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| NUM | 2D Graphics :
Graphics which only use x and y coordinates. 2D graphics are flat and can only be viewed at one angle. The regular Windows desktop is a 2D graphic.
3D Engine :
The software code which is responsible for the visual output in 3D graphics. This software code has to process everything from the initial geometry to the finished on screen image.
3D Graphics :
Graphics which have depth. This is any graphic which is defined with points that use x, y and z coordinates. This would be anything that can be viewed at different angles and results in a different picture.
3D-Now (3D No Waiting) :
Instructions that were added by AMD, Cyrix, and IDT processors to accelerate commonly used floating point operations. These consisted of the first 21 instructions added to the K6 line of AMD processors, and the enhanced 3D-Now with added an additional ??? instructions to the AMD Athlon and K6-2+ processors.
3D Pipeline :
The pipeline of operations that create a 2D image out of 3D co-ordinates.
| | A | A3D (Aureal3D) :
A propriety 3D sound API that uses sound algorithms created by NASA to produce real sound. It is able to produce more realistic sounds and echos because it actually uses a 3D model for calculations.
AC-3 :
Also know as Dolby Digital 5.1
Accumulation Buffer :
A buffer which stores multiple finished images for output so that it can apply advanced digital effects like motion blur.
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) :
The single expansion slot designed to allow high bandwidth video cards direct access to main memory. The standard AGP slot is a 32-bit bus operating at 33MHz. AGP2X and AGP4X are successors to the 32-bit AGP bus and operate at 133MHz and 266MHz respectively.
Active Cooling :
The term used when more than passive cooling is used. The most common active cooling used is a fan, but Thermal Electric Coolers and refrigeration units can also be used.
Active Server Pages (ASP) :
A way for servers to dynamically create web pages through the use of scripts. ASP's use Visual Basic, which allows for an easy and familiar creation because of the wide range of VB editors.
Actuator Assembly :
The read-write heads and actuator in a hard drive. They are made of very lightweight materials and physically are moved by a magnetic voice-coil.
Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) :
This is the protocol that is used by all IDE and EIDE devices. ATA comes in 3 different flavours, ATA is capable of 2.1 to 8.3 MB/sec transfers, ATA-2 is capable of 11.1 to 16.6 MB/sec, and Ultra-ATA is currently capable of 33.3 to 100 MB/sec. The newest version of ATA, UltraATA has three different settings, ATA33, ATA66, and ATA100.
Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI) :
The set of commands which are used by all ATA devices for communication and data transfers.
Alpha :
A setting for the opacity of a certain pixel.
A term for under development software or hardware products.
Alpha Blending :
The 3D rendering process of alternating alpha values to create translucency effects such as smoke. It can also be used so simulate transparent or semi-transparent objects such as water or glass.
Alpha Channel :
The component of a pixel that indicates the alpha value. Pixels are usually measured in RGBA, that is red value, green value, blue value, and alpha value.
AMR slot : 
This stands for Advanced Modem Resource. its located only on motherboards with onboard sound, so that the osundcard can interact with the modem properly.
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Anisotropic Texture Filtering :
This is the latest filtering process like bilinear or trilinear filtering. Anisotropic texture filtering is more advanced than even trilinear. Where trilinear filtering samples only the adjacent pixels that immediately surround the output pixel, this creates a box. To have a more gradual blend, anisotropic filtering filters 8 or more pixels in a random pattern around the output pixel, to create more accurate results. This requires even more fill rate than trilinear so it is seldom used.
Anti-Aliasing :
The process of smoothing out jagged edges which are created by pixel limitations. On a sloped line, the monitors pixels are unable to create a sloped line because of their square nature, resulting in a stair-step effect. Smoothing of this line is achieved by blending adjacent pixels on the line to create a much more gradual stair-step.
Aperture Grille :
A masking technology invented by Sony to be used in monitors, that allows for a brighter image then a shadow mask. It is made of fine metal wires instead of a perferated metal plate to block stray electrons. A downside of the technology is that it usually has 2 fine horizontal lines in the middle of the screen created by the dampening wires.
Aperture Size :
The amount of memory available to the AGP card for texture storage.
Append :
To add to the end of a piece of data or file.
Applet :
A small JAVA program which is run by a browser to add special effects to a web page.
Application :
A software program.
Application Programming Interface (API) :
API's bridge the gap between software and hardware. API's are user friendly to programmers offering an easy working base to reference hardware functions. Instead of programmers having to write code to each specific type of hardware, they can program to a set API. The API is written so that it can directly reference features in hardware, making it a fast solution. Hardware has to be made to support the API in order to use it.
Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) :
Any circuit or processor which is designed for a specific application. A CPU is not an ASIC because it is able to be programmed to multiple tasks. A DAC is an ASIC because it can only convert digital to analog signals, nothing more.
ASCII :
American Standard Code for Information Interchange. All characters can be represented using a single byte of data. ASCII is a standard that governs the binary values used to represent various characters.
E.G.
65 = A 66 = B
97 = a 98 = b
42 = * 91 = [
NB - Other standards exist such as EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code), but ASCII is the most commonly used.
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AT Form Factor :
One of the older motherboard form factors / layout.
ATX Form Factor :
The newest motherboard form factor or layout. Subsets of the ATX form factor include NLX, LPX, and microATX. A form factor defines the layout of the components on the motherboard. The notable changes over the older AT form factor as: relocation of the CPU so that it is in proximity of the power supply fan, all I/O ports are located together near the CPU instead of being spread out, and the power supply can power down the motherboard without the power button having to be pressed.
Artifact :
Imperfects made in an image or 3D scene. Artifacts are created by high levels of compression or faulty coding.
Aspect Ratio :
The relationship between the horizontal and vertical resolution. Standard monitor resolutions are in the aspect ratio of 4/3, of 1.333.
Auto Detection :
The ability of a motherboard or OS to detect specific hardware and properly configure it by its default settings.
Automatic Texture Compression :
This is the ability of a video card to automatically compress textures in video RAM so that they occupy less space. This is done real time, and without user control.
| | B | Back Buffer :
The current working space for a video card to draw frames when double buffering is used. Once the image is rendered, it is copied to the front buffer which is the current frame being draw on screen.
Backward Compatibility :
A software or hardware product that will work with earlier versions of that same hardware.
Banding :
What happens when colours can't fade together because not enough colours are available to be used.
Bandwidth :
The amount of data that can be transferred in a certain amount of time. Factors that effect bandwidth are the frequency of operation, the number of transfers per clock, and the number of bits per transfer. Bus width does not directly effect bandwidth unless the connection is parallel and uses all of the connections per transfer.
Basic Input Output System (BIOS) :
A small section of code which is loaded from a separate ROM chip during boot-up. The BIOS defines how the OS interacts with hardware, as well as configuring devices and loading the OS. All low level functions are defined in the BIOS instructions, allowing for a more generic hardware. Also, by having all low level functions defined by the BIOS information, updates to low level operations can be made without replacing the hardware. BIOS are hardly ever changed, but can be flashed with new instructions if they need to be updated.
Batch Process :
An automated process where the same action happens in repetition to different objects or files.
Beta :
A term used with pre-production hardware or software products.
Bevel :
Gives a 2D image the effect of 3D by shading the borders.
Bezier Path :
In vectoring, a curved path which is defined by at least 3 points, and the most equal curve is used to connect them.
Bilinear Filtering :
This filters an output pixel by filtering the four nearest pixels, and interpolating the average.
Binary :
A number language like the decimal system which operates using 1's and 0's. Often referred to as base 2.
Any sort of information which is stored as binary data. A floppy disc image or a direct copy of the contents of a ROM are binary information. Any base 2 information which isn't converted from its computer 1 and 0 form.
Bin :
The term given to a single increment in a processor's multiplier. A bin usually consists of an increase of 0.5.
Bit Block :
Know as a bit block transfer because it is when graphics are copied from one area of a screen to another.
Bitmapped :
An image format that is usually uncompressed, where each pixel is mapped with a bit, or multiple bit values to denote colour.
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) :
What happens when a Microsoft OS has an non-recoverable error. A blue screen is output with white text saying what the error was.
