Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Correct
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
A full adder is a combinational block that forms the basis of ripple-carry, carry-lookahead, and more advanced adders. In practical CPUs, DSPs, and controllers, adder outputs are often registered to align with clocked pipelines, stabilize timing, and enable multi-cycle arithmetic sequences.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The adder itself is combinational, but systems that use adders frequently capture outputs into registers for timing closure, pipelining, or state progression. This separates combinational delay from subsequent logic and allows higher clock frequencies by introducing pipeline stages.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Full adder produces SUM and COUT given A, B, CIN.2) In a synchronous pipeline, SUM/COUT feed D inputs of flip-flops.3) On the active clock edge, registers store these outputs, stabilizing them for the next stage.4) Registered boundaries enable predictable timing and throughput improvements.
Verification / Alternative check:
Examine typical ALU or multiplier-accumulator diagrams; outputs after arithmetic stages are commonly registered at pipeline boundaries.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“Incorrect” ignores standard synchronous practice. “Stored only in ROM” is unrelated—ROM is not used to store dynamic arithmetic results. “Must never be clocked” misinterprets that while adders are combinational, their outputs are routinely clocked in systems.
Common Pitfalls:
Assuming combinational blocks never interface with sequential elements; overlooking the difference between pure logic function and system-level timing strategy.
Final Answer:
Correct
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