Specifications

Glossary
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installations, the modem operates in dumb mode
(no auto-dial capability), yet must go off-hook in
originate mode to connect with answering
modems.
micro (
μμ
) A prefix indicating one millionth
(1/1,000,000 or .000001) of some unit.
micron A unit of measurement equaling one
millionth of a meter. Often used in measuring the
size of circuits in chip manufacturing processes.
Current state-of-the-art chip fabrication builds
chips with 0.13 to 0.15-micron circuits.
microprocessor A solid-state central processing
unit much like a computer on a chip. An integrated
circuit that accepts coded instructions for
execution.
microsecond (
μμ
s) A unit of time equal to one
millionth (1/1,000,000 or .000001) of a second.
MIDI (musical instrument digital interface)
An interface and file format standard for connect-
ing a musical instrument to a microcomputer and
storing musical instrument data. Multiple musical
instruments can be daisy-chained and played
simultaneously with the help of the computer and
related software. The various operations of the
instruments can be captured, saved, edited, and
played back. A MIDI file contains note information,
timing (how long a note is held), volume, and
instrument type for as many as 16 channels.
Sequencer programs are used to control MIDI func-
tions such as recording, playback, and editing.
MIDI files store only note instructions and not
actual sound data. MIDI files can be played back by
virtually all sound cards, but old sound cards might
use FM synthesis to imitate the musical instru-
ments called for in the MIDI file. Recent sound
cards use stored musical instrument samples for
more realistic MIDI playback.
MII A Socket 7–compatible processor originally
developed by Cyrix and now sold by VIA
Technologies as the VIA Cyrix MII.
milli (m) A prefix indicating one thousandth
(1/1,000 or .001) of some unit.
milliampere per hour (mAh) A current of
one milliampere flowing for one hour. Often used
to indicate the storage capacity of a rechargeable
battery.
millivolt (mV) A unit of voltage equal to one
thousandth of a volt.
millisecond (ms) A unit of time equal to one
thousandth (1/1,000 or .001) of a second.
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail
Extensions) Allows Internet and email services
to exchange binary files and select the proper pro-
gram to open the file after it’s received.
minitower A type of PC system case that is
shorter than a full- or mid-sized tower. Most low-
cost computers sold at retail stores use the mini-
tower case combined with a Micro-ATX
motherboard.
MIPS (million instructions per second)
Refers to the average number of machine-language
instructions a computer can perform or execute in
1 second. Because various processors can perform
different functions in a single instruction, MIPS
should be used only as a general measure of perfor-
mance among various types of computers.
MMX An Intel processor enhancement that adds
57 new instructions designed to improve multime-
dia performance. MMX also implies a doubling of
the internal L1 processor cache on Pentium MMX
processors compared to non-MMX Pentium proces-
sors. Later processors also include MMX along with
other multimedia instructions.
mnemonic An abbreviated name for something
used in a manner similar to an acronym. Computer
processor instructions are often abbreviated with a
mnemonic, such as JMP (jump), CLR (clear), STO
(store), and INIT (initialize). A mnemonic name for
an instruction or an operation makes it easy to
remember and convenient to use.
MNP (Microcom Networking Protocol)
Asynchronous error-control and data-compression
protocols developed by Microcom, Inc., and now in
the public domain. They ensure error-free transmis-
sion through error detection (CRC) and retransmis-
sion of erred frames. MNP Levels 1–4 cover error
control and have been incorporated into CCITT
Recommendation V.42. MNP Level 5 includes data
compression but is eclipsed in superiority by
V.42bis—an international standard that is more
efficient. Most high-speed modems connect with
MNP Level 5 if V.42bis is unavailable. MNP Level
10 provides error correction for impaired lines and
Appendix A
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