Which statement correctly describes the difference between Von Neumann and Harvard computer architectures?

• A. Von Neumann uses a single memory space for both instructions and data.
• B. Harvard uses a single memory space for both instructions and data.
• C. Harvard uses separate memory for instructions and data, enabling parallel access.
• D. Von Neumann can access instruction and data in parallel.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how instructions and data are stored and accessed. Harvard architecture uses separate memories for instructions and for data, with independent pathways. This means the processor can fetch an instruction while simultaneously reading or writing data, allowing true parallel access and potentially higher throughput. Von Neumann architecture, on the other hand, uses a single shared memory for both instructions and data, so there’s competition for the same bus and memory, which can create a bottleneck because instruction fetch and data access can’t happen simultaneously on separate paths. So the statement that Harvard uses separate memory for instructions and data, enabling parallel access, is the accurate description. The other options misstate which architecture uses a single memory or imply parallel access for Von Neumann, which doesn’t align with the standard design.