Computer Engineering Flashcards
6 cards from real BE/B Eng Bachelor of Engineering practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Computer Engineering flashcards as text
In networking, what does the OSI model's Transport Layer (Layer 4) primarily provide?
Answer: End-to-end communication, flow control, and error recovery between hosts
Layer 4 (Transport) provides reliable end-to-end data transfer with services like segmentation, flow control, and error recovery; TCP and UDP operate at this layer.
What is the purpose of an interrupt in computer systems?
Answer: To signal the CPU that an event requiring immediate attention has occurred
An interrupt is a signal that pauses the CPU's current task, saves its state, and transfers control to an Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) to handle the event, then resumes the original task.
In software engineering, what does an API (Application Programming Interface) provide?
Answer: A defined set of protocols and tools for building software and allowing different applications to communicate
An API defines a contract—methods, data formats, and protocols—that enables different software applications to interact and share functionality without exposing internal implementation.
What is the difference between RISC and CISC processor architectures?
Answer: RISC uses simple, fixed-length instructions executed in one cycle; CISC uses complex, variable-length instructions
RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processors use a small set of simple, fixed-format instructions for fast execution, while CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) processors use many complex, variable-length instructions.
In database systems, what does ACID stand for?
Answer: Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability
ACID properties guarantee reliable database transactions: Atomicity (all-or-nothing), Consistency (valid state), Isolation (independent transactions), Durability (committed changes persist).
What is the purpose of a mutex in concurrent programming?
Answer: To ensure only one thread accesses a shared resource at a time
A mutex (mutual exclusion lock) prevents race conditions by allowing only one thread to hold the lock and access a critical section at a time.