Reference Guide

Glossary 685
SOJ
Acronym for small outline package J-lead, a
small-dimension, plastic, rectangular surface mount
chip package with j-shaped pins on its two long sides.
SRAM
Abbreviation for static random-access memory.
Because SRAM chips do not require continual
refreshing, they are substantially faster than
DRAM chips.
state
Refers to the condition of an object that can have more
than one condition. For example, an object may be in
the "not ready" state.
status
Refers to the health or functioning of an object. For
example, a temperature probe can have the status
normal if the probe is measuring acceptable temperatures.
When the probe begins reading temperatures that
exceed limits set by the user, it reports a critical status.
SVGA
Abbreviation for super video graphics array. VGA and
SVGA are video standards for video adapters with
greater resolution and color display capabilities than
previous standards.
To display a program at a specific resolution, you must
install the appropriate video drivers and your monitor
must support the resolution. Similarly, the number of
colors that a program can display depends on the
capabilities of the monitor, the video driver, and the
amount of video memory installed in the computer.
switch
On a computer system board, switches control various
circuits or functions in your computer system. These
switches are known as
DIP switches; they are normally
packaged in groups of two or more switches in a plastic
case. Two common DIP switches are used on system
boards:
slide switches and rocker switches. The names of
the switches are based on how the settings (on and off)
of the switches are changed.
syntax
The rules that dictate how you must type a command
or instruction so that the computer understands it.
A variable’s syntax indicates its data type.
system board
As the main circuit board, the system board usually
contains most of your computer’s integral components,
such as the following:
• Microprocessor
•RAM
• Controllers for standard peripheral devices, such as
the keyboard
• Various ROM chips
Frequently used synonyms for system board are
motherboard and logic board .
system configuration information
Data stored in memory that tells a computer what
hardware is installed and how the computer should be
configured for operation.
system diskette
System diskette is a synonym for bootable diskette .
system memory
System memory is a synonym for RAM .
System Setup program
A BIOS-based program that allows you to configure
your computer’s hardware and customize the
computer’s operation by setting such features as
password protection and energy management. Some
options in the System Setup program require that you
reboot the computer (or the computer may reboot
automatically) in order to make a hardware
configuration change. Because the System Setup
program is stored in NVRAM, any settings remain in
effect until you change them again.