Glossary
G-6
ni.com
MSB
Most significant bit.
MTBF
Mean time between failure.
mux
Multiplexer. A switching device with multiple inputs that selectively
connects one of its inputs to its output.
N
NI-IMAQ
Driver software for National Instruments IMAQ hardware.
NVRAM
Nonvolatile RAM. RAM that is not erased when a device loses power or is
turned off.
O
operating system
Base-level software that controls a computer, runs programs, interacts with
users, and communicates with installed hardware or peripheral devices.
P
PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect. A high-performance expansion bus
architecture originally developed by Intel to replace ISA and EISA. PCI
offers a theoretical maximum transfer rate of 132 Mbytes/s.
pixel
Picture element. The smallest division that makes up the video scan line;
for display on a computer monitor, a pixel’s optimum dimension is square
(aspect ratio of 1:1, or the width equal to the height).
pixel clock
Divides the incoming horizontal video line into pixels.
pixel count
The total number of pixels between two horizontal synchronization signals.
The pixel count determines the frequency of the pixel clock.
protocol
The exact sequence of bits, characters, and control codes used to transfer
data between computers and peripherals through a communications
channel.
pts
Points.
