Dell OptiPlex GX240 User's Guide - Page 274

www.dell.com | support.dell.com API Application Program Interface. The interface through which an application program accesses the OS and other services. APIC Advanced programmable interrupt controller. Prioritizes and manages IRQs for the various devices in a PC. Without an APIC, the microprocessor must control IRQs. ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The basis of character sets used in many present-day computers. ASCII can be used to convey some control codes, the space character, numbers, most basic punctuation, and unaccented lower- and upper-case letters. AT Advanced Technology. An IBM® PC introduced in 1984 that has an Intel 80286 microprocessor, 16-bit bus, and 1.2 MB floppy drive. ATA Advanced Technology Attachment. A specification for drive interface. See IDE. ATAPI Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface. An interface used to connect CD, tape, and other drives with a computer. Binary A system of numbers having 2 as its base and using 0 and 1 for its notation. Binary code is used by computers because it works well with digital electronics and logic. BIOS Basic input/output system. Composed of software and data stored on a ROM chip. The BIOS initializes communication between the microprocessor and devices such as the keyboard and video adapter. The BIOS also controls system functions such as error messages and beep codes. The BIOS can be updated, or "flashed," which can correct errors, support new hardware, and so on. System setup allows you to configure certain options in the BIOS. Bit A shortened reference to binary digit. A bit is the smallest unit of storage and represents a quantity that can have only one of two possible values, such as true or false, or 0 or 1. 22