Abbreviation for ampere.
ac
Abbreviation for alternating current.
bios
Abbreviation for basic input/output system. A system's bios contains programs stored on a fast-erase memory chip. bios can control the following functions:
1 communication between the microprocessor and peripheral devices such as keyboards and video adapters
2 other functions such as system messages
bps
Abbreviation for bit per second.
btu
Abbreviation for british thermal unit.
c
Abbreviation for celsius.
cd-rom
Abbreviation for compact disc read-only memory. cd-rom drives use optical technology to read data from cd's. cd's are read-only storage devices; you can't write new data to cd's using a standard cd-rom drive.
com n
The device names for the first through fourth serial ports on your system are com1, com2, com3, and com4. com1 and com3 have default interrupts that are irq4, and com2 and com4 have default interrupts that are irq3. So be careful not to create interrupt conflicts when configuring the software that will run the serial devices.
cpi
Abbreviation for characters per inch.
cpu
Abbreviation for central processing unit. See also microprocessor.
db
Abbreviation for decibel.
dba
Abbreviation for adjusted decibel.
dc
Abbreviation for direct current.
dimm
Abbreviation for dual in-line memory module. A small circuit board that connects to the motherboard and contains the dram chip.
din
Abbreviation for deutsche industrie norm.
dip
Abbreviation for dual in-line package. A board, such as a motherboard or an expansion card, may contain dip switches to configure the board. dip switches are toggle switches with two positions, on and off.
dma
Abbreviation for direct memory access. dma channels allow certain types of data to be transferred directly between the ram and the device, bypassing the microprocessor.
dmi
Abbreviation for desktop management interface. dmi lets you manage your system's software and hardware. dmi collects information about system components, such as the operating system, memory, peripherals, expansion cards, and asset tags. The system component information is displayed as a mif file.
dpms
Abbreviation for display power management signaling. A standard developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA?) that defines the hardware signals sent by video controllers to activate the display power management state. A dpms-compliant display enters the power management state when it receives the appropriate signal from the system's video controller.
dram
Abbreviation for dynamic random-access memory. The ram of a system is usually composed entirely of dram chips. Since the dram chip cannot hold a charge indefinitely, the system needs to constantly refresh each dram microprocessor installed in it.
dte
Abbreviation for data terminal equipment, which is any device, such as a system, that sends data digitally over a cable or communication line. dte connects to a cable or communication line through a data communications equipment (dce), such as a modem.
ecc
Abbreviation for error checking and correction.
ecp
Abbreviation for extended capabilities port.
eeprom
Abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read-only memory.
eide
Abbreviation for enhanced integrated drive electronics. eide devices add one or more of the following features over traditional ide standard devices:
1 Data transfer rate of up to 16mb/sec
2 Support for hard disk drives, in addition to hard disk drives. p> 2 Support for cd-rom drives, tape drives, etc., in addition to hard disk drives
3 Support for hard disk drives larger than 528mb
4 Support for two controllers, each of which can be connected to two devices
eisa
The term eisa is short for extended industry- standard architecture. eisa
Abbreviation for extended industry- standard architecture, a 32-bit expansion bus design. eisa systems with expansion card connectors are also compatible with 8- or 16-bit isa expansion cards.
When installing an eisa expansion card, you must run the eisa configuration utility to avoid configuration conflicts. This utility allows you to specify which expansion slot to insert the expansion card in, and to obtain the system resource information required for that expansion card from the corresponding eisa configuration file.
emc
Abbreviation for electromagnetic compatibility.
emi
Abbreviation for electromagnetic interference.
emm
Abbreviation for expanded memory manager. A utility program that emulates expanded memory by using expanded memory in systems with intel386 or higher microprocessors.
ems
Abbreviation for expanded memory specification.
eprom
Abbreviation for erasable programmable read-only memory.
esd
Abbreviation for electrostatic discharge.
f
Abbreviation for fahrenheit.
fat
Abbreviation for file allocation table, a file system structure used by ms-dos to organize and track file storage.
fcc
Abbreviation for federal communications commission.
