monitor

keyboard: An input device contain-

M

ing switches that are activated by

 

manually pressing marked keys. Each

main board: See motherboard.

keystroke activates a switch that

megabyte (MB): A unit of data

transmits a specific code to the

storage equal to 1024 kilobytes. See

computer. For each key, the transmit-

also kilobyte.

ted code is, in turn, representative of

megahertz: A unit of wave frequency

the (ASCII) character marked on the

that equals 1 million cycles per

key.

second. See also hertz.

kilobyte (KB): A unit of data storage

menu: A software interface that

equal to 1024 bytes. See also byte

displays a list of options on the

and megabyte.

screen. Also called a screen.

 

 

LOSSARYG

L

level 2 cache: See cache.

Light Emitting Diode (LED): A semiconductor device that emits light when a current is applied.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD): Liquid crystal sealed between two sheets of glass coated with transparent conducting material. The viewing-side coating is etched into character forming segments with leads that extend to the edge of the glass. Applying a voltage between the glass sheets alters the brightness of the liquid crystal.

LSI: Large Scale Integration. 1) A technology that allows the inclusion of up to 100,000 simple logic gates on a single chip. 2) An integrated circuit that uses large scale integration.

microprocessor: A hardware component contained in a single integrated circuit that carries out instructions. Also called the central processing unit (CPU), one of the main parts of the computer.

mode: A method of operation, for example, the boot mode, standby mode or the hibernation mode.

modem: Derived from modulator/ demodulator, a device that converts (modulates) digital data for transmission over telephone lines and then converts modulated data (demodu- lates) to digital format where received.

monitor: A device that uses rows and columns of pixels to display alphanumeric characters or graphic images. See also CRT.

Glossary-9