Bot :
A AI driven opponent.
Bottleneck :
A slow link in a process or pipeline that slows down and limits overall performance.
Branch Prediction :
A technique of CPU processing that allows the processor to speed up conditional calculations. The CPU tries to predict the outcome of the conditional calculation by what it has done in the past. It will predict what the outcome will be and it will start computing the corresponding code. If the CPU prediction was true, a lot of time was saved by not waiting for the first instruction to finish. If the prediction was false, minimal time was lost, the previous branch is flushed, and the correct code begins execution.
Broadband :
Any network connection which is capable of transferring at speeds greater than 56 kbits per second. Broadband connects are capable of sending multiple signals at the same time.
Bump Mapping :
This is a technique used in rendering to create the illusion of texture. Two textures are used; the ordinary texture and a bump map. The bump map is usually a greyscale image that will represent the texture's displacement on the image surface. It creates dark areas (depressions) and light areas (elevations).
Bus :
A data channel which connects two or more parts of a computer.
Byte :
A collection of 8 bits into a package. All computer information is grouped into bytes, rather than just plan bits for easier addressing.
Bytecode :
Used in JAVA, where the programming language is compiled into a bytecode. This bytecode is then interpreted by a virtual machine. The advantage of this is that the bytecode is platform independent, it only has to know how to interface with the virtual machine, making the bytecode cross platform.
| | C | Cache :
A high speed buffer that stores frequently used information. Almost always made using SRAM, rather than DRAM because it needs to be fast.
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) :
A language used with HTTP for use on web pages, which adds more control over the graphical presentation of the page.
Category Cable (Cat-3,Cat-5) :
All UTP telephone wiring has to be rated by the Electrons Industry Association by its quality. As the category numbers increase, so does the wire's quality and signal integrity level. Catagory 1 (Cat-1) and Cat-2 are used with propriety devices that require only low frequencies for transferring simple voice or small amounts of data. Cat-3 cable is able to operate at speeds up to 16MHz, and is sufficient for use with all telephone lines and thin Ethernet. Cat-4 is able to operate at speeds up to 20MHz, and Cat-5 is able to operate at speeds up to 100MHz. Cat-5 is what is most often used with Ethernet, both thin and fast, because of its ability to work interchangeably with both. Cat-5 Enhanced is able to operate at speeds up to 200MHz, with Cat-5 Elite Enhanced being able to operate at speeds of 350MHz. Cat-6 is used with high speed interfaces and is able to operate at speeds of up to 600MHz.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) :
The main processor and 'brains' in a computer. The most know CPUs are the Pentium series, 486 series, and Athlon series. The CPU frequency is what is usually referred to when the speed of the computer is spoken about. A 300MHz computer means that the CPU operates at 300MHz. The CPU is almost always the largest computer chip in a computer.
Charged Couple Device (CCD) :
An optical sensor which is used in optical recorders such as digital cameras and digital camcorders. It is made out of thousands of tiny silicon sensors which will produce a small electric current when struck by a particle of light.
Chip Multiprocessing (CMP) :
The integration of two or more chip cores into a single processor. This is starting to become the wave of the future, because as transistor sizes decrease, cores get smaller. By putting 2 cores in one processor, processing capabilities almost double, an the processor is neither too small or too big.
Chromakey :
The replacement of a colour or colour range with another image or colour. The most common use is a blue screen, which allows a different background to later be added to a scene to create a special effect.
Client :
Usually refers to the users machine in where a server is involved.
Clipping :
A process to automatically remove 3D objects with are out of the field of view from the rendering process. This is usually done in hardware with video cards capable of 3D acceleration.
Clock :
The completion of one cycle of a frequency.
Cluster :
These are allocation units for data, and are multiples of the sector size. A file, no matter how small it is has to use at least one cluster, and all unused space in that cluster is wasted space. If a file is more than one cluster in size, it will use more than one cluster.
Coaxial Cable :
The two wire cabling used with coaxial networking and all cable televisions. It consists of a copper wire which is insulated and covered with an aluminum weave and foil for a ground. Coaxial cable is very sensitive to grounding so all coaxial cabling has to be properly terminated with either a device or a 50ohm resistor.
Codec :
Short for compressor/decompressor. It is an algorithm for compressing data, usually audio, video or both. The most know movie codec is MPEG. The advantages of codecs are that they are small in file size and can be used to update media players and encoders when more efficient compression techniques are discovered.
Collision :
A term given to an intersection of polygon faces in 3D rendering.
In networking when 2 separate packets are sent at the same time, corrupting each other. Collisions force the resending of data, and lower overall bandwidth.
Colour Convergence :
When the wrong phosphors are lit on-screen in a monitor because of a misaligned electron beam.
Colour Depth :
The current number of colours which are available for display. Colours are measured in bits. There is 4-bit (16 colours), 8-bit colour (256 colours), 16-bit (65536 colours, also know as "High Color" or "Thousands of Colors"), and 24-bit (16777216 colours, also know as "True Color" or "Millions of Colors"). 32-bit colour contains the same number of colours as 24-bit, but is 32-bit for memory alignment purposes. 3D acceleration is only able to operate at 16-bit or 32-bit colour. Higher colour depths result in more memory usage and usually slower performance.
Command Line Interface (CLI) :
A single threaded command line approach that often uses little or no visual effects to capture user input. The DOS prompt is probably the most known CLI. CLI is often still used in servers because it is more direct and doesn't require the graphics processing overhead that a GUI has.
Command Tag Queuing :
A feature of SCSI devices that allows multiple requests to be queued so that as soon one task is complete the next is immediately started. It also allows SCSI devices to reorder requests so that they are performed in the most efficient manner. IDE devices are not able to do this.
Compact Disk :
A optical storage medium that can hold up to 680MB of data, and can be used to hold audio data that can be played in standalone CD players.
Compiler :
A specific software program that programmers use to translate their high level programming languages like C or Visual Basic into code that the computer can run. This output code is know as low level code, object code, machine code, executable code, and binary code. Compilers usually optimize code and check for errors.
Complex Instruction Set Computing :
The term given to all computer Instruction Set Architectures (ISA)'s that were made based on the idea of reducing software complexity by making the processor more complex. The allow for processor instructions that do multiple operations, and span multiple clock cycles. Oposite of RISC architectures.
Computer Assisted Design / Computer Assisted Manufacturing (CAD / CAM) :
The use of a computer for outputting blueprints or workable models. CAD usually involves 3D modeling, so most CAD/CAM is done on high-end workstations.
Connect / Disconnect :
A feature of SCSI devices that allow multiple devices to share the SCSI bus by having devices that do not currently need the bus to disconnect and allow other devices to use it. Devices are then able to reconnect when they have a request.
Constant Angular Velocity :
Refers to the way in which a CD operates. CAV means that the CD spins at the same speed no matter where the information is being read. This produces faster transfer rates along the out tracks of a CD.
Constant Linear Velocity :
Refers to the way in which a CD operates. CLV means that the CD rotation speed is modified so that there is a constant transfer speed from all tracks of a CD. CLV drives are more expensive to produce because they need to have motors which run at variable speeds. The advantage of these drives are that they produce an even transfer rate no matter what track is being read.
Control Point :
A term used with vector graphics. It is the reference point where the calculations are centered.
Coppermine :
Intel's new processor core which features their SSE instructions. Despite the name, the core is not made with copper interconnects. All Coppermine cores are made using 0.18 micron fabrication, and have a 256-bit wide full speed L2 cache, and use Intel's SSE instructions. Pentium 3 Coppermines have 256KB of L2 cache and Celeron FCPGA chips use 128KB.
Coordinate Matrix :
Refers to the set of numbers required to draw a 3D object on screen. Every vertex, or point, in a 3D object uses a coordinate matrix. Coordinate matrix's usually include 4 numbers, the x location, y location, z location and normal information.
Core :
The main section of a computer processor, basically referring to the processor minus the L2 cache and control units.
Core Logic Chipset :
The main processors on the motherboard which control all functions that take place. Their responsibilities include interfacing with the CPU and other peripherals, memory address translation and refresh, and frequency timing.
