Microprocessor

&
Microcomputers

Short Questions

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1. Define Microprocessor?

Microprocessor is a multipurpose, programmable, clock-driven, register based electronic

device that reads binary instructions from a storage device called memory, accepts binary
data as input and processes data according to those instructions, and provides as output.

2. What is Hardware and Software?

The physical components of the system i.e. computer are called Hardware. Group of
programs is called software.

3. Why the microprocessor is viewed as a programmable Device?

Microprocessor is programmable because it can be instructed to perform given tasks within

its capability. Microprocessor is designed to understand and execute many binary
instructions.

4. What is Central processing Unit ( CPU ) ?

And Write the use of it. CPU is a heart of the computer. Central processing Unit controls
the operation of the computer. In a microcomputer the CPU is a microprocessor. The CPU
fetches binary coded instructions from memory, decodes the instructions into a series of
simple actions and carries out these actions in a sequence of steps.

5. What is a chip?

A chip is also called an integrated circuit. Generally it is a small, thin piece of silicon onto
which the transistors making up the microprocessor have been etched. A chip might be as
large as an inch on a side and can contain tens of millions of transistors. Simpler
processors might consist of a few thousand transistors etched onto a chip just a few
millimeters square.

6. What is System Bus?

The System bus is a communication path between the microprocessor and peripherals. It
is nothing but a group of wires to carry bits.

7. What is Address Bus?

The address bus consists of 16, 20, 24 or 32 parallel signal lines. On these lines the CPU
sends out the address of the memory location that is to be written to or read from. The
number of address lines determines the number of memory locations that the CPU can
address. If the CPU has N address lines, then it can directly address 2memory locations.
Simply, we can say that Address Bus is used to carry the address

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8. What is Data Bus?

The data bus consists of 8, 16, or 32 parallel signal lines. The data bus lines are
bidirectional. This means that the CPU can read data in from memory or from a port on
these lines, or it can send data out to memory or to a port on these lines. Simply we can
say that data bus is used to carry the data.

9. What is Assembly Language?

A medium of communication with a computer in which programs are written in mnemonics.

Binary instructions are given abbreviated names called mnemonics, which form the
assembly language for a given processor.

10. What is Machine Language?

The binary medium of communication with a computer through a designed set of

instructions specific to each computer.

11. What is Bit-Slice processor?

For some Applications , general purpose CPUs such as the 8080 and 6800 are not fast
enough or do not have suitable instruction sets. For these applications ,several
manufacturers produce devices which can be used to build the custom CPU. This family
includes 4 bit ALUs, multiplexers, sequencers and other parts needed for custom building
a CPU. The term slice comes from the fact that these parts can be connected in parallel to
work with 8 bit words, 16bit words, or 32 bit words.

12. What is microcontroller?

Microcontroller is a Device that includes microprocessor, memory and I/O signal lines on a
single chip, fabricated using VLSI technology.

13. List the main applications of 8 bit microprocessors?

8 bit microprocessors is used in a variety of applications such as appliances, automobiles,

industrial process and control applications.

14. Write the uses of microprocessors in Medical Instrumentation field?

Patient Monitoring in Intensive Care Unit, Pathological Analysis and the measurement of
parameters like blood pressure and temperature.

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15. Define Real Time Systems :

Real Time Systems are those in which timeliness is as important as the correctness of the
outputs, although this does not mean that they have to be “fast systems”.

16. List the limitations of 8 bit microprocessor:

● Lower Execution Speed

● It can address less memory size
● Few instructions are available
17. What do you mean ‘ Data Width’?

Data Width is the width of the ALU. An 8 bit ALU can add / subtract/ multiply etc.. two 8 bit
numbers . In many cases, the external data bus is the same width as the ALU, but not
always. The 8088 had a 16 bit ALU and 8 bit bus , while the modern Pentiums fetch data
64 bits at a time for their 32 bit ALUs.

18. specify the complete bit configuration of 8085 flag Register?

S- Sign Flag . If D7 =1 , then sign flag is set, otherwise rest.

Z-Zero flag. If ALU operation results in zero, then this flag is set, Otherwise it is reset.

AC-Auxilliary flag. In an arithmetic operation ,when a carry is generated by digit D3 and

passed on to digit D4, the AC flag is set. Otherwise it is reset.

P-Parity Flag. If the result of an arithmetic or logic operation has an even number of 1‟s
then this flag is set. Otherwise it is reset.

CY-Carry Flag. If an arithmetic operation results in a carry, the carry flag is set. Otherwise
it is reset.

19. List the four operations commonly performed by MPU ( Microprocessing Unit)?

● Memory Read : Reads data (or instructions) from memory.

● Memory Write: Writes Data (or instructions) into memory.
● I/O Read: Accepts data from input devices.
● I/O Write: Sends data to output devices.

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22. What are the limitations of 8085 MPU?

(i) The lower order address bus of the 8085 microprocessor is multiplexed

(time shared) with the data bus. The buses need to be demultiplexed.

(ii) Appropriate control signals need to be generated to interface memory and I/O with the
8085.

23. Compare the 8 bit microprocessors 8080A and 8085 ?.

8080A is the predecessor of 8085. 8085 has the instruction set of

8080A plus some additional ones. Program written for 8080A will be executed by

8085. 8085 and 8080A are not pin compatible. Both require a +5V power supply.

24. Define Register Relative Addressing Mode?

Register Relative Addressing Mode : The Effective Address is Calculated by the sum of 8-
or 16 bit displacement and the contents of a base Register or an index Register. E.A. =
content of(BX or BP or SI or DI) + (8 bit displacement (sign extended ) or 16 bit
displacement Physical Address = E.A +(DS)*1610

25. Define Immediate Addressing.?

An 8 bit or 16 bit immediate data follows the instruction. For e.g MOV AX,5020H instruction
transfers a word 5020H to the AX register .

26. Define Direct Addressing mode

A 16 bit offset address of the data memory location is specified with reference to the DS
segment starting address. For E.g MOV [1020H],5020H instruction transfers a word 5020H
to the data memory location at 11020H if DS=1000H.

27. Define Relative based indexed addressing mode:?

Relative Based Indexed Addressing Mode : Effective Address is calculated by the sum of
8- or 16 bit displacement and a based indexed address. E.A.= (BX or BP) + (SI or DI) +( 8
bit displacement (sign extended ) or 16 bit displacement) Physical Address= E.A +
(DS)*1610.

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28. List the branch related addressing mode:?

● Intra segment Direct

● Intra segment Indirect
● Inter segment Direct
● Inter Segment Indirect
29. List the functions of Bus Interface Unit in 8086?

● Sends out addresses

● Fetches instructions from memory
● Reads data from ports and memory
● Writes data to port and memory
30. Write any two advantages of segment registers in 8086?

a. It allows the memory capacity to be 1MB even though the address associated with
individual instructions are 16 bits wide.

It allows the instruction,data, or stack portion of a program to be more than 64KB long by
using more than one code, data, or stack segment

31. What is the use of Instruction pointer in 8086 ?

Instruction pointer holds the 16 bit address of the next code byte within the code segment.
The value contained in the IP is called effective address or offset. It contains the distance
from the base address to the next instruction byte to be fetched.

32. Write about the auxiliary carry flag used in 8086 ?

It is set if there is a carry out of bit 3 during an addition or a borrow by bit 3 during a
subtraction. This flag is used exclusively for BCD arithmetic.

33. When the Overflow flag is set ?

For addition of 16 bits, this flag is set when there is a carry into the MSB and no carry out
of the MSB.

34. Define Register addressing mode:?

Datum is in the register that is specified by the instruction

E.g : MOV CX,AX (16bitoperand)

MOVCL,AL(8bitoperand)

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35. Define Register Indirect Addressing mode:?

Effective address of the datum is in the base register BX or an index register that is
specified by the instruction.

