Toshiba Portégé M200 User Manual page 236

adaptor
(Abbreviations continued)
VESA: Video Electronic Standards
Association
VGA: video graphics array
VRT: voltage reduction technology
A
adaptor: A device that provides an
interface between two dissimilar
electronic devices. For example, the
AC adaptor modifies the power from a
wall outlet for use by the computer.
This term also refers to the add-in
circuit cards that control external
devices, such as video monitors and
magnetic tape devices.
allocate: To assign a space or
function for a specific task.
alphanumeric: Keyboard characters
including letters, numbers and other
symbols, such as punctuation marks or
mathematical symbols.
alternating current (AC): Electric
current that reverses its direction of
flow at regular intervals.
analog signal: A signal whose
characteristics such as amplitude and
frequency vary in proportion to (are
an analog of) the value to be transmit-
ted. Voice communications are analog
signals.
Glossary-2
ANSI: American National Standards
Institute. An organization established
to adopt and define standards for a
variety of technical disciplines. For
example, ANSI defined the ASCII
standard and other information
processing requirements.
antistatic: A material used to prevent
the buildup of static electricity.
application: A group of programs
that together are used for a specific
task such as accounting, financial
planning, spreadsheets, word process-
ing, and games, etc.
ASCII: American Standard Code for
Information Interchange. ASCII code
is a set of 256 binary codes that
represent the most commonly used
letters, numbers, and symbols.
async: Short for asynchronous.
asynchronous: Lacking regular time
relationship. As applied to computer
communications, asynchronous refers
to the method of transmitting data that
does not require a steady stream of bits
to be transmitted at regular time
intervals.
AUTOEXEC.BAT: A batch file that
executes a series of MS-DOS com-
mands and programs each time you
start the computer.