Operating instructions

Passport / Mike Meyers‘ A+ Certification Passport / Meyers / 226308-3 / Glossary
80-wire cable Also called a D type cable. Special type of cable used with
some SCSI-3 devices that allows for devices to be hot-swapped. Alternatively, a
ribbon cable used to connect ATA-66/100/133 hard drives to an ATA controller.
AC (alternating current) A type of electricity in which the flow of electrons
alternates direction, back and forth, in a circuit.
access speed The amount of time needed for the DRAM to supply the
Northbridge with any requested data.
ACPI (advanced configuration and power interface) A power management
specification that far surpasses its predecessor, APM, by providing support for
hot-swappable devices and better control of power modes.
activation The processes of confirming that an installed copy of a Microsoft
product (most commonly Windows or a Microsoft Office application) is legiti-
mate. Usually done at the end of software installation.
Active Directory A form of directory service used in networks with Windows
2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 servers.
active matrix Also called TFT (thin film transistor). A type of liquid crystal
display that replaced the passive matrix technology used in most portable com-
puter displays.
active PFC (power factor correction) Circuitry built into PC power supplies
to reduce harmonics.
active termination A method for terminating fast/wide SCSI that uses volt
-
age regulators in lieu of resistors.
ActiveSync (synchronization) A term used to describe the synchronizing of
files between a PDA and a desktop computer. ActiveSync is the name of the syn
-
chronization program that is used by Windows OS–based PDAs.
address bus The wires leading from the CPU to the memory controller chip
(usually the Northbridge) that enable the CPU to address RAM. Also used
by the CPU for I/O addressing. An internal electronic channel from the micro
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processor to random access memory, along which the addresses of memory
storage locations are transmitted. Like a post office box, each memory location
has a distinct number or address; the address bus provides the means by which
the microprocessor can access every location in memory.
4 MIKE MEYERS’ A+ CERTIFICATION PASSPORT
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