36. Define Register relative addressing mode:?

The effective address is the sum of an 8- or 16 bit displacement and the contents of a base
register or an index register.

37. Define Based Indexed addressing mode:?

The effective address is the sum of a base register and an index register , both of which
are specified by the instruction. It is also called as Base related Indexed addressing.

38. Define Intra segment direct addressing mode:?

The effective branch address is the sum of an 8-or 16 bit displacement and the current
contents of IP.

39. Define Intra segment Indirect addressing mode:?

The effective branch address is the contents of a register or memory location that is
accessed using any of the data related addressing modes except the immediate mode.
The contents of IP are replaced by the effective branch
address.

40. Define Inter segment addressing mode:?

It replaces the contents of IP with part of the instruction and the contents of CS with
another part of the instruction.

41. Define Inter segment Indirect addressing mode:

It replaces the contents of IP and CS with the contents of two consecutive words in
memory that are referenced by using any of the data related addressing modes except
immediate and register modes.

42. What is the use of PUSHF instruction used in 8086?

It pushes the flag register contents to the top of the stack. No flags are affected.
43. What is the use of ‘W’ bit in opcode?

W bit in op-code : If an instruction in 8086 can operate on either a byte or a word , the op-
code includes a W-bit which indicates whether a byte (W =0) or a word (W =1) is being
accessed.

44. Define XLAT instruction used in 8086.

It translates a byte in AL using a table in memory. The offset address is calculated by

adding the 8 bit contents of the AL register and the contents of BX register. BX register
contains the starting offset address of the Lookup table. After execution , corresponding
data memory contents of the lookup table are loaded into the AL register.

45. What is DAS instruction ?

DAS : Decimal Adjust After Subtraction This instruction converts the binary result of a SUB
or SBB instruction in AL to Packed BCD format. It operates only on AL Register.

46. What is Packed BCD Format?

Packed BCD Format: Packed BCD Numbers are stored in two digits to a byte, in 4 bit
groups referred to as nibbles. ALU is capable of performing only binary addition and
subtraction, but by adjusting the sum or difference the correct result in packed BCD format.

48. What is difference between DIV and IDIV instruction in 8086?

DIV : It operates only on unsigned number. IDIV : It operates only on signed numbers.

50. What is Programmed I/O ?

Programmed I/O : It consists of continually examining the status of an Interface and

performing an I/O operation with the Interface when its status indicates that it has data to
be input or its data-out buffer register is ready to receive data from the CPU.

51.What is the use of Directives in 8086 ?

Directives in 8086 give directions to the assembler during the assembly process but are not
translated into machine instruction

61. What is the use of TEST instruction in 8086?

Test instruction is the same as the AND instruction except that it does not put the result
anywhere. Like the CMP instruction. It is used only to set the flags.
62. Define LAHF and SAHF instructions in 8086.

LAHF : Load the 8085 equivalent flags into the AH register.

SAHF: Store the AH register into the low order byte of the flag register.

65. Write about EVEN directive in 8086 ALP.

It forces the address of the next byte to be even. 8086 words can be accessed in less time
if they begin at even address.

66. Write about the following instruction :

Call WORD PTR [BX] Offset of the first instruction of procedure is in two memory
addresses in DS. It replaces the contents of IP with contents of word memory locations in
DS pointed to by BX.

68. Define Multiprocessor systems.

If a microprocessor system contains two or more components that can execute instructions
independently, then the system is called multiprocessor system.

69. List the advantages of multiprocessor systems.

The multiprocessor system has the following advantages:

● Improves cost/performance ratio of the system.

● Several processors may be combined to fit the needs of an application while
avoiding the expense of the unneeded capabilities of a centralized system. Yet
this system provides room for expansion.
● Tasks are divided among the modules. If failure occurs, it is easier and cheaper
to find and replace the malfunctioning processor than replacing the failing part
of complex processor.

70. Write a short notes on closely coupled multiprocessor configuration.

In the closely coupled system, the processors or supporting processors share clock
generator, bus control logic, entire memory and I/O subsystem. Such systems can
communicate through a shared main memory. Hence the rate at which data can
communicate from one processor to the other is on the order of the bandwidth of the
memory.
71.Write a short notes on loosely coupled multiprocessor configuration.

In the loosely coupled systems, each processor has a set of input-output devices and a
large local memory where it accesses most of the instructions and data. The processor, its
local memory and input-output interfaces are together called computer module. Processes,
which execute on different computer modules, communicate by exchanging messages
through a Message Transfer System. The coupling in such a system is very loose. Hence,
such systems are also referred to as distributed systems.

72. What are the advantages of a loosely coupled configuration in a multiprocessor system?

● Each processor may have a local bus to access local memory or I/O devices so
that a greater degree of parallel processing can be achieved.
● More flexible.
● Better system throughput by having more than one processor.
● If any fault occurs in a module, that faulty module can be detected and
replaced. So the breakdown of the entire system is avoidable.
73. What are the several factors that affect the characteristics and performance of a bus?

The factors are:

● Number of active devices on the bus

● The bus-arbitration algorithm
● Centralization or distribution of control
● Data width
● Synchronization of data transmission and
● Error detection.

74. Name the three bus allocation schemes used in loosely coupled multiprocessor system.

1. Daisy Chaining

2. Polling method

3. Independent request
75. What are the three basic multiprocessor configurations that the 8086 can support?

1. Coprocessor configuration

2. Closely Coupled Configuration

3. Loosely coupled Configuration

76.What are the three types of contention?

1. Memory contention

2. Communication contention

3. Hot spot contention

77.What are the techniques available for reducing contention?

1. Local Memories

2. Better Interconnection network

3. Cache memory

4. Memory Allocation

78. Explain the need for 8087.

The numeric processor 8087 is a coprocessor, which has been specially designed to work
under the control of the processor 8086 and to support additional numeric processing
capabilities.
79. Explain the features of 8087.

● It can operate on data of the integer, decimal, and real types, with lengths
ranging from 2 to 10 bytes.
● Its instruction set not only includes various forms of addition and subtraction,
but also provides many useful functions such as square root, exponential,
tangent, and so on
● It is high performance numeric data processor. It can multiply two 64-bit real
numbers in about 27 microseconds and calculate square root in about 36
microseconds.
● It follows IEEE floating point standard.
● It is multibus compatible.
80. How is the instruction set of 8087 classified?

● Data transfer instructions

● Arithmetic instructions
● Compare instructions
● Transcendental instructions
● Load constant instructions
● Processor control instructions.

81. Explain the features of IOP 8089.

● An IOP can fetch and execute its own instructions.

● Instructions are specially designed for I/O processing.
● In addition to data transfer, 8089 can perform arithmetic and logic
operations, branches, searching and translation.
● IOP can transfer data from an 8-bit source to 16-bit destination and vice versa.
● IOP does all work involved in I/O transfer including device setup,
Programmed I/O, and DMA operation.
● IOP supports multiprocessing environment.
● Communication between IOP and CPU is through memory based control
blocks.
82. Name the three basic network topologies.

1. The bus

2. The star

3. Token ring

83. List the features of bus arbiter.

● Provides multi-master system bus control and arbitration.

● Provides simple interface with 8288 bus controller.
● Synchronizes 8086 and 8088 processors with multi-master bus.
● Four operating modes for flexible system configuration.
84. Define interfacing.

Interfacing is the designing of logic circuits and writing the instructions to enable the
microprocessor to communicate with the I/O devices.
85. What is handshake port?
The port used for exchanging the signals between I/O devices and port or between port
and processor for checking or informing various condition of the device is called
handshake port.

86. Define Baud Rate.

The data rate can be expressed as bits/sec or characters/sec. The term bits/sec is called
baud rate.

87. Name any two important methods available for error correction during serial
communication.

● Parity bits
● Check sum
● Cyclic redundancy check
● Hamming code with 4 bit parity to encode 8 bit of data
88. Define PPI.