Corrupt :
Data which has been altered. Information has the highest chance of becoming corrupt when it has to travel great distances, like on the Internet, or when it is transferred at very high speeds. They ways of detecting corrupt data are CRC, parity, and ECC.
Cube Environmental Mapping :
The 3D rendering of a game environment on a surface as if it were a texture. The game environment is drawn as if the object being mapped was inclosed in a cube.
Cull :
The removal of non-visible faces in 3D rendering. All faces which face away from the viewpoint can be removed to save rendering time.
Cursor :
The mouse pointer.
Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) :
A mathematical formula that use variables based on the contents of the data and an answer to the formula using those variables. Data that uses CRC is divided into chucks, and the answer to the specific CRC formula is appended to the end of the data. The variables are calculated from the data received, and an answer calculated from the formula is compared to the answer which was appended. If they are the same the data is exact, and if they are different the data is corrupt. The formula used in CRC was calculated so that it is impossible to receive a correct answer if data is corrupt. This is unlike parity, but CRC is still unable to correct errors.
| | D | Data Buffer :
A section of high speed memory that is used by many devices to hold data during input or output operations. This allows slower devices like hard drives to effectively transfer information onto a faster bus. The data is read from the hard drive and stored into the buffer. Once the buffer is full the data is transferred as a block of information, therefor using the full speed of the bus. The same works in reverse.
Daughter Board :
An add-on card which is connected to a device to expand the capabilities of said device. Most sound cards and video cards have connectors for daughter boards, to add extra mixing effects or video capture.
Depth Cueing :
This creates distance by reducing colour and hue the farther away an object is from the viewpoint.
Depth Of Field :
Refers to the distance at which 3D objects are drawn in the distance. Closer objects are rendered more carefully and precisely than objects further way, which can be blurred and less precise. The scale at which object's precision is based on the depth of field setting.
Dial-Up Networking / Dial-up Connection :
A remote connection to another network; like the Internet; that uses a standard phone line. This connection requires a telephone number to be dialed, making it any connection that uses a standard modem.
Die :
The physical piece of silicon that has all of the transistors and circuits.
Digital :
Consisting of only on and off signals, represented as binary (1's and 0's) information. This is opposed to analogue, were a value is specified according to a signal scale.
Digital Signal Processor (DSP) :
An ASIC which is designed to do simple functions at incredibly high speeds. These chips are most commonly used for frequency generation and reception, such as in digital phones and wireless networking. Speeds of over 3GHz is not uncommon for these processors.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) :
A highspeed broadband connection that uses the unused frequencies of a phone line. Maximum speeds are dependent on the length of wire between the DSL modem and telephone switching office.
Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) :
A device or computer chip which converts digital information to analog information.
Digital Video Interface (DVI) :
A digital connection used for LCD monitors. Because LCD screens operate with a digital signal, it saves the digital to analog, and then back to digital conversion a regular monitor connecter would use. This produces a sharper image on digital monitors.
Direct Memory Access (DMA) :
The ability of a device to access system memory without having the CPU prefetch and send it the information.
Direct Rambus Dynamic Access Memory (DRDRAM) :
It is a high speed memory technology that uses multiple high speed channels for DRAM, rather then one large slow one. It currently has the highest effective bandwidth, but also a high latency.
DirectX (Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectSound) :
A collection of API's written by Microsoft which are used as a common platform for 3D and multimedia applications. This collection currently includes different API for each aspect; DirectSound for sound, DirectDraw for 2D and sprite based graphics, Direct3D for 3D graphics, DirectPlay for networking, and DirectInput to handle user input. Instead of programs having to program the low level functions for each of these, they can pass the job off to these preprogramed APIs. DirectX is also a standard to which hardware is build. If hardware is compatible with DirectX, and programs are compatible with DirectX, than the software and hardware will be compatible, and so the software will be able to take advantages of low level features otherwise unaccessible.
DirectX Texture Compression (DXTC) :
A lossy standard designed by S3 for DirectX which allows for realtime compression/decompression at rates of up 6:1. DXTC is implemented though hardware.
Disk Operating System (DOS) :
The oldest PC operating system. It was single threaded and never allowed much flexibility in memory management or low level functions. Windows 98 still uses DOS to load, but newer operating systems like Windows 2000 and Windows ME have removed it.
Dithering :
This is used to reduce the colour banding that results with low colour depths, like 8-bit and 16-bit. Instead of having direct gradients with colours gradually changing in colour, each colour pixel is randomly diffused creating an overall gradient.
Domain Name System (DNS) :
The matching of host names to IPs.
Dongle :
A device which has to be attached to a computer in order to run specific software products. It is used as a copyright protection feature, and is usually attached to a serial or parallel port. Only ever used with really expensive software.
Dual Inline Memory Module :
Simply a SIMM which has twice the modules creating a 64-bit interface.
Double Buffering :
This is when video cards use two separate buffers for video display. A front buffer is where the image is stored which is drawn on screen during every refresh. The back buffer is where the next frame is being assembled. When the image in the back buffer is assembled, it is copied to the front buffer where it will be displayed until it is overwritten by the next complete frame. Without double buffering, the image in the back buffer will be drawn on screen whether it is complete or not, creating a flickering effect.
Double Data Rate (DDR) :
Any bus or device which is capable of receiving data twice per clock, once on the rising edge and once on the falling edge.
Double Precision Floating Point :
A double sized floating point defined by 64-bits instead of the regular 32-bits. This is usually only used with scientific calculations because it takes twice as long for a processor to calculate.
Downsample :
the process of making a file smaller by removing extra extraneous information.
Driver :
The software layer between the hardware device and the operating system. Drivers tell the operation system or API what features a device has, and how to use them.
Dual Inline Package Switch (DIP Switch) :
A small physical switch comparable to a jumper.
Dual Tone, Multi-Frequency (DTMF) :
The assigning of values to specific frequencies, like with a touch tone phone. Each tone created by the receiver when dialing is assigned to a specific number, so that the telephone office knows which number is being dialed.
Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) :
The network protocol which is used when computers do not know their IP address. A computer without an IP sends a request to a DHCP and the server sends back the needed information to the computer on how establish a TCP/IP connection. This if used with dial-up Internet connections because each user of the service doesn't need their unique IP address because all of the users won't be connected at the same time. When an IP isn't in use, it can be used by another computer.
Dynamic Linked Library (DLL) :
An compiled binary which is an extension to an executable. Used to store extra code and work in a modular design.
Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) :
Memory which has to be periodically refreshed to retain data. Available in either FP, EDO, BEDO, SD, or DDRSD configurations. It doesn't suffer the capacities as SRAM, allowing most chips to contain up to 64MB, opposed to SRAM's 4MB limitation.
| | E | Electronmigration :
The effects of the heat and electric fields on the internals of a processor. These effects will cause atoms to to eventually become out of place and cause a short circuit.
Enviromental Mapping :
A rendering feature that applies a reflection of the scene onto different objects as a third texture. This has become available in newer video cards, and is starting to be widely supported because of its realistic effects. Its best use is to give water reflections.
Enviromental Audio (EAX) :
A propriety 3D sound API developed by Creative Labs that simulates 3D sound through the use of complex reverberation algorithms.
EV6 :
The interface protocol used by SlotA and SocketA chipsets. It uses a 100MHz DDR, for an effective 200MHz interface.
Executable :
Software that is interpreted by the system and run as a program.
Extended Partition :
A partition type which is needed for the creation of more than one partition on a hard drive. An extended partition holds the information for the logical partitions it contains.
| | F | Fast Ethernet (100baseT) :
A form of ethernet that operates at 100MHz, uses Cat-5 UTP cabling, and transfers at speeds of up to 100Mbps (12.5MB/s).
Fibre Channel :
An interface similiar to SCSI that allows for the connection of up to 127 devices and a maximum transfer speed of 1600Mbps.
Field Of View (FOV) :
The angular area which is visible from a point in space.
File :
A collection of binary information that is used to store data or be used by the computer. Each file is capable of having a name, and usually a 3 or 4 letter file extension to mark the time of file that it is.
