2 Glossary APM
Advanced Po w er Management . An API develop ed by Intel a nd M icrosoft t ha t
allows developers to include power management in the BIOS. APM defines a layer
between the hardware and the operating system that effectively shields the
programmer from hardware details.
application programs
Software des igned to per form specif ic functions or a group of func t ions, lik e
solving business or mathematical problems. Examples of applications include word
processing, communicati ons, or dat a base managemen t .
architecture
A general term for the design and construction of computer systems, particularly
hardware, b ut also opera t ing systems an d n etworks. T he c ircuitry wit hin a chip is
called its architecture; for exampl e, Int el architecture can refer to a computer ba sed
on the Intel Cel eron™ or other Pentium II chip s .
archive
Copying one or more files to a different loc a tion for long- term data st orage,
especially for backup and security purposes. Files can then be added to or deleted
from the archive. Also refers to the location where data is stored.
ASIC
Application Specific Integrated Circuit. A chip designed for use on a particular
circuit boar d, or for a ver y na rrow range o f u se. The digita l signal proc essor chip on
a modem is an ASIC.
asynchronous
Refers to operations that do not require the clocks of communicating devices to be
coordinated. Instead, the devices send signals to each other indicating readiness to
receive or send. Compare synchronous.
asynchronous cache
The slowest, most inexpensive type of seco nda r y SRAM cache, running at speeds
of 15 to 20 ns.
ATA
AT Attachme nt . A standa r d for connect ing hard dri ves or other d e vices to an AT
bus; synonymous with IDE.
AT bus
The AT bus system with support chips (DMA, PIC, etc) and a 16-bit bus slot. The
AT bus is strictly defined by ISA.
audio
Relating to or capable of producing sound. Multimedia computers make extensive
use of audio.