Memory Interfacing: Master Memory Management in Computer Architecture

Question 1

Which of the following characterizes the PCI Express (PCIe) bus protocol?

Accepted Answer

It operates on a point-to-point topology, enabling direct connections between devices.

Answer

It utilizes a shared bus architecture, allowing multiple devices to access the bus simultaneously.

Answer

It is exclusively compatible with Intel processors and chipsets.

Answer

It is primarily designed for low-speed data transfer applications.

Question 2

Describe the primary function of a memory controller within a computer system.

Accepted Answer

To manage the flow of data between the processor and memory, ensuring efficient and reliable data transfer.

Answer

To detect and correct memory errors, maintaining data integrity and preventing system crashes.

Answer

To expand the memory capacity of the system by connecting additional memory modules.

Answer

To enhance the performance of the memory system by optimizing access patterns and reducing latency.

Question 3

What is a key advantage of employing ECC (Error Correcting Code) for memory error correction?

Accepted Answer

It can detect and correct multi-bit errors, offering the highest level of data integrity.

Answer

It can detect and correct single-bit errors, ensuring data reliability.

Answer

It can detect and correct double-bit errors, providing enhanced data protection.

Answer

It requires minimal hardware overhead, making it a cost-effective solution.

Question 4

What is the fundamental distinction between parity and ECC memory error correction techniques?

Accepted Answer

ECC is more reliable than parity in both error detection and correction, ensuring higher data integrity.

Answer

Parity can detect odd-numbered errors, while ECC can detect and correct even-numbered errors.

Answer

Parity can detect even-numbered errors, while ECC can detect and correct odd-numbered errors.

Answer

Parity is more efficient than ECC in detecting memory errors, but ECC provides superior correction capabilities.

Question 5

What is the primary benefit of utilizing a crossbar switch for memory interfacing?

Accepted Answer

High scalability, allowing for the connection of a large number of devices and memory modules.

Answer

Reduced latency, minimizing the time taken for data to travel between devices and memory.

Answer

Improved reliability, enhancing the robustness of the memory system and reducing the risk of data loss.

Answer

Reduced power consumption, optimizing energy efficiency within the system.

Question 6

Which of the following challenges is commonly encountered in designing memory interfacing for heterogeneous systems?

Accepted Answer

All of the above, as heterogeneous systems combine diverse memory components and protocols, requiring careful integration.

Answer

Differences in memory access protocols, requiring adaptation to handle varying communication mechanisms.

Answer

Variations in memory speed and performance, necessitating careful design to accommodate diverse performance characteristics.

Answer

Incompatibility of memory types, posing challenges in connecting and utilizing different memory technologies.

Question 7

How do cache size and cache hit rate influence a computer system's performance?

Accepted Answer

Increased cache size and higher cache hit rate enhance system performance.

Answer

Larger cache size improves performance, while cache hit rate has minimal impact.

Answer

Increased cache size hinders performance, but higher hit rate improves it.

Question 8

What is the primary function of a memory controller in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Converts CPU requests into memory addresses

Answer

Refreshes memory cells to maintain data integrity

Answer

Detects and corrects errors in memory

Answer

Stores data and instructions for processing

Question 9

What is the primary purpose of a memory access queue in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Temporarily stores memory requests from the CPU

Answer

Prioritizes memory requests based on their significance

Answer

Optimizes memory access latency

Answer

Detects and corrects memory errors

Question 10

Identify the key advantage of utilizing cache memory in a computer system:

Accepted Answer

Decreased memory access latency

Answer

Enhanced memory bandwidth

Answer

Reduced power consumption

Answer

Improved reliability

Question 11

What is the term used to describe the time taken for a memory request to be processed and returned by the memory system?

Accepted Answer

Memory latency

Answer

Memory access time

Answer

Memory bandwidth

Answer

Memory capacity

Question 12

What is the primary purpose of virtual memory in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Extends the amount of physical memory accessible to the system

Answer

Enhances memory performance

Answer

Detects and rectifies memory errors

Answer

Minimizes memory access time

Question 13

Explain the fundamental difference between synchronous and asynchronous DRAM.

Accepted Answer

Synchronous DRAM operates in sync with a clock signal, while asynchronous DRAM does not.

Answer

Asynchronous DRAM operates in sync with a clock signal, while synchronous DRAM does not.

Answer

Synchronous DRAM provides higher bandwidth compared to asynchronous DRAM.

Answer

Asynchronous DRAM provides higher bandwidth compared to synchronous DRAM.

Question 14

How does a faster memory interface speed affect a computer system's overall performance?

Accepted Answer

Increases bandwidth and lowers latency

Answer

Reduces power consumption

Answer

Has little impact on system performance

Question 15

What is the primary purpose of a memory bus protocol in a computer architecture?

Accepted Answer

To define the rules for communication and data transfer between memory components

Answer

To maximize memory bandwidth and minimize latency

Answer

To detect and correct errors that occur during memory access

Answer

To manage cache coherency among multiple processors

Question 16

Which error correction technique relies on storing redundant data to identify and rectify errors in memory?

