Glossary of Terms Flashcards
32-bit versus 64-bit
Processing modes referring to the size of each instruction processed by the CPU. 320bit CPU’s replaced earlier 16-bit CPU’s and were used through the 1990s to the present day, through most PC and laptop CPUs now work in 640bit mode. The main 64-bit platform is called AMD64 or EM64T (by Intel). Software can be compiled as 32-bit or 64-bit. 64 bit CPUs can run most 32-bit software, but a 32-bit CPU can’t execute 64-bit software.
3D Printer
Hardware device capable of small-scale manufacturing. Most 3D printers use either a variety of filament (typically plastic) or resin media with different properties.
802.11 Standards
Specifications developed by IEEE for wireless networking over microwave radio transmission in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. The Wi-Fi standards brand has six main iterations: a, b, g, Wi-Fi 4 (n), Wi-Fi 5 (ac), and Wi-Fi 6 (ax). These specify different modulation techniques, supported distances, and data rates, plus special features, such as channel bonding, MIMO, and MU-MIMO.
802.3 Ethernet
Standards developed as the IEEE 802.3 series describing media types, access methods, data rates, and distance limitations at OSI Layers 1 and 2 using xBASE-y designations.
Access Point (AP)
Device that provides a connection between wireless devices and can connect to wired networks, implementing an infrastructure mode WLAN.
Adapter Cable
Peripheral cable converting between connector form factors or between signaling types, such as DisplayPort to HDMI.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
CPU manufacturer providing healthy competition for Intel. AMD chips such as the K6 or Athlon 64 and latterly the Ryzen have been very popular with computer manufacturers and have often out-performed their Intel equivalents.
Advanced RISC Machines (ARM)
Designer of CPU and chipset architectures widely used in mobile devices. RISC stands for reduced instruction set computing. RISC microarchitectures use a small number of simple instructions that can be performed as a single operation. This contrasts with complex (CISC) microarchitectures, which use a large set of more powerful instructions that can take more than one operation to complete.
advanced technology extended (ATX)
Standard PC case, motherboard, and power supply specification. Mini-, Micro-, and Flex-ATX specify smaller board designs.
airplane mode
A toggle found on mobile devices enabling the user to disable and enable wireless functionality quickly.
App Store
Feature of mobile computing that provides a managed interface for installing third-party software apps.
Application Programming Interface (API)
Library of programming utilities used, for example, to enable software developers to access functions of the TCP/IP network stack under a particular operating system.
Application Virtualization
Software delivery model where the code runs on a server and is streamed to a client.
Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA)
Security concept where a centralized platform verifies subject identification, ensures the subject is assigned relevant permissions, and then logs these actions to create an audit trail.
Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
Device that feeds media automatically into a scanner or printer.
Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)
Mechanism for Windows hosts configured to obtain an address automatically that cannot contact a DHCP server to revert to using an address from the range 169.254.x.y. This is also called a link-local address.
Backlight
LED or fluorescent lamp that illuminates the image on a flat-panel (TFT) screen. If the backlight component fails, only a dim image will be shown.
Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)
Legacy 32-bit firmware type that initializes hardware and provides a system setup interface for configuring boot devices and other hardware settings.
Basic Service Set ID (BSSID)
MAC address of an access point supporting a basic service area.
Battery
Power source for a portable computer, typically a rechargeable Lithium-ion (Li-ion) type. A small coin cell battery is also used in a computer to power CMOS RAM.
Beep Codes
During POST, errors in hardware or the system firmware data can be brought to the attention of the user by beep noises. Each beep code is able to draw attention to a particular fault with the hardware. It was once customary for a computer to beep once to indicate that POST has been successful, though most modern computers boot silently.
Binary
Notational system with two values per digit (zero and one). Computers process code in binary because the transistors in its CPU and memory components also have two states (off and on).
Biometric Authentication
Authentication mechanism that allows a user to perform a biometric scan to operate an entry or access system. Physical characteristics stored as a digital data template can be used to authenticate a user. Typical features used include facial pattern, iris, retina, fingerprint pattern, and signature recognition.
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)
Microsoft status screen that indicates an error from which the system cannot recover (also called a stop error). Blue screens are usually caused by bad driver software or hardware faults (memory or disk). Other operating systems use similar crash indicators, such as Apple’s pinwheel and Linux’s kernel panic message.