User's Manual

Glossary 211
DIN
Acronym for Deutsche Industrie Norm which is the standards-setting organization
in Germany.
A DIN connector is a connector that conforms to one of the many standards
defined by DIN. DIN connectors are used widely in personal computers. For
example, the keyboard connector for PCs is a DIN connector.
DIP
Acronym for dual in-line package. A circuit board, such as a system board or
expansion card, may contain DIP switches for configuring the circuit board. DIP
switches are always toggle switches, with an ON position and an OFF position.
display adapter
See video adapter.
DMA
Abbreviation for direct memory access. A DMA channel allows certain types of
data transfer between RAM and a device to bypass the microprocessor.
DMI
Abbreviation for Desktop Management Interface. DMI enables the management
of your computer system's software and hardware. DMI collects information about
the system's components, such as the operating system, memory, peripherals,
expansion cards, and asset tag. Information about the system's components is
displayed as a MIF file.
DMTF
Abbreviation for Distributed Management Task Force, a consortium of
companies representing hardware and software providers, of which Dell is a
member.
dpi
Abbreviation for dots per inch.
DPMS
Abbreviation for Display Power Management Signaling. A standard developed by
the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA
®
) that defines the hardware
signals sent by a video controller to activate power management states in a
monitor. A monitor is said to be DPMS-compliant when it is designed to enter a
power management state after receiving the appropriate signal from a computer's
video controller.