NEC POWERMATE P - SERVICE MANUAL 1996 Service And Reference Manual page 164

Glossary
applications programs
Software designed to perform specific functions, like solving business or mathematical
problems.
asynchronous communications
Method of data transmission where characters are preceded by a start bit and followed by a
stop bit, permitting the time between characters to vary.
AUTOEXEC.BAT
A batch program file that the operating system runs to define hardware device
characteristics.
base RAM
Area of system memory between 0 and 640 kilobytes available to the user for operating
system and application programs.
BIOS
Basic Input Output System. A collection of computer routines, usually burnt into ROM,
that controls the real-time clock, keyboard, disk drives, video display, and other peripheral
devices.
bit
Binary digit. The smallest unit of computer data.
bits per second
(bps) A unit of transmission. Also called baud rate.
board
Printed circuit board. Board onto which computer components are soldered and thin wires
are printed to connect the components.
boot
To start up a computer. See cold boot and warm boot.