Glossary
G-4
ni.com
dB
decibel—the unit for expressing a logarithmic measure of the ratio of
two signal levels: db=20 • log
10
(V1/V2), for signals in volts
DC
direct current
DGND
digital ground signal
DIFF
differential mode
differential input
an analog input consisting of two terminals, both of which are isolated from
computer ground, whose difference is measured
DIO
digital input/output
dithering
the addition of Gaussian noise to an analog input signal
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