Glossary

This glossary should explain some of the lingo I'm talking. All links written in italics point you to a particular entry in the glossary. If you have a question or if you miss anything in the glossary, please email me: gg@guenter-grau.de
The content is partly my own opinion. I don't grant for its correctness.

A

active diode

Circuit simulating the behaviour of an ideal diode. A normal diode has a voltage drop of several hundred mV in forward-direction, causing energy loss in the diode and in the solar cell. The latter is due to a shift of the operating point. An active diode measured the voltage over its terminals with an OP, switching a MOSFET accordingly.

Ada

Pascal-like programming language with strict syntax. Used e.g. from the Pentagon for military projects, because the compiler can be verified formally, that means, a mathematical proof is done. This way, many typical programming errors can be avoided which could cause cevere problems otherwise.

ADC

Abbreviation for "analog-digital-converter". Changes an analog input signal (e.g. a voltage) into a digital output signal. Characteristic for an ADC is the discretization of time and value, the output signal does only change at special times and can only take special values. Compare with DAC.

Ah

Abbreviation for "ampere-hour". Designates an amount of electric charge. Used for accumulators to denominate their capacity. Because the voltage of an accumulator is nearly constant, you can calculate the stored energy from the given Ah-rating, e.g. 12Vx100Ah=1.2kWh.

Alpha

Name of the world-rekord-processor family of Digital Equipment (DEC). The momentary flagship, the 21264, is a 64-Bit-RISC-processor in CMOS-technology, running at over 700MHz at the moment.

analog

means a continuous thing for both time and value. Opposite to "digital".

appel-man

The probably most famous fractal. The name comes from the form of the complex graph, remembering at a man consisting of apples. Also known as Mandelbrot-function.

a-Si-solar cells

are solar cells of amorphous silicon. Amorphous means "non crystalline". Their advantage in opposite to other crystalline types is the low price caused by the simple manufacturability. A disadvantage is the low efficiency, but this compensates at bad weather or partially shading, when a-Si-cells offer more current than crystalline types.

Assembler

Elementary programming language. You directly program with your computers commands. Assembler allows very efficient programs, but its handling is difficult and the program is bound to a specific computer model, e.g. a PC.

B

BIOS

Abbreviation for "basic input-output system". Firmware stored in the computers ROM, offering the most important hardware-related services. Beside self-test, hardware-detection, real-time-clock, keyboard- and screen-functions also mass storage functions (e.g. floppy read/write) are offeres, on which an operating system must rely during the boot process.

Bitstream

Language evaluated during the "PCIO"-project, describing bit pattern (digital signals)

bipolar transistor

BJT (bipolar junction transistor). Most important semiconductor device, foundation for integrated circuits. You may think of it being an electrically controlled valve or current amplifier. Modern bipolar transistors work up to the three-digit GHz-range.

buffer cap

Similar to a buffer battery a buffer capacitor is an electrolyte capacitor to bridge the time of a supply failure. In contrast to a battery or an accumulator, its lifetime is much larger and no complicated charging circuitry is needed.

C

CAD

Abbrev. for "computer aided design".

Camaro

Just to be mentioned :) american sports car.

CCD

Abbrev. for "charge coupled device". CCD's are used for filters or as sensor elements. Electronic cameras get their picture from a CCD-sensor. The inner consists of a matrix of light sensitive elements, converting light into current. Because of the huge amount of elements, a direct wiring is not suitable. Therefore the charge packets generated during lightning are passed by electric fields until they reach a connection point. This way the name "charge coupled".

CISC

Abbrev. for "complex instruction set computer". Designated a processor with very large command set. A typical representative of this family is the 86' processor of the PC. The advantage of the powerful instruction set comes at the cost of a complicated processor design, high price and low execution speed. Nowadays, most processors use a RISC-kernel, feeded by a translating logic, transforming complex CISC-commands into a chain of simple RISC-commands.

