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Term
|
Description
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Parallel
Port
|
An
input/output port on your computer that transfers data eight bits
at a time. It's a female DB-25 port that is usually used to connect
a printer. Also known as an LPT port. |
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Parity
|
A
method of error checking memory in which a ninth bit is added.
A computer may use Even Parity or Odd Parity. Using Even Parity,
when data is put into memory, each byte is examined to determine
the number of 1s. If the number of 1s in the byte are even, then
a zero (0) would be put in the ninth bit. If the number of 1s
in the byte are odd, then a one (1) would be put in the ninth
bit to make the number even. So every byte in memory should have
an even number of 1s. If a byte is found to have an odd number,
then a parity error is displayed. The opposite holds true for
Odd Parity. |
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Partition
|
A
division of a hard drive. Each division is capable of containing
1 or more logical drives. Even if you're not going to divide a
hard drive up, it still must be partitioned. Partitioning creates
the Master Boot Record. |
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Partition
Table
|
When
a hard drive is partitioned, the Master Boot Record (MBR) is created.
The Partition Table is in the MBR. The Partition Table contains
information on how the disk is organized and which partition contains
the operating system. The partition with the OS is considered
the Active Partition and will be used to start the computer. |
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Passive-matrix
Display
|
A
type of video display (originally for notebook and laptop computers)
that uses a series of criss-crossed wires with an LCD element
at each intersection to produce a picture. Each element represents
a pixel and can either allow light to pass or not. In contrast,
an active-matrix display has a single transistor to represent
each picture element (pixel). Passive-matrix displays are cheaper
to produce but can't produce as sharp a picture as an active-matrix
display. |
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Path Name
|
The
filing system on a computer is a hierarchical system. The Path
Name for a certain file indicates to the computer, or the user,
the drive and list of directories (folders) that must be followed
to find that file. This is the path needed to access, retrieve
or save the file. The path D:\GAMES\WIPEOUT\WIPEOUT.EXE indicates
that the file WIPEOUT.EXE, needed to start this game, is in a
directory or folder called WIPEOUT, which is in a folder called
GAMES, which is on the D: drive. |
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PCI
|
Peripheral
Component Interconnect. The PCI bus is a local bus that supports
both 32 and 64-bit data paths. It has a 33 MHz bus speed and is
processor independent (communicates with the processor through
a bridge circuit). Most PCI expansion cards are Plug and Play. |
|
PCI Bus
IRQ Steering
|
If
the Operating System (Win95 OSR2 or 98) and the computer's BIOS
both support it, PCI Bus IRQ Steering is a feature that allows
PCI devices to share an IRQ. |
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Peripheral
|
Any
device or piece of equipment that is attached to and used by a
computer, such as a monitor, tape drive, printer, modem, speakers,
etc.. |
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PGA
|
Pin
Grid Array. A type of socket for a Central Processing Unit. The
PGA Socket has all its pins lined up in even rows, as opposed
to the SPGA Socket which has its rows staggered. |
|
Pin Grid
Array
|
See
PGA. |
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Pixel
|
Pixel
is a contraction for Picture Element. Everything on your computer
screen is made up of thousands of tiny little dots. Each dot is
called a pixel. The more pixels used to draw your screen, the
higher the resolution. A resolution of 1024x768 means that your
monitor is using 1024 pixels across your screen and 768 pixels
down. This is a total of 786,432 pixels used to display the image. |
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Planar
Board
|
See
Motherboard. |
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Plug and
Play
|
Plug
and Play is a technology that can reduce conflicts between computer
devices by automatically configuring them at startup. However,
for it to work properly your BIOS and your Operating System both
must support PnP, and the device being configured must be a Plug
and Play device. The technology actually works pretty good but
there can be problems when you mix legacy devices with PnP. |
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Polling
|
Polling
is a routine that is constantly being performed by your computer.
It checks each device individually to see if there is any new
information or if the device is ready to send or receive data. |
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Port
|
A
port is a socket or plug-in on your computer that allows you to
attach an external device by connecting its cable. |
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POST
|
Power
On Self-Test. Diagnostic programs, loaded automatically from the
ROM BIOS during startup, that perform basic tests on the major
system components such as the CPU, I/O devices, and RAM. If there
are no problems during the POST, the computer will go on to load
the Operating System. |
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Power
Conditioner
|
A
device that plugs in between the wall socket and your computer's
power supply. It smoothes out the flow of electricity to your
computer, filtering out surges, spikes and brownouts. |
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Power
Supply
|
The
box inside your computer that supplies it with the electricity
that it needs. The Power Supply converts the house AC current
to voltages the computer can use, 3.3, 5, and 12 volts DC. |
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Primary
Storage
|
Primary
Storage is the volatile or temporary storage (RAM) that the CPU
uses for processing data and instructions. As opposed to Secondary
Storage which is semi-permanent, and includes devices like hard
drives, floppies, CD-ROMS and tape drives. When the computer is
shut off or loses power, all information in Primary Storage is
lost. |
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Printer
|
An
output device attached to your computer that produces printed
copies on paper (hard copies). |
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Processor
Speed
|
The
speed, or frequency, (in MHz) at which the Central Processing
Unit (CPU) in a computer operates. |
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Protected
Mode
|
Starting
with Intel's 80286, the processor could work in a mode or operating
state that prevents a program that is running from accessing memory
that is being used by another running program. This allows support
for virtual memory and multitasking (running more than one program
at a time). Protected Mode programs can access addresses above
1024K and can use a 32-bit data path. Real Mode is the precursor
to this in which each program needs all the memory to run and
will not allow the execution of another application at the same
time. |
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Protocol
|
A
Protocol is a set of rules or configurations defined between two
computers or devices so they can communicate. Some of the operations
defined are error detection and correction, data format and readiness
to receive or send. There are different protocols but two communicating
devices must follow the same protocol in order to understand each
other. |
