Evolution of Microprocessors: From 8085 to Modern CPUs Quiz Quiz

Explore the development of microprocessors from the 8085 era to today's advanced CPUs, assessing key concepts like architecture, instruction sets, processing power, and significant technological milestones. This quiz helps learners understand how microprocessor technology has evolved and shaped computing performance and design.

1. 8085 Microprocessor Features

   Which feature best distinguishes the 8085 microprocessor, introduced in the late 1970s, from many early microprocessors that came before it?

   1. It uses a 32-bit architecture
   2. It supports out-of-order execution
   3. It has a built-in floating-point unit
   4. It operates with an 8-bit data bus

   Explanation: The 8085 microprocessor is noted for its 8-bit data bus, which was standard for its time and differentiated it from older 4-bit processors. Early microprocessors did not include built-in floating-point units, making that option incorrect. The 8085 uses an 8-bit, not 32-bit, architecture, and out-of-order execution technology appeared much later in microprocessor design, not in the 8085.

2. Transition to 16-bit Architecture

   When processors transitioned from 8-bit to 16-bit architectures in the 1980s, what was one major benefit of this design change?

   1. It eliminated the need for registers
   2. It increased the amount of data handled per operation
   3. It allowed for lower clock speeds
   4. It made instruction sets incompatible with assembly language

   Explanation: Moving to 16-bit architectures allowed microprocessors to process twice as much data in a single operation compared to 8-bit designs, improving performance. Lower clock speeds were not a benefit of this advancement. Instruction set compatibility with assembly language was generally maintained or extended, not abandoned. Registers remained essential to processor operation, so their elimination was not a consequence.

3. Role of Pipelining

   What is the primary advantage of pipelining introduced in later microprocessor generations, exemplified by a scenario where instructions are overlapped for increased performance?

   1. Pipelining converts parallel processing to serial processing
   2. Pipelining enables multiple instructions to be started before previous ones finish
   3. Pipelining eliminates the need for caches
   4. Pipelining reduces memory size requirements

   Explanation: Pipelining allows each stage of an instruction to be processed simultaneously with other instructions, so several instructions are in various stages at once, greatly boosting efficiency. It does not reduce memory size needs or eliminate caches; in fact, caches become more important in pipelined CPUs. Converting parallel to serial processing is the opposite of pipelining's intended effect.

4. Modern CPU Multicore Design

   In modern CPUs, what is one key benefit of using a multicore design, where two or more processor cores execute tasks simultaneously?

   1. It halves the size of each core
   2. It prevents the need for software updates
   3. It ensures only one application can run at a time
   4. It allows multiple tasks to run in parallel, improving multitasking

   Explanation: Multicore designs allow several cores to execute separate tasks, or parts of the same task, at once, which improves multitasking and performance in suitable applications. Preventing software updates is unrelated to hardware architecture. Limiting computing to one application would be a reduction in functionality, and core size is determined by many factors but is not automatically halved by adding more cores.

5. Instruction Set Evolution

   How did the introduction of complex instruction set computing (CISC) and reduced instruction set computing (RISC) architectures impact the evolution of microprocessors?

   1. RISC exclusively used floating-point instructions
   2. CISC architectures made microprocessors incompatible with embedded systems
   3. CISC focused on many instructions for complex tasks, while RISC emphasizes a smaller set of simpler instructions
   4. Both limited the number of instructions significantly

   Explanation: CISC architectures feature a wide range of instructions, some highly complex, while RISC designs use fewer, simpler instructions to optimize speed and efficiency. Neither approach simply limited the total number without context. RISC is not exclusively based on floating-point instructions, and CISC processors are often still compatible with embedded systems, depending on the implementation.