Cluster

Unfortunate management unit of the FAT file system. FAT manages memory with 16-bit-pointers, therefore only 65536 different memory blocks can be addressed. Under DOS invented for floppy disks only, it was adopted by Microsoft for hard disks due to their low innovation potential. After an explosive growth of disk storage the sice of cluster increased dramatically, so that a file containing a single byte used 16kB on a 1GB-partition. For a long time the only solution was partitioning the disk, that is splitting a disk in several smaller drives. Although other operating systems come with far more advanced file systems (HPFS unter OS/2, NFS unter UNIX), Microsoft is playing around FAT with uncountable patches.

CMOS

Abbrev. for "complementary MOS". Circuit technique initiating the high integration level of todays integrated circuits. Nearly all modern microprocessors (including the Alpha 21264 from Digital Equipment, worlds fastest processor since many years, with about 16 million transistors) are produced in CMOS-technology. Conceptual not the fastest design technique, but predestined for complex circuits and automaic layout.

Command line

Offered by the command interpreter. Within the command line the user can type in commands or view their results.

Compiler

Program translating high-level languages (source code, e.g. C++ or Pascal) into the machines language, thereby generating an executable program.

conversion object

Software module, translating data from one presentation form into another. An example is the conversion object used in the scanner project, collecting truecolor pixel data during the scan (8 bit for each red, blue, green), transforming it into 8 bit pseudocolor (color table with 256 entries, 6 bit for each r,g,b).

command interpreter

program of an operating system which allows entries from the user and executed the commands you gave in. Main part in old systems like DOS or CP/M. Nowadays pushed to the background by graphical user interfaces, but still the most efficient way to work with a computer.

C++

Extension of the language C for objects. Wide spread use, with an abstraction level somewhere between assembler and pascal. Allows many dangerous constructs and therefore favours difficult to find bugs.

D

DAC

Abbrev. for "digital-analog-converter". Opposite of the ADC. Converts a digital input signal into an analog output signal, therefore a time- and value-discrete signal is convertet into a time-continuous, value-discrete signal.

Debugger

Program to assist you in finding software errors, called bugs.

digital

means a time- and value-discrete signal. Normally a digital signal changeds its logic state once during a clock cycle. Opposite to analog.

DIL

Abbrev. for "dual in-line". Usual package form for ICs in the past, where the pins lie in two rows with 2.54mm (1/10") distance. The pins are put through holes in the circuit board and are soldered from the back side. Nowadays the SMD-package is used, mostly.

Diode

Simple semiconductor element, comparable to a valve. The ideal diode is blocking electric current in one direction and conducting it in the other. The real diode causes a voltage drop and energy loss in the forward direction, therefore power electronics sometimes use active diodes.

DIVE

Abbrev. for "direct video extension". Programming interface for OS/2, enabling fast graphics (e.g. video).

DMA

Abbrev. for "direct memory access". Using DMA, data transfer between memory blocks or between memory and periphery can be done without blocking the processor. With this parallel operation the computers performance can be enhanced.

DOS

Abbrev. for "disk operating system". Legendary PC operating system. Originally called "QDOS" (quick and dirty operating system), then renamed by Microsoft-founder Bill Gates into "MS-DOS" (Microsoft disk operating system). The original name implies the numerous defects of the system, which are even found in todays "Windows".

drift transistor

Special form of the bipolar transistor. During production, an electric field is generated in the basis, accelerating charge carriers and thus enhancing device speed.

Driver

Program operating as an interface between an application and a special hardware. A graphics card driver has to insure, that every program can display itself independently from the actual graphics board by means of a special command set.

E

Escape-sequence

Special character sequences which are interpreted by the printer as a command, not as text. With escape-sequences you can change the size of letters or underline text etc.

F

FAT

Primitive file system under DOS/Windows. Manages memory of floppies or hard disks with a 16-bit-table, therefore it can only handle 65536 memory blocks, called cluster, per disk drive. FAT doesn't distinguish between small and capital letters. File names are restricted to 8 characters with additional 3 charactors for file type marking.

FIFO

Abbrev. for "first in, first out". Electronic pendant of the "stand in a queue". Used to synchronize data sources with different speed or unsynchronized data streams.

