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Glossary-2
GLOSSARY
analog signal: A signal whose
characteristics such as amplitude and
frequency vary in proportion to (are an
analog of) the value to be transmitted.
Voice communications are analog
signals.
ANSI: American National Standards
Institute. An organization established
to adopt and define standards for a
variety of technical disciplines. For
example, ANSI defined the ASCII
standard and other information
processing requirements.
antistatic: A material used to prevent
the buildup of static electricity.
application: A group of programs
that together are used for a specific
task such as accounting, financial
planning, spreadsheets, word process-
ing and games.
ASCII: American Standard Code for
Information Interchange. ASCII code is
a set of 256 binary codes that represent
the most commonly used letters,
numbers, and symbols.
async: Short for asynchronous.
asynchronous: Lacking regular time
relationship. As applied to computer
communications, asynchronous refers
to the method of transmitting data that
does not require a steady stream of
bits to be transmitted at regular time
intervals.
(Abbreviations continued)
TFT: thin-film transistor
UART: universal asynchronous
receiver/transmitter
USB: Universal Serial Bus
UXGA: ultra extended graphics array
VESA: Video Electronic Standards
Association
VGA: video graphics array
VRT: voltage reduction technology
XGA: extended graphics array
A
adaptor: A device that provides an
interface between two dissimilar
electronic devices. For example, the
AC adaptor modifies the power from a
wall outlet for use by the computer.
This term also refers to the add-in
circuit cards that control external
devices, such as video monitors and
magnetic tape devices.
allocate: To assign a space or
function for a specific task.
alphanumeric: Keyboard characters
including letters, numbers and other
symbols, such as punctuation marks or
mathematical symbols.
alternating current (AC): Electric
current that reverses its direction of
flow at regular intervals.
Adaptor