PPI is programmable peripheral interface. It is a programmable parallel I/O device. It can

be programmed to transfer data between microprocessor and I/O devices under various
conditions.

91. What is meant by DMA operation?

State its advantages.

DMA stands for Direct Memory Access. In order to transfer bulk amount of data between
memory and I/O device without the involvement of CPU, this technique is used. The
advantage of DMA is faster data transfer.

92. What are the modes of operation of DMA?

● Slave mode operation

● Master mode operation.

93. What is meant by time multiplexed LED display?

In time multiplexed LED display, at a time only one LED displays data while other LEDs
remain in off condition. But within few milliseconds, next LED is turned on while all others
are in off condition. This is repeated continuously so that all LEDs seems to display data
simultaneously.
94. What do you mean by simplex and duplex transmission?

Simplex: Data is transmitted in only one direction.

E.g : Transmission of data from a computer to a printer.

Duplex: Data is transmitted in both directions.

Eg: Telephone

96. What are the requirements to be met while interfacing I/O devices to microprocessor?

● The microprocessor identifies the I/O devices through a port address

and enables the read or write operations.
● The microprocessor selects the I/O devices through a chip select and uses
the control signals read to receive data and write signal to transmit data.

98. What are the main functions for interfacing a keyboard?

● Sense a key actuation

● Debounce the key
● Decode the key
99. What is key bouncing?

Mechanical switches are used as keys in most of the keyboards. When a key is pressed
the contacts bounce back and forth and settle down only after a small time delay (about 20
ms). Even through a key is actuated once, it will appear to have been actuated several
times. This problem is called key bouncing.

100. What is meant by keyboard debouncing?

Key bouncing may cause multiple entries made for the same key. To overcome this
problem after a key press is sensed the device is made to wait for few milliseconds. Then
the key is checked again to ensure it is still pressed. If it is still pressed it is taken as a valid
key press. This process is called keyboard debouncing.

104. If a 12MHz crystal is connected with 8051, how much is the time taken for

the count in timer 0 to get incremented by one?

Baud rate = Oscillator frequency/12 = 12Mhz/12 = 1 microsecond

105. What is the advantage of microcontroller over microprocessor?

1. The overall system cost is low, as the peripherals are integrated in a single chip.

2. The system is very small.

3. The system is easy to troubleshoot and maintain.

4. If required additional RAM, ROM and I/O ports may be interfaced.

5. The system is more reliable.

106. What is the need for D/A converter?

The microcontrollers can produce only digital signals. Analog signals are needed for
controlling certain analog devices in many applications. The Digitalto-Analog converters
are used to convert the digital signal to analog signal.

108. What is the difference between timer and counter operation in 8051?

The timer counts the internal clock pulses whose frequency is 1/12th of oscillator
frequency.

The counter counts the internal clock pulses, which are given through T0 pin (for counter
0) and T1 pin (for counter 1) of 8051.

113. What is the function of DPTR register?

The data pointer register is the 16-bit address register that can be used to fetch any 8-bit
data from the data memory space. When it is not being used for this purpose, it can be
used as two eight registers, DPH and DPL.

114. What are the functions of 8051 microcontroller?

● 8 bit CPU with registers A and B

● 16 bit PC and DPTR
● 8 bit PSW
● 64K Program memory
● 64K data memory
● 128 bytes of on-chip data memory
● 32 I/O pins for port0, port1, port2 and port3
● Two 16 bit timers,T0 and T1
● Full duplex UART: SBUF
● Two external and three internal interrupt sources.\
115. What happens in power down mode of 8051 microcontroller?

The memory locations of power down RAM can be maintained through a separate small
battery backup supply so that the content of these RAM can be preserved during power
failure conditions.
116. Define Watch Dog Timer.

Watch Dog Timer is a dedicated timer to take care of system malfunction. It can be used to
reset the controller during software malfunction, which is referred to as “Hanging”. A
microcontroller will have facility for enabling or

disabling the watchdog timer. When the WDT is enabled, it will initiate a hardware reset
whenever it overflows. In order to avoid a reset during normal condition, the software
should take care of clearing WDT well before its overflow.

117. Define Baud rate.

Baud rate is used to indicate the rate at which data is being transferred.

Baud rate=1/Time for a bit cell.

118. List some of the applications of microcontroller.

● Building control (Fire detection)

● Industrial control (Process control)
● Motor speed control (Stepper motor control)
● Handheld instruments (Digital level meter)
● Peripheral devices (Printer)
● Stand alone devices (Color Xerox machine)
● Automobile applications (Power steering)
● Home applications (Washing machine)
● Instrument sub functions (Spectrum Analyzer)
119. What are the basic units of a microprocessor?

The basic units or blocks of a microprocessor are ALU, an array of registers and control
unit.

120. What is the drawback in machine language and assembly language programs?

The machine language and assembly language programs are machine dependent. The
programs developed using these languages for a particular machine cannot be directly run
on another machine.
121. What is a bus?

Bus is a group of conducting lines that carries data, address and control signals.

122. Why data bus is bi-directional?

The microprocessor has to fetch (read) the data from memory or input device for
processing and after processing, it has to store (write) the data to memory or output
device. Hence the data bus is bidirectional.

123. Why address bus is unidirectional?

The address is an identification number used by the microprocessor to identify or access a

memory location or I / O device. It is an output signal from the processor. Hence the
address bus is unidirectional.

124. What is the function of microprocessor in a system?

The microprocessor is the master in the system, which controls all the activity of the
system. It issues address and control signals and fetches the instruction and data from
memory. Then it executes the instruction to take appropriate action.

125. What is the need for timing diagram?

The timing diagram provides information regarding the status of various signals, when a
machine cycle is executed. The knowledge of timing diagram is essential for system
designer to select matched peripheral devices like memories, latches, ports, etc., to form a
microprocessor system.

126. How many machine cycles constitute one instruction cycle in 8085?

Each instruction of the 8085 processor consists of one to five machine cycles.

127. Define Opcode and operand?

Opcode (Operation code) is the part of an instruction / directive that identifies a specific
operation. Operand is a part of an instruction / directive that represents a value on which
the instruction acts.

128. What is opcode fetch cycle?

The opcode fetch cycle is a machine cycle executed to fetch the opcode of an instruction
stored in memory. Every instruction starts with opcode fetch machine cycle.
129. How many machine cycles does 8085 have, mention them?
In 8085 have 9 machine cycles, they are opcode fetch, memory read, memory write, I/O
read, I/O write,Interrupt acknowledge, halt, hold & reset.

130. How does the microprocessor differentiate between data and instruction?

When the first m/c code of an instruction is fetched and decoded in the instruction register,
the microprocessor recognizes the number of bytes required to fetch the entire instruction.
For example MVI A, Data, the second byte is always considered as data. If the data byte is
omitted by mistake whatever is in that memory location will be considered as data & the
byte after the “data” will be treated as the next instruction.

131. What is meant by polling?

Polling or device polling is a process which identifies the device that has interrupted the
microprocessor.

132. What is meant by interrupt?

Interrupt is an external signal that causes a microprocessor to jump to a specific subroutine

133. What is a programmable peripheral device?

If the functions performed by a peripheral device can be altered or changed by a program

instruction then the peripheral device is called programmable device. Usually the
programmable devices will have control registers. The device can be programmed by
sending control word in the prescribed format to the control register.

134. What is USART?

The device which can be programmed to perform Synchronous or Asynchronous serial

communication is called USART (Universal Synchronous Asynchronous Receiver
Transmitter). The INTEL 8251A is an example of USART.

135. What is synchronous data transfer scheme?

For synchronous data transfer scheme, the processor does not check the readiness of the
device after a command has been issued for read/write operation. Fu this scheme the
processor will request the device to get ready and then read/W1.ite to the device
immediately after the request. In some synchronous schemes a small delay is allowed
after the request.
136. Compare CALL and PUSH instructions

CALL PUSH

1. When CALL is executed the microprocessor automatically stores the 16-bit address of
the instruction next to CALL on the stack.