Firmware

Built-in software, e.g. the computer BIOS. Normally, Firmware cannot be changed by the user.

Frequency

designates the incidence of a change in signal or state. Given in Hz, that is number per second. FM-radio works in the MHz-region (M=Mega=million), fast integrated circuits in the GHz-region (G=Giga=billion), as does the mircowave oven.

fractal

A class of mathematical functions, usually working with two variables, giving a surface instead of a line as a graph. Many of these graphs are very nice. Most known is the appel-man.

frame grabber

Device digitizing pictures (video) for the use in a computer.

FPGA

Abbrev. for "field programmable gate array". A gate array consists of many functional blocks of the same type. In a FPGA, the electric function can be changed by programming the circuit. This type of programming is different from the programming of a microprocessor. A computer works through the program step by step with the CPU, but in the FPGA the wiring of the IC is changed. FPGA's may serve as fast coprocessors this way, with programmable command set.

G

GaAs

Abbrev. for "gallium-arsenide". A so called III-V-semiconductor, used for the fastest circuits for a long time. Its disadvantage is the low availability of the material and the difficult fabrication of wafers, which are normally much smaller than 4" in diameter, therefore increasing costs.

glass fiber

Optical pendant of the electric cable. A glass fiber consists of glass or transparent plastic and is surrounded by a material with lower refraction index. If light enters the fiber, it is refracted at the border between the two materials, so it cannot leave the fiber. Glass fibers allow data transmission with much more speed than possible in copper cable.

H

hardware

Generic term for electronic devices, that is, things you can touch. Contrary to software.

HBT

Abbrev. for "heterojunction bipolar transistor". The basis of this transistor is modified, so that a transition between different materials is happening. Different effects causes faster devices. Important representative is the SiGe-HBT (silicon-germanium).

HDL

Abbrev. for "hardware description language". Similar to a programming language a circuit is desribed formally. With modern tools you can test a circuit prior to its realization. A HDL compiler may transform the circuit description in programming commands for a FPGA. Known dialects are Abel, PALASM, VHDL and Verilog. For a long time only digital circuits were descrived this way. More and more, analog circuits are in focus, too, e.g. by HDL-A.

Hexdump

Output format for executable files or similar. Used for debugging purposes. A hexdump shows the content of a file in form of characters and their hexadecimal code.

HPFS

Abbrev. for "high performance file system". HPFS is the usual file system under OS/2, coming without clustering and providing enhanced security against data loss. By skilful placing of the information, HPFS is faster than FAT, too. You can use much longer filenames with small and capital letters. However, for accessing a file, spelling doesn't matter.

HTML

Abbrev. for "hypertext markup language". Page-description language, simplified for the internet. WWW-projects like this one are written in HTML.

hybrid circuit

Mounting technique, where several elements are placed on a substrate (Al₂O₃-ceramics) by special pastes by silk-screen print, followed by a burning process. Semiconductors are bonded "naked" (without package) or soldered in SMD packages. Complete modules are often founded in synthetic resin.

I

integrated circuit

IC, consists of several (up to some million) transistors, resistors and capacitors (sometimes planar inductors, too). These are built in a numerous process steps on a ultra-clean silicon disk (the wafer). These processes include the fabrication of "masks", used for structuring a light sensitive varnish. After etching the enlightened parts of the varnish, so calles dotants are brought in by diffusion of ion implantation. This modifies the electrical behaviour of the silicon.

I/O

Abbrev. for "input/output". The computer has to exchange information in several ways, that is, he has to accept data or to provide data. At lowest level, the circuit level, the computer has a set of so called port addresses and memory addresses. A 8-bit port holds 8 binary signals, for example. Port-mapped I/O is used, if many different functions has to be fed with a small amount of data. In the case of a frame grabber it makes more sense to provide the data as a virtual memory block. This is called memory-mapped I/O.

Inch

long measure. One inch (1") is 25.4mm. The inch is the commonly used measure in electronics, mostly 1/10" or 1/20" of distance is found for pin distances of components.

