Consider the following processor design characteristics. I.…
2018
Consider the following processor design characteristics.
I. Register-to-register arithmetic operations only
II. Fixed-length instruction format
III. Hardwired control unit
Which of the characteristics above are used in the design of a RISC processor?
- A.
I and II only
- B.
II and III only
- C.
I and III only
- D.
I, II and III
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Correct answer: D
Answer: All three statements are characteristic of RISC processors.
Register-to-register (load–store) architecture: arithmetic and logical operations operate only on registers; memory access is done with explicit load and store instructions, which simplifies the datapath.
Fixed-length instruction format: makes instruction fetch and decoding simpler and more regular, which aids pipelining and hardware implementation.
Hardwired control unit: RISC favors simpler, faster control implemented in hardware rather than microprogramming, reducing cycle time.
Therefore, the correct answer includes all three characteristics.