Quincy Center for Technical Education
Computer Technology Department

Basic Computer Acronyms
A+ Cert.A + Certified Computer Technician
ACPIAdvanced Configuration and Power Interface
ADSLAsymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (Internet Connection)
AGPAccelerated Graphics Port
ANSIAmerican National Standards Institute
APMAdvanced Power Management
ASCIIAmerican Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASDAutomatic Skip Driver (system utility)
ASPIAdvanced SCSI Programming Interface
ATAdvanced Technology or ATtention (MODEMs)
ATAAT Attachment
ATMAsynchronous Transfer Mode
ATXAdvanced Technology Expanded
AVIAudio-Video Interleave
..
BCDBinary Coded Decimal
BEDODRAMBurst Extended Data Output Dynamic Random Access Memory
BIOSBasic Input/Output System
BNCBayonette Naur Connector
BPSBits Per Second
BRIBasic Rate Interface
..
CAVConstant Angular Velocity
CDChange Directory
CD-RWCompact Disk- Read /Write
CD-ROMCompact Disk- Read Only Memory
CDFChannel Definition Format
CGAColor Graphics Adapter
CHAPChallenge Handshake Authentication Protocol
CLVConstant Linear Velocity
CMOSComplimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
CMSColor Matching System
CODECCompress/Decompress
COMCommunications Port (serial)
CPGACeramic Pin Grid Array
CPUCentral Processing Unit
CRCCyclic Redundancy Checking
CRTCathode Ray Tube
CSLIPCompression Serial Line Interface Protocol
CVFCompressed Volume File
..
DATDigital Audio Tape
DDNDefense Data Network
DDSDigital Data Storage
DDRDouble Data Rate
DHCPDynamic Host Configuration Protocol (Networks)
DIMMDual In-line Memory Module
DINDeutsche Industrie-Norm
(German Industrial Standards Authority,
equivalent of EIA, BSA etc)
DIPDual In-line Package
DLCData Link Control
DLLDynamic Link Library
DMADirect Memory Access
DMIDesktop Management Interface
DNSDomain Name Service
DOSDisk Operating System
DRAMDynamic Random Access Memory
DSPDigital Signal Processor
DTLDiode-Transistor Logic
DUNDial Up Network
DVDDigital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc
..
EBDEmergency Boot/Startup Diskette
EDO DRAMExtended Data Output Dynamic Random Access Memory
EIAElectrical Industry Association
EIDEEnhanced Integrated Drive Electronics
EISAExtended Industry Standard Architecture
EEPROMElectronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
EMIElectroMagnetic Interference
EMFEnhanced MetaFile
EMSExpanded Memory
EPROMElectronically Programmable Read Only Memory
ERDEmergency Repair Disk
ESDElectroStatic Discharge
ESDIEnhanced Small Device Interface
..
FAT1616 bit Version of File Allocation Table
FAT3232 bit Version of FAT16
FDDIFiber Distributed Data Interface
FIFOFirst In First Out
FPM DRAMFront Page Mode Dynamic Random Access Memory
FRUField Replacable Unit
FSBFront Side Bus
FTPFile Transfer Protocol
..
GUIGraphical User Interface
..
HCLHardware Compatibility List
HTMLHyper Text Markup Language
HTTPHyper Text Transfer Protocol
..
IABInternet Architecture Board
IANAInternet Assigned Numbers Authority
ICIntegrated Circuit
IDEIntegrated Drive Electronics
IEEEInstitute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers
IOInput/Output
IPInternet Provider
IPSECInternet Provider Security
IPX/SPXInternet Package Exchange/Sequenced Package Exchange (network)
IRQInterrupt Request
ISAIndustry Standard Architecture
ISDNIntegrated Services Digital Network
ISOInternational Standards Organization
ISPInternet Service Providers
ITUInternational Telecommunications Union
..
KbKilobyte
KHzKiloHertz
..
LANLocal Area Network
LCDLiquid Crystal Display
LIMLotus, Intel and Microsoft
LSBLeast Significant Bit
LPTLine PrinTer
..
