Glossary
G-4
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DMA
Direct memory access—A method by which data can be transferred
to/from computer memory from/to a device or memory on the bus while the
processor does something else. DMA is the fastest method of transferring
data to/from computer memory.
DNL
Differential nonlinearity—A measure in least significant bit of the
worst-case deviation of code widths from their ideal value of 1 LSB.
driver
Software that controls a specific hardware device such as a DAQ device.
E
EEPROM
Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory—ROM that can be
erased with an electrical signal and reprogrammed.
EMC
Electromagnetic compatibility.
EMI
Electromagnetic interference—Defines unwanted electromagnetic
radiation from a device, which could interfere with desired signals in test
or communication equipment.
ESD
Electrostatic discharge.
F
FIFO
First-in first-out memory buffer.
floating signal sources
Signal sources with voltage signals that are not connected to an absolute
reference or system ground. Also called nonreferenced signal sources.
Some common example of floating signal sources are batteries,
transformers, or thermocouples.
G
g
Gram or grams.
gain
The factor by which a signal is amplified, sometimes expressed in decibels.
gain accuracy
A measure of deviation of the gain of an amplifier from the ideal gain.