Identify a potential issue associated with utilizing polled I/O.

Accepted Answer

Increased CPU utilization

Answer

Reduced device compatibility

Answer

Reduced data transfer rates

Answer

Increased latency

Question 56

What is the primary purpose of a FIFO (First-In, First-Out) buffer?

Accepted Answer

Temporarily stores data during data transfer between devices

Answer

Converts data formats between different devices

Answer

Minimizes data loss during transmission

Question 57

Which of the following is NOT a primary responsibility of an operating system in managing I/O devices?

Accepted Answer

Designing the hardware of I/O devices

Answer

Scheduling access to I/O devices

Answer

Providing a unified interface for accessing I/O devices

Answer

Handling device interrupts