User's Manual

Glossary 191
LS drive
A drive that uses laser servo technology to read LS 120
diskettes that hold up to 120 MB of data as well as
standard 3.5-inch diskettes.
LSI
Acronym for large-scale integration.
LUN
Acronym for logical unit number, a code used to select
a specific device among several that share a SCSI ID.
mA
Abbreviation for milliampere(s).
mAh
Abbreviation for milliampere-hour(s).
math coprocessor
See coprocessor .
Mb
Abbreviation for megabit.
MB
Abbreviation for megabyte(s). The term megabyte
means 1,048,576 bytes; however, when referring to hard
drive storage, the term is often rounded to mean
1,000,000 bytes.
MB/sec
Abbreviation for megabytes per second.
Mbps
Abbreviation for megabits per second.
MBR
Abbreviation for master boot record.
MCA
Abbreviation for Micro Channel Architecture, which is
designed for multiprocessing. MCA eliminates
potential conflicts that arise when installing new
peripheral devices. MCA is not compatible with either
EISA or XT bus architecture, so older cards cannot be
used with it.
memory
A computer can contain several different forms of
memory, such as RAM, ROM, and video memory.
Frequently, the word
memory is used as a synonym for
RAM; for example, an unqualified statement such as
“a computer with 16 MB of memory” refers to a
computer with 16 MB of RAM.
memory address
A specific location, usually expressed as a hexadecimal
number, in the computer's RAM.
memory manager
A utility that controls the implementation of memory
in addition to conventional memory, such as extended
or expanded memory.
memory module
A small circuit board containing DRAM chips that
connects to the system board.
MHz
Abbreviation for megahertz.
MIB
Acronym for management information base. MIB is
used to send detailed status/commands from or to an
SNMP managed device.
microprocessor
The primary computational chip inside the computer
that controls the interpretation and execution of
arithmetic and logic functions. Software written for
one microprocessor must usually be revised to run on
another microprocessor.
CPU is a synonym for
microprocessor.
MIDI
Abbreviation for musical instrument digital interface.