Accepted Answer

Hamming codes

Answer

Parity checking

Answer

Error detection and correction (EDC)

Answer

Automatic repeat request (ARQ)

Question 17

What is the primary advantage of using burst transfers in memory interfacing?

Accepted Answer

Reducing memory latency by transferring multiple data blocks consecutively

Answer

Improving memory bandwidth by utilizing unused memory bus cycles

Answer

Increasing the reliability of memory operations

Answer

Synchronizing memory accesses with CPU clock cycles

Question 18

What is a key advantage of using a distributed memory system?

Accepted Answer

Scalability and parallelism

Answer

Increased memory capacity

Answer

Reduced memory latency

Answer

Improved reliability

Question 19

How do snooping-based and directory-based cache coherence protocols differ in their approach to maintaining data consistency?

Accepted Answer

Snooping-based protocols monitor memory bus transactions, while directory-based protocols track cache line states in a central directory.

Accepted Answer

Snooping-based protocols use a distributed approach, while directory-based protocols use a centralized approach.

Answer

Both snooping-based and directory-based protocols rely on a central directory to manage cache coherence.

Answer

Directory-based protocols consistently outperform snooping-based protocols in terms of speed.

Question 20

In the evolution of memory interfacing, what primarily led to the shift from early memory buses to modern high-speed interconnects?

Accepted Answer

Increased processor speeds and computational needs

Answer

Expansion of memory capacities only

Answer

Solely advancements in semiconductor technology

Answer

Demand for higher data transfer rates without faster processors

Question 21

How does incorporating write buffers into a memory hierarchy enhance system performance?

Accepted Answer

Reduced write latency, leading to improved performance

Answer

Increased memory access overhead, resulting in diminished performance

Answer

Minimal impact on performance

Question 22

Within a computer system, what is the Memory Management Unit (MMU) primarily responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Translating virtual memory addresses to physical memory addresses

Answer

Storing frequently accessed data in a cache for performance enhancement

Answer

Detecting and correcting memory errors

Question 23

Which of these is NOT a primary function of a Memory Management Unit (MMU)?

Accepted Answer

Allowing programmers to directly manage memory

Answer

Protecting memory from unauthorized access

Answer

Boosting memory performance

Answer

Enabling virtual memory to expand memory capacity

Question 24

In a memory bus protocol, which signal is responsible for transmitting control information between the memory controller and memory modules?

Accepted Answer

Command/Address (C/A)

Answer

Data In (DI)

Answer

Data Out (DO)

Answer

Read/Write (R/W)

Question 25

What is the primary function of a memory controller?

Accepted Answer

Manage memory access and arbitration

Answer

Store data and instructions

Answer

Translate physical addresses to logical addresses

Answer

Provide error checking and correction

Question 26

What is the purpose of a memory management unit (MMU)?

Accepted Answer

Translate virtual memory addresses to physical memory addresses

Answer

Detect and correct errors in memory access

Answer

Allocate and deallocate memory for processes

Question 27

What is the main difference between dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and static random-access memory (SRAM)?

Accepted Answer

SRAM does not require periodic refreshing, while DRAM does.

Answer

DRAM is faster than SRAM.

Answer

SRAM has higher capacity than DRAM.

Question 28

Which of the following techniques is used to improve the performance of memory access?

Accepted Answer

Caching

Answer

Parity checking

Answer

Error correction

Answer

Virtualization

Question 29

What is the role of a memory scheduler in a computer system?

Accepted Answer

Determines the order in which memory requests are serviced

Answer

Ensures data integrity in memory

Answer

Allocates memory to processes

Question 30

Which protocol is commonly used for communication between a microprocessor and memory modules?

Accepted Answer

DDR (Double Data Rate)

Answer

SATA (Serial ATA)

Answer

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)

Answer

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

Question 31

Which of the following is **not** a responsibility of a memory controller?

Accepted Answer

None of the distractors are correct

Answer

Timing and protocol enforcement

Answer

Error detection and correction

Answer

Data buffering

Question 32

In a burst access memory, how does the number of data locations accessed compare to the number of address locations required?

Accepted Answer

Fewer address locations than data locations

Answer

Depends on the memory implementation

Answer

Equal number of address and data locations

Answer

More address locations than data locations

Question 33

What is the main advantage of ECC memory over non-ECC memory?

Accepted Answer

ECC memory can detect and correct multi-bit errors

Answer

ECC memory is faster

Answer

ECC memory consumes less power

Question 34

What is the primary objective of a memory interleave strategy?

Accepted Answer

To increase memory bandwidth by accessing multiple memory banks simultaneously

Answer

To reduce memory latency

Answer

To enhance error detection and correction

Question 35

Which technique is primarily used to reduce memory latency?

Accepted Answer

Memory caching

Answer

Interleaving

Answer

Burst access

Answer

ECC memory

Question 36

What is the primary function of the DRAM Refresh Manager?