2. When CALL is executed the stack pointer is decremented by two

1. PUSH The programmer uses the instruction to save the contents of the register pair on
the stack.

2. When PUSH is executed the stack pointer is decremented by two

137. What is asynchronous data transfer scheme?

In asynchronous data transfer scheme, first the processor sends a request to the device
for read/write operation. Then the processor keeps on polling the status of the device.
Once the device is ready, the processor executes a data transfer instruction to complete
the process.

143. What is scanning in keyboard and what is scan time?

The process of sending a zero to each row of a keyboard matrix and reading the columns
for key actuation is called scanning. The scan time is the time taken by the processor to
scan all the rows one by one starting from first row and coming back to the first row again.

144. What is the data and address size in 8086?

The 8086 can operate on either 8-bit or 16-bit data. The 8086 uses 20 bit address to
access memory and 16-bit address to access 1/0 devices.

145. Explain the function of M/IO in 8086.

The signal M/IO is used to differentiate memory address and 1/0 address When the
processor is accessing memory locations MI 10 is asserted high and when it is accessing
1/0 mapped devices it is asserted low.
146. What are the interrupts of 8086?

The interrupts of 8085 are INTR and NMI. The INTR is general maskable interrupt and NMI
is non-maskable interrupt.
147. Write the flags of 8086.

The 8086 has nine flags and they are

1. Carry Flag (CF) 2. Overflow Flag (OF) 3. Parity Flag (PF) 4. Trace Flag (TF)

5. Auxiliary carries Flag (AF) 6. Interrupt Flag (IF) 7. Zero Flag (ZF) 8. Direction Flag (DF)

9. Sign Flag (SF)

148. How clock signal is generated in 8086? What is the maximum internal clock frequency
of 8086?

The 8086 does not have on-chip clock generation circuit. Hence the clock generator chip,
8284 is connected to the CLK pin of8086. The clock signal supplied by 8284 is divided by
three for internal use. The maximum internal clock frequency of8086 is 5MHz.

149. Write the special functions carried by the general purpose registers of 8086.

The special functions carried by the registers of 8086 are the following. Register Special
function

1. AX 16-bit Accumulator
2. AL 8-bit Accumulator
3. BX Base Register
4. CX Count Register
5. DX .Data Register
150. What is pipelined architecture?

In pipelined architecture the processor will have number of functional units and the
execution time of functional units is overlapped. Each functional unit works independently
most of the time.

151. What are the functional units available in 8086 architecture?

The bus interface unit and execution unit are the two functional units available in 8086
architecture.

152. List the segment registers of 8086.

The segment registers of 8086 are Code segment, Data segment, Stack segment and
Extra segment registers.
153. Define machine cycle.

Machine cycle is defined as the time required to complete one operation of accessing
memory, I/O, or acknowledging an external request. This cycle may consist of three to six
T-states.

154. Define T-State.

T-State is defined as one subdivision of the operation performed in one clock period.
These subdivisions are internal states synchronized with the system clock, and each
T-State is precisely equal to one clock period.

155. List the components of microprocessor (single board microcomputer) based system

The microprocessor based system consist of microprocessor as CPU, semiconductor

memories like EPROM and RAM, input device, output device and interfacing devices.

156. What are the internal devices of a typical DAC?

The internal devices of a DAC are R/2R resistive network, an internal latch and current to
voltage converting amplifier.

157. What is settling or conversion time in DAC?

The time taken by the DAC to convert a given digital data to corresponding analog signal is
called conversion time.

158. How single stepping can be done in 8086?

By setting the Trace Flag (TF) the 8086 goes to single-step mode. In this mode, after the
execution of each instruction s 8086 generates an internal interrupt and by writing some
interrupt service routine we can display the content of desired registers and memory
locations. So it is useful for debugging the program.

159. Differentiate between absolute and linear select coding

Absolute decoding Linear decoding All higher address lines are defined to select the
memory or I/O device Few higher address lines are decoded to select the memory or I/O
device More h/w is required to design decoding logic Hardware required to design
decoding logic is less Higher cost for decoding circuit Less cost for decoding circuit No
multiple address Has a disadvantage of multiple addressing Used in large systems Used in
small systems
160.What is the need of co- processors? Give an example?

The coprocessor is a processor which is specially designed processor to work under the
control of the processor and to support special processing capabilities. For example, 8087
is a coprocessor. It works under the control of 8086 processor and has numeric processing
capabilities.

161. Mention the advantages of using 8087 numeric data processor.

However, some applications require extremely fast and complex math functions which are
not provided by a general purpose processor. Such functions as square root, sine, cosine,
and logarithms are not directly available in a general purpose processor. Providing fast,
accurate, complex math can be quite complicated, requiring large areas of silicon on
integrated circuits.

162. What are the advantages of multiprocessor system?

i. improves cost/ performance ratio of the system

ii. Tasks are divided among the modules. If failure occurs, it is easier and cheaper to find
and replace the malfunctioning processor than replacing the falling part of complex
processor.

163. What are the advantages of multiprocessor system?

i. Better system throughput by having more than one processor.

ii. system structure is more flexible

164. What are the instructions available in 8087?

a. Data transfer instructions

b. arithmetic instructions

c. compare instructions

d. transcendental instructions

e .load constant instructions

f. processor control instructions

165. What are the features of 8089?

a.Instructions are specially designed for I/O processing.

b. In addition to data transfer 8089 can perform arithmetic and logic operations, branches,
searching and translation

166. What is mean by microcontroller?

A device which contains the microprocessor with integrated p peripherals like memory,
serial ports, parallel

ports, timer/counter, interrupt controller, data acquisition interfaces like ADC, DAC is called
microcontroller.

167. Why interfacing is needed for 1/0 devices?

Generally I/O devices are slow devices. Therefore the speed of I/O devices does not
match with the speed of microprocessor. And so an interface is provided between system
bus and I/O devices.

168. What is the difference between CPU bus and system bus?

The CPU bus has multiplexed lines but the system bus has separate lines for each signal.
(The multiplexed CPU lines are demultiplexed by the CPU interface circuit to form system
bus).

169. List the features of 8051 microcontroller?

The features are

● single supply +5 volt operation using HMOS technology.

● 4096 bytes program memory on chip (not on 8031)
● 128 data memory on chip.
● Four register banks.
● Two multiple mode, 16-bit timer/counter.
● Extensive Boolean processing capabilities.
● 64 KB external RAM size
● 32 bidirectional individually addressable I/O lines.
● 8 bit CPU optimized for control applications.
170. Explain the operating mode0 of 8051 serial ports?

In this mode serial enters &exits through RXD, TXD outputs the shift clock.8 bits are
transmitted/received:8 data bits(LSB first).The baud rate is fixed at 1/12 the oscillator
frequency.

171. Explain the operating mode2 of 8051 serial ports?

In this mode 11 bits are transmitted (through TXD) or received (through RXD):a start bit(0),
8 data bits(LSB first),a programmable 9th data bit ,& a stop bit(1).ON transmit the 9th data
bit (TB* in SCON)can be assigned the value of 0 or 1.Or for eg:, the parity bit(P, in the
PSW)could be moved into TB8.On receive the 9th data bit go in to the RB8 in Special
Function Register SCON, while the stop bit is ignored. The baud rate is programmable to
either 1/32or1/64 the oscillator frequency.

172. Explain the mode3 of 8051 serial ports?

In this mode,11 bits are transmitted(through TXD)or received(through RXD):a start bit(0), 8
data bits(LSB first),a programmable 9th data bit ,& a stop bit(1).In fact ,Mode3 is the same
as Mode2 in all respects except the baud rate. The baud rate in Mode3 is variable. In all
the four modes, transmission is initiated by any instruction that uses SBUF as a destination
register. Reception is initiated in Mode0 by the condition RI=0&REN=1.Reception is
initiated in other modes by the incoming start bit if REN=1.