MbMegaByte
MBRMaster Boot Record
MCAMicroChannel Architecture
MCDBAMicrosoft Certified Data Base Administrator
MCIMedia Control Interface
MCPMicosoft Certified Professional
MCSEMicrosoft Certified Systems Engineer
MCTMicosoft Certified Trainer
MDMake Directory
MDAMonochrome Display Adapter
MDI/(MDI-X)Media Dependant Interface (With Crossover)
MHzMegaHertz
MIMEMultipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
MOMagneto-Optical
MODEMMOdulator/DEModulator
MOUSMicrosoft Office User Specialist
MSBMost Significant Bit
MSCDEXMicoSoft CD-ROM EXtensions (drivers for CDs)
MS-DOSMicoSoft Disk Operating System
..
NCPNetWare Core Protocol
NDISNetwork Driver Interface Specification
NDSNetware Directory Services
NetBEUINetBIOS Extended User Interface
NICNetwork Interface Card
NOSNetwork Operating System
NTNorthern Telecom
NTFSNorthern Telecom File System
NSFNational Science Foundation
..
OCROptical Character Recognition
ODBCOpen Database Connectivity
ODIOpen Datalink Interface
OLEObject Linking and Embedding
OHCIOpen Host Controller Interface
OSOperating System
..
PAPPassword Authentication Protocol
PBGAPlastic Ball Grid Array
PCPersonal Computer
PCIPeripheral Component Interface
PCLProgram Control Language
PCMCIAPersonal Computer Memory Card Industry Association
PDAPersonal Digital Assistant
PDLPage Description Language
PIFProgram Information File
PGAPin Grid Array
PPGAPlastic Pin Grid Array
PPPPoint-to-Point Protocol
PPTPPoint-to-Point Tunneling Protocol
PnPPlug and Play
POPSPoints of Presence
POSTPower On Self Test
PPMPages Per Minute
PPPPoint to Point Protocol
PRIPrimary Rate Interface
PS/2Programming System 2 [IBM]
..
QICQuarter Inch Cartridge
..
RAIDRedundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks
RAMRandom Access Memory
RAM-DACRandom Access Memory- Digital to Analog Converter (Video)
RDRemove Directory
RDRAMRambus Dynamic Random Access Memory
REGRegistry (Windows)
ROMRead Only Memory
..
SAPService Advertising Protocol
SCSISmall Computer Systems Interface
SECSingle Edge Connector
SECCSingle Edge Contact Cartridge
SIMMSingle In-line Memory Module
SGRAMSynchronous Graphics Random Access Memory
SPGAStaggered Pin Grid Array
SRAMStatic Random Access Memory (L1 Cache and more))
SDRAMSynchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
SLDRAMSyncLink Dynamic Random Access Memory
SLIPSerial Line Interface Protocol
SMBServer Message Block
SNMPSimple Network Management Protocol
SPXSequenced Packet eXchange
SQLStructured Query Language
SSLSecure Sockets Layer
SVGASuper Video Graphics Adapter
..
TAPITelphony Application Program Interface
TCP/IPTransmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
TFTThin Film Transistor
TSRTerminate and Stay Resident
TTLTransistor-Transistor Logic
..
UARTUniversal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter
UDFUniversal Disk Format
UNCUniversal Naming Convention
UMAUpper Memory Area
UMBUpper Memory Blocks
UPSUninterruptable Power Supply
URLUniversal Resource Locator
USBUniversal Serial Bus
..
VFATVirtual File Allocation Table
VGAVideo Graphics Adapter
VL-BusVesa Local-Bus
VRAMVideo Random Access Memory
..
WAISWide Area Information Server
WANWide Area Network
WDMWindows Driver MOdel
WINSWindows Internet Naming Service
WLANWireless Local Area Network
WORMWrite Once/Read Many
WRAMWindow Random Access Memory
WWWWorld Wide Web
..
XMLeXtensible Markup Language
XMSExtended Memory Specification
XTExtended Technology
..