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Glossary–1
Glossary
ACIA
Acronym for
Asynchronous Communication Interface Adapter.
baud A unit of speed that measures the rate at which information is
transferred. Technically, baud rate is the reciprocal of the length in
seconds of the shortest pulse used to carry data. For example, a
system in which the shortest pulse is 1/1200 second operates at
1200 baud. On RS–232 serial lines, the baud rate equals the data
flow rate in bits per second (bps). To communicate properly, a
printer must be configured to operate at the same baud rate as its
host computer.
bit
Contraction of
binary digit. A digit in the binary (base 2) number
system: 0 or 1. A bit is the smallest unit of storage in a digital
computer, where 0 and 1 are represented by different voltages.
Groups of bits forms other units of storage called
nibbles
,
bytes
,
and
words
.
Boot-up The start-up procedure which causes a computer operating
system to be loaded into main memory.
buffer A reserved area in memory. Data are written to and read from the
buffer during data transfers.
charger The charge corona applies a high negative charge to the surface
of the photoconductor belt.
coax Coaxial cable. A type of cable with a single wire surrounded by
insulation and a braided shield.
configuration The act of setting a bunch of electrical and data control options on
a printer so that a computer and the printer can “talk” to each
other. When properly configured, a printer can receive data from
the computer, print the data, and send and receive control
signals.
controller An independent functional logic unit in a data processing system
that controls data paths between one or more units of peripheral
equipment.
data bits Binary information sent to the printer; a character set grouping
containing letters, digits, and punctuation marks to be printed.