File Allocation Table (FAT) :
The part of a hard drive located in the first few sectors of each partition that contains the location and size of all of the files. It stores the cluster which make up each file, along with the name of each file, and the file's attributes.
File Allocation Table 16 (FAT16) :
A 16-bit FAT scheme used by DOS and some older Windows Operating System computers. It uses a dynamic cluster size to maximize the storage of a hard drive. The highest capacity of a partition using FAT16 is 2GB.
File Allocation Table 32 (FAT32) :
A 32-bit FAT scheme used in most Windows Operating System computers. It allows for smaller cluster sizes than FAT 16, and allows up to 2 terabytes of storage per partition.
File Format :
The specific organization in which data is stored in a file. Different programs store information in different ways, which makes it difficult to use the same file with different programs. The file extension usually indicates what type of file format is used.
Fill Rate :
The number of pixels that a video card is capable of producing in a second. Current video cards are capable of in excess of 400 millions pixels/sec fill rates.
Filter :
Any manipulation which is performed consistently to all of the data, such as an image or sound.
Firewall :
A server or program designed to monitor and prevent data from being transferred across a network.
FireWire (IEEE 1349) :
A transfer method originally made by Apple Computer that supports hot-swappable devices and peer-to-peer connections. It s available in 100Mbps, 200Mbps, and 400Mbps versions.
Firmware :
It is the internal software or routines which are used by a device or processor to tell it how to do an operation. These instructions are usually stored in flashable ROM chips, and are loaded by the device processor or control logic for the device whenever an operation is to be performed. Firmware, much like a BIOS, allow changes and updates to be made to the low level functions without a change in hardware.
First Person Shooter (FPS) :
A game in which there is a 3D environment, and the viewpoint is in respect to the character currently being controlled. This is the same as we see the world, we are able to see in front of us but not what is behind us without turning around.
Flash :
A term used when new instructions/code are written to otherwise permanent hardware. The most popular hardware to flash is the system BIOS, or device firmware.
Flat Shading :
A method in 3D rendering where each polygon is made using only 1 colour. This would be created in real life by a strong light directly in front of an object as to create no shadows. This is fast performance, but and unrealistic approach.
Floating Point Number :
Any fraction number used in a computer, (with the exception of a double floating point number). It is defined with 32-bits, but can be defined with less depending on the device doing the calculation. Some video cards use 16-bit floating point numbers, usually set up with a sign bit, ten bits for the mantissa (or base number), and five bits for exponent.
Fogging :
The effect of blending colours in varying degree with a base colour based on distance.
Force Feedback :
Any device which is capable of vibrating to simulate movement. The most popular devices are joysticks, steering wheels, chairs, and even mice.
Frame Buffer :
The memory onboard a video card which is used to store the current image. The front and back buffers are both part of the frame buffer. The frame buffer can also be used to store object calculations and textures.
Frames Per Second (FPS) :
The number of different images which are drawn on the monitor screen per second. The higher the frames per second, the more fluid and smooth the image is. A low FPS will create a shudder effect. For reference, movies run at 24fps, television at 30fps, and the average eye can distinguish around 60fps.
Frequency :
The number of cycles per second. Synonymous for clock speed, and are measured in Hertz (Hz, KHz, MHz, GHz).
Frequency Modulation Synthesis (FM Synth) :
The sound technology used before wavetable sound. It approximates sound by manipulating standard waveforms.
Full Duplex :
A network transfer mode that allows the for NIC to transmit and receive data simultaneously. Most often used with Ethernet, although both of the NIC's and hub have to support it. This effectively doubles the effective throughput of a connection.
Function :
A block of programming code which is used to do a routinely done set of instructions.
Function Unit :
The collection of transistors and circuits in a processor that execute the instructions on different types of data. Different function units include integer, floating point, multimedia, SIMD, and memory based.
FXT1 :
A texture compression scheme used only in 3Dfx video cards. It is very similar in performance when compared to DXTC.
| | G | Game Engine :
The software that is responsible for all 3D rendering, object physics and object movements.
Gamma :
The measurement of the difference between a target brightness and the brightness achieved. Gamma effects the amount of contrast which is displayed.
Gateway :
The server which allows clients to access the resources which are connected to it, but not to them. All ISPs are gateways to the Internet.
Geometric Distortion :
A monitor effect where straight lines are slightly curved because of the curvature of the monitor's screen.
Geometry Processing :
The set in the 3D pipeline where the x, y, and z coordinates are processed for each polygon in preparation to transformation, lighting, and then finally rasterization. This is done by the CPU, except in newer video cards, which have an onboard T&L chip.
Geometry Transformation :
The process of calculations which take the coordinate matrix of an object and sets up a 2D image. This is a very floating-point intensive process, so applications and games that require this must have a capable processor, or a video card which is capable of making the calculations independent of the CPU.
Glide :
A proprietary 3D API developed by 3Dfx for use in its Voodoo line of chipsets. Glide is arguably one of the faster API's but lacks some of the advanced features of Direct3D and OpenGL.
Gouraud Shading :
The process of shading by use of colour interpolation based on distance from the 3 vertices. This produces a smooth shading and polygons which are usually lighter in their middle, gradually blending to a darker colour at their edges.
Graphical Display Interface (GDI) :
The API and software which control the way graphics are drawn on screen in the Windows 2D environment. The GDI for windows is like the DirectX for 3D. GDI controls all low level functions, but unlike DirectX, it does not allow programs direct access to hardware.
Graphical User Interface (GUI) :
A user-friendly input interface which has a graphical approach to capture user input. This is usually achieved through buttons, scrollbars, windows, tabbed folders, etc. This is how windows operates, in contrast to the CLI DOS format.
Graphics Accelerator :
A video card which is capable of handling some of the graphical pipeline in hardware. This is a step in between a dedicated video processor and a simple frame buffer device.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) :
The name of the chip on some newer video cards which are capable of performing 3D transform and lighting calculations. This offloads them from the CPU, resulting in better performance.
Greyscale :
An image which only uses values based on black and white, with no colours involved.
| | H | Half Duplex :
The most common mode for network traffic that requires NIC's to transmit data and receive data at different times. This is opposed to full-duplex mode.
Hard drive :
The device thats stores the data on your computer system.It is called so because it consists of platters on which data is written. Platters are made up of aluminium & are rigid & hard, you cannot bend it .It can hve maximum 11 platters.It is also known as fixed disk.Hard disks are available in two types IDE(Integrated Device Electronics) & SCSI(Small Computer System Interface).
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Heatsink :
A aluminum, or sometimes copper block of metal used to aid in cooling processors or RAM. It is connected on top of the chip and helps cooling by absorbing heat from the processor and diffusing faster through its increased surface area. Heatsinks are designed for maximum surface area, because this allows the air to absorb more heat. Most computers use a heatsink and fan combination for maximum air flow/cooling.
Hexadecimal :
A base 16 numbering scheme used with computers as a shorthand notation for binary information.
High End :
A term used for the best of the best, the highest performing computers which use the newest and usually most expensive technology.
Hot Swappable :
The ability to connect or remove components and devices without first powering down the computer.
Hub :
A device that is used with many networking systems that allows a network signal to be branched into separate connections. Hubs are responsible for terminating any unused portions of network wiring to prevent signal disruption. Hubs can also have amplification circuits to strengthen signals and some have an integrated switching device which sends signals in a more efficient manner.
Human Interface Device (HID) :
A Microsoft specific term for most USB human interfaces like USB mice, keyboards and joysticks.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) :
An interactive protocol used mostly on the Internet to allow the distribution of text and graphics.
| | I | Indexed Colour :
Any colour which is derived from a palette.
Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) :
The data bus still used today by some systems for legacy support for older sound cards and modems.
Instruction :
An internal pipeline which is capable of some sort of action. Some instructions include, ADD, STORE, and MULTIPLY. All actions done by a processor are the result of an instruction. Compiled programs use these instructions to process information.
Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) :
The standard set of instructions which are used by a processor.
Integer :
Any number which is a whole number. Computers can operate with integers faster than floating-point numbers because less precession is needed.
Integrated Circuit (IC) :
Any computer chip; like a processor, RAM, or DSP.
