A CKInfo Items

Computer Knowledge information pages for terms starting with the letter A.

A/D - Analog to Digital

(A to D) A general term used to describe the conversion of analog (continuous) data to digital (discrete) data. Most often, an A/D converter is used to convert analog voltages into digital numbers. Perhaps the best example most people have experience...

A/V - Audio/Visual

(A-vee) Just about anything having to do with audio or visual technology. In the past the term typically had something to do with showing movies or 35mm slides along with sound. More commonly, the term is used for computer displays of both audio and ...

AAC - Advanced Audio Coding

(A-A-C) Advanced Audio Coding is a lossy data compression scheme intended for audio streams. AAC works by discarding signals that do not contribute to the audio or video in a way that can be generally detected, eliminating redundancies in the data, e...

AARP - AppleTalk Address Resolution Protocol

(arp) A protocol for mapping the physical hardware address of a computer and an address assigned by an AppleTalk network. Probe packets are sent out to check network nodes in order to assign an ID. If the node is in use the node sending the probe pic...

ABBH - Average Bouncing Busy Hour

(A-B-B-H) Traffic load during the peak hour of a day on a switching system, averaged over some period (often a week). ABBH is a method used in both designing networks and assessing network performance. ABBH is typically used for telephone networks....

ABC - Atanasoff-Berry Computer

(A-B-C) Now recognized as the first programmable digital computer, this one was built in the 1937-1942 timeframe at Iowa State University. It weighed 750 pounds and stored all of 3,000 bits (by burning marks into cards). The computer introduced sever...

ABEND - Abnormal End

(ab-end) The name basically says it all. Many operating systems signal the abnormal ending of a process with a signal generally termed an ABEND. The term derives from an IBM System/360 error message. Novell NetWare, in particular, is known for ABEND ...

AC - Alternating Current

(A-C) The most common method of transmitting electrical power over power lines around the world. Current reversal at 60 Hertz (50 Hz in some countries) in a sine-wave pattern is most commonly found (although the regular sine-wave is not required for ...

ACD - Automatic Call Distributor

(A-C-D) Switching hardware that distributes incoming calls to modems or individuals as they become available. ACD systems are often used by companies needing to answer lots of calls but not having specific people to answer specific calls (e.g., a cha...

ACeS - Asia Cellular Satellite System

(aces) A cellular and satellite wireless system in use in Asia and the Pacific regions. More Information ACeS - ASIA Cellular Satellite Telephone Organization of Thailand ACeS Regional Services Company, Ltd. ...