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70 Appendix A: Hardware glossary
Glossary
• Asynchronous communication
Asynchronous communication is transmission of data without the use of a
synchronization clock. All timing required to recover the data from the receiver is
encoded within the transmission.
• Bandwidth
A term describing the capacity to transfer data. Greater bandwidth is needed to
sustain a higher transfer rate. Greater bandwidth can be achieved, for example, by
using a wider bus.
• BIOS
Basic input/output system. The interface between the operating system and the
hardware. It is also responsible for booting the operating system when a unit is
turned on.
• Blocking cache
A type of cache that allows for one information request at a time. If the cache does
not contain the information needed by the processor, it will be "blocked," or
unavailable for use until the required information is obtained from memory.
See also cache and non-blocking cache.
• Bus
A pathway along which signals are sent, generally in two directions, for
communication of data.
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