Glossary 7

DIMM
Dual Inline Memory Module. Circuit board with pins connecting to different
memory chips o n both sides of the board, wh ich allows f or wider and fas ter data
transfer (128-bit). See SIMMs.
DMA
Direct Memory Access . A method for tr a nsferring data , usually bet w e e n me mor y
and a disk driv e, without g oi ng through t h e CPU.
DMI
Desktop Management Interface. A standard for PCs that allows manipulation of PC
components o v er a network fr om a centralize d location.
DRAM
Dynamic Random Acces s Memory. Memor y used to stor e data in most comp uters.
DRAM is temporary and must be continually refreshed. It is only active when the
computer is turned on.
driver
A software program that enables peripheral devices (for example, printer, monitor,
mouse, CD-ROM drive) to work with computers.
DVD
Digital versatile disc or digital video disc. A type of CD-ROM that holds a
minimum of 4.7 GB, enough for a full-length movie. The DVD specification
supports disks with capacities of from 4.7 GB to 17 GB and access rates of 600
Kbps to 1.3 M b ps. One of the f ea tures of DVD dr ives is that t hey are backwa rd-
compatible wit h CD-ROM disks. This means that DVD players can p lay old CD-
ROMs, CD-I disks, and video CDs, as well as new DVD-ROMs. Newer DVD
players can also read CD-R disks. DVD uses MPEG-2 to compress video data. See
MPEG.
E
ECC memory
Error Checki n g and Correcti ng memory. Adva nced type of me mory that can f ind
and correct certain types of single-bit memory errors, providing greater data
integrity. Advanced ECC can correct some double-b it errors.
ECP
Extended Capabilities Port. A parallel-port standard for PCs that supports
bidirectional communication b et w een the PC and attached devices (such as a
printer). ECP is about 10 times faster than the older Centronics standard. Another
modern parallel port for PCs that offers similar performance is the EPP (Enhanced
Parallel Port).
EDO memory
Extended Data Out memory. A faster type of asynchronous computer memory that
holds its last - r equested data in a cache after r eleasing it. E D O me mor y is designed
for use with th e I ntel Pentium a nd Pentium II pr ocessors.