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Glossary 199
expanded memory
A technique for accessing RAM above 1 MB. To enable
expanded memory on your computer, you must use an
EMM. You should configure your system to support
expanded memory only if you run application programs
that can use (or require) expanded memory.
expansion bus
Your computer contains an expansion bus that allows
the microprocessor to communicate with controllers
for peripheral devices, such as a network card or an
internal modem.
expansion-card connector
A connector on the computer's system board or riser
board for plugging in an expansion card.
extended memory
RAM above 1 MB. Most software that can use it, such
as the Windows operating system, requires that
extended memory be under the control of an XMM.
external cache memory
A RAM cache using SRAM chips. Because SRAM chips
operate at several times the speed of DRAM chips, the
microprocessor can retrieve data and instructions faster
from external cache memory than from RAM.
F
Abbreviation for Fahrenheit.
FAT
Acronym for file allocation table. The file system
structure used by MS-DOS to organize and keep track
of file storage. The Windows NT
®
operating systems
(and later Windows versions) can optionally use a
FAT file system structure.
FCC
Abbreviation for Federal Communications Commission.
FEPROM
Acronym for Flash Erasable Programmable Read-Only
Memory. Flash memory is a kind of nonvolatile storage
device similar to EEPROM, but the erasing is done only
in blocks or the entire chip.
FiFO
Abbreviation for first-in, first-out. In computer
programming, FIFO (first-in, first-out) is an approach
to handling program work requests from queues or
stacks so that the oldest request is handled next
flash bios
A PC BIOS that is stored in a flash memory rather than
in a ROM. A flash BIOS chip can be updated in place,
whereas a ROM BIOS must be replaced with a newer chip.
flash memory
A type of EEPROM chip that can be reprogrammed
from a utility on diskette while still installed in a
computer; most EEPROM chips can only be rewritten
with special programming equipment.
format
To prepare a hard drive or diskette for storing files. An
unconditional format deletes all data stored on the disk.
FPBGA
Acronym for field programmable gate array, a
programmable logic chip (PLD) with a high density
of gates.
FRU
Acronym for field replaceable unit.
ft
Abbreviation for feet.
FTP
Abbreviation for file transfer protocol.
g
Abbreviation for gram(s).
G
Abbreviation for gravities.
GB
Abbreviation for gigabyte(s). A gigabyte equals
1,024 megabytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes.