Ciara Enterprise/Discovery 945GTP
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DMA (Direct Memory Address) -- A method for transferring data directly to and from system memory, bypassing
the microprocessor.
Driver -- A utility program accompanying the motherboard that permits application programs to use the extended
resolutions of the VGA circuitry.
Expansion slot -- A connector on the motherboard for holding an adapter card.
Gigahertz (GHz) -- A frequency of 1 billion cycles per second.
Hertz (Hz) -- A unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second.
Horizontal frequency -- The rate, at which monitor displays each scan line, usually measured in kilohertz (kHz).
I/O -- An abbreviation for "input/output", a generic term that refers to the devices and processes involved in the
computer's reading and writing data.
IDE -- Integrated Drive Electronics. A hard disk drive interface for use with drives that contain their own controller
electronics. With the IDE interface, a hard disk drive controller card is not necessary.
Integrated circuit -- An electronic device that combines thousands of transistors on a small chip of silicon. Such
devices are the building blocks of computers.
Interleaving -- A technique for improving the performance of system memory by splitting the memory into two or
four sections that alternately process information. While one memory section goes through a refresh cycle, the
microprocessor sends information to another section for processing.
Jumper -- On a printed circuit board, a patch connector, wire, or cable used to establish a circuit.
Megahertz (MHz) -- A frequency of 1 million cycles per second.
Memory -- Semiconductor chips used to hold information and programs while they are being accessed by the
microprocessor. See also RAM and ROM.
Microprocessor -- An integrated circuit that contains the circuits the computer needs to calculate and to
communicate with the other parts of the system. See also central processing unit.
Multi-frequency monitor -- A monitor (also known by the trade names MultiSync or MultiScan) that, due to its
ability to scan at various horizontal and vertical frequencies, is capable of displaying a wide variety of resolution
modes.
Page-mode memory -- A memory arrangement that avoids wait states by allowing back-to-back memory accesses
within blocks of memory called pages. See also wait states.
Parallel interface -- A standard interface that transmits and receives data in a parallel manner, using a separate data
line for each bit.
Parity bit -- An additional non-informational bit appended to a group of bits to make the number of ones in the group
of bits either an odd or even number; an elementary mechanism for error checking.
Peripheral -- A hardware device (such as a keyboard, monitor, or printer) that connects to a computer.
Pin -- Any of the leads on a device, such as a chip, that plug into a socket and connect it to a system.
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