Introduction. Please note that most of these Brand Names are registered Trade Marks, Company Names or otherwise controlled and their inclusion in this index is. Typically, an ADC converts a voltage to a digital number. A digital to analog converter DAC performs the reverse operation. ALU The arithmetic logic unitarithmetic logic unit ALU of a computers CPU is a part of the execution unit, a core component of all CPUs. ALUs are capable of calculating the results of a wide variety of basic arithmetical computations. Virtually all modern computer ALUs use the twos complement binary number representation. Assembly Language or simply assembly is a human readable notation for the machine language that a specific computer architecture uses. Machine language, a pattern of bits encoding machine operations, is made readable by replacing the raw values with symbols called mnemonics. For example, a computer with the appropriate processor will understand this x. IA 3. 2 machine instruction 1. For programmers, however, it is easier to remember the equivalent assembly language representation mov al, 0x. The mnemonic mov is short for move, and a comma separated list of arguments or parameters follows it this is a typical assembly language statement. Baud In telecommunications and electronics, baud is a measure of the signaling rate which is the number of changes to the transmission media per second in a modulated signal. It is named after Emile Baudot, the inventor of the Baudot code for telegraphy. For Example 2. 50 baud means that 2. If each signal carries 4 bits of information then in each second 1. This is abbreviated as 1. Note Baud rate should not be confused with data rate also called bits per second. Each signalling event transmitted can carry one or more bits as many as 2. QAM modulation of information. When each signalling event transmitted carries one bit the baud rate and the data rate are equal. However, it is more common to make better use of bandwidth by encoding multiple bits in one event. This reduces the transmission time required for sending information. Thus, a 2. 40. 0 bits modem actually transmits at 6. BIOS in computing, stands for basic inputoutput system. BIOS refers to the software code run by a computer when first powered on. The primary function of BIOS is to prepare the machine so other software programs stored on various media such as hard drives, floppies, and CDs can load, execute, and assume control of the computer. Bit A bit sometimes abbreviated b, see below is the most basic information unit used in computing and information theory. A single bit is a one or a zero, a true or a false, a flag which is on or off, or in general, the quantity of information required to distinguish two mutually exclusive states from each other. A bit is like a light switch it can be either on or off. Byte A byte is commonly used as a unit of storage measurement in computers, regardless of the type of data being stored. A contiguous sequence of a fixed number of bits. On modern computers, an eight bit byte or octet is by far the most common. This was not always the case. Certain older models have used six, seven, or nine bit bytes for instance on the 3. PDP 1. 0. Another example of a non eight bit sequence is the 1. NCR 3. 15. A byte is always atomic on the system, meaning that it is the smallest addressable unit. An eight bit byte can hold 2. ASCII or eight bit character encoding. CD Rom The CD ROM an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read Only Memory is a non volatile optical data storage medium using the same physical format as audio CDs, readable by a computer with a CD ROM drive. A CD ROM is a flat, metallized plastic disc with digital information encoded on it in a spiral from the center to the outside edge. The CD ROM Yellow Book standard was established in 1. Sony and Philips. Microsoft and Apple Computer were early enthusiasts and promoters of CD ROMs. Clock Signal In electronics and synchronous digital circuits, such as most computers, a clock signal is a signal used to coordinate the actions of two or more circuits. A clock signal oscillates between a high and a low state, normally with a 5. The circuits using the clock signal for synchronization may become active at either the rising or falling edge, or both see for example DDR SDRAM, of the clock signal. Computer Keyboard A computer keyboard is a peripheral modelled after the typewriter keyboard. Keyboards are designed for the input of text and characters, and also to control the operation of the computer. Physically, computer keyboards are an arrangement of rectangular or near rectangular buttons, or keys. Keyboards typically have characters engraved or printed on the keys in most cases, each press of a key corresponds to a single written symbol. However, to produce some symbols requires pressing and holding several keys simultaneously, or in sequence other keys do not produce any symbol, but instead affect the operation of the computer, or the keyboard itself. Computer Monitor A computer display, monitor or screen is a computer peripheral device capable of showing still or moving images generated by a computer and processed by a graphics card. Monitors generally conform to one or more display standards. Sometimes the name display is preferred to the word monitor, as the latter can be ambiguous alongside the other senses of monitor meaning machine level debugger or thread synchronization mechanism. Computer displays are sometimes called heads, especially when talking about how many are connected to a computer. Once an essential component of a computer terminal, computer displays have long since become standardized peripherals in their own right.