ft
Abbreviation for foot.
ftp
Abbreviation for file transfer protocol.
g
Abbreviation for gram.
g
Abbreviation for gravity.
gb
Abbreviation for gigabyte. A gigabyte is equal to 1024 megabytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes.
gui
Abbreviation for graphical user interface.
h
Abbreviation for hexadecimal. An arithmetic system with a base unit of 16, often used in programming to identify addresses in the system ram and i/o memory addresses of devices. For example, the decimal numbers from 0 to 16 are represented in hexadecimal notation as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, c, d, e, f, and 10. In text format, the hexadecimal numbers are usually followed by an h.
hma
Abbreviation for high memory area. It is the first 64 kilobytes of extended memory above 1 megabyte. xms-compliant memory managers can make hma a direct extension of regular memory. See also upper memory area and xmm.
hpfs
Abbreviation for high performance file system. It is an option in the os/2 and windows nt operating systems.
hz
Abbreviation for hertz.
i/o
Abbreviation for input/output. A keyboard is an input device and a printer is an output device. In general, i/o activities are distinguishable from arithmetic activities. For example, when a program transfers a document to a printer, it is performing an output activity; and when a program sorts a list of terms, it is performing an arithmetic activity.
ices
Abbreviation for the Canadian interface-causing equipment standard.
icu
Abbreviation for isa configuration utility.
id
Abbreviation for identification.
ipx
Abbreviation for internetwork packet exchange.
irq
Abbreviation for interrupt request. It is a signal sent from a peripheral device to the microprocessor over the irq line that data is about to be transmitted or received. You must assign an irq number to each peripheral connection. For example, the first serial port in the system (com1) is assigned to irq4 (the default setting). Two devices can*** be assigned with a single irq, but you cannot operate both devices at the same time.
isa
Abbreviation for industry-standard architecture. A 16-bit expansion bus design. isa system expansion card connectors are also compatible with 8-bit isa expansion cards.
ite
Abbreviation for information technology equipment.
k
Abbreviation for kilo, which is 1,000.
kb/sec
Abbreviation for kilobytes per second.
kb
Abbreviation for kilobyte, which is 1,024 bytes.
kbit/sec
Abbreviation for kilobit per second.
kbit
Abbreviation for kilobit, which is 1,024 bits.
kg
Abbreviation for kilogram, which is 1,000 grams.
khz
Abbreviation for kilohertz, which is 1,000 hertz.
lan
Abbreviation for local area network; a lan system is usually confined to the same building or several neighboring buildings, and all devices are linked using a dedicated lan cable.
lb
Abbreviation for pound.
led
Abbreviation for light-emitting diode. An electronic device that emits light when an electric current is passed through it.
lptn
The device names for the first through third parallel printer ports on a system are lpt1, lpt2, and lpt3.
m
Abbreviation for meter.
ma
Abbreviation for milliampere.
mah
Abbreviation for milliampere-hour.
mb/sec
Abbreviation for megabyte per second.
mb
Abbreviation for megabit.
mb
Abbreviation for megabyte. The term megabyte represents 1,048,576 bytes; however, when referring to the storage capacity of a hard disk drive, the term usually represents 1,000,000 bytes.
mbps
Abbreviation for megabit per second.
mbr
Abbreviation for master boot record.
mhz
Abbreviation for megahertz.
midi
Abbreviation for musical instrument digital interface.
mif
Abbreviation for management information format. mif files contain information, status, and links to component tools. mif files are loaded into the mif database through the dmi service layer. mif content is interpreted by the dtmf working committee and published as mif interpretation files. The contents of a mif are interpreted by the dtmf Working Committee and published as a mif interpretation file. This mif file identifies the groups and attributes associated with the dmi management component.
mm
Abbreviation for millimeter.
mpeg
Abbreviation for motion picture experts group. mpeg is a digital video file format.
ms
Abbreviation for millisecond.
ms-dos
Abbreviation for microsoft disk operating system.
mtbf
Abbreviation for mean time between failures.
mv
Abbreviation for millivolt.