178. Write the features of mode 0 in 8255.

In mode 0, port A and port B can be configured as simple 8-bit input or output ports without
handshaking. The two halves of port C can be programmed separately as 4-bit input or
output ports.

179.What is memory mapping?

memory mapping may refer to:

Memory-mapped file, also known as mmap Memory-mapped I/O, an alternative to port I/O;
a communication between CPU and peripheral device using the same instructions, and
same bus, as between CPU and memory

Virtual memory, technique which gives an application program the impression that it has
contiguous
working memory, while in fact it is physically fragmented and may even overflow on to disk
storage

180. List the addressing modes of 8051?

● Direct addressing
● Register addressing
● Register indirect addressing.
● Implicit addressing
● Immediate addressing
● Index addressing
● Bit addressing.

181. Write about CALL statement in 8051?

There are two subroutine CALL instructions. They are

1. LCALL (Long CALL)

2. ACALL (Absolute CALL)

Each increments the PC to the 1st byte of the instruction & pushes them in to the stack.

182. Write about the jump statement?

There are three forms of jump. They are LJMP (Long jump)-address 16 AJMP (Absolute
Jump)- address 11 SJMP (Short Jump)-relative address.

187. Explain the 16-bit registers DPTR and SP of 8051.

DPTR: DPTR stands for data pointer. DPTR consists of a high byte (DPH) and a low byte
(DPL). Its function is to hold a 16-bit address. It may be manipulated as a 16-bit data register or
as two independent 8-bit registers. It serves as a base register in indirect jumps, lookup table
instructions and external data transfer.SP: SP stands for stack pointer. SP is a 8- bit wide
register. It is incremented before data is stored during PUSH and CALL instructions. The stack
array can reside anywhere in onchip RAM. The stack pointer is initialized to 07H after a reset.
This causes the stack to begin at location 08H.
188. What is mean by microcontroller?

A device which contains the microprocessor with integrated peripherals like memory, serial
ports,

parallel ports, timer/counter, interrupt controller, data acquisition interfaces like ADC, DAC
is called

microcontroller.

189. Explain DJNZ instructions of Intel 8051 microcontroller?

a) DJNZ Rn, rel Decrement the content of the register Rn and jump if not zero.

b) DJNZ direct, rel Decrement the content of direct 8-bit address and jump if not zero

c) 190. What is the function of NEU?

The numeric execution unit executes all the instructions including arithmetic, logical
transcendental, and data transfer instructions. The numeric execution unit executes all the
numeric processor instructions while the control unit (CU) receives, decodes instructions,
reads and writes memory operands and executes the 8087 control instructions.

191. Give the disadvantages of bus window technique?

The numeric execution unit executes all the instructions including arithmetic, logical
transcendental, and data transfer instructions. The numeric execution unit executes all the
numeric processor instructions while the control unit (CU) receives, decodes instructions,
reads and writes memory operands and executes the 8087 control instructions.

192. What is swapping out?

A portion of the program or important partial results required for further execution may e
saved back on

secondary storage to make the physical memory free for further execution of another
required portion

of the program. This is called ‘swapping out’ of the executable program.

193. Name the five interrupt sources of 8051.

External hardware interrupt 0 (INT 0), External hardware interrupt 1 (INT 1), Timer 0
interrupt (TF0),

timer 1 interrupt (TF1) and serial communication interrupt (R1 & T1).
194. What is baud rate in 8051?

The Baud Rate is determined based on the oscillator’s frequency when in mode 0 and 2. In
mode 0, the baud rate is always the oscillator frequency divided by 12. This means if you’re
crystal is 11.059Mhz, mode 0 baud rate will always be 921,583 baud. In mode 2 the baud
rate is always the oscillator frequency divided by 64, so a 11.059Mhz crystal speed will
yield a baud rate of 172,797.

195. Define microcomputer?

A computer that is designed using a microprocessor as its CPU. It includes

microprocessor, memory and I/O.
196. Define ROM?

A memory that stores binary information permanently. The information can be read from
this memory but cannot be altered.

197. What is an ALU?

The group of circuit that provides timing and signals to all operation in the computer and
controls data flow.

198. What are the four primary operations of a MPU?

1. Memory read

2. Memory write

3. I/O read

4. I/O write

199. What is data transfer instructions?

The data transfer instructions copy data from one source in to a destination without
modifying the content of the source.

200. Give the flow chart symbols?

Rectangle: represents a process

Arrow: indicates the direction Represents a predefined process Represents beginning or

end Represents a decision making
201. What are the notations used in the 8085 instructions?

R = 8085 8-bit register

M=memory register Rs

= Register source Rd =

register destination Rp =

register pair

202. What is JNC 16-bit address?

It change the program sequence to the location specified by the 16-bit Address if the carry
flag is reset

203. Give the instructions that perform the logical operations?

● AND, OR, Exclusive-OR

● Rotate
● Compare
● Complement
204. What is a three-byte instruction?

In a three-byte instruction, the first byte specifies the Opcode, and the following two bytes
specifies the 16- bit address.

205. Define a program?

A program is a sequence of instructions written to tell the computer to perform a specific

function.

206. Define ASCII code?

ASCII code is a 7-bit code that represents both decimal numbers, alphabets. Extended
ASCII is an 8-bit code.

207. What is STA in data transfer instruction?

Copy the data from the accumulator in the memory location specified by the 16-bit address

208. What is an IN instruction?

This is a 2-byte instruction. It accepts data from the input port specified in the second byte.
209. What is an OUT instruction?

This is a 2-byte instruction. It sends the content of the accumulator to the output port
specified in the second byte.
210. What is CMA?

Complements the data in the accumulator.

211. What is CALL instruction?

CALL instruction change the sequence to the location of a subroutine.

21. Give the difference between JZ and JNZ?

JZ change the program sequence to the location specified by the 16-bit address if the zero
flag is set

JNZ change the program sequence to the location specified by the 16-bit address if the
zero flag is reset.

213. How is the instruction set classified?

The instruction set is classified in three groups according to the word size:

1. 1-byte instruction
2. 2-byte instruction
3. 3-byte instruction
214. Why the number of out ports in the peripheral-mapped I/O is restricted to 256

ports?

The number of output ports in the peripheral I/O is restricted to 256 ports because the
operand of the OUT instruction is 8-bits; it can have only 256 combinations.

215. If an input and output port can have the same 8-bit address how does the 8085

differentiate between the ports?

In The 8085 differentiates between the input and output ports of the same address by the
control signal. The input port requires the RD and the output port requires the WR signal.

216. What are the control signals necessary in the memory mapped I/O?
RD, WR, I/O (low)
217. Why a latch is used for the output port and a tri-state buffer is used for the

input port?

A latch is necessary to hold the output data for display. The input data byte is obtained by
enabling a tri-state buffer and placed in the accumulator.

218. What happens when the 8085 execute the out instruction?

When the 8085 executes the out instruction, in the third machine cycle, it places the output
port address on the low-order address bus, duplicates the same port address on the higher
order address bus, places the contents of the accumulator on the data bus and asserts the
control signal WR.

219. How will the port number be affected if we decode the high-order address lines

A15 –A8 rather than A7 – A0?

The port address will remain the same because the I/O port address is duplicated on both
segments of the address bus.

220. Define Memory mapped I/O?

Instead of a memory register, if an output device is connected at the address, the

accumulator contents will be transferred to the output device. This is called memory
mapped I/O.

221. What is an interrupt I/O?

The interrupt I/O is a process of data transfer whereby an external device or a peripheral
can inform the processor that it is ready for communication and it requests attention.

222. What is Partial Decoding?

The output port can be selected by decoding some of the address lines is called partial
decoding .

