Glossary
NI PCI-8254R User Manual G-2 ni.com
F
falling edge An edge trigger occurs when the trigger signal passes through a specified
threshold. A slope that is negative to the trigger is specified as the falling
edge.
FireWire A high-speed serial interface invented by Apple Computer in 1989, also
known as IEEE 1394 or iLink.
FPGA Field-programmable gate array. An FPGA is a semi-conductor device
which contains a large quantity of gates (logic devices), which are not
interconnected, and whose function is determined by a wiring list, which is
downloaded to the FPGA. The wiring list determines how the gates are
interconnected, and this interconnection is performed dynamically by
turning semiconductor switches on or off to enable the different
connections.
H
HDL Hardware description language. An example of an HDL is VHDL—a
language used to design digital circuitry.
hot swapping The act of removing or swapping a device when the computer is still on.
I
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. A standard-setting body
IIDC IEEE 1394 Trade Association Instrumentation and Industrial Control
Working Group, Digital Camera Sub Working Group.
isolated A signal which has no electrical connection to the overall system power.
N
NI-IMAQ Driver software for National Instruments image acquisition (IMAQ)
hardware.