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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
connector 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.
HyperTransport
TM
: 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): Hardware interrupt signal that goes to the IDE.
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