IRQ

Abbrev. for "interrupt request". With the help of interrupts a device can get the attention of the processor, e.g. because an error appeared or new data is ready. This way the processor dosn't have to look at all available ports all the time, which is called polling. IRQs provide flexibility and can enhance performance.

ISA

Abbrev. for "industry standard architecture". This extension bus was invented with the IBM-XT and had at first a width of 8-bit and 4.77MHz clock frequency. With the 286, it was expanded to 16 bit and 8MHz. Sadly, the name of the bus doesn't speak for its standardizazion. Only few years ago, the IEEE 996 standard was defined, still not answering all design questions. Often the bus is clocked with 12.5MHz, although even at 8MHz some timing problems occur, so the operation of ISA extensions is not reliable. The maximum throughput is reached with one word every two clock cycles, this is 8MB/s at 16-bit and 8MHz. After becoming a serious bottleneck, the PCI-bus was invented.

ispLSI

Abbrev. for "in system programmable LSI", LSI="large scale integrated (IC)". An IC-family from Lattice, reprogrammable in the circuit. The configuration data is stored in a EEPROM (non-volatile memory). They are members of the EPDL-family.

J

Java

Programming language, similar to C++. Java was invented by Sun Microsystems to realize platform independent software, that is software, which may run under many different operating systems on different computer architectures without special adaption. Java was triggered by the growth of the internet, but also by the software monopoly of Microsoft.
To gain platform independence, the source code may be preprocessed by a sort of interpreter, generating a special "bytecode" which is interpreted on the target machine, or it is interpreted directly.

JavaScript

Simplified version of Java without the need for precompilation from the programmers side. JavaScript may be embed in HTML-documents to realize forms, language selection etc.

Joystick

Input device, remembering at a planes control stick. A Joystick provides at least a value for a 2-dimensional point to the computer.

K

L

LED

Abbrev. for "light emitting diode". Semiconductor, emitting light of a defined wavelength when current flows. Because of ist high efficiency, its robustness and its fast reaction LED have replaced bulbs for displays.

logic analyzer

Device fur simultaneous measurement of numerous digital signals.

M

Memory

Normally the computers main memory is meant.

mercury vapour lamp

Discharge-lamp, producing light of defined wavelenghts by ionization of mercury atomes with accelerated electrons. Neonlights, flash lights and Xenon-spotlights are examples.

microwave

Electromagnetic waves in the GHz-range. Related to radio waves or light. Used for mobile phones, RADAR, microwave ovens etc.

MOS-transistor

Transistor with isoliated control terminal. By collection of electric charge on the gate a conducting channel between the source and the drain contact is build. The MOS transistor is slower than a bipolar transistor, but is simple to produce and therefore cheap. The field of high-integration is based on MOS.

Multitasking

The ability of an operating system to run several programs simultaneously and independent from another. If a computer only has one CPU, this is achieved by distributing the computing power by a so-called scheduler, running each program for a small amount of time, calculated by special criterions. UNIX and OS/2 offer a good multitasking. See multithreading also.

Multimeter

Multi-purpose-measuring instrument. Often a Voltage- Ampere- and Ohmmeter is combined.

Multithreading

The ability of an operating system to run parts of a single program simultaneously. If the computer only has a single CPU, this is done as in the case of multitasking by a scheduler. Communication between threads is considerably faster than communication between programs, because threads use the same address space and can therefore use faster mechanisms. Prerequisite for multithreading is multitasking, OS/2 and UNIX offer both.

N

O

Objects

Software-objects are a way to combine both data and manipulation methods into one unit. By the definition of an interface to the outer the management and maintenance of big projects is simplified. By the possibility to transmit methods new objects can profit from older ones, thereby the programming efficiency increases.

OP

Abbrev. for "operational amplifier". An operational amplifier has an inverting and a non-inverting input. The output voltage is the extremely gained difference between the inputs. By external circuitry nearly any function may be realized.

