Specifications

Glossary
31
extended partition A nonbootable DOS parti-
tion (also supported by Windows) containing DOS
volumes. Starting with DOS v3.3, the FDISK pro-
gram can create two partitions that serve DOS: an
ordinary, bootable partition (called the primary par-
tition) and an extended partition, which can con-
tain as many as 23 volumes from D: to Z:.
external device A peripheral installed outside
the system case.
extra-high density (ED) An indication of the
storage capacity of a floppy drive or disk in which
36 sectors per track are recorded using a vertical
recording technique with MFM encoding.
FAQ (frequently asked questions) Name for
a list of popular questions and answers covering
any particular subject.
Fast Ethernet Popular term for 100BASE-T and
other 100Mbps versions of Ethernet. Fast Ethernet
uses CAT 5 cable.
Fast Page Mode RAM A type of RAM that
improves on standard DRAM speed by enabling
faster access to all the data within a given row of
memory by keeping the row address the same and
changing only the column.
Fast-ATA (fast AT attachment interface)
Also called Fast ATA-2, these are specific Seagate
and Quantum implementations of the ATA-2 inter-
face. See also ATA-2.
FAT (file allocation table) A table held near
the outer edge of a disk that tells which sectors are
allocated to each file and in what order.
FAT32 A disk file allocation system from
Microsoft that uses 32-bit values for FAT entries
instead of the 16-bit values used by the original
FAT system, enabling partition sizes up to 2TB (ter-
abytes). Although the entries are 32 bits, 4 bits are
reserved and only 28 bits are used. FAT32 first
appeared in Windows 95B and is also supported by
Windows 98 and later.
fault tolerance The capability of a computer to
withstand a failure. Many levels of fault tolerance
exist, and fault tolerance can be applied to several
components or systems in the computer. For exam-
ple, ECC (error correcting code) memory is
considered fault tolerant because it is typically
capable of automatically identifying and correcting
single bit errors.
fax/modem A peripheral that integrates the
capabilities of a fax machine and a modem in one
expansion card or external unit. Almost all
14.4Kbps and faster modems sold for use in desk-
top or portable PCs include fax capabilities.
FCC Part 15 The section of the FCC regulations
governing emissions from electronics devices. FCC
Part 15 Class A devices are suitable for business but
not residential use because they emit more interfer-
ence than FCC Part 15 Class B devices (which are
safe in residential areas). Most server components
are FCC Part 15 Class A devices.
FC-PGA (flip-chip pin grid array) A type of
chip packaging first used in the Socket PGA370 ver-
sion of the Pentium III where the raw processor die
has bumped contacts spaced on the face of the die
and is mounted facedown to a pin grid array car-
rier. The heatsink is then directly attached to the
back of the raw silicon die surface.
FDISK The name of the disk-partitioning pro-
gram under several operating systems, including
DOS and Windows 9x/Me, used to create the mas-
ter boot record and allocate partitions for the oper-
ating system’s use.
feature connector On a video adapter, a con-
nector that enables an additional video feature
card, such as a separate 3D accelerator, video cap-
ture card, or MPEG decoder, to be connected to the
main video adapter and display.
ferro-resonant UPS A type of UPS design noted
for excellent power conditioning, but also for its
bulk and inefficient use of power. It has been
largely replaced by double-conversion online UPS
units. See also double-conversion online UPS.
fiber optic A type of cable or connection using
strands or threads of glass to guide a beam of mod-
ulated light. Allows for very high-speed signaling
and multiplexing as well as the combining of many
data streams along a single cable.
FIFO (first-in, first-out) A method of storing
and retrieving items from a list, table, or stack so
that the first element stored is the first one
retrieved.
Appendix A
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