| A | B |
|---|
| bus | set of conductors which connect the functional units of a computer. |
| data bus | a communication route through which data can travel between the computer's cpu, memory, and peripherals. |
| address bus | connections between the CPU and memory which transmit the address from which the CPU will read, or to which the CPU will write. |
| pc bus | the bus architecture used in the first IBM pcs originally an 8-bit bus expanded to a 16-bit bus. |
| ISA | industry standard architecture. A pc expansion bus used for modems, video displays, speakers, and other peripherals. |
| EISA | extended insdustry standard architecture. A pc expansion bus that extends the ISA bus from 16 bits to 32 bits, but can still be used to plug in ISA expansion. |
| PCI | peripheral component interconnect. A pc local bus designed by intel, which runs at 33 MHz and supports plug and play. |
| Plug and Play | the ability of a computer to automatically detect and configure new hardware components which they are plugged in. |
| Bandwidth | the amount of data that can be sent through a network connection, measured in bits per second. |
| bus master | any class of microprocessor unit with the ability to take control of the system buses of a computer. |
| Bus speed | a measurement, usually in MHz of how many times data can be transferred over the bus per second. |
| Expansion slot | a socket on the motherboard for plugging in an expansion card. The more expansion slots a computer has, the more features can be added. |
| legacy | describes older computer systems, hardware, software. |
| Firewire | High Speed serial bus allows for connection of up to 63 devices primarily used for digital video |
| adapter | a device that allows one system to connect to and work with another. |
| interrupt | a signal that gets the attention of the CPU and is usually generated when i/o is required |
| jumper | a small plug placed over pins to configure hardware settings. |
| dma | Direct memory access. specialized circuitry or a dedicated microprocessor that transfers data from adapters to memory without using the CPU. |
| i/o address | on pcs, a three digit hexadecimal number used to identify and signal a peripheral device like a serial port, or sound card. |
| AGP | accelerated graphics port. architecture that is based on the PCI architecture and is designed specifically to speed up 3d graphics. |
