Specifications

14
Appendix A Glossary
busmaster An intelligent device that, when
attached to the Micro Channel, EISA, VLB, or PCI
bus, can bid for and gain control of the bus to per-
form its specific task without processor interven-
tion. Most recent motherboards incorporate
busmastering ATA/IDE host adapters, but this fea-
ture must be enabled in both the BIOS and through
the installation of Windows drivers to be effective.
byte A collection of bits that makes up a charac-
ter or other designation. Generally, a byte is 8 data
bits. When referring to system RAM, an additional
parity (error-checking) bit is also stored (see parity),
making the total 9 bits.
C A high-level computer programming language.
A programming language frequently used on main-
frames, minis, and PC computer systems. C++ is a
popular variant.
C3 A Socket 370-compatible processor developed
by VIA Technology from the Cyrix “Joshua” after
VIA purchased Cyrix from National Semiconductor.
The C3 is noted for its very small die size and cool
operation, making it a suitable choice for portable
computers and embedded computers.
CAB file Short for cabinet file, this is the archive
file type used by Microsoft to distribute recent ver-
sions of Windows and applications. Newer versions
of WinZip and 7-Zip can be used to manually
extract files from a CAB file; you can also open CAB
files within Windows Explorer with Windows 98
after you install the Windows 98 Plus! package and
with Windows Explorer in Windows 2000 and later.
cable modem A broadband Internet device that
receives data through the cable TV system. The
cable modem can be a one-way device (using a
conventional analog modem for dialing and
uploading) or a two-way device.
CableLabs Certified Cable Modem A cable
modem that meets the Data or Cable Service
Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) standards for
modulation and protocols. Various brands and
models of modems meet this standard on cable net-
works that also meet this standard. DOCSIS/
CableLabs Certified Cable Modems can be pur-
chased as well as leased.
cache An intelligent buffer. By using an intelli-
gent algorithm, a cache contains the data accessed
most often between a slower peripheral device and
the faster CPU. See also L1 cache, L2 cache, and disk
cache.
cache coherency A method of managing
processor caches in multiprocessor systems to
ensure that data is not lost when it is moved from
cache to main memory.
caddy A cartridge designed to hold a CD or DVD
disc. Some CD drives use caddies, particularly in
harsh or industrial environments. DVD-RAM drives
also use a caddy to protect the disc.
CAM (Common Access Method) A committee
formed in 1988 that consists of several computer
peripheral suppliers and is dedicated to developing
standards for a common software interface between
SCSI peripherals and host adapters.
candela Abbreviated cd, a candela is the stan-
dard unit of measurement for luminosity. The
brightness of LCDs and other types of displays is
sometimes measured in cd units.
capacitor A device consisting of two plates sepa-
rated by insulating material and designed to store
an electrical charge.
card A printed circuit board containing elec-
tronic components that form an entire circuit, usu-
ally designed to plug into a connector or slot.
Sometimes also called an adapter.
card edge connector See edge connector.
CardBus A PC Card (PCMCIA) specification for a
32-bit interface that runs at 33MHz and provides
32-bit data paths to the computer’s I/O and mem-
ory systems, as well as a new shielded connector
that prevents CardBus devices from being inserted
into slots that do not support the latest version of
the PC Card (PCMCIA) standard. CardBus slots can
also be used with normal 16-bit PC Card (PCMCIA)
devices.
carpal tunnel syndrome A painful hand
injury that gets its name from the narrow tunnel in
the wrist that connects ligament and bone. When
undue pressure is put on the tendons, they can
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