Countless abbreviations and acronyms are used in the computer industry. Table 6-1 lists some of the common ones.
Note - This list is not intended to be comprehensive. While it includes some common terms, other resources, such as those mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, contain many more. And, of course, new abbreviations and acronyms are created as technologies emerge. Also note that definitions of terms can vary from one computer discipline to another, and even within the same discipline, the style and wording of definitions may vary slightly from source to source.
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Abbreviation Name or Term
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Numerics
2-D two-dimensional
3-D three-dimensional
A
A ampere
amp ampere
ABI application binary interface
AC alternating current
ACM Association for Computing Machinery
A/D analog-to-digital
ADC analog-to-digital converter
ADDR address
ADP automatic data processing
ADPCM adaptive differential pulse code modulation
ADU automatic dialing unit
AF audio frequency
AFC automatic frequency control
AI artificial intelligence
ALGOL Algorithmic Language
ALU arithmetic and logic unit
a.m. ante meridiem (morning)
AM amplitude modulation
ANSI American National Standards Institute
API application program interface
ARPANET Advanced Research Projects Agency Network
ASCII American National Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASIC application-specific integrated circuit
ASR automatic send/receive
async asynchronous
ATM asynchronous transfer mode
AUI attachment unit interface
B
b bit
B byte
BASIC beginners all-purpose symbolic instruction code
BBS bulletin board system
BCD binary-coded decimal
BER bit error rate
BIOS Basic Input/Output System
bisync binary synchronous
BJT bipolar junction transistor
BNF Backus-Naur Form
BOF beginning of file
BOT beginning of tape
bpi bits per inch
bps bits per second
Bps bytes per second
BSC binary synchronous communication
BSD Berkeley Software Distribution
BSD block schematic diagram
Btu British thermal unit
C
c centi (prefix)
C coulomb
C C programming language
ûC Celsius
C centigrade
CAD computer-aided design
CAE computer-aided engineering
CAI computer-assisted instruction
CAM computer-aided manufacturing
CASE computer-aided software engineering
CCD charge-coupled device
ccw counterclockwise
CD-ROM compact disc read-only memory
CDE Common Desktop Environment
CGA color graphics adapter
CISC complex instruction-set computer
CLUT color look-up table
CMOS complementary metal-oxide semiconductor
COBOL common business-oriented language
cpi characters per inch
CPM Control Program for Microcomputers
cps characters per second
CPU central processing unit
CRC cyclic redundancy check
CRT cathode ray tube
CRU customer-replaceable unit
CTCA channel-to-channel adapter
CUI character user interface
cw clockwise
D
d deci (prefix)
da deka (prefix)
D/A digital-to-analog
DAC digital-to-analog converter
DAT digital audio tape
dB decibel
DBMS database management system
DC direct current
DCE data communication equipment
DES Data Encryption Standard
DIF data interchange format
DIMM dual in-line memory module
DIP dual in-line package
DMA direct memory access
DMM digital multimeter
DOS Disk Operating System
dpi dots per inch
DRAM dynamic random access memory
DSP digital signal processor
DSR data set ready
DTD Document Type Definition
DTE data terminal equipment
DTR data terminal ready
DVM digital voltmeter
E
EAROM electrically alterable read-only memory
EBCDIC extended binary-coded decimal interchange code
ECC error checking and correction
ECC error correcting code
ECL emitter-coupled logic
EDI electronic data interchange
EDP electronic data processing
EEPROM electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
EEROM electrically erasable read-only memory
EGA enhanced graphics adapter
EIA Electronics Industry Association
E-IDE Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics
EISA Extended Industry Standard Architecture
EMI electromagnetic interference
EOF end of file
EOT end of tape
EOT end of transmission
EPROM erasable programmable read-only memory
EPS Encapsulated PostScript
EPSF Encapsulated PostScript Format
F
F farad
ûF Fahrenheit
FAQ frequently asked question
FAT file allocation table
fax facsimile
FCB file control block
FE framing (bit) error
FET field-effect transistor
FIFO first-in, first-out
FILO first-in, last-out
FIPS Federal Information Processing Standard
FLOP floating-point operation
FLOPS floating-point operations per second
FM frequency modulation
Fortran formula translation
FPA floating-point accelerator
FPLA field-programmable logic array
FPU floating-point unit
FRU field-replaceable unit
FTP File Transfer Protocol
G
g gram
G giga (prefix)
Gbyte, GB gigabyte
GID group identification
GIF graphics interchange format
GUI graphical user interface
H
H henry
HBA host bus adapter
hex hexadecimal
HF high frequency
HFS hierarchical file system
HMOS high-speed negative-channel metal-oxide semiconductor
HSM hierarchical storage management
HTML Hypertext Markup Language
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
Hz hertz
I
IC integrated circuit
IDE Integrated Drive Electronics
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IHV independent hardware vendor
I/O input/output
IOP input/output processor
IP Internet Protocol
IPC interprocess communication
IPS inches per second
IPS instructions per second
IPS interrupts per second
IR information retrieval
IR infrared
IRQ interrupt request
ISA Industry Standard Architecture
ISA instruction-set architecture
