Installing And Supporting I/o Devices

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3-D RAM

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Special video RAM designed to improve 3-D graphics simulation.

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active matrix display

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type of video display that amplifies the signal at every intersection in the grid of electrodes, which enhances the pixel quality over that of a dual-scan passive matrix display.

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bus mouse

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A mouse that plugs into a bus adapter card and has a round, 9-pin mini-DIN connector.

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chip creep

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A condition in which chips loosen because of thermal changes.

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DCE (Data Communications Equipment)

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The hardware, usually a dial-up modem, that provides the connection between a data terminal and a communications line. See also DTE.

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Direct RDRAM (DRDRAM)

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Another term for Direct Rambus DRAM.

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dot pitch

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The distance between the dots that the electronic beam hits on a monitor screen.

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DSTN (dual-scan twisted nematic)

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LCD technology divides a screen into two sections, which are refreshed simultaneously.

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DTE (Data Terminal Equipment)

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Both the computer and a remote terminal or other computer to which it is attached. See also DCE.

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ECP (Extended Capabilities Port)

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A bidirectional parallel port mode that uses a DMA channel to speed up data flow.

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EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port)

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A parallel port that allows data to flow in both directions (bidirectional port) and is faster than original parallel ports on PCs that allowed communication only in one direction.

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FireWire

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Common term for IEEE 1394.

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flat panel monitor

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A desktop monitor that uses an LCD panel.

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graphics accelerator

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A type of video card that has an on-board processor that can substantially increase speed and boost graphical and video performance.

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Graphics DDR (G-DDR), Graphics DDR2 (G-DDR2), Graphics DDR3 (G-DDR3)

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Types of DDR, DDR2, and DDR3 memory specifically designed to be used in graphics cards.

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hot-pluggable or hot-swappable

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A device that can be plugged into a computer while it is turned on and the computer will sense the device and configure it without rebooting, or the device can be removed without an OS error.

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hub

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A network device or box that provides a central location to connect cables.

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i.Link

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Another term for IEEE 1394.

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I/O controller card

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An older card that can contain serial, parallel, and game ports and floppy drive and IDE connectors.

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IEEE 1284

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A standard for parallel ports and cables developed by the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers and supported by many hardware manufacturers.

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IEEE 1394

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Standards for an expansion bus that can also be configured to work as a local bus. It is expected to replace the SCSI bus, providing an easy method to install and configure fast I/O devices. Also called FireWire and i.Link.

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IEEE 1394.3

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A standard, developed by the 1394 Trade Association, that is designed for peer-to-peer data transmission and allows imaging devices to send images and photos directly to printers without involving a computer.

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infrared (IR) transceiver

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wireless transceiver that uses infrared technology to support some wireless devices such as keyboards, mice, and printers. A motherboard might have an embedded infrared transceiver, or the transceiver might plug into a USB or serial port. The technology is defined by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA). Also called an IrDA transceiver or infrared port.

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interlaced

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A type of display in which the electronic beam of a monitor draws every other line with each pass, which lessens the overall effect of a lower refresh rate.

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IrDA (Infrared Data Association) transceiver

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Another term for an infrared transceiver.

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isochronous data transfer

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A method used by IEEE 1394 to transfer data continuously without breaks.

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LCD monitor

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a thin, flat monitor based on a technology that manipulates liquid crystals.

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motherboard mouse

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Another term for a PS/2 mouse.

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MultiBank DRAM (MDRAM)

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A type of video memory that is faster than VRAM and WRAM, but can be more economical because it can be installed on a video card in smaller increments.

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noninterlaced

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A type of display in which the electronic beam of a monitor draws every line on the screen with each pass.

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null modem cable

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A cable that allows two data terminal equipment (DTE) devices to communicate in which the transmit and receive wires are cross-connected and no modems are necessary.

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passive matrix display

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A type of video display technology less expensive than active matrix display.

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pixel

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A small spot on a fine horizontal scan line. Pixels are illuminated to create an image on the monitor.

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PS/2-compatible mouse

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A mouse that plugs into a round mouse PS/2 port on the motherboard. Sometimes called a motherboard mouse.

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refresh rate

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The process of periodically rewriting data, such as on dynamic RAM.

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resolution

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The number of pixels on a monitor screen that are addressable by software (for example, 1024 x 768 pixels).

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serial mouse

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A mouse that uses a serial port and has a female 9-pin DB-9 connector.

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SGRAM (synchronous graphics RAM)

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Memory designed especially for video card processing that can synchronize itself with the CPU bus clock.

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TFT (thin film transistor)

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Used in LCD monitors to rapidly switch pixels on and off.

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touch screen

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An input device that uses a monitor or LCD panel as a backdrop for user options. Touch screens can be embedded in a monitor or LCD panel or installed as an add-on device.

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triad

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Three dots of color that make up one composite dot on a CRT screen.

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UART (universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter)

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A chip that controls serial ports. It sets protocol and converts parallel data bits received from the system bus into serial bits.

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USB host controller

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Manages the USB bus. If the motherboard contains on-board USB ports, the USB host controller is part of the chipset. The USB controller uses only a single set of resources for all devices on the bus.

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VRAM (video RAM)

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RAM on video cards that holds the data that is being passed from the computer to the monitor and can be accessed by two devices simultaneously. Higher resolutions often require more video memory.

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WRAM (window RAM)

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Dual ported video RAM that is faster and less expensive than VRAM. It has its own internal bus on the chip, with a data path that is 256 bits wide.