Owner's manual

Glossary
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fastest method of transferring data
to/from computer memory.
Drivers Software that controls a specific
hardware device, such as DAQ boards.
DSP Digital signal processing.
Dual-Access Memory Memory that can be sequentially
accessed by more than one controller
or processor but not simultaneously
accessed. Also known as shared
memory.
Dual-Ported Memory Memory that can be simultaneously
accessed by more than one controller
or processor.
Dynamic Range The ratio of the largest signal level a
circuit can handle to the smallest signal
level it can handle (usually taken to be
the noise level), normally expressed
indB.
E
EEPROM Electrically Erasable Programmable
Read-Only Memory ROM that can be
erased with an electrical signal and
reprogrammed.
Encoder A device that converts linear or rotary
displacement into digital or pulse
signals. The most popular type of
encoder is the optical encoder, which
uses a rotating disk with alternating
opaque areas, a light source, and a
photo detector.
EPROM Erasable Programmable Read-Only
Memory: ROM that can be erased
(usually by ultraviolet light exposure)
and reprogrammed.
Events Signals or interrupts generated by a
device to notify another device of an
asynchronous event. The contents of
events are device-dependent.