G-3
Glossary
ECC Memory
(
e
rror
c
orrecting
c
ode memory
)
A type of memory that contains special circuitry for testing the accuracy of data and
correcting the errors on the fly.
IDE
(
I
ntegrated
D
rive
E
lectronics
)
A type of disk-drive interface widely used to connect hard disks, CD-ROMs and tape
drives to a PC, in which the controller electronics is integrated into the drive itself,
eliminating the need for a separate adapter card. The IDE interface is known as the
ATA (AT Attachment) specification.
IEEE 1394
A new, high speed external bus standard, also known as
FireWire
or
iLink
, which
supports data transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps for connecting up to 63 external
devices.
IrDA
(
I
nfra
r
ed
D
ata
A
ssociation
)
A group of device vendors, including computer, component and telecommunications,
who have developed a standard for transmitting data via infrared light waves. This
enables you to transfer data from one device to another without any cables.
LAN
(
l
ocal
a
rea
n
etwork
)
A computer network that covers a relatively smaller area, such as in a building or an
enterprise. It is made up of servers, workstations, shared resources, a network oper-
ating system and a communications link. These individual PCs and devices on a LAN
are known as “nodes”, and are connected by cables to access data and devices any-
where on the LAN, so that many users can share expensive devices and data.
LED
(
l
ight
e
mitting
d
iode
)
A semiconductor device that converts electrical energy into light. Since it lights up
(usually red) when electricity is passed through it, it is usually used for the activity
lights on computer’s component, such as disk drivers.
LPT
(
l
ine
p
rinter
t
erminal
)
Logical device name for a line printer; a name reserved by the MS-DOS for up to three
parallel printer ports: LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3. It is frequently used by the OS to
identify a printer.