Interlaced :
The drawing of every other, or selected lines, so that a rough image can be displayed before the entire image is loaded.
Interleave :
The reading or writing of data in an out of order sequence.
Internet :
The global network of computers. The most common networking interface is through HTTP which operates using the TCP/IP protocols.
Internet Service Provider (ISP) :
A gateway to the Internet.
Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) :
A networking protocol developed by Novell for use in Novel networks that allows signals to travel across the individual network segments which are connected by a common server. Usually used in conjunction with SPX.
Interrupt Request (IRQ) :
When devices prompt the CPU for processing attention.
ID3 :
A file tag for the MP3 format which stores a small amount of information, like song name, artist, data, album, year, genre, and comment.
Image Map :
A link which is dynamically created over an image in web pages. This allows portions of the image to be linked, but not others. It also allows for more than one link on an image. The map can be done either by the browser or by the server.
Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) :
The standard interface which today's storage devices are connected to. It is what is used to connect almost all hard drives, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs and CD-Writable drives. Most motherboards have 2 different IDE controllers, each able to support up to 2 devices. Almost all IDE devices are compatible with the Enhanced IDE (EIDE) interface, which allows for higher transfer speeds.
Interpolation :
The process of extracting information by averaging the data which is found to either side. Used in rendering to scale large textures down to smaller sizes, and small textures to larger sizes.
Interpret :
Data which has to be compiled during runtime. All scripting languages have to be interpreted. Unlike compiling, the interpreted code is discarded after it is executed.
| | J | Javascript :
A scripting language invented by Netscape for use on the Internet. It takes some syntax after JAVA and C, but has its own different style of doing everything. Most often used client-side for simple effects.
Jumper :
A plastic connector used with hardware to set specific settings for operation. Early, non plug-and-play devices used jumpers to assign the device IRQs.
| | K | Kernal :
The main block of code which is the foundation of the OS.
Keyframe (animation) :
The process of defining set frames, called keyframes, and interpolating the information and settings in between the keyframes to create a smooth transition or animation.
| | L | Latency :
The measure of the amount of time it takes for a task to complete.
Legacy :
The ability to support older and almost outdated equipment.
Level 1 Cache (L1) :
The first buffer in the memory hierarchy that the CPU looks for information. This cache always is onboard the processor die and running at full processor frequency. All Intel chips have 32k of L1 cache, and all new AMD chips have 128k.
Level 2 Cache (L2) :
The second buffer in the memory hierarchy that the CPU looks for information. This cache can be located on or off of the processor, and running at anywhere from FSB speed up to full clock frequency. Most new chips have the L2 onboard running at full frequency. L2 cache sizes range from 64k up to4MB.
Level 3 Cache (L3) :
The third buffer in the memory hierarchy that the CPU looks for information. Most chips do not use a L3, the only consumer level chips that do are the AMD K6-3 and K6-2+. Level 3 caches are always off of the processor die, usually on the motherboard.
Library :
A collection of pre-written code used by programmers to save time.
Lighting :
The process of simulating lighting effects in 3D objects by calculating their relative orientation and distance from a light source.
Lightmap :
A texture used in 3D rendering which is used to simulate lighting effects on a surface instead of having to raytrace the scene. Lightmaps are usually in greyscale, but can be coloured for coloured lights.
Linear Frame Buffer :
A buffer on a video card which is organized in a contiguous way so that each pixel is followed by the next successive one. This is the most efficient way of organization because the memory can be read in sequence when the frame is accessed or drawn on screen.
Liquid Crystal Display :
Another name for a TFT flat panel.
Local Area Network (LAN) :
Any network that is entirely located in the same area, such as a room, building, or group of buildings.
Logical Block Addressing (LBA) :
A mode used with hard drives that is 8.4 GB's. It is used instead of CHS addressing in most hard drives.
Logical Partition :
A partition on a hard drive which is capable of containing data and being recognized by an Operating System.
Low Level :
Basic functions which are routinely performed by hardware such as loading data into RAM, controlling DMA transfers, RAM timing, and frequency generation. This is opposed to the higher level functions which are performed by specific software programs.
| | M | Magnetoresistive Heads :
A special type of read/write head used in hard drives, that allows for greater sensitivity, and thus a higher areal density. It uses two separate heads, one for reading, and one for writing. The reading head's electrical resistance changes whenever places in an electrical field, and this difference can be amplified.
Mainboard :
Another name for a motherboard.
Master Boot Record (MBR) :
The simple low level code which is contained in the first sector of storage mediums, like hard drives, CDs, floppy disks, that contains code on how to use and load information from that medium. It also contains other information about cluster sizes and partition information. This information is located in the first track at the beginning of the drive or disk.
META Tags :
HTML tags used for special information which is used by search engines for page classification.
Metaball :
3D modeling shapes which will gravitationally deform to attract to each other based on distances. They are often used for flowing, organically shaped objects.
Micron (micrometer) :
The standard measurement for transistor size. Current processors use a 0.18 micron transistor size. A micron is 10-6 meters, or one 1um. One inch is equal to exactly 25400 micrometers.
Microsoft :
The company responsible for the most popular operating system in the world, Windows.
MIP Mapping :
Short for Multum in Parvum, which is Latin for 'many in one'. This is the 3D video process where many different scaled images are used for the same texture. Objects which are further away are mapped with a smaller scale texture than the images which are closer. This saves on memory bandwidth and also improves quality.
Motherboard :
The large PCB board that has the chipset, controllers and all of the computer connectors. All components are connected to the motherboard, opposed to a daughter board connecting to a connection.
Motion Blur :
A visual effect of creating a blur in moving objects to prevent jerky and shutter effect movements.
Motion Capture :
The technique of studying the movement of real people or objects to create more real character animations in computer games or simulations.
Motion Compensation :
The process of improving video quality by smoothing and accurately compensating for the fine movement limitations that compression algorithms have.
Motion Pictures Expert Group (MPEG, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG3) :
The organization that was responsible for the standardization of the MPEG codecs.
Multicast :
A networking term for a packet which has multiple recipients. The contrast of unicast.
Multimedia :
The term used to describe anything that has to do with both audio and video.
Multimedia Extensions (MMX) :
The unofficial name for the 57 MMX instructions which were added to the Pentium that increased its multimedia performance when used effectively. All new x86 chips since have had MMX instructions included.
Multiread :
CD-ROM and DVD-ROM devices that are able to read all of the disk formats, including: CD, CD-R and CD-RW.
Multitexturing :
The process of applying two or more textures to a single polygon or pixel. This is commonly done by having one image as the surface texture, and one image as a lightmap to simulate light effects. This saves on texture space, instead of having a complex texture for each light, a simple greyscale image is used over a repeating texture image. Most video card pipelines are able to map 2 or 3 textures to a single pixel every clock cycle.
Multithreading :
The ability to do multiple tasks at the same time. Most often referrers to software programming. Single threaded programs are linear in nature and have to happen in ordered steps. All DOS programs are single threaded. Multithreaded programs use multiple threads to do multiple tasks at once. A program like a CD player can display an equalizer and play music at the same time.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) :
A sound file that uses digital sounds installed in the sound card. A MIDI file actually doesn't contain any music, but is a set of functions such as note, tone, time, instrument, volume, etc, which trigger the sound card to produce sounds. The quality of the MIDI file is dependent on the digital samples the sound card is using. Because a MIDI file is only sound triggers, it is extremely small in file size, but it is limited to music played only by instruments.
| | N | Name Resolution :
The term given to the process of matching host names to IPs. Resolution is usually done by a DNS server or the public root directory servers over the Internet.
National Television Standards Commission (NTSC) :
The specification for which video on most television operates at. The format calls for 704x480 in resolution at 29.97fps. Some other countries use different standards, such as PAL, which operate at a different resolution and frame rate.
Network Interface Card (NIC) :
The standard name when refering to network adapters such as ethernet cards.
New Technology File System (NTFS) :
A file system like FAT32 which operates using 32-bit addressing and supports file names up to 255 characters. It is incompatible with FAT32 and is only used by WindowsNT and Windows2000 operating systems. It supports individual file compression and strong security, and it has a remarkable ability to recover data from crashes.