223. Define absolute decoding?

All the eight lines are decoded to generate one unique output pulse. This is called absolute
decoding.
224. Give the characteristics of Memory mapped I/O?

Execution speed

Data transfer

Device address.

225. What is SIM?

SIM: Set interrupt Mask. It is a 1-byte instruction. Used for three

functions

a. To set the Mask

b. To reset the flip flop

c. Implement the I/O

226.What is RIM?

RIM: Read Interrupt Mask Used for three functions

a. To read interrupt mask

b. To identify the pending interrupt

c. To receive serial data.

227. What the two categories of an interrupt?

1. Maskable interrupt

2. Non Maskable interrupt.

228. What is the purpose of an interrupt enable?

The instruction Enable Interrupt sets the Interrupt Enable flip-flop and enables the interrupt
process

230. Give the commonly used priority modes?

Fully Nested mode

Automatic rotation mode

Specific rotation mode
231. What do you mean by control logic?

This has two pins. INT as an output, and INTA as an input. The INT is connected to the
interrupt pin of the MPU.

232. What are the two modes of DMA execution?

Slave Mode, Master mode

234. Give the three formats of END of Interrupt?

NON-specific EOI command

Specific EOI command

Automatic interrupt

235. What are the signals used by the DMA controller?

The Signals are:

● HLDA
● DMA request
● DMA acknowledge
● AEN – address enable
● ADSTB- address strobe

236. Give the additional features of 8259A controller?

● Input triggering
● Interrupt Status
● Poll Method
237. How the signals of the 8237 are classified?

The signals are classified in to two groups.

i. One group of signals are used for interfacing with the MPU

ii. Second group for communicating with the peripherals.

238. How long the INTR pulse stays high?

The INTR pulse can remain high until the interrupt flip-flop is set by the EI instruction in the
service routine.
239. What is the purpose of 8255 PPI?

The 8255A is widely used, programmable, parallel I/O device .It can be programmed to
transfer data under various conditions, from simple I/O to interrupt I/O.

240. List the operating modes of 8255A PPI?

● Two 8-bit ports (A and B)

● Two 4-bit ports(Cu and CL )
● Data bus buffer
● Control logic

245. What is the purpose for scan section in keyboard interface?

The scan section has a scan counter and four scan lines. These scan lines can be
decoded using a 4-to-16 decoder to generate 16 lines for scanning.

247. What is USART?

USART is an integrated circuit. It is a programmable device its function and specifications

for serial I/O can be determined by writing instructions in its internal registers.

248. Define parallel to serial conversion?

In serial transmission an 8-bit parallel word should be converted in to a stream of eight

serial bits. This is known as parallel to serial conversion.

249. Define simplex transmission?

In simplex transmission, data are transmitted in only one direction. Example: transmission
from a microcomputer to a printer.

250. Define Baud?

The rate at which the bits are transmitted is called Baud.

255. What is transmitter section in USART?

The transmitter section accepts parallel data from the MPU and converts them into serial
data. It has two registers. A buffer register and an output register.
256. Define serial to parallel conversion?

In serial reception, the MPU receives a stream of eight bits and it is converted in to 8-bit
parallel word. This is known as serial to parallel conversion.
257. Define A/D and D/A converters?

D/A converters transform a digital signal to an equivalent analog signal, and A/D
converters transform an analog signal to an equivalent digital signal.

258. What is resolution?

Resolution of a converter determines the degree of accuracy in conversion. It is equal to

1/2n

259. To interface an A/D converter with the microprocessor, what does the microprocessor
do?

The microprocessor should:

● Send a pulse to the start pin

● Wait until the end of the conversation
● Read the digital signal at the input port
260. Write instructions for the EXEC module, assuming the memory address where
execution begins is in the register DE?

EXEC: PUSH

RET

261. What are the functions of a single-board microcomputer?

● Increase memory addressing

● Increase execution speed
● Provide a powerful instruction set
262. What is BHE?

BHE is Bus High Enable. This is an active low signal used only in the 8086 microprocessor
to enable the high order byte of 16-bit data.

263. How many flags are included in 8086 programming model?

Six data flags and three control flags.

264. Write the advanced design features of Pentium processor?

● Superscalar architecture On-chip cache memory for code and data

● Branch prediction
● Performance monitoring
265. Write the data transfer from master MPU to slave MPU?

● The master MPU reads the status

● The master writes the data into port A
● The slave checks the OBF signal
● The slave MPU reads the data from port A.

266. What is Microprocessor? Give the power supply & clock frequency of 8085?

A microprocessor is a multipurpose, programmable logic device that reads binary

instructions from a storage device called memory accepts binary data as input and
processes data according to those instructions and provides result as output. The power
supply of 8085 is +5V and clock frequency in 3MHz.
268. List few applications of microprocessor-based system.

It is used:

I . For measurements, display and control of current, voltage, temperature, pressure, etc.

ii. For traffic control and industrial tool control.

iii. For speed control of machines.

269. What are the functions of an accumulator?

The accumulator is the register associated with the ALU operations and sometimes I/O
operations. It is an integral part of ALU. It holds one of data to be processed by ALU. It also
temporarily stores the result of the operation performed by the ALU.

270. List the 16 – bit registers of 8085 microprocessor?

Stack pointer (SP) and Program counter (PC).

282. List the allowed register pairs of

8085?

B-C register pair

D-E register pair

H-L register pair

283. Mention the purpose of SID and SOD lines

SID (Serial input data line): It is an input line through which the microprocessor accepts
serial data. SOD (Serial output data line): It is an output line through which the
microprocessor sends output serial data.

284. What is an Opcode?

The part of the instruction that specifies the operation to be performed is called the
operation code or opcode.

285. What is the function of IO/M signal in the 8085?

It is a status signal. It is used to differentiate between memory locations and I/O

operations. When this signal is low (IO/M = 0) it denotes the memory related operations.
When this signal is high (IO/M = 1) it denotes an I/O operation.

286. What is an Operand?

The data on which the operation is to be performed is called as an Operand.

287. How many operations are there in the instruction set of 8085 microprocessor?

There are 74 operations in the 8085 microprocessor.

289. Explain the difference between a JMP instruction and CALL instruction?

A JMP instruction permanently changes the program counter. A CALL instruction leaves
information on the stack so that the original program execution sequence can be resumed.

290. Explain the purpose of the I/O instructions IN and OUT?

The IN instruction is used to move data from an I/O port into the accumulator. The OUT
instruction is used to move data from the accumulator to an I/O port. The IN & OUT
instructions are used only on microprocessor, which use a separate address space for
interfacing.

300. What is the difference between the shift and rotate instructions?

A rotate instruction is a closed loop instruction. That is, the data moved out at one end is
put back in at the other end. The shift instruction loses the data that is moved out of the
last bit locations.
301. How many address lines in a 4096 x 8 EPROM CHIP?

12 address lines.

302. What are the Control signals used for DMA operation?

HOLD & HLDA.

303. What is meant by Wait State?

This state is used by slow peripheral devices. The peripheral devices can transfer the data
to or from the microprocessor by using READY input line. The microprocessor remains in
wait state as long as READY line is low. During the wait state, the contents of the address,
address/data and control buses are held constant.

304. List the four instructions which control the interrupt structure of the 8085
microprocessor?

DI ( Disable Interrupts )

EI ( Enable Interrupts )

RIM ( Read Interrupt Masks )

SIM ( Set Interrupt Masks )

305. What is meant by polling?

Polling or device polling is a process which identifies the device that has interrupted the
microprocessor.

306. What is meant by interrupt?

Interrupt is an external signal that causes a microprocessor to jump to a specific

subroutine

307. Explain priority interrupts of 8085?

The 8085 microprocessor has five interrupt inputs. They are TRAP, RST 7.5, RST 6.5,
RST 5.5, and INTR. These interrupts have a fixed priority of interrupt service. If two or
more interrupts go high at the same time, the 8085 will service them on priority basis. The
TRAP has the highest priority followed by RST 7.5, RST 6.5, RST 5.5.
308. What is the signal classification of 8085?