ISAM indexed sequential access method
ISDN integrated services digital network
ISO International Organization for Standardization
ISV independent software vendor
J
JFET junction field-effect transistor
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group
K
k kilo (prefix)
K Kelvin
Kb kilobit
Kbyte, KB, K kilobyte
kg kilogram
kHz kilohertz
km kilometer
KSR keyboard send/receive
kV kilovolt
kW kilowatt
kWh kilowatt-hour
L
LAN local-area network
lb pound
LCD liquid crystal display
LED light-emitting diode
LF low frequency
LIFO last-in, first-out
LILO last-in, last-out
LISP List Processor
LP line printer
lpi lines per inch
LSB least significant bit
LSD least significant digit
LSI large-scale integration
LSN least significant nibble
LU logical unit
LUN logical unit number
LUT look-up table
M
mA microampere
mF microfarad
mg microgram
mH microhenry
mm micrometer
ms microsecond
mV microvolt
mW microwatt
m meter
m micro (prefix)
m milli (prefix)
M mega (prefix)
mA milliampere
MA megampere
MAC medium access control
MAC memory access controller
Mb megabit
Mbps one million bits per second
Mbyte, MB megabyte
mF millifarad
MFLOPS millions of floating-point operations per second
mg milligram
mH millihenry
MHz megahertz
MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIPS million instructions per second
MIS management information system
mm millimeter
MNP Microcom Networking Protocol
modem modulator-demodulator
MOS metal-oxide semiconductor
MOSFET metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor
MPEG Moving Pictures Experts Group
ms millisecond
MSB most significant bit
MSD most significant digit
MSI medium-scale integration
MSN most significant nibble
MTBF mean time between failures
MTTR mean time to repair
MTU magnetic tape unit
MTU maximum transfer unit
MUX multiplexer
mV millivolt
mW milliwatt
MW megawatt
N
n nano (prefix)
NaN not a number
NC no connection
NC normally closed
NC numerical control
NF noise figure
NIC network interface card
NMOS negative-channel metal-oxide semiconductor
NO normally open
NRZ nonreturn to zero
NTSC National Television Standards Committee
NVRAM nonvolatile random access memory
O
W ohm
OCR optical character recognition
OEM original equipment manufacturer
OS operating system
OSI Open Systems Interconnection
oz ounce
P
p pico (prefix)
PABX private automatic branch exchange
PAL programmable array logic
PAM pulse amplitude modulation
PBX private branch exchange
PC personal computer
PC printed circuit
PCB printed circuit board
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect
PCM pulse code modulation
PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
PDL page description language
PDL program design language
PDM pulse duration modulation
PDS partitioned data set
PF power factor
PHIGS Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System
PID process identifier
PIO programmed input/output
pixel picture element
PLA programmable logic array
p.m. post meridiem (afternoon)
PMI Protected Mode Interface
PMOS positive-channel metal-oxide semiconductor
POSIX Portable Operating System Interface for Computer Environments
POST power-on self-test
ppb parts per billion
ppm parts per million
ppm pages per minute
PPM pulse position modulation
PPP point-to-point protocol
PROM programmable read-only memory
PS power source
PU power unit
R
rad radian
RAID redundant array of inexpensive disks
RAM random access memory
RC resistance-capacitance
RCVR receiver
RF radio frequency
RFI radio frequency interference
RGB red, green, blue
RISC reduced instruction-set computer
RLL run-length-limited
RO receive only
ROM read-only memory
RPC remote procedure call
RTF rich text format
RTL resistor-transistor logic
R/W read/write
RZ return to zero
S
s second
sec second
SAM sequential access method
SAP service access point
SCCS Source Code Control System
SCN specification change notice
SCR silicon-controlled rectifier
SCSI small computer system interface
SGML Standard Generalized Markup Language
SHF super-high frequency
SIMM single in-line memory module
SIP single in-line package
SLIP serial-line Internet protocol
SLSI super-large-scale integration
SMF system management facilities
S/N signal-to-noise ratio
SQL structured query language
SRAM static random access memory
SSI small-scale integration
SVGA Super VGA
SWR standing wave ratio
sync synchronous
T
T tera (prefix)
TC temperature coefficient
TCP Transmission Control Protocol
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
TELEX teletypewriter exchange
TIFF tag image file format
TSO timesharing option
TSR terminate-and-stay-resident
TTL transistor-transistor logic
TTY teletypewriter
TWX teletypewriter exchange service
U
UART universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter
UHF ultra-high frequency
UID user identification
ULSI ultra-large-scale integration
UPS uninterruptible power supply
URL Uniform Resource Locator
U.S. United States
USRT universal synchronous receiver-transmitter
UUCP UNIX-to-UNIX Copy
UV ultraviolet
V
V volt
VAC volts alternating current
VAR value-added reseller
VCO voltage-controlled oscillator
VDC volts direct current
VDT video display terminal
VESA Video Electronics Standards Association
VEU volume end user
VF voice frequency
VGA video graphics adapter
VHF very high frequency
VL VESA local bus
VLB VESA local bus
VLF very low frequency
VLSI very large scale integration
VRAM video random access memory
VSAM virtual sequential access method
W
W watt
WAIS Wide-Area Information Server
WAN wide-area network
Wh watt-hour
WORM write once, read many
WWW World Wide Web
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