Normal :
An imaginary ray which extends perpendicular from a polygon's face. By comparing normals, the orientation of the face can be calculated, which is necessary in vertex blending and rendering.
Northbridge :
The chip in a system chipset which connects all of the newer and faster technologies, like the FSB, AGP, PCI, and memory buses.
| | O | OpenGL :
A 3D graphics written by Silicon Graphics, now know as SGI, for their high end workstations. It is a high feature API that was once used only for CAD, but has slowly found its way into the gaming market.
On-Die :
Used to indicate that certain parts like a L2 cache are integrated into the core. For L2 cache, the L2 cache are made on the same silicon wafer as the rest of the processors transistors.
Operand :
The two or more registers that are to be used in an operation. The multiplication of two numbers would have two operands.
Open Source :
Having the source code for a software product available so that others can study it and collectivily improve on it.
Operation Code (Optcode) :
A low level programming instruction that tells a CPU what to do; like load, store, multiple, subtract.
Optical Character Recognition :
This is the ability, namely of scanners, to be able to recognize text characters in scanned images and convert them to text.
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) :
Companies assemble finished products out of the raw components. Dell, IBM and Gateway are all OEMs. OEM products, such and video cards or sound cards are made to be sold to an OEM as a raw component, so OEM products may not have the same features, software bundle, packaging or performance as a retail product.
| | P | P6 :
The CPU architecture family which started with the Pentium Pro, and continues to be used in all Intel chips. All processors in the P6 family have the same basic core, with minor optimizations to features like L2 cache, SIMD instructions, and fabrication sizes.
Packet :
A small pachage of binary data which is transmitted over a network. Packets include a header, which stores the destantion, and the data, which stores the data.
Palette :
When used colours are first recorded in a table called a palette, and then referenced by their positional number in the table. The number of colours in the palette determine the colour depth.
Parallel :
When signals are send as a group. This feature is limited in frequency because of different wire timings that can cause signal corruption. Different wires in the same connector can have small imperfections that will make the electrical currents slower than they should be. This can cause the signal on that wire to be mistimed with the rest of the wires if the frequency timing is small enough. Contrast to serial.
Parameter :
A programming term for a value which is sent to a function. It is also when extra information is sent to a program via the command line.
Parity Check :
A form of error checking. An extra bit is added to each byte of code. The bit will be added to make the number of "ON" bits even with even parity checking or odd if odd parity checking is used. If the number of "ON" bits in the byte is odd and even parity checking is used, the data has become corrupted.
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Parity :
A method of detecting single bit errors in binary data. Parity is classified as either odd or even, and both methods add a single bit to each piece of that data. With odd parity, the extra bit is chosen to give the overall out on 1's in the data an odd number. Even parity bits give the data an even number of 1's. Parity can only detect if one bit is changed, if an even number of bits of the data are corrupt then parity checking will fail. Parity checking can only detect if an odd number of bits of the data are wrong, and has no way to discover which ones it is, or to correct the data. This is why ECC is most often used instead of parity.
Particle Effects :
The use of vector based graphics or very small objects to produce 3D effects such as sparks, smoke, fire, and explosions.
Partition :
The division of a hard drive into one or more separate areas, each capable of containing a different file structure. All hard drives have at least one partition. All partition information is stored in the partition table, which is stored in the MBR at the beginning of the drive.
Passive Cooling :
Any cooling which is done naturally through dissipating heat through the surrounding air. This may or may not use a heatsink.
PC66, PC100, PC133, PC800, PC1600, PC2100 :
These are all standards at which DRAM is manufactured. PC66, PC100, and PC133 SDRAM operate at 66MHz, 100MHz, and 133MHz, and transfer at 528MB/sec, 800MB/sec, and 1064MB/sec respectivily. PC800 is a form of RDRAM which uses Rambus technology to operate at 400MHz DDR and transfer at 1600MB/sec. PC1600 and PC2100 are forms of DDR SDRAM which operate at 100MHz DDR and 133MHz DDR, and transfer at 1600MB/sec and 2128MB/sec respectively. All DRAM used is able to operate at the frequency specified to be labled as such.
Peer-To-Peer :
A term used with interfaces that allow devices to communicate with other devices on the same bus without the need for a dedicated controller or computer to relay their signals. Currently, the most popular peer-to-peer connections are SCSI and FireWire.
Performance Hit :
When something causes performance to decrease.
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) :
The standard expansion slot used in PC's to add new components. It can be 32-bit or 64-bit, and run at either 33MHz or 66MHz. Most computers have at least 4 PCI slots which operate as a 32-bit 33MHz connection. All PCI slots share the same bandwidth and the PCI bus is directly connected to the chipset's northbridge.
Personal Computer (PC) :
The term given to all x86 home computers.
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) :
A credit card sized interface used in notebooks.
Perspective Correction :
Textures are adjusted so that they correctly map polygons along the depth axis. Because object's will get smaller the further away from the view they are, the texture's dimensions also have to be changed.
Photolithography :
The process of making a processor by having light etch the transistors into a base material. A photomask is used to block the light where it isn't suppose to go. The light that hits the material will react with the materials light sensitive coating creating a hardened coating. The material is then exposed to an acid which will etch the base material which was not reacted with the light.
Pin-Out :
The organization of the pins which are used to connect a IC chip to a PCB or interface.
Ping :
The latency of a network connection. Specifically referring to the in game latency for online gaming.
Pipelining :
The ability to divide on task into smaller independent tasks. This is a quicker and more effective way to do things because one task can be starting on the next request, while another task is still finishing the previous one.
Pixel :
The basic element for display. In imaging, picture size is based on the number of pixels it contains. The number of pixels being drawn onto the monitor screen dictate the resolution and definition of the pixel. Each pixel has a colour value, which is expressed in RGB format.
Platform :
The combination of OS and microprocessor architecture that determines what software can be run on the computer. Software usually can only operate on the specific platform which is was designed for because of the operating characteristics and methods that the platform uses. Software is made to run on different platforms through software ports or emulators.
Polygon :
The basic unit for a 3D object. Most polygons are defined by 3 edges and are triangular in shape. Objects can be defined by any number of polygons, the more polygons which are used, the more detailed the object is.
Port :
The connection interface which is used to attach peripheral devices or to establish network connections.
Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) :
A standard for sending and receiving email over the Internet.
Power Management :
Features build into a computer to save electricity during times of limited use. Features include downclocking the processor, and cutting power to specific areas in the processor or specific device.
Printed Circuit Board (PCB) :
The material that almost all electronic equipment is made of. A motherboard consists of a sheet of PCB, usually green, which chips soldiered to it. The same is likewise for video cards, sound cards, modems, NICs and almost any other electrical equipment.
Procedural Texture :
A vector based graphic which is used for texturing in a game. It can be used to create simple colour shift animations or simulate explosions.
Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) :
The standard for sound encoding to digital format used on CDs and professional digital recorders. PCM results in a lossless audio signal encoding.
| | R | Radiosity :
The raytracing in 3D rendering that happens after the first surface contact.
Rambus (RDRAM) :
Dynamic memory which is made to operate at higher frequencies than normal DRAM by using 16-bit wide buses instead of 64-bit.
Random Access :
The ability to access data in a non-linear way. This uses some sort of addressing to locate data rather then knowing the data's linear order. All random access information has to be broken up into fixed sizes for that reason.
Random Access Time :
The time it takes to locate and retrieve data from a random access source.
Raster Based Images :
All images which are not vector based. These images are based on pixels which are arranged in a rectangular grid pattern. Unlike vector based images, raster based images cannot be resized without a loss in quality.
Rasterization :
This is the final step in the 3D pipeline where pixels are drawn and placed into the frame buffer.
Raytrace :
A technic in 3D rendering where lines of light are calculated, and their intersection points with surfaces are recorded. So, if a green light was next to a wall, the wall would be green where the light rays intersect it, brightest near the light, and fading out into the distances away from the light. Some raytracing effects are able to calculate more than one intersection because the light reflection off of a surface is further calculated. This will create effects such as having an unlit room with a window being light all over. This is currently too complex to render in real time for any, non-super computer/professional workstation.
