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Glossary 259
for desktop, enterprise, and Internet environments.
Working with key technology vendors and affiliated
standards groups, the DMTF is enabling a more
integrated and efficient approach to management.
DRAM
Dynamic random-access memory (RAM). Referred to
as "dynamic" because it must be regularly refreshed,
unlike SRAM, which retains a value as long as power
is supplied. See also RDRAM and SDRAM.
DRDRAM
Direct Rambus dynamic random-access memory
(RDRAM). Provides a 16-bit bus, rather than the 8-
bit DRAM bus. At a speed of 800 MHz, the peak data
transfer rate is 1.6 billion Bps. DRDRAM uses
pipelining to accelerate processing, allowing up to
eight operations to be performed simultaneously.
DTE
Data terminal equipment. In computer data
transmission, DTE is the RS-232 interface that a
computer uses to exchange data with a modem or
other serial device. See also DCE.
DVD
Digital versatile disc. An optical form of storage
media, typically used for movies. DVD has improved
capacity and bandwidth compared with the CD.
Most DVD drives support CD media as well.
ECC
Error checking and correction. A type of RAM that
checks data that is being read or transmitted for errors
and, when necessary, corrects the errors. See also
EDO.
ECP
Extended Capabilities Port. A parallel port design that
provides improved bidirectional data transmission.
Like EPP, it uses DMA to transfer data and often
improves performance. Devices such as printers that
connect to the computer’s parallel port are designed
to take advantage of the ECP standard.
EDO
Extended-data out. A type of RAM that improves the
time to read from memory on faster microprocessors
such as the Intel Pentium. For faster computers,
different types of DRAM are considered. See also
ECC.
EIDE
Enhanced integrated device electronics. An improved
version of the IDE interface for hard drives and CD
drives. EIDE uses Logical Block Addressing, which
allows for hard-drive storage capacities greater than
528 MB. It makes use of DMA channels and can
address up to four drives. Also called fast ATA.
EMI
Electromagnetic interference. Electrical interference
caused by electromagnetic radiation.
Energy Star
A series of EPA requirements to decrease the overall
consumption of electricity.
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency.
EPP
Enhanced Parallel Port. A parallel port design that
provides improved bidirectional data transmission.
Like ECP, it uses DMA to transfer data and often
improves performance. Many devices that connect to
the computer’s parallel port are designed to take
advantage of the EPP standard.
EPP/ECP
Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP)/Extended Capabilities
Port (ECP). A parallel port design that provides
improved bidirectional data transmission, using
DMA. EPP is for nonprinter devices. ECP is for
printers and scanners.
EPROM
Erasable programmable read-only memory (ROM). A
chip that can be erased and then reprogrammed.