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

Question 1

What is the main purpose of an Input/Output (I/O) controller in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Manage data transfer between the CPU and I/O devices

Answer

Provide power to connected I/O devices

Answer

Store data temporarily before sending it to the CPU

Answer

Process instructions from the operating system

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

To interface between the CPU and external devices, translating signals and managing data flow

Answer

To handle interrupt requests from devices and prioritize their servicing

Answer

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

Answer

To provide power to external devices connected to the computer system

Question 3

Which hardware component is responsible for generating an interrupt request to signal the CPU that it requires attention?

Accepted Answer

I/O device

Answer

CPU

Answer

Memory

Answer

Bus controller

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

To allow the CPU to access I/O devices and their registers as if they were memory locations, simplifying programming

Answer

To reduce the number of I/O instructions needed, improving code efficiency

Answer

To improve the efficiency of data transfers by eliminating the need for separate I/O instructions

Answer

To simplify the design of I/O controllers, making them easier to implement

Question 5

What is the main difference between a synchronous and an asynchronous I/O operation?

Accepted Answer

Synchronous operations block the CPU until the operation is complete, while asynchronous operations do not

Answer

Asynchronous operations are faster than synchronous operations

Answer

Synchronous operations are more reliable than asynchronous operations

Answer

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

Question 6

Which metrics are crucial for evaluating the performance of an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

Latency, throughput, and bandwidth

Answer

Cost, size, and power consumption

Answer

Reliability and availability

Answer

User satisfaction and ease of use

Question 7

Compare and contrast programmed I/O and DMA (Direct Memory Access). Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each technique in different I/O scenarios.

Accepted Answer

DMA is more efficient than programmed I/O.

Accepted Answer

Programmed I/O offers greater flexibility than DMA.

Answer

Programmed I/O is faster than DMA.

Answer

Both programmed I/O and DMA have similar speeds.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Reducing the CPU workload associated with I/O operations

Answer

Enhancing data transfer speeds by overlapping I/O operations with CPU activities

Answer

Simplifying the coding of I/O operations

Answer

Eliminating the necessity for DMA controllers

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT considered a common type of I/O bus?

Accepted Answer

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

Answer

PCIe

Answer

USB

Answer

Ethernet

Question 10

Which technique is used to ensure that I/O devices do not compromise data integrity in memory?

Accepted Answer

Memory protection

Answer

Priority arbitration

Answer

Cache coherence

Answer

Bus contention

Question 11

An I/O controller's primary responsibility is:

Accepted Answer

Managing data transfer between CPU and external devices

Answer

Decoding addresses for external devices

Answer

Handling interrupts triggered by external devices

Answer

Converting digital signals to analog signals

Question 12

An I/O bus is designed for:

Accepted Answer

Providing a shared path for data transmission between CPU and I/O devices

Answer

Resolving conflicts between multiple I/O devices requesting CPU access

Answer

Converting data between different formats

Answer

Temporarily storing data before transfer to or from external devices

Question 13

A FIFO buffer in an I/O system serves the purpose of:

Accepted Answer

Temporarily storing data waiting for transmission or reception

Answer

Resolving memory address conflicts between CPU and I/O devices

Answer

Converting analog signals to digital signals

Answer

Amplifying signals from external devices

Question 14

Programmed I/O is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

CPU's direct involvement in every data transfer operation

Answer

Data transfer via polling or interrupt-driven techniques

Answer

I/O controller managing data transfer without CPU involvement

Answer

Data transfer at high speeds using DMA

Question 15

Interrupts in I/O systems do NOT provide:

Accepted Answer

Reduced power consumption

Answer

Enhanced CPU utilization

Answer

Faster response to external events

Answer

Increased data throughput

Question 16

In a memory-mapped I/O (MMIO) system, I/O devices are essentially treated as:

Accepted Answer

Memory locations accessible through memory addresses

Answer

Devices with a separate address space

Answer

Simultaneously accessible by multiple processors

Answer

Securely isolated from other system components

Question 17

Which of the following is **not** a type of I/O bus?

