NEC POWERMATE ES Series Service And Reference Manual page 112

Glossary
A
access time
The time period between the supply of an access signal and the output or acceptance of the
data by the addressed system. Examples are the access times for DRAMs, SRAMs, hard
drives, and CD-ROM drives. Hard drive access time is the time it takes for a computer to
get data from the drive. A hard drive with an 11 ms access time is fast. A CD-ROM drive
with a 280-ms access time is fast.
ACPI
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface. A power management specification
developed by Intel, Microsoft, and Toshiba. When installed on the system, ACPI enables
the operating system to control the amount of power given to each device attached to the
computer. With ACPI, the operating system can turn off peripheral devices (such as CD-
ROM drives) when they are not in use. As another example, ACPI enables manufacturers to
produce computers that automatically power up as soon as you touch the keyboard.
adapter
An expansion board or component on the system board that communicates with peripherals
(such as the display monitor or network devices).
address
A hexadecimal number that represents a location in storage or memory. Also used to
identify communication ports. To communicate with a storage device.
AGP
Accelerated Graphics Port. A high-speed, high-performance video standard supported by a
dedicated connector on the system board. The connector allows the connection of an AGP
board to the system board's AGP bus. AGP boards feature 64- or 128-bit graphics
acceleration with an integrated digital video engine and accelerated 3-D graphics, texture
mapping, and shading functions. Fast refresh rates, high resolution, and color depth allow
for incredible graphics suitable for multimedia and graphic intensive applications.
algorithm
Any set of instructions to be followed in order.
anti-aliasing
Making jagged edges look smoother by filling in the jags with an intermediate color.
Usually used in reference to the edges of shapes, especially letters, on a computer screen.
API
Application Programming Interface. An API is a series of functions that programs can use
to make the operating system do routine or repetitive tasks. Using Windows APIs, for
example, a program can open windows, files, and message boxes (as well as perform more
complicated tasks) by passing a single instruction. Windows has several classes of APIs that
deal with telephony, messaging, and other issues.
APM
Advanced Power Management. An API developed by Intel and Microsoft that allows
developers to include power management in the BIOS. APM defines a layer between the
hardware and the operating system that effectively shields the programmer from hardware
details.
Glossary 1