- 2075 Chaitra · 3 marks
Reasons for I/O interfaces
Short answer
I/O interfaces are required because peripherals are slower than the CPU and need synchronization, they use different data formats and signal levels, and each device requires its own control commands and status signals so the CPU can manage them without disturbing other peripherals.
Explain three reasons behind the requirement of I/O interfaces.
Three reasons why I/O interfaces are required:
- Speed difference: peripherals are much slower than the CPU and memory. The interface has buffers and status flags that synchronise the data transfer between them.
- Different data formats and signals: a peripheral may use serial data, a different word length, code or voltage level from the CPU's parallel word. The interface converts the data (serial to parallel, code conversion) and signal levels.
- Control and selection: each device needs its own control commands, status and timing. The interface decodes the device address, passes commands to the device, reports its status (ready, busy, error) and can raise an interrupt. This keeps the CPU independent of the details of each device and avoids disturbing other peripherals.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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