Accepted Answer

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

Answer

Parallel bus

Answer

Serial bus

Answer

Peripheral component interconnect (PCI)

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

To translate I/O instructions into device-specific commands

Answer

To provide timing and synchronization for I/O operations

Answer

To store I/O data temporarily

Question 19

Which of the following is **not** a type of I/O port?

Accepted Answer

Memory port

Answer

Parallel port

Answer

Serial port

Answer

Universal Serial Bus (USB) port

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

Programmed I/O involves continuous CPU polling, while interrupt-driven I/O uses interrupts to signal I/O events

Answer

Interrupt-driven I/O requires more system resources, while programmed I/O is more efficient

Answer

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

Answer

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

Question 21

What is the purpose of an interrupt request line (IRQ) in a computing environment?

Accepted Answer

To notify the central processing unit (CPU) of a pending I/O operation or event

Answer

To serve as a conduit for transferring data between devices and memory

Answer

To resolve conflicts between devices competing for access to shared resources

Answer

To synchronize the operations of multiple CPUs within a multi-processor system

Question 22

Which type of I/O bus is characterized by its high speed, shared bandwidth, and support for multiple devices?

Accepted Answer

Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express

Answer

Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus

Answer

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Answer

Serial ATA (SATA) bus

Question 23

What is the primary role of a Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller in the context of I/O operations?

Accepted Answer

To facilitate the direct transfer of data between devices and memory without involving the CPU

Answer

To process interrupt requests generated by devices

Answer

To arbitrate access to shared resources among multiple devices

Answer

To configure and set up I/O devices for optimal operation

Question 24

Which of the following types of I/O ports is designed for parallel data transfer, allowing the simultaneous transmission of multiple bits?

Accepted Answer

Parallel port

Answer

Serial port

Answer

USB port

Answer

FireWire port

Question 25

For an application that demands low latency, high bandwidth, and support for multiple masters and slaves, which I/O bus protocol is the most suitable?

Accepted Answer

PCI Express

Answer

PCI

Answer

USB

Question 26

Which I/O bus type enables multiple devices to transfer data simultaneously?

Accepted Answer

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)

Answer

ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)

Answer

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

Answer

Serial

Question 27

What is the primary function of an interrupt in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

To notify the CPU upon completion of an I/O operation

Answer

To allow multiple I/O devices to share the system bus

Answer

To store data temporarily during I/O operations

Answer

To convert digital signals to analog signals

Question 28

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

Accepted Answer

Synchronous I/O operations occur at a consistent rate, whereas asynchronous I/O operations occur at varying rates

Answer

Asynchronous I/O operations require CPU involvement until their completion, unlike synchronous I/O operations

Answer

Synchronous I/O operations are inherently more efficient than asynchronous I/O operations

Answer

Synchronous I/O operations are typically employed for low-speed data transfers, while asynchronous I/O operations are used for high-speed data transfers

Question 29

Which of the following is a type of I/O mapping technique?

Accepted Answer

Both of the above

Answer

Memory-mapped I/O

Answer

I/O-mapped I/O

Answer

Neither of the above

Question 30

What is the purpose of polling in I/O systems?

Accepted Answer

To monitor the status of an I/O device periodically

Answer

To transfer data between the I/O device and the system

Answer

To handle interrupts from I/O devices

Answer

To configure I/O devices

Question 31

To minimize CPU overhead, which data transfer technique is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

DMA (Direct Memory Access)

Answer

Programmed I/O

Answer

Interrupt-driven I/O

Question 32

In I/O interface design, why is it crucial to account for device compatibility?

Accepted Answer

To facilitate seamless communication between connected devices.

Answer

To enhance data security and privacy.

Answer

To minimize system costs.

