TYAN Tiger K8W S2875 User Manual page 66

DRAM (Dynamic RAM): widely available, very affordable form of RAM which looses data
if it is not recharged regularly (every few milliseconds). This refresh requirement makes
DRAM three to ten times slower than non-recharged RAM such as SRAM.
ECC (Error Correction Code or Error Checking and Correcting): allows data to be
checked for errors during run-time. Errors can subsequently be corrected at the same
time that they're found.
EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM): also called Flash BIOS, it is a
ROM chip which can, unlike normal ROM, be updated. This allows you to keep up with
changes in the BIOS programs without having to buy a new chip. TYAN's BIOS updates
can be found at http://www.tyan.com
ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data): a format for storing information about
Plug-n- Play devices in the system BIOS. This information helps properly configure the
system each time it boots.
Firmware: low -level software that controls the system hardware.
Form factor: an industry term for the size, shape, power supply type, and external
connec tor type of the Personal Computer Board (PCB) or motherboard. The standard
form factors are the AT and ATX.
Global timer: onboard hardware timer, such as the Real-Time Clock (RTC).
HDD: stands for Hard Disk Drive, a type of fixed drive.
H-SYNC: controls the horizontal synchronization/properties of the monitor.
TM
HyperTransport : a high speed, low latency, scalable point-to-point link for
interconnecting ICs on boards. It can be significantly faster than a PCI bus for an
equivalent number of pins. It provides the bandwidth and flexibility critical for today's
networking and computing platforms while retaining the fundamental programming model
of PCI.
IC (Integrated Circuit): the formal name for the computer chip.
IDE (Integrated Device/Drive Electronics ): a simple, self-contained HDD interface. It
can handle drives up to 8.4 GB in size. Almost all IDEs sold now are in fact Enhanced
IDEs (EIDEs), with maximum capacity determined by the hardware controller.
IDE INT (IDE Interrupt): a hardware interrupt signal that goes to the IDE.
I/O (Input/Output): the connection between your computer and another piece of
hardware (mouse, keyboard, etc.)
IRQ (Interrupt Request): an electronic request that runs from a hardware device to the
CPU. The interrupt controller assigns priorities to incoming requests and delivers them to
the CPU. It is important that there is only one device hooked up to each IRQ line; doubling
up devices on IRQ lines can lock up your system. Plug-n-Play operating systems can take
care of these details for you.
66
http://www.TYAN.com