TERMINOLOGY
CAT-5
Category 5 cable, commonly known as Cat 5, is an unshielded twisted pair type cable designed for high signal integrity. The actual standard defines specific electrical properties of the wire, but it is most commonly known as being rated for its Ethernet capability of 100 Mbit/s. Its specific standard designation is
CAT-5e
Similar to Cat 5 cable, but is enhanced to support speeds of up to 1000 megabits per second
DDC
Short form for Display Data Channel. It is a VESA standard for communication between a monitor and a video adapter. Using DDC, a monitor can inform the video card about its properties, such as maximum resolution and color depth. The video card can then use this information to ensure that the user is presented with valid options for configuring the display
DDWG
Digital Display Working Group DDWG are the creators of the DVI specification.
DVI
Digital Visual Interface. Connection standard developed by Intel for connecting computers to digital monitors such as flat panels and DLP projectors. A consumer electronics version, not necessarily compatible with the PC version, is used as a connection standard for HDTV tuners and displays. Transmits an uncompressed digital signal to the display. The latter version uses HDCP copy protection to prevent unauthorized copying
USB
Universal Serial Bus. An external peripheral interface standard for communication between a computer and external peripherals over a cable using
VESA
Video Electronic Standards Association, a consortium of manufacturers formed to establish and maintain industry wide standards for video cards and monitors. VESA was instrumental in the introduction of the Super VGA and Extended VGA video graphics standards with a refresh rate of 70 Hz, minimizing flicker and helping to reduce user eyestrain and fatigue.
PS/2
A port type developed by IBM for the purpose of connecting a keyboard or mouse to a PC. The PS/2 port has a mini DIN plug containing 6 pins. PS/2 ports are used so that the serial port can be used by another device. The PS/2 port is often called the mouse port.
RS-232
Recommended Standard 232. This is the de facto standard for communication through PC serial ports. It can refer to cables and ports that support the RS232 standard.
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