All the signals of 8085 can be classified into 6 groups

1. Address bus

2. Data bus

3. Control and status signals

4. Power supply and frequency signals

5. Externally initiated signals

6. Serial I/O ports

309. What are operations performed on data in 8085?

The various operations performed are Store 8-bit data Perform arithmetic and logical
operations Test for conditions Sequence the execution of instructions Store data
temporarily during execution in the defined R/W memory locations called the stack
310. Steps involved to fetch a byte in 8085?

The PC places the 16-bit memory address on the address bus ii. The control unit sends the
control signal RD to enable the memory chip iii. The byte from the memory location is
placed on the data bus iv. The byte is placed in the instruction decoder of the
microprocessor and the task is carried out according to the instruction
311. How many interrupts does 8085 have, mention them?

The 8085 has 5 interrupt signals; they are INTR, RST7.5, RST6.5, RST5.5 and TRAP.

312. Basic concepts in memory interfacing?

The primary function of memory interfacing is that the microprocessor should be able to
read from and write into a given register of a memory chip. To perform these operations the
microprocessor should Be able to select the chip Identify the register Enable the
appropriate buffer.

313. Define instruction cycle, machine cycle and T-state?

Instruction cycle is defined, as the time required completing the execution of an

instruction. Machine cycle is defined as the time required completing one operation of
accessing memory, I/O or acknowledging an external request. Tcycle is defined as one
subdivision of the operation performed in one clock period.
314. What is an instruction?

An instruction is a binary pattern entered through an input device to command the

microprocessor to perform that specific function.

315. What is the use of ALE?

The ALE is used to latch the lower order address so that it can be available in T2 and T3
and used for identifying the memory address. During T1 the ALE goes high, the latch is
transparent i.e the output changes according to the input data, so the output of the latch is
the lower order address. When ALE goes low the lower order address is latched until the
next ALE.

316. How many machine cycles does 8085 have, mention them?

The 8085 have seven machine cycles. They are

Opcode fetch Interrupt acknowledge

Bus idle I/O write

Memory read Memory write

I/O read

317. Explain the signals HOLD, READY and SID?

HOLD indicates that a peripheral such as DMA controller is requesting the use of address
bus, data bus and control bus. READY is used to delay the microprocessor read or write
cycles until a slow responding peripheral is ready to send or accept data.SID is used to
accept serial data bit by bit

318. Mention the categories of instruction and give two examples for each category?

The instructions of 8085 can be categorized into the following five categories

Data transfer Instructions -MOV Rd Rs STA 16-bit

Arithmetic Instructions -ADD R DCR M

Logical Branching

Instructions -JNZ CALL 16-bit Machine control Instructions -HLT NOP

319. Explain LDA, STA and DAA instructions?

LDA copies the data byte into accumulator from the memory location specified by the 16-
bit address. STA copies the data byte from the accumulator in the memory location
specified by 16-bit address. DAA changes the contents of the accumulator from binary to
4-bit BCD digits.

320. Explain the different instruction formats with examples?

The instruction set is grouped into the following formats

One byte instruction -MOV C,A

Two byte instruction -MVI A,39H

Three byte instruction -JMP 2345H

321. What is the use of addressing modes, mention the different types?

The various formats of specifying the operands are called addressing modes, it is used to
access the operands or data. The different types are as follows

Immediate addressing

Register addressing

Direct addressing

Indirect addressing

Implicit addressing

322. What is the use of bi-directional buffers?

It is used to increase the driving capacity of the data bus. The data bus of a
microcomputer system is bi-directional, so it requires a buffer that allows the data to flow in
both directions

323. Define stack and explain stack related instructions?

The stack is a group of memory locations in the R/W memory that is used for the
temporary storage of binary information during the execution of the program. The stack
related instructions are PUSH & POP
324. Why do we use XRA A instruction?

The XRA A instruction is used to clear the contents of the Accumulator and store the value
00H.
325. What is Microcontroller and Microcomputer?

Microcontroller is a device that includes microprocessor; memory and I/O signal lines on a
single chip, fabricated using VLSI technology. Microcomputer is a computer that is
designed using microprocessor as its CPU. It includes microprocessor, memory and I/O.

326. Define Flags?

The flags are used to reflect the data conditions in the accumulator. The 8085 flags are S-
Sign flag, Z-Zero flag, AC-Auxiliary carry flag, P-Parity flag, CYCarry flag, D7 D6 D5 D4 D3
D2 D1 D0 44.

327. How does the microprocessor differentiate between data and instruction?

When the first m/c code of an instruction is fetched and decoded in the instruction register,
the microprocessor recognizes the number of bytes required to fetch the entire instruction.
For example MVI A, Data, the second byte is always considered as data. If the data byte is
omitted by mistake whatever is in that memory location will be considered as data & the
byte after the “data” will be treated as the next instruction.

328. What is assembler?

The assembler translates the assembly language program text which is given as input to
the assembler to their binary equivalents known as object code. The time required to
translate the assembly code to object code is called access time. The assembler checks
for syntax errors & displays them before giving the object code.

329. What is loader?

The loader copies the program into the computer’s main memory at load time and begins
the program execution at execution time.

330. What is linker?

A linker is a program used to join together several object files into one large object file. For
large programs it is more efficient to divide the large program modules into smaller
modules. Each module is individually written, tested & debugged. When all the modules
work they are linked together to form a large functioning program.
331. What is interrupt service routine?

Interrupt means to break the sequence of operation. While the CPU is executing a
program an interrupt breaks the normal sequence of execution of instructions & diverts its
execution to some other program. This program to which the control is transferred is called
the interrupt service routine. 50.

332. What are the various programmed data transfer methods?

i) Synchronous data transfer

ii) ii) Asynchronous data transfer
iii) iii) Interrupt driven data transfer

333. What is synchronous data transfer?

It is a data method which is used when the I/O device and the microprocessor match in
speed. To transfer a data to or from the device, the user program issues a suitable
instruction addressing the device. The data transfer is completed at the end of the
execution of this instruction.

334. What is asynchronous data transfer?

It is a data transfer method which is used when the speed of an I/O device does not match
with the speed of the microprocessor. Asynchronous data transfer is also called as
Handshaking.

338. What are the signals used in input control signal & output control signal?

Input control signal

STB (Strobe input)

IBF (Input buffer full)

INTR(Interrupt request)

Output control signal

OBF (Output buffer full)

ACK (Acknowledge input)

INTR(Interrupt request)
343. Define scan counter?

The scan counter has two modes to scan the key matrix and refresh the display. In the
encoded mode, the counter provides binary count that is to be externally decoded to
provide the scan lines for keyboard and display. In the decoded scan mode, the counter
internally decodes the least significant 2 bits and provides a decoded 1 out of 4 scan on
SL0-SL3.The keyboard and display both are in the same mode at a time.

345. What are the modes used in keyboard modes?

1. Scanned Keyboard mode with 2 Key Lockout.

2. Scanned Keyboard with N-key Rollover.

3. Scanned Keyboard special Error Mode.

4. Sensor Matrix Mode.

346. What are the modes used in display modes?

1. Left Entry mode In the left entry mode, the data is entered from the left side of the
display unit.

2. Right Entry Mode.

In the right entry mode, the first entry to be displayed is entered on the rightmost display.

349. What is the function of DMA address register?

Each DMA channel has one DMA address register. The function of this register is to store
the address of the starting memory location, which will be accessed by the DMA channel.
Thus the starting address of the memory block that will be accessed by the device is first
loaded in the DMA address register of the channel. Naturally, the device that wants to
transfer data over a DMA channel, will access the block of memory with the starting
address stored in the DMA Address Register.