ndis
Abbreviation for network driver interface specification.
nic
Abbreviation for network interface controller.
nmi
Abbreviation for nonmaskable interrupt. The device sends an nmi signal to the microprocessor when an error occurs in the hardware, such as parity.
ns
Abbreviation for nanosecond, which is one billionth of a second.
ntfs
Abbreviation for the nt file system option in the windows nt operating system.
nvram
Abbreviation for nonvolatile random-access memory. A type of memory whose contents are not lost when the system is turned off. nvram is used to maintain the date, time, and system configuration information.
pci
Abbreviation for peripheral component interconnect. It is a local bus implementation standard developed by intel corporation.
pga
Abbreviation for pin grid array, a microprocessor slot used to unload microprocessor chips.
post
Abbreviation for power-on self-test. When you turn on your system, the post program tests various system components, such as ram, disk drives, and the keyboard, before loading the operating system.
ppm
Abbreviation for page per minute.
ps/2
Abbreviation for personal system/2.
ram
Abbreviation for random-access memory, the main area of the system where program instructions and data are temporarily stored. each location in ram is identified by a number called a memory address. Any data stored in ram is lost when the system is turned off.
rfi
Abbreviation for radio frequency interference.
rgb
Abbreviation for red/green/blue.
rom
Abbreviation for read-only memory. The system contains a number of rom code programs that are important for its operation. Unlike ram, the rom chip retains its contents after you shut down the system. For example, the programs that start the system's boot routine and the power-on self-test (post) are examples of code in the form of rom.
rpm
Abbreviation for revolution per minute.
rtc
Abbreviation for real-time clock. A clock circuit inside a system, powered by a battery, that maintains information such as the date and time after the system is shut down.
scsi
Abbreviation for small computer system interface. An i/o bus interface that provides faster data transfer rates than standard ports. You can use a scsi interface to connect up to 7 devices; for some newer scsi types, you can connect up to 15 devices.
sdms
Abbreviation for scsi device management system.
sec
Abbreviation for single-edge contact.
sec
Abbreviation for second.
simm
Abbreviation for single in-line memory module. A small circuit board that connects to the motherboard and contains a dram chip.
smart
Abbreviation for self-monitoring analysis reporting technology. This technology allows the hard disk drive to report generated errors and failures to the system bios, which then displays an error message on the screen. To take full advantage of this technology, you must have a smart-compatible hard drive and have the system bios support this technology.
snmp
Abbreviation for simple network management protocol. snmp is an industry-standard interface that allows network administrators to remotely monitor and manage workstations.
sram
Abbreviation for static random-access memory. Because sram chips don't have to be continuously refreshed, they are completely faster than dram chips.
svga
Abbreviation for super video graphics array. vga and svga are video standards for video adapters that offer greater resolution and color display capabilities than previous standards.
To display a program at a particular resolution, you must have the appropriate video driver installed, and your monitor must support that resolution. Similarly, the number of colors a program can display depends on the performance of the monitor, the video driver, and the amount of video memory installed on the system.
tsr
Abbreviation for terminate-and-stay-resident. tsr programs run in the "background". Most tsr programs have a predefined key combination (sometimes called a "hotkey") that allows you to enable the tsr program interface while you are running another program. After running a tsr program, you can return to the other application and save the tsr program in memory for later use.
The tsr program can sometimes cause memory conflicts. When troubleshooting, reboot the system without starting any tsr programs to determine if such conflicts occur.
ul
Abbreviation for underwriters laboratories.
umb
Abbreviation for upper memory blocks.
ups
Abbreviation for uninterruptible power supply. A battery-powered device that automatically supplies power to a system in the event of a power failure.
usb
Abbreviation for universal serial bus. usb connectors allow you to connect a variety of usb-compliant devices, such as mice, keyboards, printers, and system speakers. You can also connect and disconnect usb devices during system operation.
utp
Abbreviation for unshielded twisted pair.
v
Abbreviation for volt.
vac
Abbreviation for volt alternating current.
vcci
Abbreviation for voluntary control council for interference.
vcr
Abbreviation for video cassette recorder.
vdc
Abbreviation for voltage direct current.
vesa
Abbreviation for video electronics standards association.
vga feature connector
On some systems with built-in vga video adapters, the vga feature connector allows you to add an enhanced adapter, such as a video gas pedal, to the system. vga feature connectors are also known as vga channel connectors.
vga
Abbreviation for video graphics array. vga and svga are video standards for video adapters that provide enhanced resolution and color display capabilities over previous standards.
