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User’s Manual Glossary-7
Glossary
escape guard time: A time before and after an escape code is sent to the modem
which distinguishes between escapes that are part of the transmitted data,
and escapes that are intended as a command to the modem.
execute: To interpret and execute an instruction.
F
file: A collection of related information; a file can contain data, programs, or both.
fingerprint sensor: The fingerprint sensor compares and analyzes the unique
characteristics in a fingerprint.
firmware: A set of instructions built into the hardware which controls and directs a
microprocessor’s activities.
flash memory: Non-volatile memory that can be written to as well as read.
Information in flash memory remains whether or not the computer is receiving
power. This type of memory is used to retain your
fingerprint data: See also memory. Compare RAM and ROM.
floppy diskette: A removable disk that stores magnetically encoded data.
floppy diskette drive (FDD): An electromechanical device that reads and writes
to floppy diskettes.
folder: An icon in Windows used to store documents or other folders.
format: The process of readying a blank disk for its first use. Formatting
establishes the structure of the disk that the operating system expects before
it writes files or programs onto the disk.
function keys: The keys labeled F1 through F12 that tell the computer to perform
certain functions.
G
gigabyte (GB): A unit of data storage equal to 1024 megabytes. See also
megabyte.
graphics: Drawings, pictures, or other images, such as charts or graphs, to
present information.
H
hard disk: A storage device composed of a rigid platter or platters that can be
magnetically coded with data. Hard disks hold much more information than
diskettes and are used for long-term storage of programs and data. The
primary (or only) hard disk in a computer is usually fixed, but some computers
have secondary hard disks that are removable. By default, the hard disk is
referred to as drive C.