350. What is the use of terminal count register?

Each of the four DMA channels of 8257 has one terminal count register. This 16-bit
register is used for ascertaining that the data transfer through a DMA channel ceases or
stops after the required number of DMA cycles.
352. What is interfacing?

An interface is a shared boundary between the devices which involves sharing

information. Interfacing is the process of making two different systems communicate with
each other.

354. What is a control word?

It is a word stored in a register (control register) used to control the operation of a program
digital device.

355. What is the purpose of control word written to control register in 8255?

The control words written to control register specify an I/O function for each I.O port.
The bit D7 of the control word determines either the I/O function of the BSR function.
I/O data

357. Give the different types of command words used in 8259a?

The command words of 8259A are classified in two groups

1. Initialization command words (ICWs)

2. Operation command words (OCWs)

358. Distinguish between the memories mapped I/O peripheral I/O?

Memory Mapped I/O Peripheral Mapped I/O 16-bit device address 8-bit device address

Data transfer between any general-purpose register and I/O port. Data is transfer only
between accumulator and I.O port

The memory map (64K) is shared between I/O device and system

memory. The I/O map is independent of the memory map; 256 input device and 256

output device can be connected

More hardware is required to decode 16-bit address Less hardware is required to decode
8-bit address

Arithmetic or logic operation can be directly performed with I/O

data Arithmetic or logical operation cannot be directly performed with

359. What is memory mapping?

The assignment of memory addresses to various registers in a memory chip is called as

memory mapping.

360. What is I/O mapping?

The assignment of addresses to various I/O devices in the memory chip is called as I/O
mapping.

361. What is an USART?

USART stands for universal synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter. It is a

programmable communication interface that can communicate by using either synchronous
or asynchronous serial data.

362.What is the use of 8251 chip?

8251 chip is mainly used as the asynchronous serial interface between the processor and
the external equipment.

363. What is 8279?

The 8279 is a programmable Keyboard/Display interface.

364. List the major components of the keyboard/Display interface.

a. Keyboard section b. Scan section c. Display section d. CPU interface section

365. What is Key bouncing?

Mechanical switches are used as keys in most of the keyboards. When a key is pressed
the contact bounce back and forth and settle down only after a small time delay (about
20ms). Even though a key is actuated once, it will appear to have been actuated several
times. This problem is called Key Bouncing.

366.Define HRQ?

The hold request output requests the access of the system bus. In non- cascaded 8257
systems, this is connected with HOLD pin of CPU. In cascade mode, this pin of a slave is
connected with a DRQ input line of the master 8257, while that of the master is connected
with HOLD input of the CPU.
367. What is the use of stepper motor?

A stepper motor is a device used to obtain an accurate position control of rotating shafts.
A stepper motor employs rotation of its shaft in terms of steps, rather than continuous
rotation as in case of AC or DC motor.

368. What is TXD?

TXD- Transmitter Data Output This output pin carries serial stream of the transmitted data
bits along with other information like start bit, stop bits and priority bit.

369. What is RXD?

RXD- Receive Data Input This input pin of 8251A receives a composite stream of the data
to be received by 8251A.

370. What is meant by key bouncing?

Microprocessor must wait until the key reach to a steady state; this is known as Key
bounce.

371. What is swapping?

The procedure of fetching the chosen program segments or data from the secondary
storage into the physical memory is called ‘swapping’.
372. Write the function of crossbar switch?

The crossbar switch provides the inter connection paths between the memory module and
the processor. Each node of the crossbar represents a bus switch. All these nodes may be
controlled by one of these processors or by a separate one altogether.

373. What is a data amplifier?

Transceivers are the bi-directional buffers are some times they are called as data
amplifiers. They are required to separate the valid data from the time multiplexed address
data signal. They are controlled by 2 signals i.e DEN & DT/R.

374. What is status flag bit?

The flag register reflects the results of logical and arithmetic instructions. The flag register
digits D0, D2, D4, D6, D7 and D11 are modified according to the result of the execution of
logical and arithmetic instruction. These are called as status flag bits.
375. What is a control flag?

The bits D8 and D9 namely, trap flag (TF) and interrupt flag (IF) bits, are used for
controlling machine operation and thus they are called control flags.

376. What is instruction pipelining?

Major function of the bus unit is to fetch instruction bytes from the memory. In fact, the
instructions are fetched in advance and stored in a queue to enable faster execution of the
instructions. This concept is known as instruction pipelining.

377. Compare Microprocessor and Microcontroller?

Microprocessor contains ALU general purpose registers stack pointer, program counter,
clock timing circuit and interrupt circuit.

Microcontroller contains the circuitry of microprocessor and in addition it has built- in ROM,
RAM, I/O devices, timers and counters.

Microprocessor- It has many instructions to move data between memory and CPU.

Microcontroller- It has one or two instructions to move data between memory and CPU.

It has one or two bit handling instructions. It has many bit handling instructions.

Access times for memory and I/O devices are more. Less access times for built-in memory
and I/O devices.

Microprocessor based system requires more hardware.

Microcontroller based system requires less hardware reducing PCB size and increasing the
reliability.

378. How many memory locations can be addressed by a microprocessor with 14

address lines?

The 8085 MPU with its 14-bit address is capable of addressing 214=16,384 (ie) 16K
memory locations.

379. What is the function of the accumulator?

The accumulator is the register used to store the 8-bit data to perform the arithmetic and
logical operations.
380. Define control bus?

This is single line that is generated by the MPU to provide timing of various operations.

381. What is a flag?

The data conditions, after arithmetic or logical operations, are indicated by setting or
resetting the flip-flops called flags.
382. Why are the program counter and the stack pointer 16-bit registers?

Memory locations for the program counter and stack pointer have 16-dit address. So the
PC and SP have 16-bit registers.

383. Define memory word?

The number of bits stored in a register is called a memory word.

384. Specify the number of registers and memory cells required in a 128 x 4

memory chip?

Number of registers=128

Memory cells required is 128 x 4=512

385. Explain the function of ALU and IO/M signals in the 8085 architecture?

The ALU signal goes high at the beginning of each machine cycle indicating the availability
of the address on the address bus, and the signal is used to latch the low-order address
bus. The IO/M signal is a status signal indicating whether the machine cycle is I/O or
memory operation. The IO/M signal is combined with the RD and WR control signals to
generate IOR, IOW, MEMW, MEMR.

387. Write down the control and status signals?

Two control signals and three status signals

Control signals: RD and WR

Status signals: IO/M, S1, S2

388. Define machine cycle?

Machine cycle is defined, as the time required completing one operation of accessing
memory, I/O, or acknowledging an external request.
389. Define T-state?

T-state is defined as one subdivision of the operation of performed in one clock period.

390. Define instruction cycle?

Instruction cycle is defined, as the time required completing the execution of the
instruction.
391. What is a transparent latch? Why is it necessary to latch with output devices

such as LED’s?

A transparent latch is a flip-flop; its output changes according to input when the clock signal
is high, and it latches the input on the trailing edge of the clock. The latch is necessary for
output devices to return the result; otherwise the result will disappear.

392. What is an instruction set?

The entire group of instructions determines what functions the microprocessor can perform
is called instruction set.

392. Give the functional categories of 8085 micro instructions?

A Z AC P CY

● Data transfer operations

● Arithmetic operations
● Logical operations
● Branching operations
● Machine control operations

393. Define the types of branching operations?

Jump: to test the conditions Call, Return, And Restart: Change the sequence of the
program.

394. Define two-byte instruction with one example?

In a 2-byte instruction, the first byte specifies the Opcode the second byte specifies the
operand Example: Opcode operand MVI A, Data
395. What operation can be performed by using the instruction ADD A?

The instruction ADD a will add the content of the accumulator to itself; this is equivalent to
multiplying by 2.

396. What is the machine control operations used in 8085 microprocessor?

1. HLT: Halt

2. NOP: No Operation