Acronym Glossary

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AC (Alternating Current)

Current that changes from a positive voltage to a negative voltage during one cycle. An example is household electricity in the United States, which is 110V at 60Hz.

ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)

A power management specification that makes better use of power by letting the operating system control the power provided to peripheral devices.

ADC or A/D (Analog-to-Digital Converter)

A component on a sound card that converts analog sound to a digital bit stream.

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)

A newer transmission technology in the global broadband access market. ADSL supports data rates from 1.5–9 Mbps when receiving data (known as the downstream rate) and from 16–640 Kbps when sending data (known as the upstream rate). Not only is ADSL winning devout followers with its impressive speed, but also quite impressively, such increased data flow occurs over existing copper telephone lines (POTS). With more than half the world’s broadband subscribers now using one variation of the technology or another, the long-term potential for this market is basically every phone line in the world.

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)

A 32/64-bit expansion interface available on newer PCs that supports fast, three-dimensional graphics and provides the video controller card with a dedicated path to the CPU.

AMR (Audio Modem Riser)

A new architectural design for motherboards developed by Intel. This new design places the analog I/O audio functions along with a codec chip on a small board, or ‘riser.’ This separation of the analog functions from the motherboard means higher audio quality and more flexibility for manufacturers’ further design advancements, thus allowing them a way to side step the lengthy certification process of new motherboard designs.

ANSI (American National Standards Institute)

A nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is to develop standards for the information technology industry.

API (Application Program Interface)

A set of uniform routines or rules that allow programmers and developers to write applications that can be used to interact with various operating system platforms. APIs define system calls for service, and are the building blocks and tools used by programmers in building software applications.

APM (Advanced Power Management)

User-level program found in all modern laptop computers and most modern desktop systems. Its features, which can be disabled, include system standby and hibernate. For the best results, Microsoft recommends that you disable advanced power management in the BIOS, since BIOS may have settings that Windows cannot override.

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)

A TCP/IP protocol used to determine the hardware MAC address for a network interface card.

ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)

Specifies a 7-bit pattern that assigns numeric values to letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and certain other characters by standardizing the values used. ASCII enables communication between computers and peripherals by using numbers in place of characters.

ASR (Automated System Recovery)

Backup tool in Windows XP that creates an image of your boot partition for restoration in case of failure or replacement of the boot hard drive.

AT (Advanced Technology)

IBM’s name for its 80286 PC that was introduced in 1984. The AT form factor refers to the layout of the components on a motherboard.

ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment)

The American National Standards Institute standard for IDE drives.

ATAPI (Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface)

Interface standards that allow devices such as CD-ROM drives, Iomega Zip drives, and tape backup drives to utilize IDE/ATA controllers.

ATX (Advanced Technology Extensions)

A more recent motherboard form factor that has replaced the AT form factor.

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)

The BIOS is software built in to a ROM BIOS or flash BIOS chip that is used to control hardware devices such as hard drives, keyboards, monitors, and other low-level devices before a computer system boots into an operating system.

BNC (Bayonet Nut Connector, Bayonet Neil-Concelman, or British Naval Connector)

A connector used to connect a computer to a coaxial cable in a 10Base2 Ethernet network.

bps (Bits Per Second)

A standard measurement of the speed at which data is transmitted; for example, a 56K modem has the ability to transmit at a rate of 56,000 bps.

CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing)

Software designed with dual functionality—not only as a designing system, but also for controlling manufacturing processes.

CAT (Computerized Adaptive Testing)

An efficient testing process in which a test taker’s selections of subsequent questions are based on the correctness or incorrectness of the previously answered questions. Therefore, the test is adapted to the test taker’s ability, eliminating the possibility of too many items that are either too easy or too hard for them.

CCD (Charge-Coupled Device)

A light-sensitive circuit in a device, such as a digital camera or optical scanner, which stores and displays the color representation of a pixel in electronic format. CCD arrays are made up of CCDs whose semiconductors connect.

CD (Compact Disk)

A round metallic disk that stores information such as text, video, and audio in digital format.

CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable)

A type of compact disk that can be written or recorded to once, but read many times.

CD-RW (Compact Disk Read/Write)

A type of compact disk that can be written to several times.

CGA (Color Graphics Adapter)

The first color graphics adapter for IBM PCs. CGA can only produce a resolution of 640ï480 and two colors. CGA has been replaced by VGA for the most part.

CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)

Nonvolatile RAM that is used to hold hard drive, DRAM, and other necessary start-up information to boot a computer system. Modern CMOS is typically stored in flash RAM.

CNR (Communication and Networking Riser)

A new riser card developed by Intel to meet open industry specifications. Besides its original purpose to reduce the cost of implementing LAN, modem, and audio subsystems, it also has the ability to keep electrical noise interference to a minimum.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

Also referred to as the processor, the CPU is the brain or central element of a computing system. It is where all main calculations occur.

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)

A vacuum tube located inside a monitor that houses beams of electrons used to illuminate phosphors and produce graphic images.

CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection)

A contention-based protocol used to detect collisions of packets in Ethernet networks. If a collision occurs, the information is retransmitted.

DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter)

A device used to convert digital information to analog signals. A DAC is typically used by a modem to prepare information for analog phone line transmission.

DC (Direct Current)

DC is the unidirectional movement or flow of electrons. DC is necessary for most electronic computer components.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

A protocol used to dynamically assign IP addresses to computer systems in a TCP/IP network. DCHP eases administrative overhead by reducing the need to assign individual static IP addresses.

DHTML (Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language)

A new form of HTML programming code that allows developers to create more-interactive or responsive Web pages for users.

DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module)

A 64-bit data path memory module. In Pentium computers, one DIMM can be installed in a memory bank.

DMA (Direct Memory Access)

A technique used by computer devices to access and move data in and out of memory without interrupting the CPU.

DNS (Domain Name System)

An Internet service that translates fully qualified domain names to computer IP addresses.

DOS (Disk Operating System)

A 16-bit operating system developed by Microsoft that does not support true multitasking capabilities.

dpi (Dots Per Inch)

A measurement of image resolution. The number of dots per horizontal inch is used to calculate the dpi that a device, such as a printer, is able to produce.

DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)

A popular type of memory used to store information in a computer system. DRAM chips must be electronically refreshed continuously to hold their data.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

A popular high-speed technology that uses phone lines for Internet connectivity. The two most widely used forms of DSL are ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and SDSL (Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line).

DVD (Digital Versatile Disk or Digital Video Disk)

A type of CD technology developed for full-length motion pictures that can hold 4.7GB to 17GB of information.

ECC (Error Correction Code or Error Checking and Correction)

A technique used to test data for errors as it passes out of memory. If errors are found, ECC attempts to make the necessary corrections.

ECP (Extended Capabilities Port)

An IEEE 1284 bidirectional parallel port standard that offers faster transfer rates than traditional parallel port standards. ECP is most often used for communication between computer systems and printers or scanners.

EDO (Extended Data Output)

A type of DRAM that has the ability to read more information before needing to be refreshed. EDO is much faster than its predecessor, FPM DRAM.

EEPROM (Electrical Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)

A type of PROM chip whose information can be changed or erased with an electronic charge. EEPROM chips were very popular before the introduction of flash ROM chips.

EFS (Encrypting File System)

A feature first fully implemented with Windows 2000 that enables any file or folder to be stored in an encrypted format by making the encryption an attribute of that file or folder. Only an individual user or an authorized recovery agent can decrypt the file or folder. This feature is extremely useful for storing highly sensitive data.

EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adapter)

IBM introduced EGA in 1984. The EGA standard for video adapters offers a resolution of up to 640ï350 and supports up to 16 colors. EGA has been replaced by VGA and is for the most part obsolete.

EIDE (Enhanced IDE)

An enhancement to the IDE hard drive standard that offers access to hard drives larger than 528MB through the use of LBA support. The EIDE standard also offers support for DMA, for up to four attached devices (including tape drives and CD devices), and for faster hard drive access time.

EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)

An electronic phenomenon that occurs when the signal from two or more electronic devices interferes with each other. EMI can occur when one data cable is placed too close to a second cable. If the electrical signals cross, the integrity of the information passing along the data cable may be affected.

EMS (Expanded Memory Specification)

A memory management tool used to gain access to memory above the 640K-memory limitation in an MS-DOS-based environment. Advances in the ways that Windows manages access to memory has for the most part eliminated the need for EMS.

EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port)

An IEEE parallel port interface standard. Also known as IEEE 1284, EPP supports bidirectional or half-duplex data transmission methods.

EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)

A ROM chip whose contents can be erased by shining an ultraviolet light through a hole in the top of the chip.

ESD (Electrostatic Discharge)

The movement or transfer of electrons from one location to another. Static electricity can be transferred from the human body to an electronic component, causing damage to the components. ESD can be avoided by wearing an ESD-protective wrist strap when working with components.

FAT (File Allocation Table)

A table consisting of clusters that are logical units of information located on a hard drive and used by the operating system to identify the location of stored entries or files.

FIFO (First-In, First-Out)

A data storage method in which the oldest information is read or used first.

FPM (Fast Page Mode)

A DRAM memory type that makes use of memory paging, which increases overall memory performance. Most DRAM memory types are FPM.

FPU (Floating-Point Unit)

A math coprocessor that is built into the CPU. An FPU is designed to handle higher-end mathematical equations that assist with today’s complex formulas and graphical calculations.

FRU (Field-Replaceable Unit)

An interchangeable or replaceable computer part or component that can be installed at a customer’s site or remote business location by a computer technician.

FTP (File Transport Protocol)

A transfer protocol primarily used on the Internet to transfer files from one location to another.

GB (Gigabyte)

A measurement of computer system data storage space. One gigabyte is equal to 1024MB, or approximately 1 million kilobytes.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

A worldwide satellite navigational system that was designed originally for the U.S. military under the name NAVSTAR (Navigation System with Timing and Ranging). Even though its utility has crossed over into the civilian sector, it is still operated by the U.S. Department of Defense. Twenty-four GPS satellites continuously transmit digital radio signals of data, such as the satellite’s location and the exact time, to their corresponding earth-bound receivers. By knowing how far away a satellite is from its receiver and its location on an imaginary sphere, GPS can be used to calculate longitude, latitude, and even altitude.

GUI (Graphical User Interface)

A graphical means by which a person communicates with a computer system. In the early days of computing, operating systems such as DOS used text-based interfaces. Today, operating systems such as Windows allow the user to interact with the system by means of icons, pictures, and graphical tool bars.

HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer)

Allows an operating system to interact with hardware devices at a more general or abstract level.

HCL (Hardware Compatibility List)

A document that contains a list of all hardware compatible with a specific OS.

HMA (High Memory Area)

The memory location consisting of the first 64K of the extended memory area. The HMA is controlled by the software driver HIMEM.SYS.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

A programming language that is used to create pages or hypertext documents on the World Wide Web. HTML is a scripting language that uses tags to define the way Web pages are displayed.

HTTP (Hypertext Transport Protocol)

A fast Internet application protocol used for transferring data.

HVD (High Voltage Differential)

A now obsolete form of ‘differential’ signaling that is commonly used for long runs in noisy areas. LVD (Low Voltage Differential) is the new technology replacing HVD.

IDC (Insulation Displacement Connector)

A type of connector that displaces the insulation on a cable, allowing an electrical contact between the terminal and conductor. Insulation displacement occurs as the cable is pressed into a terminal slot smaller than the conductor diameter. Insulation displacement technology has become a highly effective alternative to stripping and soldering wire in thousands of applications, with its greatest benefit being placement spread.

IDE (Intelligent or Integrated Drive Electronics)

A specification for hard disk and CD-ROM drive interfaces whose drive controllers are integrated onto the drive itself. IDE provides support for up to two drives per system, whereas EIDE supports up to four drives per system. Today, the more common reference used for this technology is ATA.

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

The world’s leading international standards organization whose primary purposes are the development of information technology standards and the welfare of its members.

I/O (Input/Output)

A term used to describe devices and programs that transfer information into and out of a computer system. Input devices can include keyboards, mice, and touch screens. Output devices can include printers, monitors, and plotters.

IP (Internet Protocol)

A TCP/IP protocol used primarily to allow computers to be connected in a local area network or to the Internet.

IPX/SPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange/Sequence Packet Exchange)

A Novell networking protocol used primarily with Novell Netware.

IRQ (Interrupt Request)

A communication link to a CPU that a device uses to notify the CPU that the device needs its attention. If two devices attempt to use the same IRQ to communicate with the CPU, an IRQ conflict will most likely occur.

ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)

An industry standard that describes the expansion bus architecture for the IBM AT and XT PCs. ISA expansion slots can still be found in most systems today, although they are steadily being replaced by PCI and AGP technology.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)

A digital communications standard that allows data and voice to be used on the same phone line connection. ISDN provides support for up to 128Kbps transfer rates and is intended to replace traditional analog technology.

ISP (Internet Service Provider)

A company whose primary business is to provide access to the Internet for other companies and individuals.

Kbps (Kilobits Per Second)

A measurement of data transfer rate. One kilobit per second is equivalent to 1,000 bits per second.

KB (Kilobyte)

1,024 bytes.

LAN (Local Area Network)  

A network of computers that are typically connected in a central location, such as a building. In a LAN, computers are connected by wires or other media and share common resources, such as printers, files, and modems.

LSA (Local Security Authority)

The LSA is a key component of the logon process in both Windows NT and Windows 2000. For example, in Windows 2000, the LSA validates users for both local and remote logons.

LBA (Logical Block Addressing)

An enhanced BIOS translation method used for IDE and SCSI disk drives that allows accessibility beyond the 504MB limit imposed by traditional IDE. LBA is a way of addressing hard drives by assigning numbers to each sector on the drive. These numbers run sequentially, with zero representing the first sector. Originally used with SCSI drives, IDE drives began to support LBA with the advent of larger (over 504MB) IDE drives. Basically, it is a translation of the cylinder, head, and sector specifications of a drive into addresses that can be used by a ‘translating’ BIOS.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

A technology for flat screen displays that uses polarized sheets and liquid crystals to produce images. LCD technology was originally used for laptop computers and watches, but is becoming very popular for desktop computers.

LED (Light-Emitting Diode)

A highly efficient, long-lasting light that illuminates when electrical current passes through it. Most LEDs are usually a monochromatic red. Benefits of LEDs include ability to display images, low power requirements, long life, and high efficiency. However, they require more power than LCDs.

LVD (Low Voltage Differential)

An Ultra2 subset of the SCSI-3 standard, LVD increases the maximum burst transfer rates to 80Mbytes/sec, which is a requirement for multiple drive applications. Such increases in bandwidth means optimal performance for server environments where rapid response is required. LVD uses less power (3.3V DC) than high voltage differentials (5.0V DC).

MAN (Metropolitan Area Network)

A network that is smaller than a WAN, but larger than a LAN. It is usually confined to a city block or a college campus.

MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface)

A Microsoft application programming interface that provides the ability to send e-mail and attachments from within programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.

MAU (Multistation Access Unit)

A special hub used in a Token Ring network that is used to connect computers for a star topology network while maintaining Token Ring capabilities. It is also known as MSAU.

MB (Megabyte)

1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes.

MBR (Master Boot Record)

A small program that is executed when a system first boots up. The MBR is located on the first sector of a hard drive.

MCA (Micro Channel Architecture)

A proprietary 32-bit expansion bus developed by IBM for its PS/2 computers.

MDA (Monochrome Display Adapter)

A standard for monochrome adapters introduced by IBM. Monochrome is only capable of displaying text.

MicroDIMM (Micro Dual Inline Memory Module)

Commonly used in subnotebook computers, each 144-pin MicroDIMM provides a 64-bit data path, so they are installed singly in 64-bit systems.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

A standard or protocol used for the interface between a musical instrument or device and a computer system. It is used in digital synthesizers for playing and manipulating sound.

MMC (Microsoft Management Console)

Management application that draws upon a graphical user interface and a programming framework to allow the creation and saving of consoles. This is particularly important, since consoles are used to manage Windows-based software and hardware.

MMX (Multimedia Extensions)

A multimedia technology developed by Intel to improve the performance of its Pentium microprocessor. MMX technology included 57 new processor instructions and is said to improve multimedia application performance up to 60%.

Modem (Modulator-Demodulator)

A communication device used to convert signals so they can be transmitted over conventional telephone lines. A modem converts incoming analog signals to digital format and outgoing digital signals to analog format.

MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group)

A standards group that works with the ISO to establish rules and standards for audio and video compression. MPEG technology is used to make high-quality compressed files.

