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C
Cache - A small memory bank that holds recently accessed data. The cache is made up of faster memory chips than the main memory and thus provides faster access to this data.
CAD (Computer Aided Design) - The use of a computer and software for automated industrial design.
Calculator - A device or integrated circuit capable of performing mathematical operations.
Capacitance - The ability to store an electrical charge, measured in Farads, microfarads or Pico farads.
Capacitor - An electronic component consisting of two metal plates separated by an insulator. Sometimes call a condenser.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) - The heart of any computing system comprising groups of registers and logic. Basically the CPU is made up of storage elements called registers, computational circuits in the arithmetic and logic unit, and the control block and input/output circuitry.
Characters - The letters A through Z, numerous special symbols and the numbers 0 through 0, coded for use by a computer.
Chassis - The metal frame which houses the printed circuit boards, power supplies, etc. which comprise the central processing unit of a computing system.
Chip - The semiconductor material cut from a silicon wafer on which integrated circuits are printed.
Circuit - A combination of conducting electrical paths and devices constructed for a specific purpose.
Circuit Breaker - A device that opens electric circuits under anticipated but unusual conditions.
Clock - A timer used in a system to originate accurately timed pulses and intervals for the timing of switching circuits. The most accurate clocks are based upon quartz crystal.
Clock Rate - A predefined time rate at which pulses are emitted from the clock within a computer system.
CMOS - Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. Semiconductor technology using both positive and negative devices on the same silicon substrate. Its construction employs positive and negative channels in series, only one being switched on at one time. This gives the advantage of lower power dissipation.
Coaxial Cable - A special purpose cable in which the conductors are arranged in cylindrical layers around a central core.
COBOL - An acronym of COmmercial and Business Oriented Language. The most widely used high level computer programming language for business data processing.
Command - A pulse, signal or group of signals to start or stop an operation.
Comment - A programmer's notes enabling a program to be understood by other people.
Compatibility - The extent to which computers, peripherals, programs and circuits can operate in concert, without use of special interfaces, buffers, etc.
Compiler - A program which translates or assembles higher level languages into machine code instructions which can be recognized by the computer's central processing unit.
Computer - An assembly of central processing units and peripheral devices, having the ability to: store programs and data, manipulate data, perform arithmetic and calculations on data, compare data and make yes/no decisions and perform input and output operations on data and programs.
Concatenate - A programming term meaning to link together, referring to either data routines or whole programs.
Conductance - The ability to conduct electricity.
Conductor - Material or devices that carry or conduct electrical current.
Cookie - A file which tracks user surfing on the Internet by allowing the user's browser to be recognized by the server.
Corruption - Damage or loss of data due to computer or software malfunction.
Crash - Usually refers to physical contact between a disk and a reading head, causing damage to both. Can also refer to a dramatic failure of a computer program. Complete system failure.
Cross Talk - A phenomenon which occurs when signals from a circuit interfere with another.
Current - The rate of flow of electricity through a conductor, measured in amperes, or amps.
Cyber cafe - An establishment (such as a coffee shop) which offers Internet access along with it's regular offerings.
Cyberspace - A term popularly used to indicate the meeting place of ideas and people using telecommunication technology.
Cycle - The wave pattern of, for example, a sine wave. The wave alternates from positive to negative through 360°. When applied to alternating current, cycles are measured in cycles per second.
D
Daemon (Disk And Execution Monitor) - A program that runs without human intervention.
Data - Information or signals to be processed, usually considered as binary words.
Data Acquisition - Generic term for a system or device that captures data from various sources and converts it to binary code for use by a computer.
Data Bank - The combined contents of a number of separate databases.
Data Base - The entire file or collection of data relevant to a company, organization or individual computer system.
Data Processing - Relating to the computer activities of receiving data, performing the desired operation under stored program control and producing the desired results.
Debug - A term used in connection with software or hardware. Debugging involves searching for and eliminating sources of error in the operation of a computer or its software.
Decimal - A number system using the base 10.
Dedicated Computer - Is one that has been specifically programmed for a single application.
Default - A value assigned to a variable by a program if it does not have any associated value when read by the program.
DeMorgans Theorem - Facilitates the expression of Boolean algebra in terms of AND and NOT.
Demultiplex - The device that reconstructs multiplexed signals into a coherent stream.
Depletion - The region in a semiconductor that changes state under the application of externally applied voltage to facilitate the change from resistor to amplifier, or amplifier to resistor, is know as the depletion region.
Detect - The process of recognizing the presence or absence of signal or specific item of data.
Device Independent - A method of writing programs which ignores any special characteristics of specific computers.
Diagnostic Routine - Routines for helping a programmer or engineer locate faults in programs or hardware.
Dialup Connection - A connection between computers established over a standard telephone line.
Difference Machine - Charles Babbage's first attempt at constructing a calculating machine based on the principle of mathematical first and second order differences.
Differential Amplifier - A device or circuit deriving an output signal based on the differential of two input signals.
Digital - A system that handles information as numbers.
Digital Computer - A system that requires information to be transmitted in the form of separate signals, as distinct from an analog computer which receives a continuous signal.
Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) - A device for converting discrete digital signals to a single continuous signal.
Digitize - The conversion of analog input signals into digital output signals.
Diode - A two terminal device which conducts electricity easily in one direction and with difficulty in the other.
Direct Current ( dc or DC) - A stream of current flowing at a constant rate in one direction.
Direct Memory Address (DMA) - A method of gaining direct access to main storage or other high speed storage devices without involving the processor.
Directory - A library of files or programs, generally held on magnetic storage medium.
Disassembler - A program that reverses the assembly process by converting machine language to the original higher level language.
Disk Drive - The peripheral device containing a motor, enclosure etc., to permit use of the magnetic disk and its read/write functions.
Display - The face of a cathode ray tube or monitor on which output may be viewed.
Dissipation - The loss of power due to resistance.
Documentation - The generic term used for any set of drawings, parts lists, flow diagrams or operating instructions and so on concerning a system or part of a system.
Domain - An administrative domain is a collection of hosts, routers and networks under the authority of an administrative unit. In the Internet, a domain is a part of the naming hierarchy.
Dopant - An impurity which is deliberately introduced into a semiconductor to achieve a known level of conductivity.
DOS (Disk Operating System) - An operating system for disk based systems.
Double Precision (Extended Precision) - The use of two words for arithmetic functions thus doubling the accuracy of the results.
Downloading - The transfer of a file from a remote computer to the user's computer.
Driver - A circuit controller or one that provides the input for a device or another circuit.
Dry Joint - A faulty electrical connection caused by inadequate soldering.
Dump - A deposit of all reselected data or programs onto a printed output.
Duplex - A communications channel that can carrry data in both directions.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) - Modems on either end of a single twisted pair wire that delivers ISDN Basic Rate Access.
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