Realtime :
The term to describe what can be processed fast enough to make it operate on the same time scale as real time does.
Reduced Instruction Set Computing :
The idea of increasing processor speed by removing anything that would create a performance hit. This meant creating all processor instructions very basic and only one clock cycle in length. Complex instructions from CISC computing were done by performing multiple basic instructions in series. RISC chips are arguably the faster of the two architectures because they usually have more registers which can allow more pieces of data to be operated on at a time by the processor.
Refresh Rate :
The number of times per second the image on screen is redrawn. Measured in Hz, and can range anywhere from 60Hz up to 120Hz for most monitors. The higher the refresh rate, the less flicker effect will be created. Every time the screen is refreshed, the image is taken from the frame buffer.
Register :
A small storage unit in a processor that stores the values which are currently being processed. Registers can be 16, 32, or 64-bit wide depending on what type of data they are made to store. Data must be stored in registers for the processor to be able to perform calculations on them.
Registry :
The two files used by Windows for storing all of the software settings.
Redundant Array Of Independent Disks (RAID) :
A collection of hard disk drives which are used collectively for faster performance and/or fault tolerance. There are different modes of RAID, like modes 0, 1, 0+1, and 5. These indicate that data stripping, duplication or parity calculations are being used. RAID was originally used exclusivity with SCSI, but new controllers for IDE are also capable of this functionality. This is for the most part only used in a server/workstation environment.
REM (Remark) :
A commonly used word used in some programming languages, like DOS, batch and INF files, to create single line comments. A (;) semi-colon is also often used to mark out data lines.
Rendering :
The general term for the 3D pipeline. This is where textures, lighting, shadows and rasterization are done. All rendering is done on the video accelerator.
Research And Design (R&D) :
The basic foundation of technology.
Resolution :
The measurement of the number of pixels in the X and Y axis. Most resolutions use a 4:3 ratio for width to height. The higher the resolution, the more defined the picture. Resolution is independent to screen size.
Rollover :
When an image changes on a web page when the user places the cursor overtop of it.
Root :
The first directory on a storage medium such as a hard drive. And example of the root directory is C:
The supreme user which has full access to system resources. This is usually the administrator, and can only exist with secure OS such as Unix or WindowsNT.
Router :
A device which is used on a network to relay and amplify information packets. Routers receive packets and send them to their destinations, eliminating the need for a direct link to the destination computer from the source. All network traffic, including all Internet traffic, goes through multiple routers on its path to its target.
Routine :
See function.
Runtime :
The time in which a program is currently running.
| | S | Shadow Mask :
A technology used televisions and in most monitors to prevent stray electrons from hitting the wrong phosphors. It consists of a thin sheet of metal with perfectly positioned holes to allow only the correct electrons to travel between the electron gun to the phosphor screen. Another, arguably better technology called Aperture Grille is used.
Server :
A computer that provides resources or information to other client computers. Servers are usually dedicated to run specific tasks, such as database, applications, networking, games or HTTP.
Silicon :
A semi-conductive element used to make transistors. It is usually doped with phosphorus or boron so that it becomes naturally charged and selectively conductive.
Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) :
Special instructions that were added to the x86 architecture to speed up certain types of routines, such as floating point matrix multiplication. The two most popular SIMD sets are Intel's SSE and AMD's 3DNow!
Scan Line Interleave (SLI) :
A feature build into 3Dfx's line of video cards which allow multiple chips or up to 2 video cards to work together for added performance. Each card or processor is responsible for a horizontal line of resolution. In 3Dfx's Voodoo2 series, 2 video cards could be connected together to so that each card would render every other resolution line, almost doubling performance.
Sector :
The smallest storage division of a storage medium. Hard drives use a standard sector size of 512 kbyte, and the number of sectors per cluster is dependent on the file structure used.
Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) :
Routines programmed into newer hard drives that monitors the hard drive operations and performance, looking for gradual trends which would indicate a wearing out or worsening of the condition of a hard drive.
Sequenced Packet Exchange (SPX) :
A networking protocol used with IPX to control error detection and packet arrival confirmations.
Serial :
When signals are sent one at a time. This usually allows for faster transfers because the frequency at which the signals are sent can be raised. Contrast to parallel.
Serial Presence Detect (SPD) :
A feature in newer DRAM where the chipset automatically reads the suggested operating speed and timings.
Single Edge Contact Card :
The PCB packaging used to make Slot processors. It is used to connect highspeed SRAM chips to a processor for L2 cache, and is mounted to a motherboard in a perpendicular orientation.
Single Inline Memory Module :
A stick of memory that has a 32-bit interface, and have to be installed in pairs to fill a 64-bit bus.
Slot1, Slot2, SlotA :
Computer interfaces used to connect a processor to a motherboard. Slot interfaces use some form of SECC card for mounting of a processor and SRAM chips. Often used when L2 cache needs to closely located to the processor but can not be on-die.
Slocket :
A converter card that allows Socket processors to operate in Slot interface motherboards. It consists of a SECC card which plugs into the Slot on a motherboard, and a Socket which allows a processor to be connected. It is responsible for the correct translation of signals from the motherboard to the processor.
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) :
A highspeed parallel or serial interface used to connect different high bandwidth components, like hard drives or tape drives. Unlike IDE, SCSI is capable of hot-swappable devices, multitasking, and connecting up to 7 devices per controller. It is currently available in speeds up to 320Mbps.
Small Office / Home Office (SOHO) :
The term used for products which are designed for use in a small office or work at home situation. They aren't as industrial and high capacity as for a large office, but have more functionality than what an average consumer would need.
Sneaker Net :
The term used to describe the process of physically having to move data between computers via removable storage.
Socket7 (Super), Socket8, Socket370, SocketA :
Computer interfaces used to connect a processor to a motherboard.
Software :
A collection of binary information that can be used by an computer to perform tasks.
Software Port :
The re-writing of programming code to allow the software to operate on a different platform than it was originally written for.
Software Renderer :
The process of having the image control the video pipeline rather than the video card. This is a lot more CPU intensive than hardware acceleration, and will cause a significant performance hit. Software rendering usually has to discard some features in order to keep performance in an acceptable range.
Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) :
A standard interface used to send digital audio information. Most new sound cards are equipment with S/PDIF connects to allow digital audio to be both input and output. Digital audio formats, such as Dolby Digital and DTS cannot be processed and separated into their discrete channels, so audio must be output to a decoder using the S/PDIF port on a sound card.
Source Code :
The uncompiled code of a program.
Southbridge :
The chip in system chipsets which controls all of the older technologies, such as keyboard, mouse, floppy, IDE, and ISA input.
Spam :
Any unwanted and unsoliceted advertisements sent via email.
Specular Highlights :
The areas on a 3D model where light is direct, creating a bright area. The amount of specular highlights are dependent on the intensity of the light and the reflectivity of the surface.
Sprite :
The use of a 2D image in a game.
Static Random Access Memory :
A fast electronic memory that does not require constant refreshing. Most SRAM cells are made with 4 transistors and 2 resistors, making it a lot bigger than DRAM, which is made with only one transistor and one capacitor. This limits the capacity of most SRAM chips to less than 4 MB.
Stencil Buffer :
A 8-bit buffer of high speed memory which is used for simulating realtime changes to an area of a scene such as a mirror or shadow. It can be used depending on how the program wants to impliment it. There is no set definition for how this data is used, so it is like a vertual scratch pad for game developers to use, being able to mark pictures for use later, such as in a mirror reflection.
Streaming :
Information such as video which can be transferred and played during playback, without the need to finish transferring the whole thing. Streaming is done in real time.
Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) :
Intel's on propriety SIMD instructions where are on par with AMD's 3D-Now. The special SSE instructions are found on P3, and Celeron FCGA processors. The consist of 70 instructions which speed up certain floating point and integer operations by being able to perform the same operation on two or more pieces of data.
Striping :
When data is interleaved between two or more devices to improve performance.
Subnet Mask :
The IP format number which is used to calculate which IPs are local, and which are external to a LAN.