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)

Designed to provide employers, employees, and EMS personnel with the proper procedures for various substances and chemicals, the data sheet is broken down into 10 sections: General Information; Ingredients; Physical Data; Fire and Explosion Data; Health Hazard Data; Reactivity Data; Spill, Leak, and Special Disposal Features; Special Protection Information; Special Precautions; and Transportation Data. Access to MSDSs include workplace laboratories, universities, the product’s distributor and online.

MSCDEX (Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions)

A software driver used in Windows 3.x and DOS to allow the operating systems to communicate with CD-ROM devices. The actual file that contains the driver is called MSCDEX.EXE. More-efficient 32-bit CD-ROM drivers, such as CDFS, have replaced MSCDEX.EXE.

MFD (Multifunction Device)

Any device that is capable of multiple functions. For example, with printers, you can have a laser (or ink-jet) printer capable of all the following: print, copy, scan, and fax.

NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface)

An extended or enhanced version of the NetBIOS protocol.

NetBIOS (Network Basic Input Output System)

An application programming interface (API) protocol that expands the utility of the DOS BIOS by adding special functions for Local-Area Networks (LANs). The message format (SMB) provides the foundation for NetBIOS.

NIC (Network Interface Card)

An electronic circuit board that attaches a computer to a network. A NIC is installed inside a computer system. It connects to a wire that typically leads to a networked hub, router, or bridge.

NLX (InteLex Form Factor)

A computer motherboard form factor designed to provide more room for components than the LPX form factor.

NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol)

A protocol used to mange messages that are posted to Usenet newsgroups.

NTFS (NT File System)

A Windows NT hard drive file system that offers file- and object-level security features, file compression, encryption, and long file name support. A new version of the NTFS file system, called NTFS5, is offered with the Windows 2000 operating system.

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)

An OEM version of software, such as Windows 95, that is designed to be packaged and distributed by a specific manufacturer on specific computers.

OLE (Object Linking and Embedding)

A specification created by Microsoft that allows objects created in one program or application to be embedded or linked to other applications. With OLE, if a change is made to an application, the change is also made to the second application.

OSI (Open Systems Interconnect)

The OSI reference model is a networking model developed to provide network designers and developers with a model that describes how network communication takes place.

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)

A 32- to 64-bit expansion bus created by Intel and used in most modern computers. Today, most NICs, sound cards, and modems are connected to a motherboard through a PCI expansion bus.

PCI Special Interest Group (SIG)

Originally formed as the Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group, PCI SIG is the industry organization chartered with the development and management of the PCI bus specification, the industry standard for a high-performance I/O interconnect to transfer data between a CPU and its peripherals. Founded in 1992, PCI SIG stands at the forefront of its field and can tout an active membership base of 850 industry-leading companies. To reach PCI SIG, visit them online at http://www.pcisig.com, or by phone at [phone], or by fax at [phone].

PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association)

A group of companies that are responsible for the specifications that apply to small expansion cards used in laptop computers. There are three main types of PCMCIA cards. Type I is used mainly for RAM, Type II is used for modems, and Type III is used for hard disks.

PDA (Personal Data Assistant)

A small handheld mobile computing device that provides functions similar to a desktop or laptop computer. Most PDAs today use a pen or stylus in place of a keyboard to input data.

PDF (Portable Document Format)

A file format developed by Adobe Systems. PDF captures all the formatted elements of a printed document from a multitude of desktop publishing applications and converts them into an electronic image. Therefore, it is easier and to view, print, and send the formatted documents to others. To view the files, you need the free Acrobat Reader. PDF files are most beneficial when needing to maintain the online graphic appearance, quality, and clarity of documents, such as for brochures, maps, and magazines.

PIF (Program Information File)

A file that is used to provide settings for 16-bit DOS applications. A PIF file has a .PIF extension and stores information such as window size and memory that should be allocated to an application or program.

PnP (Plug-and-Play)

A technology introduced in Windows 95 that has the ability to autodetect devices that are attached to a computer system. In order for a system to be fully PnP compliant, there must be a PnP operating system, a PnP BIOS, and PnP devices.

POST (Power-On Self-Test)

A program that tests computer components at system start-up, such as RAM, disk drives, and peripherals. If the POST finds a problem during its diagnostic testing, it usually reports a numeric error to the screen or sounds a series of beep error codes.

POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service)

Also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), most homes have this telephone service. This standard service is in comparison to high-speed, digital services such as ISDN. Speed and bandwidth are the criteria that differentiate between POTS and non-POTS services. Generally, the standard speed for POTS is limited to about 52Kbps.

PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory)

A ROM chip that can be written to once.

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks)

A way of storing the same data in different places on a category of disk drives that employ two or more drives. This allows for a combination of increased fault tolerance and improved performance. RAID disk drives are more frequently used on servers rather than personal computers. There are number of different RAID levels, with the three most common being RAID 0, RAID 3, and RAID 5.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

A computer system’s main memory storage location. Information held in RAM can be quickly accessed by the computer’s CPU without the need to read the data preceding the required information.

RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter)

A chip on a video card that converts binary digital data into analog information, which can then be output to a computer monitor.

RDRAM (Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory)

A type of fast DRAM memory developed by Rambus, Inc. for today’s Pentium computers.

RGB (Red, Green, and Blue)

The three primary colors of light that are used in PC monitors. A color monitor has three electron guns. Each of the electron guns represents one of the three primary colors of light to produce a final color image to computer screen.

ROM (Read-Only Memory)

A computer chip whose information cannot be deleted or erased, but which can be read by the system many times. ROM is nonvolatile memory that holds the system BIOS.

SAM (Security Accounts Manager)

A built-in Windows NT/2000 component that is used to manage the security of user accounts.

SAT (Security Access Token)

A security token that allows users access to resources in a Windows environment. A token carries access rights that are associated with a user’s account.

SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)

A standard that applies to fast electronic hardware interfaces in computer systems. SCSI technology can be used to allow up to 15 devices to be daisy-chained together. SCSI is most commonly used to connect hard drives, CD-ROM devices, scanners, and printers to computer systems.

SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory)

A type of DRAM that synchronizes itself with the internal clock speed of the computer’s processor.

SE (Single Ended)

One of two kinds of parallel SCSI technology, the second kind being differential ended. Single-ended SCSI was the original technology used and has shorter distances than its counterpart. They are incompatible, although converters can bridge single ended to differential. It can also be used to refer to the physical signal circuitry used on the SCSI bus.

SEC (Single Edge Connector)

Intel’s chip package design that uses a circuit board with a single edge connector. A processor and memory cache are integrated onto the circuit board and inserted into the computer system’s motherboard.

SEP (Single Edge Processor)

A processor chip package design similar to SEC.

Serial ATA (S-ATA)

A completely new standard based on serial signaling technology that will eventually make PCs even smaller and more efficient. Serial ATA only requires seven wires per device (as compared to 40 wires for IDE ribbon cables), and its cables are capable of lengths of one meter (as compared to 40 centimeters for IDE). S-ATA will eventually render the old IDE ribbon cables obsolete, resulting in an industry-wide move over to new hard drives, controllers, and connectors.

SGRAM (Synchronous Graphic Random Access Memory)

A single-ported type of video RAM that is synchronized with the CPU’s clock to achieve high speeds.

SID (Security Identifier)

A unique security number that is associated with users, groups, and accounts in a Windows NT/2000 Network. Access to processes that run in Windows NT/2000 require this unique SID and a token.

SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module)

A type of circuit board on which DRAM chips are mounted. The circuit board is inserted into the motherboard. A SIMM module has a 32-bit wide data bus.

S.M.A.R.T. (Self Monitoring Analysis and Report Technology)

An example of a computer’s start-up program or BIOS and the computer’s hard disk proactively working together. If enabled during computer setup, it has the ability to automatically monitor a disk drive’s health and report potential problems. The BIOS receives analytical information from the hard drive and determines whether to send the user a warning message about possible future failure of the hard drive.

SMB (Server Message Block)

A protocol used by DOS and Windows for sharing files, directories, serial ports, printers, and other devices. SMB works in a client server, request-response format. Such servers make file systems and other resources available to clients over a network. SMB can be used over TCP/IP, NetBEUI, and IPX/SPX.

SODIMM (Small-Outline Dual Inline Memory Module)

Commonly used in laptop computers because of their thinner profiles than DIMMs.

SQL (Structured Query Language)

A programming language used to gather or query information from various computer databases. IBM developed SQL in 1974.

SRAM (Synchronous Random Access Memory)

A fast type of memory that does not have to be refreshed over and over to maintain its contents. SRAM is faster than DRAM and is used mostly for cache memory in computer systems. SRAM is also referred to as static RAM.

