Computers, Microcontrollers and Computer-Based Instrumentation Systems

In the context of computer organization, what are the two primary components of the Central Processing Unit (CPU)?

What is the primary difference between a microprocessor and a microcontroller (MCU)?

According to the description of computer architecture, what distinguishes von Neumann architecture from Harvard architecture?

If a microprocessor has an address bus width of 20 bits, how many unique memory locations can it access?

What is the primary characteristic of read-only memory (ROM) that makes it suitable for storing programs in simple dedicated applications like a clothes washer controller?

What is the main difference between static RAM (SRAM) and dynamic RAM (DRAM)?

How many bits can be stored in a 64-Kbyte memory?

In a digital process control system, what is the function of a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter?

What is the primary advantage of using interrupts over polling in a complex control application?

In the HCS12/9S12 programming model, what is the function of the Program Counter (PC) register?

What happens to the stack pointer (SP) and memory when the PSHA command is executed on a CPU12 processor?

What is a key characteristic of the Condition-Code Register (CCR) in the CPU12 programmer's model?

How does immediate (IMM) addressing differ from direct (DIR) addressing in the CPU12 instruction set?

What is the function of an assembler in the context of assembly-language programming?

What does the assembler directive 'ORG $0100' instruct the assembler to do?

Which of the following best describes the Jump to Subroutine (JSR) instruction's operation?

What is the role of a signal conditioner in a computer-based instrumentation system?

Which of the following is an example of a bias error in a measurement system?

How is 'accuracy' defined in the context of instrumentation performance?

To avoid loading effects when measuring the internal voltage of a sensor with a high Thévenin resistance, what characteristic should the signal-conditioning amplifier have?

What is the primary purpose of using a differential amplifier in instrumentation systems that are subject to noise from ground loops?

What is 'aliasing' in the context of analog-to-digital conversion?

To prevent aliasing, what is the theoretical minimum sampling rate required for a signal that contains no components with frequencies higher than fH?

A 25-kHz sinewave is sampled at a rate of 30 kHz. What is the resulting alias frequency?

What is the relationship between the number of bits (k) in an ADC's codeword and the number of amplitude zones (N) it can represent?

An 8-bit ADC accepts signals ranging from -5 V to +5 V. What is the approximate width of each quantization zone?

What is the primary function of an antialias filter in a data acquisition system?

What is the definition of the Common-Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR) for a differential amplifier?

A differential amplifier has a differential gain of 1000. When its inputs are tied together and a 100-V peak signal is applied, the output has a peak value of 0.01 V. What is the amplifier's CMRR in decibels?

What is the source of offset voltage and offset current in a real direct-coupled amplifier?

What is the cause of 'harmonic distortion' in an amplifier?

A certain amplifier has a transfer characteristic of vo = 100vi + vi^2. If the input is vi(t) = cos(wt), what is the second-harmonic distortion factor D2?

How can the effects of DC bias currents be mitigated in a differential amplifier with grounded source inputs?

What is the function of the 'stack' in CPU operations?

Which type of memory is described as being non-volatile and allowing data to be erased and rewritten relatively quickly in blocks?

In the context of the CPU12 instruction set, what does an instruction using inherent (INH) addressing do?

Consider the instruction ADDA $CA01 for the CPU12. What addressing mode is being used, and how many bytes of memory does this instruction occupy?

What type of cable is recommended to reduce noise coupled by magnetic fields in instrumentation wiring?

What is the primary cause of a ground loop in an instrumentation system?

If the input voltages to a differential amplifier are v1 = 5.7 V and v2 = 5.5 V, what are the differential (vd) and common-mode (vcm) components of the sensor signal?

Starting from the initial contents shown in Figure 8.7(a) where accumulator B contains A2 and register X contains 0000, what is the content of register X after executing the command sequence PSHB, PSHA, PULX?

Suppose that starting in location 0200, successive memory locations contain op codes for the instructions CLRA and BEQ $15. What is the address of the instruction executed immediately after the branch instruction if the branch is taken?

How does constant-offset indexed addressing work in the CPU12?

In the program from Example 8.2, what is the purpose of the BPL PLUS instruction?

In the manual conversion of source code to machine code shown in Example 8.3, why is the offset for the BPL command initially unknown on the first pass of the assembler?

In the breadmaker application described in Practical Application 8.1, where are the main control programs and the parameters entered by the chef stored, respectively?

What is the defining characteristic of a 'random error' in a measurement system?

What is the difference between the 'precision' and 'accuracy' of an instrument?

To correctly measure the short-circuit current from a sensor, what input impedance should the measuring amplifier have?

What is the primary trade-off in selecting a memory type for a computer system?