Subelement E: Digital Logic— Topic 38: Memory
Question 3-38E1
Element 3 (GROL)What is the name of the semiconductor memory IC whose digital data can be written or read, and whose memory word address can be accessed randomly?
Explanation
Random-Access Memory (RAM) is the correct answer because it uniquely describes a semiconductor memory integrated circuit (IC) where digital data can be both written to and read from during normal operation. The term "random access" means that any memory word address can be accessed directly, in any order, with approximately the same speed, for both reading and writing data.
ROM, PROM, and EPROM are all variations of Read-Only Memory. While they can be read randomly, their primary characteristic is that data is either permanently stored during manufacturing (ROM), programmed once (PROM), or programmed/erased through specific, often slower, procedures (EPROM). They are not designed for routine, dynamic writing of data by the system during operation in the same way RAM is.
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