User's Manual

Glossary 103
external cache memory
A RAM cache using SRAM chips. Because SRAM chips
operate at several times the speed of DRAM chips, the
microprocessor can retrieve data and instructions faster
from external cache memory than from RAM.
FAT
Acronym for file allocation table. FAT and FAT32 are
file systems that are defined as follows:
• FAT — A file system used by MS-DOS,
Windows 3.x, Windows 95, and Windows 98.
Windows NT
®
and Windows 2000 also can use the
FAT file system. The operating system maintains a
table to keep track of the status of various segments
of disk space used for file storage.
• FAT32 — A derivative of the FAT file system.
FAT32 supports smaller cluster sizes than FAT,
thus providing more efficient space allocation on
FAT32 drives.
FEPROM
Acronym for flash erasable programmable read-only
memory. Flash memory is a kind of nonvolatile storage
device similar to EEPROM, but the erasing is done only
in blocks or the entire chip.
firmware
Software (programs or data) that has been written onto
read-only memory (ROM). Firmware can boot and
operate a device. Each controller contains firmware
which helps provide the controller's functionality.
flash bios
A BIOS that is stored in flash memory rather than in ROM.
A flash BIOS chip can be updated in place, whereas a
ROM BIOS must be replaced with a newer chip.
flash memory
A type of EEPROM chip that can be reprogrammed
from a utility on diskette while still installed in a
system; most EEPROM chips can only be rewritten
with special programming equipment.
format
To prepare a hard drive or diskette for storing files.
An unconditional format deletes all data stored on
the disk.
function commands
Commands that specify an action to be performed.
GB
Abbreviation for gigabyte(s). A gigabyte equals
1024 megabytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes.
graphics mode
A video mode that can be defined as x horizontal by
y vertical pixels by z colors.
GUI
Acronym for graphical user interface.
GUID
Abbreviation for Globally Unique Identifier, which is
a random number used in software applications.
Each generated GUID is supposed to be unique.
HAPI
Acronym for Hardware Abstraction Programming
Interface, which is the lowest layer that is installed on
the operating system by the Instrumentation Service.
This layer is re-used by Dell Update Packages and
firmware tools, and flash utilities to access the hardware
through a reusable pipe.
h
Abbreviation for hexadecimal. A base-16 numbering
system, often used in programming to identify
addresses in the system's RAM and I/O memory
addresses for devices. The sequence of decimal
numbers from 0 through 16, for example, is expressed
in hexadecimal notation as: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A,
B, C, D, E, F, 10. In text, hexadecimal numbers are
often followed by h.