(AGP)-ACCELERATED GRAPHICS PORT
High speed graphics. Data moves directly from the graphics controller and computer memory, bypassing the cache in video memory.
ACCESS TIME
The typical time period, for RAM, between a query for information and its completed access.
AMRAY
Equipment employed to gauge critical information from a region on a semiconductor component at various levels of operations through the use of a Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM).
ANSI-(AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE)
The United States organization in charge of setting information technology standards.
ARRAY
This is a large rectangular area in the center of a semiconductor component where memory is stored. Memory is stored in cells at each intersection of columns and rows, each of which holds a bit.
ASCII(American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
A method of encoding text as binary values. The ASCII system requires nearly 256 combinations of 8-bit binary numbers to support every possible keystroke from the keyboard.
ASIC-(APPLICATION-SPECIFIC INTEGRATED CIRCUIT)
These chips are manufactured for a certain application instead of common use. Integrated-circuit chips are normally used in video boards and modems.
ASYNCHRONOUS
A process involving quite a few tasks being performed independently in a system.
ATA-(AT ATTACHMENT)
A specification that integrates the drive control electronics interface. AT refers to the IBM PC/AT personal computer and its bus architecture.
AUTO PRECHARGE
A DRAM feature that enables the circuitry in a memory chip to automatically close a page at the end of a request from the processor for a single block of data.
BACKSIDE BUS(BSB)
BSB is the path in which data flows between the computer processing unit and the level 2 cache.
Bandwidth
The capacity to move data on an electronic line like a bus or a channel. In other words, the amount of data moved relative to a specific time frame. It is expressed in bits, bytes, or Hertz (cycles) per second.
Bank (logical memory bank)
A collection of memory slots in a computer which work together as a single unit. A bank can not be partially filled and must be filled with like modules (same size, speed and type).
BANK SCHEMA
A procedure in which memory configuration is diagrammed. Independent sockets are represented by rows and banks are illustrated by columns.
BASE RAMBUS
The beginning of Rambus technology, shipped first in 1995.
BEDO-(BURST EDO)
Comparable to EDO DRAM, Burst EDO cycles are assembled in bursts of four. Bus speeds of Burst EDO range from 40mhz to FPM or EDO DRAM.
Binary
A technique of encoding numbers as a series of bits. The binary number system, also referred to as base 2, uses combinations of only two digits- 1 and 0.
BIOS-(BASIC INPUT/OUTPUT SYSTEM
A set of low level RAMBUS that allow a computer’s application programs and operating systems to read characters from the keyboard, output characters to printers, and communicate with the hardware in other ways.
Bit
A binary digit- the smallest unit of information a computer system can process. It may have a value of only 1 or 0 (off or on). Single bits are too small to be of much use and are generally classified in groups such as bytes of binary words.
BLOCK
A block is a physical unit of data in a logical record that is expressed in bytes.
BUFFER
Shared information from devices operating at different speeds are held in the buffer. This buffer enables a device to function without delays from other components.
BUFFERED MEMORY
A module that houses buffers, which are used to help control the signals the memory chips receive. In addition, they allow the module to include more memory chips. Buffered and non-buffered memory cannot be combined.
BURN-IN
Using a high voltage and temperature to test an integrated circuit. This process will find those chips that tend to crash first during real use. Chips that pass are likely to have a longer life expectancy than necessary for regular use.
BURST EDO RAM
EDO Memory that processes four memory addresses in one burst. Speeds of the Bus can range from 50mhz to 66mhz.
BURST MODE
A high speed transmission of a series of addresses that occur when the processor asks for a single address.
Bus
The central communication avenue in a PCs system board. If usually consists of a set of parallel wires or signal traces that link the CPU, the memory, all input/output devices, and peripherals.
Bus cycle
A single transaction between system memory and the CPU.
Byte
A unit of information made up of 8 bits. The byte is the key component of computer processing; most computer component specifications are measured in bytes or multiples thereof (such as kilobytes or megabytes).
Cache
A kind of memory which is used to store frequently used instructions and data. Cache memories are employed to increase the overall performance of computing systems by storing these commonly used instructions and data closer (in a speed-related context) to their ultimate destination.
CAPACITANCE
The characteristic of a circuit element that enables it to store an electrical charge.
CAS LATENCY
The ratio between column access time and clock cycle time.
CAS-(COLUMN ADDRESS STROBE)
A memory chip signal that connects the column address of a specific location in a row-column configuration.
CHECK BITS
Additional data bits that a module supplies to support ECC.
CHIP-SCALE PACKAGE
Thin chip package in which electrical connections are usually through a ball grid array. Used in RDRAM and flash memory.
CHIPSET
The computer processing unit is supported by the chipset, a set of microchips which contain several controllers, determining how data travels between components and the processor.
CHMOS
Complementary High-density Metal Oxide Semiconductor.
CISC-(COMPLEX INSTRUCTION SET COMPUTING
A design logic by which chips combine multi-step instructions into one command. CISC is typically associated with microprocessors.
CLOCK RATE
The number of pulses discharged by a computer’s clock in a one second interval. In a synchronous computer, clock rate establishes the time period in which logical or arithmetic gating occurs.
COB-(CHIP ON BOARD)
A technique or system in which semiconductor dice are connected to a PC board with bonded wires or solder balls.
COLUMN
A portion of the memory array where information is stored at the junction of a column and a row.
COMPACT FLASH
Removable storage cards which are efficient in terms of weight, size, and durability. Furthermore, they use minor amounts of voltage and retain information when the power is off. Generally used in digital cameras, printers, and handheld computers.
Composite Memory
A term used by Apple Computer to describe modules that use many low-density memory (4 Megabit) chips.
CONCURRENT RAMBUS
The second generation of Rambus technology.
CONTROLLER
A main element of a computer that interprets and performs program commands.
CPU
Central Processing Unit. The “brains” of a computer system. A CPU is an integrated circuit which performs the bulk of the data and software instructions in a computer system. It is typically called “the processor” in a computer system.
CRC-(CYCLICAL REDUNDANCY CHECK)
A mathematical method to uncover errors involving long runs of information with a greater degree of accuracy.
Credit Card Memory
A type of memory module (much like a PCMCIA card) named for its size. Credit card modules are often used in notebooks and various portable computing devices.
CRIMM-(CONTINUITY RIMM)
Direct Rambus memory in which the module does not contain any memory chips. Used to fill unused RIMM sockets to allow for an uninterrupted pathway for a signal.
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