OS/2

Multitasking-, multithreading- and SMP-enabled operating system from IBM. At first, OS/2 was developed together with Microsoft to derive a successor for the old DOS. Because it needed to much memory at this time, it couldn't get through against Windows, tinked by Microsoft the same time, although Windows was deficient in its concept and faulty from the beginning, making it to a productivity killer. DOS- and many Windows-programs can work seamlessy under OS/2. As under UNIX, there is a memory protection, so that dirty programs or viruses cannot interfere or spread. Windows, on the other hand, has to be called a culture medium in this respect. OS/2 offeres as the only operating system a mature command line with a good script language (REXX) as well as a powerful graphical Interface, the presentation manager (PM).

Oscilloskope

Measuring instrument displaying an input signal over time. Used for viewing time-variant signals.

P

Panorama

"all around look", the ability of a RADAR system to view 360°.

Parameter

are informations influencing the behaviour of a program. Often typed in into the command line right after the command name.

parallelized programs

are programs, in which certain parts can work independently and parallel. See multithreading.

Partition

Separating a mass storage (e.g. hard disk) in several inedpendent storage areas (drives) is called partitioning. Under FAT partitions are necessary to reduce the size of clusters.

Pascal

One of the numerous programming languages of Niklaus Wirth. Similar to Ada, but less strict. Pascal has conquered a big fan community, pushed by the at first great work of Borland (today Inprise). Borlands dialect Turbo-Pascal became fast a quasi-standard, because not only the developement environment was matured, but also some constructs were implemented which were not planned at first. The most important add-on was the implementation of objects. In comparison to C++, Pascal is both more strict and abstract.

PCI

Abbrev. for "peripheral component interconnect bus". Successor of the ISA-bus. The PCI-bus is from the beginning (relativly) strict specified and in contrast to the ISA-bus not bound to a special architecture, so that it is found not only in PC's but also in Sun- and DEC-workstations. In its slowliest version he has a width of 32 bit and is working at 33MHz bus clock. By means of burst transfer cycles he can transfer one word per cycle, thus offering 132MB/s throughput. There are extensions to 64 bit bus width and 66MHz bus clock, providing a maximum of 528MB/s throughput.

Periphery

Everything not essentially belonging to a computer. Interfaces, keyboard, mouse, printer etc. are peripherals of the computer.

Piezo elements

Piezo-elektric materials bend under the influence of an electric field or cause a voltage unter mechanical pressure. This effect is often used for small buzzers, high frequency loudspeakers or microphones. Special working areas are mechanical actuators, providing accurate movement in the micrometer-range.

PLD

Abbrev. for "programmable logic device". There are numerous architectures available, all providing programmable interconnects ond logic areas. Reprogrammable chips are called EPLD, complex types CPLD. An example for a CPLD is the ispLSI-family from Lattice. In contrast to FPGAs PLDs have a relatively primitive structure, making them fast and easy to program, but less flexible.

Polling

contrary to interrupt handling. During polling, the program is checking the state of a port (e.g. the keyboard) for new data. Offers the shortest reaction time, but consumes unnecessary computing power.

Port

the "outdoor" of a computer. Ports are one of the two possible I/O-possibilities. A 8-bit-port, owning a special address, provides 8 digital lines for data interchange.

PRBS

Abbrev. for "pseudo random binary sequence". PRBS-sequences are used for scrambling data or testing communication-related circuits.

Presentation Manager

or PM. Graphical user-interface under OS/2.

Priority

As in the case of real live concurrency situations exist in the computer, where some decision about what do do next has do be done. You can give priorities to interrupts, processes or threads, taking off these decision.

Procedure

Part of a program, fulfilling a special function inside the program, having a defined interface to exchange data with other parts of the program. A "function" is in principal the same, but its syntax allows chaining of functions as usual in mathematics.

Processor

or CPU (central processing unit), heart of the computer. The CPU is the device executing the commands of a program and calculating results. In detail, we have to distinguish between the CPU for handling integer arithmetic and the FPU (floating point unit) for non-integer mathematics.