To display a program at a particular resolution, you must have the appropriate video driver installed, and your monitor must support that resolution. Similarly, the number of colors a program can display depends on the performance of the monitor, the video driver, and the amount of video memory installed for the video adapter.
vram
Abbreviation for video random-access memory. Some video adapters use a vram chip (or a combination of vram and dram) to improve video performance. vram is a dual-port design that allows the video adapter to receive new graphics data while updating the screen.
w
Abbreviation for watt.
wh
Abbreviation for watt-hour.
xmm
Abbreviation for extended memory manager. It is a utility that allows applications and the operating system to use extended memory based on xms.
xms
Abbreviation for extended memory specification.
zif
Abbreviation for zero insertion force. Some systems use zif slots and connectors that allow you to install and remove devices such as microprocessor chips without applying any pressure.
Protected mode
A mode of operation supported by 80286 or higher microprocessors that allows the operating system to support:
1 Memory address space from 16mb (80286 microprocessors) to 4gb (intel386 or higher microprocessors)
2 Multimultiplexing
3 Virtual memory, a mode of operation that is used to increase addressable memory by using a hard drive. method of adding addressable memory using a hard drive
32-bit operating systems such as windows nt, os/2, and unix can be executed in protected mode. ms-dos cannot be run in protected mode; however, some programs that boot from ms-dos, such as the windows operating system, can put the system into protected mode.
Backups
Make copies of programs or data files. As a precaution, you should periodically back up the data on your system's hard drive. You should back up important startup files from the operating system before changing the system configuration.
Battery backup
The battery backup is used to maintain information such as system configuration, date, and time in a special memory area after the system is shut down.
Local Bus
On systems with local bus expansion, certain peripherals, such as video adapter circuits, can be designed at a greater rate than when using a traditional expansion bus. Some local buses can be designed so that the peripherals have the same operating rate and data channel bandwidth as the system microprocessor.
Beep Codes
A system diagnostic message in the form of a series of beeps emitted from the system's speaker. For example, one beep, followed by a second beep, and then three consecutive beeps is coded 1-1-3.
Parallel port
An i/o port that is commonly used to connect a parallel printer to a system. A parallel port on a system can usually be identified by its 25-hole connector.
Virus
A self-starting program that can cause inconvenience. Virus programs are known to corrupt files stored on the hard drive, or to keep replicating themselves until they use up all the memory on the system or network.
The most common way for a virus program to spread from one system to another is to copy itself to the hard drive via an "infected" floppy disk. To prevent the spread of virus programs, do the following:
1 Run a virus-checking utility on your system's hard drive on a regular basis.
2 Before using any floppy disks, including commercially sold software in general, first run the Virus Check Utility to check the floppy disk
Parameters
Values or options specified for a program. Parameters are sometimes called toggle values or variables.
Regular memory
The first 640 kilobytes in ram. all systems come with regular memory. Except for specially designed computers, ms-dos programs are restricted to running in regular memory.
timeout
The period of inactivity that a system must go through before it can activate power-saving features.
Serial port
An i/o port that is commonly used to connect a modem to the system. Typically, you can recognize the serial port on a system by its 9-pin connector.
Modem
A device that allows a system to communicate with other systems over telephone lines.
Multi-frequency display
A display that supports several video standards. Multi-frequency displays can receive the frequency values of signals from multiple video adapters.
Partitions
You can use the fdisk command to divide a hard disk drive into multiple physical parts called partitions. Each partition can in turn contain multiple logical drives.
After partitioning a hard drive, you must format each logical drive using the format command.
Service Tag Number
A bar code label on a system that identifies the system when you call your computer vendor for customer or technical support.
