QPS Que!Fire, Installation Manual

Page: 48 / 56

APPENDIX A
44
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Adapter Cards
Adapter cards (a.k.a, controller cards, expansion cards, interface cards, etc.) plug
into slots of the computer’s main data bus, or bus extensions such as Local Bus.
They “adapt” the flow of data and instructions between the CPU and the device
(peripheral).
ATAPI
ATA Programmer's Interface. A set of commands designed to address a CD-ROM
drive over an IDE interface. Allows people to install and use a CD-ROM drive in
much the same manner as a hard disk.
Bootable CD
A bootable CD is one that the PC can boot from.
Bus
In computers, a bus is the main or continuous channel of electrical connection
between the CPU, the system memory (RAM), and the peripheral devices.
CD
The Compact Disc was first implemented commercially for storing digital audio
data (CD Digital Audio). The CD is made up of a polycarbonate substrate, a thin
reflective metallic layer (the mirror-like is aluminum), and a lacquer coating. The
encoded data track is a spiral, with the pits making a central band. The encoded
track is made up of sectors (sometimes erroneously named blocks).
CD-Digital Audio
CD-Digital Audio was implemented to hold about 60 minutes of audio data, in up
to 99 tracks (songs) at a sampling rate of 44.1 KHz and a sample size of 16 bits, to
produce high quality stereo sound.