Embedded Systems Questions and Answers – Writing Scheme of Cache Memory

This set of Embedded Systems Interview Questions and Answers for freshers focuses on “Writing Scheme of Cache Memory”.

1. Which of the following is the biggest challenge in the cache memory design?
a) delay
b) size
c) coherency
d) memory access
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: The coherency is a major challenge in designing the cache memory. The cache has to be designed by solving the problem of data coherency while remaining hardware and software compatible.

2. What arises when a copy of data is held both in the cache and in the main memory?
a) stall data
b) stale data
c) stop data
d) wait for the state
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: The stale data arises when the copy is held both in the cache memory and in the main memory. If either copy is modified, the other data become stale and the system coherency can be destroyed.

3. In which writing scheme does all the data writes go through to main memory and update the system and cache?
a) write-through
b) write-back
c) write buffering
d) no caching of writing cycle
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: There are different writing scheme in the cache memory which increases the cache efficiency and one such is the write-through in which all the data go to the main memory and can update the system as well as the cache.
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4. In which writing scheme does the cache is updated but the main memory is not updated?
a) write-through
b) write-back
c) no caching of writing cycle
d) write buffering
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: The cache write-back mechanism needs a bus snooping system for the coherency. In this write-back scheme, the cache is updated first and the main memory is not updated.

5. In which writing scheme does the cache is not updated?
a) write-through
b) write-back
c) write buffering
d) no caching of writing cycle
View Answer

Answer: d
Explanation: The no caching write cycle does not update the cache but the data is written to the cache. If the previous data had cached, that entry is invalid and will not use. This makes the processor fetch data directly from the main memory.

6. Which writing mechanism forms the backbone of the bus snooping mechanism?
a) write-back
b) write-through
c) no caching of write cycles
d) write buffer
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: The no caching of write cycle seems to be wasteful because it does not update the cache, and if any previous data is cached, that entry might be an error and is not used. So the processor access data from the main memory but this writing scheme forms the backbone of the bus snooping system for the coherency issue.

7. What is the main idea of the writing scheme in the cache memory?
a) debugging
b) accessing data
c) bus snooping
d) write-allocate
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: There are four main writing scheme in the cache memory which is, write-through, write-back, no caching of the write cycle and write buffer. All these writing schemes are designed for bus snooping which can reduce the coherency.
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8. In which scheme does the data write via a buffer to the main memory?
a) write buffer
b) write-back
c) write-through
d) no caching of the write cycle
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The write-buffer is slightly similar to the write-through mechanism in which data is written to the main memory but in write buffer mechanism data writes to the main memory via a buffer.

9. Which of the following can allocate entries in the cache for any data that is written out?
a) write-allocate cache
b) read-allocate cache
c) memory-allocate cache
d) write cache
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: A write-allocate cache allocates the entries in the cache for any data that is written out. If the data is transferred to the external memory so that, when it is accessed again, the data is already waiting in the cache. It works efficiently if the size of the cache is large and it does not overwrite even though it is advantageous.
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10. Which of the following uses a bus snooping mechanism?
a) MC88100
b) 8086
c) 8051
d) 80286
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The bus snooping mechanism uses a combination of cache tag status, write policies and bus monitoring to ensure coherency. MC88100 or MC88200 uses bus snooping mechanism.

11. What leads to the development of MESI and MEI protocol?
a) cache size
b) cache coherency
c) bus snooping
d) number of caches
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: The problem of cache coherency lead to the formation of two standard mechanisms called MESI and MEI protocol. MC88100 have MESI protocol and MC68040 uses an MEI protocol.

12. Which of the following is also known as Illinois protocol?
a) MESI protocol
b) MEI protocol
c) Bus snooping
d) Modified exclusive invalid
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The MESI protocol is also known as Illinois protocol because of its formation at the University of Illinois.

13. What does MESI stand for?
a) modified exclusive stale invalid
b) modified exclusive shared invalid
c) modified exclusive system input
d) modifies embedded shared invalid
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: The MESI protocol supports a shared state which is a formal mechanism for controlling the cache coherency by using the bus snooping techniques. MESI refers to the states that cached data can access. In MESI protocol, multiple processors can cache shared data.

14. What does MEI stand for?
a) modified embedded invalid
b) modified embedded input
c) modified exclusive invalid
d) modified exclusive input
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: MEI protocol is less complex and is easy to implement. It does not allow shared state for the cache.

15. Which protocol does MPC601 use?
a) MESI protocol
b) MEI protocol
c) MOSI protocol
d) MESIF protocol
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: MPC601 uses a MESI protocol, that is they have a shared state for data accessing in the cache. It can reduce the cache coherency but the cache coherency is processor specific. So different processors have different cache coherency implementations.

Sanfoundry Global Education & Learning Series – Embedded System.

To practice all areas of Embedded Systems for Interviews, here is complete set of 1000+ Multiple Choice Questions and Answers.

If you find a mistake in question / option / answer, kindly take a screenshot and email to [email protected]

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Manish Bhojasia - Founder & CTO at Sanfoundry
Manish Bhojasia, a technology veteran with 20+ years @ Cisco & Wipro, is Founder and CTO at Sanfoundry. He lives in Bangalore, and focuses on development of Linux Kernel, SAN Technologies, Advanced C, Data Structures & Alogrithms. Stay connected with him at LinkedIn.

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