CIS 230 Ch. 7
Keyboard Controller
A circuit that monitors keystrokes and generates the required data bits when pressed.
Analog-to-digital Converter (ADC)
A device for converting analog signals to digital form.
Optical Scanner
A device that performs optical character recognition and produces coded signals corresponding to the characters identified.
Touchscreen
A display device that allows a user to interact with a computer by touching areas on the screen.
Portable Document Format (PDF)
A file format that provides an electronic image of text or text and graphics that looks like a printed document and can be viewed, printed, and electronically transmitted.
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)
A format for compressing image files.
Dithering
Add white noise to (a digital recording) to reduce distortion of low-amplitude signals.
RGB
Additive color model in which red, green and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors.
Digital-to-analog Converter (DAC)
An electronic device for converting digital signals to analog form.
Video Controller
An integrated circuit which is the main component in a video signal generator, a device responsible for the production of a TV video signal in a computing or game system.
Large-format Printer
Any computer-controlled printing machines that support a maximum print roll width of between 18" and 100".
Speech Synthesis
Artificial production of human speech.
Scan Code
Data that most computer keyboards send to a computer to report which keys have been pressed.
Palette
Either a given, finite set of colors for the management of digital images or a small on-screen graphical element for choosing from a limited set of choices/tools.
Photosensor
Electronic component that detects the presence of visible light, infrared transmission (IR), and/or ultraviolet (UV) energy.
Bar-code Scanner
Electronic device that can read and output printed barcodes to a computer.
Audio Response Unit
Device that enables a computer to give a spoken response by generating sounds similar to human speech.
Sampling
Key technique used to digitize analog information.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Recognition of printed or written text characters by a computer.
Refresh Cycle
Refers to the contents of a memory's cell being recharged.
Half-toning
Reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of dots, varying either in size or in spacing, thus generating a gradient-like effect.
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
Technology used for displays in notebook and other smaller computers.
Flat Panel Display
Television, monitor or other display appliance that uses a thin panel design instead of a traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) design.
Capacitance
The ability of a system to store an electric charge.
Speech Recognition
The identification of a person from characteristics of voices (voice bio-metrics).
Point
To move the cursor onto a line or image on screen by rolling a mouse across the desk or by pressing the Arrow keys.
Active Matrix Display
Type of flat panel display, the only viable technology for high-resolution TVs, computer monitors, notebook computers, tablet computers and smartphones with an LCD screen, due to low weight, very good image quality, wide color gamut and response time.
Monophonic
Using only one channel of transmission.
24-bit Color
Using three bytes per pixel in a color image.
Phoneme
A speech utterance, such as "k," "ch," and "sh," that is used in synthetic speech systems to compose words for audio output.
Thin Film Transistor (TFT)
A type of LCD flat-panel display screen, in which each pixel is controlled by one to four transistors.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
A widely used standard for interconnecting electronic musical instruments and computers.
Polyphonic
Ability to play back some number of musical notes simultaneously.
CMY
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Sound Card
In order to be able to listen to your music, a ***** **** converts digital data to analog sound waves you can hear.
Dots Per Inch (dpi)
Printer dots per inch.
Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
Special-purpose digital circuit that acts on digitized signals, such as audio.
Speaker-dependent
Speech recognition software that is dependent on knowledge of the speaker's particular voice characteristics.
PDF417 format
Stacked linear barcode symbol format used in a variety of applications, primarily transport, identification cards, and inventory management.
Organic LED (OLED)
A light-emitting diode containing thin flexible sheets of an organic electroluminescent material, used for visual displays.
Vector List
A list of mathematical expressions of a quantity that possesses both magnitude and direction, and that may or may not be a function of time.
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
A lossless format for image files that supports both animated and static images.
Quick Response (QR) Code
A machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone.
Bar Code
A machine-readable code in the form of numbers and a pattern of parallel lines of varying widths, printed on and identifying a product.
Vector
A mathematical expression of a quantity, such as velocity, that possesses both magnitude and direction, and that may or may not be a function of time.
Pixel
A minute area of illumination on a display screen, one of many from which an image is composed.
Cursor
A movable indicator on a computer screen identifying the point that will be affected by input from the user, for example showing where typed text will be inserted.
Inkjet Printer
A printer in which the characters are formed by minute jets of ink.
Dot Matrix Printer
A printer that forms images of letters, numbers, etc., from a number of tiny dots.
Grayscale
A range of gray shades from white to black, as used in a monochrome display or printout.
Bitmap
A representation in which each item corresponds to one or more bits of information, especially the information used to control the display of a computer screen.
Refresh Rate
CRT monitor measurement in Hz that indicates how many times per second a monitor screen image is renewed.
Scanning Laser
Capturing digital information about the shape of an object with equipment that uses a laser or light to measure the distance between the scanner and the object.
CMYK
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, key (black)
Additive Colors
Color created by mixing a number of different light colors, with shades of red, green, and blue being the most common primary colors used.
Font
Combination of typeface and other qualities, such as size, pitch, and spacing.
PostScript
Computer language for creating vector graphics.
Plotter
Computer printer for printing vector graphics.
Plasma Display
Computer video display in which each pixel on the screen is illuminated by a tiny bit of plasma or charged gas, somewhat like a tiny neon light.
Monochrome
Consisting of or displaying images in black and white or in varying tones of only one color.
OpenGL
Cross-language, cross-platform application programming interface (API) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.
Subtractive Colors
Explains the mixing of a limited set of dyes, inks, paint pigments, or natural colorants to create a wider range of colors, each the result of partially or completely subtracting some wavelengths of light and not others.
Direct3D
Graphics application programming interface (API) for Microsoft Windows. Used to render three-dimensional graphics in applications where performance is important, such as games.
Resolution
Number of pixels (individual points of color) contained on a display monitor, expressed in terms of the number of pixels on the horizontal axis and the number on the vertical axis.
Light-emitting Diode (LED)
Semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electric current passes through it.
Laser Printer
a printer, linked to a computer, producing good-quality printed material by using a laser to form a pattern of electrostatically charged dots on a light-sensitive drum, which attract toner.