Subject

    Computer Science

    Topic

    Computer Hardware

    What does a 'bus contention' or 'arbitration' mechanism solve?

    a)
    The problem of multiple devices trying to use the data bus at the same time.
    b)
    The problem of data being corrupted by electrical noise.
    c)
    The problem of slow devices holding up fast devices.
    d)
    The problem of addressing more memory than the address bus can handle.

    Explanation

    Since the system bus is a shared resource, a bus arbitration scheme is needed to decide which device gets control of the bus at any given time. This prevents data collisions and ensures orderly communication between components like the CPU, DMA controller, and other master devices.

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