STP (Shielded Twisted Pair)

A type of copper cabling used in networks in which pairs of wires are twisted around one another to extend the length that a signal can travel on the cable and reduce the interference of signals traveling on the cable.

SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array)

A video display standard that applies to any resolution or color depth higher than the VGA standard of 640ï480 and 16 colors.

TB (Terabyte)

1,024 gigabytes, approximately 1 million megabytes, or 1,099,551,627,776 bytes.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

The primary set of protocols used by the Internet and most networks. TCP/IP allows different networks and computers to communicate with one another.

TSR (Terminate-and-Stay-Resident Program)

A program that remains resident in computer memory and can be run repeatedly without having to be reloaded into memory. Most TSR programs are loaded into memory by the DOS file AUTOEXEC.BAT. DOSKEY is a TSR program.

UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter)

A chip that converts data from serial information to parallel information, and vice versa. UARTs are used for equipment or devices that are attached to serial ports.

UMA (Upper Memory Area)

The first 640K to 1024K of memory addresses reserved for device drivers and system use.

UMB (Upper Memory Block)

A reserved memory block in the UMA used to load device drivers and TSR programs.

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)

Provides a continuous supply of power to a computer system when a primary power source fails. A UPS can also protect a system from power sags.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

A URL is an address that points to a resource or another URL located on the World Wide Web. An example of a URL is http://www.charlesriver.com.

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

An interface standard that supports up to 127 devices using one system resource (IRQ). With USB, PnP peripheral devices can be attached to a computer system while the power is on and the operating system is up and running.

UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair)

A common type of twisted-pair cable used in most networks. There are five categories of UTP that support different data transmission speeds. Unlike STP, UTP does not have a protective shielding.

VGA (Video Graphics Array)

A display standard for video adapters developed by IBM. VGA replaced CGA and EGA standards, and supports a resolution of 640ï480 at 16 colors.

VL-Bus (VESA local bus)

A 32-bit expansion bus that has been replaced by PCI expansion bus technology.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A way to provide secure network access to the individual users and remote offices of an organization without the excessive expenses associated with owning or leasing the lines. This is done via the Internet by using a shared public infrastructure and tunneling. Additional security features can be utilized to enhance privacy.

VRAM (Video Random Access Memory)

A special type of dual-ported memory that is used in video adapters to produce graphic images on a computer monitor.

VRM (Voltage Regulator Module)

A small, replaceable module that is installed on the motherboard to sense the microprocessor’s voltage requirements and regulate the voltage fed to the microprocessor. Nearly all motherboards have either a built-in voltage regulator or VRM. Therefore, if the computer’s microprocessor is changed, a VRM may need to be added to the existing voltage regulator to keep consistent with the voltage requirements of the new microprocessor.

VxD (Virtual Device Driver)

A 32-bit device driver used in Windows. Virtual device drivers have a .VXD extension.

WAN (Wide Area Network)

A WAN is typically made up of two or more LANs linked together to form a larger network. WANs are usually spread over large areas. The Internet is a WAN.

WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs)

WHQL tested refers to driver qualifications with regards to the Windows Hardware Assurance team.

WINS (Windows Internet Naming Service)

A Windows Networking service that provides a computer NetBIOS name to IP address resolution.

WLAN (Wireless Local-Area Network)

A type of local-area network that allows a user to connect/communicate between nodes by using high-frequency radio waves (wireless connection). Wireless LAN adapter cards have been created for use with laptop computers.

WRAM (Window Random Access Memory)

A very fast type of dual-ported video memory that has the ability to read and write larger sections of memory than VRAM.

WWW (World Wide Web)

A system of servers on the Internet that provide support for pages and documents created with HTML and other scripting languages. You can access the WWW by using such tools and Web browsers as Internet Explorer, FTP, Telnet, HTTP, and Netscape Navigator.

XGA (Extended Graphics Array)

A video display standard developed by IBM that has the ability to support a resolution of 1024x768. XGA can also support up to 65,536 colors.

XMS (Extended Memory Specification)

The first 64K of memory located above 1MB.

ZIF (Zero-Insertion Force)

A lever-socket combination used to pull a CPU away or up from the motherboard’s data bus. ZIF sockets were used for the early Pentium processors.

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