Programming language

formal (non-natural) language with restricted vocabulary and clearly defined syntax. Programming languages are the interface between the programmer and the computer, allowing the accurate description of a problem, enabling the generation of an executable program. Examples are Assembler, C++, Pascal and Ada.

Protected-mode

is a special operating mode of the 86' processor family. In protected-mode, four privilege levels are distinguished, receiving different levels of protection. In a model of rings, the inner one is ring 0, the outer ring 3. Ring 0 is reserved for the operating system kernel, ring 3 for user applications, that is, possibly defective or virulent programs. A program in ring 3 cannot access ring 3, this way a virus cannot infect the operating system. The program has to call the operating system by means of special interface mechanisms. In the other direction there are protection mechanisms, too. OS/2 uses ring 0 for the kernel, ring 2 for device drivers and ring 3 for applications, UNIX uses only ring 0 for the system and ring 3 for applications. Windoze is not worth to be mentioned at this point.

Pseudocolor

In contrast to truecolor, where every point of a picture has an individual color, a preudocolor picture has an index to a color table for every point. The length of this table is limited (e.g. to 256 entries), so that only a finite amount of colours is available to a picture. During translation of a truecolor picture into pseudocolor, the "most important" colors have to be calculated und put in the table. See conversion object.

pulse width modulation

or PWM. Technique to drive a load alternatively between the state on and off. This way you can reduce the large losses typically produced by other circuits. A special operating point can be achieved by varying the duration of the on-time during a switching cycle.

PWL

Abbrev. for "piecewise linear (source)". A special source in circuit simulators, where you can define certain quantities at certain time values. At times other than those defined, the source value is linearly interpolated.

Q

R

RADAR

Abbrev. for "radio detection and ranging". Measures the runtime of transmitted microwave bursts.

RAM

Abbrev. for "random access memory". The computer main memory is a RAM in order to have fast access to every information at every time, reading and writing.

Recorder

in this contect a general recording unit, e.g. a list of files to be printed (printing recorder).

Relais

elektromagnetic operated switch. The operating current in an inductor produces a magnetic field, throwing the switch.

RISC

Abbrev. for "reduced instruction set computer". For the developement of a CPU several conditions have to be met, such as yield, price, and speed. A processor with lots of complex commands needs a big amount of space and can only made faster with big efforts. A RISC processor only implements a minimum of instructions which are all highly optimized. Other commands have to be implemented by a chain of simpler commands. In principal, all modern CPU kernels are RISC-based. Contrary: CISC-prozessors.

ROM

Abbrev. for "read only memory" The computer BIOS is an example for a ROM. It offers random access like a RAM, but is not writable.

S

SAA

Abbrev. for "standard application architecture". Defines a uniform behaviour of programs regarding keyboard and mouse functions, the structure of menus etc. SAA is intended to simplify the deal with new programs by providing a known surrounding, not diverting from the programs task.

Sampling Scope

A digital oscilloscope (DSO), specialized for the measurement of fast periodis signals. DSOs work with fast memory and precision timers.

Servo

mechanical actuator, e.g. rotating an axis into a defined angle.

Shadow-RAM

Copy of a ROM or RAM-region in order to speed up access or to save power.

SiGe

Abbrev. for "silicon-germanium". At the moment, several attempth are made to speed up silicon based circuits by adding of small amounts of germanium. Two approaches are the drift transistor and the heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT).

SMD

Abbrev. for "surface mounted device", the modern packaging system for integrated circuits. In contrast to DIL-packages no drillings are necessary for mounting, the pin distance is much smaller (typ. 1.27mm (1/20") ... 0.8mm).

SMP

Abbrev. for "symmetrical multi processing". SMP-computers differ only little from normal computers, thus they are relatively cheap and can run almost all programs written for single-processor-machines. In a SMP-computer more than one processor is working on a commonly shared memory, but on different data or programs (MIMD). The partition of the load is done by the operating system scheduler, which has to offer multitasking abilities at least. OS/2 and UNIX are SMP-enabled systems.

