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AMM-1570/1572 User’s Guide
Stock Number: 510526-00, Rev. B Page: Glossary-7
Print Spec Number: 492379-00
Current Date: 3/7/94 ECN Date: 3/8/94
Glossary-7
Glossary
an extension of the 16-bit ISA
standard, allowing expansion
devices to move data 32 bits at a
time on the PC bus (also called
Micro Channel architecture).
MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital
Interface. A standard communi-
cations protocol for the connec-
tion of a computer to a musical
synthesizer.
Multitasking Operation
The execution of commands in
such a way that more than one
command is in progress at the
same time. Multitasking allows
a computer system to take
advantage of overlapping activi-
ties by using resources that are
temporarily not required for
other operations. More than one
program or more than one por-
tion of a program may be oper-
ating in parallel.
Multithreaded I/O
A method by which data is
accessed simultaneously from
multiple SCSI devices to
increase a system's data transfer
rate. For example, if the system
needs data from two disk
devices it requests data from the
first device, which temporarily
disconnects from the SCSI bus
while it is seeking the data. Dur-
ing this delay the system
requests data from the second
device, and while that device
disconnects from the bus to seek
the data, the first device starts
sending the requested data over
the bus, etc. The AMM-1570/
1572 and all other Adaptec host
adapters fully support
multithreaded I/O.
PC-AT
A family of small computers
sold by IBM, also called the Per-
sonal Computer/AT family of
computers. The name is trade-
marked by IBM.
PIO
See Programmed Input/Output
Programmed Input/Output
A method of data transfer in
which the host microprocessor
transfers data to and from mem-
ory via the computer's I/O
ports. PIO enables very fast data
transfer rates, especially in
single-tasking operating systems
like DOS. The AMM-1570/1572
uses this method of data
transfer.
RAM
Random Access Memory. Mem-
ory of which any byte can be
accessed directly in a single
memory cycle. Information can
be read from and written to the
memory.
ROM
Read-Only Memory. Memory in
which any byte can be read but
not written.