Super 7 :
Short for the Super Socket 7 interface which is used with older AMD K6, K6-2, K6-3, and K6-2+ processors.
Superscalar :
A term used with processors which are capable of operating more than one instruction pipeline or functional unit. Superscalar processors are capable of more than one instruction per clock. Most current CPU's are capable of up to 3 instructions per clock.
Switch :
A device used in networking to switch connections in a network to prevent redundant information to be sent. Because a network can be used by only one packet at a time, a switch can be used to break the network into smaller pieces so that each segment can operate independently of one another, but still able to communicate with each other. A switch acts as a packet filter, and can also allow 10BaseT and 100BaseT networks operate side by side.
Symmetrical Multi Processing (SMP) :
When two or more processors are used in a single computer.
Syntax :
The grammar or word pattern in which a programming language follows. Almost all syntax errors should be removed before the program will successfully be compiled by the compiler.
System Bus :
The main bus which connects the northbridge to the southbridge chips. Most often a PCI bus in x86 computers.
| | T | T-Buffer :
3Dfx's implementation of an accumulation buffer.
Tag RAM :
Memory which is used by the L2 and L3 caches to record memory addresses. If there are more memory addresses than tag RAM, than the extra memory is unable to be cached.
Tessellation :
This is when the basic term for when complex objects are broken down into simpler objects. This most often referrers to 3D objects being broken down into their individual polygon components.
Texel :
A textured element. Usually referred to as a textured pixel. If a pixel has be mapped with 2 textures, it would count as two texels.
Texture :
A graphical image which adds complexity and appearance. Most newer video cards are able to support textures up to 2048*2048.
Texture Compression :
The process of reducing the file size of the texture images in memory to allow more textures to be stored on board the video card for faster access. Most texture compression schemes like DXTC or FXT1 are a lossy compression and result in colour loss, visual artifacts, and/or dithering.
Texture Filtering :
The calculations which are done in order to get the correct colour for each texel. There a 3 different filters, bilinear, trilinear and anisotropic.
Texture Mapping :
The process of calculating the correct texture coordinate which corresponds to each pixel of a polygon. All texture mapping is done in hardware by the 3D accelerator.
Thin Ethernet (10BaseT) :
A form of Ethernet that operates at 10MHz, uses Cat-3 or above cabling, and can transfer at up to speeds of 10Mbps (1.25MB/s).
Thin Film Transistor (TFT) :
The basic component used in LCD displays. It consists of transistors etched into a glass panel that control liquid crystals which are able to block light when applied with current.
Thread :
A term for a collection of linear code in software. Every program operates using at least one thread, any program that uses more than one thread is called a multithreaded program.
Tile Based Rendering :
The technic of dividing the image into tiles, resulting in a more bandwidth effective rendering.
Transform and Lighting :
The set up stages of the 3D pipeline that are responsible for geometry set up and lighting effects. Most computers have the CPU process this information, but newer video cards are capable of this through a dedicated processor.
Transistor :
A very small electrical device which can either be used to amplify a weak signal or selectively conduct electricity depending on a specific voltage requirement. The are made out of dope silicon, have three connections, and are used to make all logic gates and electrical memory.
Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) :
The collection of protocols that allow all access to happen over the Internet. This collection of protocols include protocols such as UDP, FTP, and SMTP.
Triangle Setup :
The stage in the 3D rendering pipeline that involves the computations needed before pixels can be drawn.
Triple Buffering :
The technique where 3 buffers are used by the video card. Double buffering involves a front and back buffer. In triple buffering the front buffer still holds the current image, and the back buffer is still the frame in progress, but a third buffer can be used to superimpose effects onto the back buffer, and vise versa.
Tunneling :
A networking term used when a packet for a specific protocol is contained as the data for another packet.
| | U | Unicast :
A networking term for a packet which has a single specific target. The oposite of multicast.
Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) :
A feature used with some low cost or integrated video cards, where all video data including the frame buffers resides in main system memory. This is a severe bottleneck in performance because every frame the frame buffer has to be read, along with all of the textures for rendering. If the RAM is needed for other devices, than available bandwidth will be reduced producing very slow, and unstable frame rates.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) :
The alias for IP addresses which are converted by DNS servers. They save the user from having to remember the IP address for servers, instead using a URL alias which is user friendly. Internic is responsible for all URL binds.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) :
A hot swappable connection interface which can connect up to 127 devices to one port. The USB 1.0 standard has 12.5MB of bandwidth which is shared between all of the connections. The USB 2.0 standard will increase bandwidth up to 480MB/sec making it more competitive with FireWire.
Unshielded Twisted Pair Cabling (UTP) :
Electrical signal wiring which consists of pairs of wires, a signal wire and a ground wire, which are twisted together to reduce the magnetic fields which are created when electrical signals pass through them. They are unshielded because, unlike coax cable, there is no metal casing around them for a ground.
User Friendly :
The term used to describe how easy and automated a software product is. Being user friendly usually means hiding the complexity and advanced processing from the user.
| | V | Variable :
A word in a programming language that is representive of a value.
Virtual Channel SDRAM (VC133) :
A subset of the PC133 SDRAM specification that uses a highspeed SRAM buffer as a memory cache, increasing overall performance.
Virtual Device Driver (VxD) :
A Windows driver which allows basic hardware interaction with the operating system kernel.
Virtual File Allocation Table :
Another name for FAT32.
Virtual Machine :
The interpreter used with the JAVA programming language.
Vector Based Graphics :
Images which are created as a sequence and collection of mathematical equations. Vector images are able to scale to any size without distortion, because their content is definied dynamically with mathematics, rather then bitmapped pixels. Vector graphics tend to have smaller file sizes then normal images. Flash is a popular standard for vector based images/animations.
Vertical Synchronosation (V-Sync) :
Also known as vertical retrace. V-sync is a setting that controls whether or not the image swap from the back buffer to the front buffer takes place at the same time as the screen refresh. If the buffer is not synchronized with the screen refresh, the image taken from the front buffer could be taken at the same time a new one is being drawn in. This may result in image tearing. With v-sync disabled, a higher frame rate can be achieved because the back buffer does not have to wait for refresh synchronization.
Vertex :
A corner or point in a polygon. Each vertex has its own coordinate matrix.
V.90 :
The current modem communication protocol that allows for connections up to 53.3kbps.
Volume :
The name or reference title used with a specific storage medium, like a hard drive partition or file.
| | W | Warez :
The colloquial term used for illegally aquired software.
Wavetable :
The process of generating sounds using digital samples.
Wide Area Network (WAN) :
A network of computers that are located great distances from each other. The Internet is a WAN. WANs are also commonly used to connect collections of LAN's, for the creation of a larger network.
Windows (3.1,95,98,NT,2000,Millenium) :
The series of operating systems used on the x86 platform.
Workstation :
A high performance computer which is used for professional applications. Most workstations use highly parallel multiple RISC processors and SCSI storage. Workstations are mostly used in processor intensive environments such as 3D rendering, and have higher performance than almost any high end consumer based computer.
| | X | x86 :
All processors that are compatible with the x86 Instruction Set Architecture. This includes all processors from the first 8086 to the newest Pentium Xeon or Athlon.
| | Y | Yellow Book :
The CD format that first allowed data to be stored on Compact Disks.
| | Z | Z-Buffer :
The portion of memory which stores each pixel's depth.
Z-Index :
When a pixel is calculated, its z index is checked to see if it is behind another pixels. If it is not behind other pixels, it continues through the 3D pipeline and is written to the frame buffer. If its z index is higher than the pixel currently in the frame buffer, the pixel is discarded because it is not visible.
Z-Sorting :
The process of sorting polygons based on depth before they are rendered. This means further away polygons are rendered first, and closer polygons are rendered last. This ensures that the objects are correctly blended together if alpha transparency is involved.
Zero Insertion Force Socket (ZIF) :
Any processor interface that allows for the connection and removal of the processor without special tools.
Zoned Constant Linear Velocity (ZCLV) :
The mixture of CAL and CLV technologies. Tracks are divided into groups or zones, and each is read with a specific rotation speed. This is mostly used on DVD disks, which are made to contain around 24 zones
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