FIVE-PIN CONNECTOR— A connector that has five
pins, usually used to connect a keyboard to the
CPU.
FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslator)— A high--level
programming language
mathematical applications.
H
for scientific and
HARD-SECTORED— Wedge-shaped storage
division on a floppy disk from time of manufacture.
HIERARCHICAL DIRECTORY— A term used to
refer to the organizational method of arranging files
either in a DOS tree structure or in the file-and-
folder method.
HUB— The center part of the tape reel that attaches to
the tape drive.
HYPERTEXT— A document retrieval network having
till-text files and dynamic indexes for links among
documents.
HYPOTHERMAGRAPH— A piece of equipment
that is used to record the temperature and humidity
in a computer room.
I
INSTRUCTION AND CONTROL— The portion of
the control section that includes the combinational
and sequential circuits that make up the decision-
making and memory-type functions.
INTEGRATED CIRCUIT— A miniaturized chip in
which semiconductor components and other such
technology combine the functions of a number of
conventional components (such as transistors,
resistors, capacitors, and diodes).
INTERNAL DIAGNOSTICS— Diagnostics that are
run when the computer is started.
IPL (Initial Program Load )— A set of instructions that
cause other instructions (the operating system) to be
loaded into the main memory of the computer. This
must be done each time the computer is turned on.
L
LETTER-QUALITY MODE— The mode that
produces high--quality printed output from a
printer.
LIBRARIAN— Person responsible for the safekeeping
of all computer files, such as diskettes, disk packs,
and magnetic tapes.
LOCAL-AREA NETWORK— A network that
normally operates within a well-defined and
generally self-enclosed area. The communication
stations or terminals are linked by cable.
M
MAGNETIC CORE STORAGE— System of storage
in which data is represented in binary form by
means of directional flow of magnetic fields in tiny,
doughnut-shaped arrays of magnetic cores.
MAGNETIC DOMAINS— The data that is stored by
changing the polarity of the magnetized dots
(bubbles).
MAINFRAME COMPUTERS— This term is usually
used to designate large-scale computer systems,
although the precise definition of mainframe is the
cpu and the control elements of any computer
system.
MATRIX— Orderly array of symbols by rows and
columns.
MINICOMPUTERS— Midsize computers that are
smaller than large-scale systems but with the same
components. They are less expensive and have less
strict environmental requirements.
MODEM— A device that converts data from digital to
analog format for transmission on analog
transmission lines, and also converts data in analog
format to digital format for computer processing.
MULTIPLE-FILE DIRECTORIES— An option of
the operating system that allows for several files to
be contained in a directory.
J
N
JULIAN DATE— Form of calendar representation
within a computer system, indicating the year and
the number of elapsed days in the year.
NONVOLATILE STORAGE— Storage medium that
retains its data in the absence of power.
AI-2