Accepted Answer

To refresh DRAM cells periodically to maintain data integrity

Answer

To manage memory allocation and deallocation

Answer

To detect and correct memory errors

Question 37

What is the fundamental role of a memory controller?

Accepted Answer

Manage the interface between the processor and memory components

Answer

Perform error correction and detection

Answer

Store data in memory modules

Question 38

What is the primary purpose of implementing virtual memory?

Accepted Answer

To extend the physical memory accessible to the operating system

Answer

To safeguard memory from errors

Answer

To enhance memory access speed

Question 39

What is the primary distinction between dynamic RAM and static RAM?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic RAM necessitates periodic refresh, whereas static RAM does not

Answer

Dynamic RAM is more power-efficient than static RAM

Answer

Static RAM is inherently faster than dynamic RAM

Question 40

Which of the following memory technologies offers the lowest latency performance?

Accepted Answer

SRAM

Answer

DRAM

Answer

Hard disk drive

Answer

Flash memory

Question 41

What is the primary function of a prefetch queue in a memory interface?

Accepted Answer

Holding memory requests that can be executed in advance

Answer

Mitigating the latency of memory access requests

Answer

Identifying and correcting memory errors

Question 42

What is the common bus protocol used in modern DRAM modules?

Accepted Answer

DDR (Double Data Rate)

Answer

SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment)

Answer

PCI-Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)

Answer

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

Question 43

What is the primary function of a memory controller?

Accepted Answer

Managing the communication between the processor and memory.

Answer

Handling error correction.

Answer

Storing data and instructions.

Question 44

In a memory interfacing system, what is the role of the column address decoder?

Accepted Answer

Selecting the specific column within the memory array.

Answer

Writing data to the memory cells.

Answer

Reading data from the memory cells.

Question 45

What is the purpose of a memory refresh operation in DRAM?

Accepted Answer

Restoring the electrical charge in DRAM cells to prevent data loss.

Answer

Increasing memory access speed.

Answer

Detecting and correcting errors.

Question 46

In a multi-core system, what mechanism helps prevent memory access conflicts between cores?

Accepted Answer

Cache coherence protocol

Answer

Memory controller

Answer

Virtual memory

Answer

Interconnect

Question 47

What is a primary advantage of using a memory interposer?

Accepted Answer

Reduced latency and power consumption.

Answer

Faster data transfer rates.

Answer

Increased memory capacity.

Answer

Improved reliability.

Question 48

What is the main goal of cache coherency in a multi-core system?

Accepted Answer

Maintaining consistency across multiple copies of data in the system.

Answer

Preventing data from being overwritten.

Answer

Ensuring data is always valid.

Answer

Sharing data efficiently between cores.

Question 49

Which memory type commonly utilizes a parallel bus for data transfer?

Accepted Answer

Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)

Answer

NAND Flash

Answer

Serial EEPROM

Answer

SPI NOR Flash

Question 50

What is the main responsibility of a memory controller?

Accepted Answer

Manage and coordinate data transfers between the processor and memory

Answer

Execute arithmetic and logical operations

Answer

Control and manage display output

Question 51

Which technique improves memory access latency by pre-fetching data?

Accepted Answer

Lookahead cache

Answer

Memory-mapped I/O

Answer

Write-allocate cache

Answer

Direct memory access (DMA)

Question 52

In the context of DRAM operation, what does 'CAS Latency' specifically refer to?

Accepted Answer

The number of clock cycles between specifying a column address and data becoming available

Answer

The time taken to refresh the entire DRAM module

Answer

The number of clock cycles required to access a specific row in the memory array

Question 53

What is the primary advantage of utilizing Error Correction Code (ECC) memory?

Accepted Answer

Detecting and correcting single-bit errors in memory

Answer

Reducing power consumption of the memory system

Answer

Enhancing the storage capacity of a memory module

Answer

Increasing the overall speed of memory access

Question 54

Which bus arbitration method gives priority to the device closest to the bus master?

Accepted Answer

Daisy chaining

Answer

Arbitration using interrupts

Answer

Polling

Answer

Independent requesting

Question 55

What is a key characteristic of memory-mapped I/O?

Accepted Answer

Peripherals share the same address space as memory

Answer

It simplifies the design of the memory controller

Answer

Peripherals are accessed using specialized I/O instructions

Question 56

In a write-back cache, when is modified data written back to the main memory?

Accepted Answer

Only when the modified cache line needs to be replaced

Answer

Every time the data in the cache is modified

Answer

When the system is idle and has available bandwidth

Question 57

What is the purpose of a refresh cycle in DRAM?

Accepted Answer

To maintain the charge in the storage capacitors

Answer

To reduce the power consumption of the DRAM module

Answer

To improve the speed of subsequent memory accesses

Answer

To erase the contents of the memory cells

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT typically a characteristic of ROM (Read-Only Memory)?

Accepted Answer

Data can be easily and quickly modified

Answer

It offers slower write speeds compared to RAM

Answer

It is often utilized for storing firmware or boot code

Answer

Contents are retained even when power is removed