Cache
A fast storage area that holds a backup of data or instructions to speed data retrieval. For example, a system's bios can quickly access rom code in ram. Alternatively, the disk cache utility can reserve ram to store commonly used information in the system's disk drive; if a program requests data in the disk drive that is stored in the cache, the disk cache utility can retrieve this data from ram faster than it can be accessed from the disk drive.
Formatting
The preparatory process required before a file can be stored on a hard disk drive or floppy disk. Unconditional formatting deletes all data stored on the disk.
Interlacing
A technique that improves the resolution of video by updating only the horizontal lines that cross the screen. Because interlaced scanning causes noticeable screen flicker, most users favor progressive scanning for video adapter resolution.
Utility
A program used to manage system resources - such as memory, disk drives, or printers.
Plug and Play
An industry-standard specification that simplifies adding hardware devices to a personal system. Plug and Play provides automatic installation and configuration and compatibility with existing hardware, and can dynamically support mobile computing environments.
Card Edge Connector
The metal connection section on the bottom of the expansion card that plugs into the expansion card connector.
Bootable floppy disk
You can boot your system from a floppy disk. To make a bootable floppy diskette, insert a floppy diskette into the floppy drive, type sys a: at the command line prompt, and press [enter]. If the system cannot boot from the hard disk drive, use this bootable diskette to boot the system.
Control Panel
An integral part of the system that contains lights and controls, such as the power switch, hard disk drive access light, and power light.
Controller
A chip that controls the transfer of data between the microprocessor and memory, or between the microprocessor and a peripheral device such as a disk drive or keyboard.
Fast-erase memory
An eeprom chip that can be reprogrammed with a utility program on a floppy disk after it is loaded into a system. Most eeprom chips can only be rewritten by a dedicated programming device.
Expansion card connector
A connector on the system's motherboard or elevator board that plugs in expansion cards.
Expansion memory
A technique for accessing ram above 1mb. To enable expanded memory in your system, you must use emm. It is necessary to configure your system to support expanded memory only if you are running an application that can use (or requires the use of) expanded memory.
Expansion bus
The expansion bus in your system enables the microprocessor to communicate with the controllers of peripheral devices, such as a network card or internal modem.
Extended memory
The portion of ram above 1mb. Most software that uses extended memory, such as the windows operating system, requires that the extended memory be controlled by xmm.
Directories
Directories organize related files on a disk in a hierarchical "inverted tree" structure. Each disk has a "root" directory; for example, the [c:\] prompt usually indicates that the file you are working on is located in the root directory of the c drive. Subdirectories are called subdirectories. A subdirectory may also contain a branch of the subdirectory at the next level.
Internal microprocessor cache
Instruction and data caches built into the microprocessor. intel pentium microprocessors include 16kb of internal cache, 8kb of which is set up as a read-only instruction cache, and 8kb of which is set up as a read/write data cache.
Memory
Systems can contain several different types of memory, such as ram, rom, and video memory. The term memory is often used as a synonym for ram. For example, the term "system with 16mb of RAM" is often used to refer to a system with 16mb of ram.
Memory address
A specific location in a system's ram, usually expressed as a hexadecimal number.
Memory manager
A utility program that controls the use of regular memory as well as other memory, such as extended or expanded memory.
Memory module
A small circuit board that connects to the motherboard and contains the dram chip.
Toggle switches
Toggle switches on a motherboard are used to control various circuits or components in a system. These switches are called dip switches; they are usually packaged in groups of two or more in a plastic box. Motherboards use two common types of dip switches: slide switches and rocker switches. The name of the dip switch depends on how you change the settings (on and off) of the switch.
Drive Models
The system recognizes multiple specific hard drives. The drive model assigned to each drive is stored in nvram. The hard drive specified in the System Setup program must match the drive actually installed in the system. The System Setup program also enables you to specify physical parameters (logical cylinders, logical heads, cylinder numbers, and the number of logical sectors per compressed zone) for drives not listed in the drive model table (stored in nvram).
Heat sink
A metal plate with a