SODAR

Abbrev. for "sound detection and ranging". Similar to RADAR, but working with ultrasonic waves (40kHz... MHz) instead of microwaves.

Software

General term for things you cannot hold in hands, normally programs or data. A subdivision is firmware, which is built into a device and normally cannot be changed in contrast to other software.

Spectrum analyzer

Measures the amplitudes of different frequencies in a complex signal.

SPICE

Abbrev. for "simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis". SPICE-simulators can show you the behaviour of a circuit prior to its realization and are necessary for efficient optimization.

SPS

Abbrev. for "speicherprogrammierbare Steuerung" or "memory programmable control". Specialized computers for industrial controlling purposes with special commands for single-bit manipulation and self-monitoring (watchdogs).

Step-Up-switching regulator

Switching regulator, whose output voltage exeeds its input voltage. Necessary in many battery powered systems, often found in solar power stations, too.

switching regulators

regulate a value not by variation of a controllable resistor or similar lossy methods, but switch a source periodically on and off. The generated ripple is filtered by high quality inductors and capacitors, therefore the efficiency is very high. The regulation is similar to the pulse width modulation (PWM).

T

transistor

Electronic semiconductor device with a controlling and a load circle. Major families are bipolar transistors and MOSFETs.

Truecolor

Contrary to pseudocolor. With truecolor, every point of a picture has an individual color.

TTL

Abbrev. for "transistor-transistor-logic". Circuit family or IC-family with several hundred specialized members, such as AND-gates.

U

UNIX

Multitasking, multiuser, SMP- and networking operating system. In total the most advanced operating system, which lacks a functional graphical user interface.

V

VESA

Standardization commitee and standard for graphics cards. VESA-compatible cards tell the program their abilities and how they are programmed. Prior to the VESA standard, at DOS-times, every program had to be delivered with its own driver, thereby channeling the graphics chip market. One famous chip was the ET4000 from Tseng Labs.

VHDL

Abbrev. for "VHSIC HDL" or "very high speed integrated circuit hardware description language". Member of the HDL-languages.

via

Metallized drilling in a circuit board. Connecting wired on different layers on the board.

VIO

denominates a textual command line under OS/2 which is embed into the graphical Interface. Contrary to full-screen text-windows (NoVIO), which you know from DOS.

W

Windows

DOS-based immature operating system. Should overcome the limitations of DOS (memory, graphisc) but relies on the same ancient code. The non-existing concept and the sloppy programming results in numerous crashes and trial-and-error sessions. The lack of memory protection invites viruses, the networking capabilities are worser than worse, there are no security mechanisms, the file system is age-old, the multitasking is not more than a marketing gag. Operation is unlogical and uncomfortable. Every new version is incompatible to the last.
But millions of flies cannot be wrong :)

WLAN

Abbrev. for "wireless LAN" or "wireless local area network". A LAN is a local network, connecting e.g. the computers inside an office. To increase flexibility and to reduce costs implied in cabling, a wireless approach is wanted, similar to wireless phones.

WWW

Abbreviation for "world wide web". It denominates the graphically part of the internet, consisting of HTML and Java.

X

XT

The start of the PC-family from IBM, which came with a 8088 microprocessor and a 8-bit-ISA-bus.

XYZ-table

Mechanicel unit to shift a "table" (e.g. a mounting plate for a sensor) in three axis (lengthwise, crosswise, and high).

Y

hmmm, any entries for "Y" ?

Z

0-9

8088

The first microprocessor of the 86' family from Intel, who jumped into the mass market with the XT, the father of the personal computer (PC). The 8088 started Intels todays quasi-monopoly in the processor market. Although internally a 16-bit processor, the 8088 had only 8 external data lines, thereby reducing system costs. The processors of the 8088 family are CISC-based.

21264

Worlds fastest single processor. A 64-bit-microprocessor from Digital Equipment (DEC) with approx. 16 million transistors, fabricated in CMOS-technology. Four integer and two floating-point units, clock frequencies above 700MHz.