Question 33

Which type of I/O bus operates independently of the CPU, allowing peripherals to access memory directly?

Accepted Answer

DMA bus

Answer

Serial bus

Answer

USB bus

Answer

PCI bus

Question 34

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

Accepted Answer

To facilitate data exchange between peripherals and memory.

Answer

To supply power to connected peripherals.

Answer

To generate interrupt signals for I/O requests.

Question 35

Which interrupt mechanism assigns a unique interrupt vector to each device, allowing for efficient and rapid response to I/O requests?

Accepted Answer

Vectored interrupt

Answer

Priority-based interrupt

Answer

Daisy-chain interrupt

Answer

Polled interrupt

Question 36

What is the primary purpose of Direct Memory Access (DMA) in I/O systems?

Accepted Answer

To enable direct and high-speed data transfer between peripherals and memory without involving the CPU.

Answer

To solely enhance the speed of I/O operations.

Answer

To primarily reduce the workload on the CPU.

Question 37

Which I/O operation type involves the transmission of data in both directions simultaneously?

Accepted Answer

Bidirectional

Answer

Tri-directional

Answer

Output-only

Answer

Input-only

Question 38

What is the name of the signal used to indicate that data is ready to be transferred in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

Data Ready

Answer

Interrupt Request

Answer

Acknowledge

Answer

Reset

Question 39

Which technique is employed to optimize I/O performance by anticipating and storing frequently requested data in a faster memory location?

Accepted Answer

Caching

Answer

Polling

Answer

Buffering

Answer

Multiplexing

Question 40

What is the main benefit of a serial I/O interface over a parallel interface?

Accepted Answer

Reduced requirement for data lines, leading to a more compact and cost-effective design.

Answer

Enhanced reliability due to fewer potential points of failure.

Answer

Lower power consumption, making it suitable for portable devices.

Answer

Faster data transfer rates, especially for long distances.

Question 41

Which I/O device is primarily used for user input, allowing for text and command entry?

Accepted Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Network card

Answer

Hard disk drive

Answer

Graphics card

Question 42

What is the primary function of a device driver in an I/O system?

Accepted Answer

To act as a software intermediary, translating high-level commands from the operating system into device-specific instructions.

Answer

To exclusively manage interrupt handling for connected devices.

Answer

To provide the physical connection between the CPU and peripherals.

Question 43

Which I/O bus type uses dedicated control lines and parallel data transfer?

Accepted Answer

System bus

Answer

Serial bus

Answer

Peripheral bus

Answer

Expansion bus

Question 44

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

Accepted Answer

Managing data transfer between system bus and I/O device

Answer

Generating interrupts for I/O requests

Answer

Providing electrical connection between CPU and peripherals

Question 45

What is the primary function of a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller?

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

Controlling data flow between CPU and I/O devices

Answer

Generating interrupts for I/O requests

Question 46

Which I/O data transfer method involves sending data one bit at a time?

Accepted Answer

Serial communication

Answer

Parallel communication

Answer

Synchronous communication

Answer

Asynchronous communication

Question 47

What is a primary advantage of using polling in I/O operations?

Accepted Answer

CPU maintains complete control over I/O operation timing

Answer

Multiple I/O devices share a single interrupt line

Answer

Reduced overhead compared to interrupt handling

Question 48

Which of the following is an example of memory-mapped I/O?

Accepted Answer

Direct memory access (DMA)

Answer

Programmed I/O

Answer

Polled I/O

Answer

Interrupt-driven I/O

Question 49

What is the primary purpose of a handshake signal in I/O operations?

Accepted Answer

Coordinating data transfer between CPU and I/O device

Answer

Providing error-checking for data transfer

Answer

Generating interrupts for I/O requests

Question 50

What is the primary objective of I/O mapping?

Accepted Answer

Assigning addresses to I/O devices for CPU accessibility

Answer

Converting data between different formats

Answer

Generating interrupts for I/O requests