Computing Hardware: Semiconductors, Logic Gates, Circuits, and Processors

Fill-in-the-blank practice flashcards generated from the Computing Hardware lecture notes.

A __________ controls the flow of electric current in a circuit by turning it ON or OFF.

switch

__________ is the most widely used semiconductor material since it is inexpensive and abundant.

Silicon

The electrical conductivity of a semiconductor is between conductors and __________.

insulators

__________ is the process of adding impurities to modify the electrical conductivity of a semiconductor.

Doping

A transistor is made by combining p-type and __________ semiconductor materials.

n-type

Modern transistors are measured in __________, which equal one billionth of a meter.

nanometers

Logic gates perform logical operations on binary data consisting of $0$s and __________s.

$$1$$

The __________ gate is the simplest logic gate, acting as an inverter that produces the opposite of its input.

NOT

An AND gate produces a high output ($1$) only if __________ inputs are high ($1$).

both

The boolean expression of the OR gate is __________, read as Y equals A or B.

$$Y = A + B$$

A __________ gate produces an output that is high unless both inputs are high.

NAND

A NOR gate produces a high output ($1$) only if both inputs are __________.

low

An __________ gate produces a high output when its inputs are different.

XOR

An XNOR gate produces a high output when its inputs are __________.

the same

A half adder adds two bits and produces a Sum ($S$) and a __________ ($C$).

Carry

In a half adder circuit, the Sum ($S$) is generated by an __________ gate.

XOR

In a half adder circuit, the Carry ($C$) is generated by an __________ gate.

AND

A full adder takes three inputs: two operands and a __________ from a previous stage.

Carry-in

The circuit design of a full adder consists of two half adders and an __________ gate.

OR

A half subtractor subtracts two binary inputs and produces a Difference ($D$) and a __________ ($B_0$).

borrow

The formula for the borrow output ($B_0$) in a half subtractor is __________.

$$B_0 = \bar{A} \cdot B$$

A full subtractor includes an extra input for the __________ bit from the previous stage to perform multi-bit subtraction.

borrow

The part of the CPU that performs arithmetic and logic operations is the __________.

ALU

In a CPU, the __________ unit orchestrates data movement and instructions.

control

Small, fast storage locations inside the CPU used for immediate data are called __________.

registers

The CPU clock coordinates system timing in pulses per second, measured in __________.

$$\text{Hz}$$

On a motherboard, __________ slots hold RAM modules.

memory

The __________ firmware on a motherboard initializes hardware during startup.

BIOS