Asus P4B-MX - Manual (Page 105)

ASUS P4B-MX motherboard user guide G-5
POST (Power On Self Test). When you turn ON the computer, it will first
run through the POST, a series of software-controlled diagnostic tests. The
POST checks system memory, the motherboard circuitry, the display, the
keyboard, the diskette drive, and other I/O devices.
PS/2 Port. PS/2 ports are based on IBM Micro Channel Architecture. This
type of architecture transfers data through a 16-bit or 32-bit bus. A PS/2
mouse and/or keyboard may be used on ATX motherboards.
RAM (Random Access Memory). The computer’s primary storage area
used to write, store, and retrieve information and program instructions
which are passed to the CPU for processing. The information in RAM can
be repeatedly re-written with new data. Compared to other storage media
like magnetic tape, floppy disk, and hard disk, RAM has an extraordinarily
fast access rate. RAM, however, is volatile, which means that the data
stored in it are lost when the system power is turned off, or if power
glitches occur. See also DRAM and SDRAM.
ROM (Read Only Memory). An integrated circuit chip containing program
and data that can be accessed and read but not modified.
SCSI (Small Computer System Interface). High speed multi-threaded I/
O interface defined by the X3T9.2 committee of the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) for connecting many peripheral devices. The
standard covers 10MBytes/sec to 160MBytes/sec data rates.
SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM). A type of DRAM with access signals that
are synchronized with the CPU clock, eliminating the delay associated with
data transfers between the CPU and memory. SDRAM takes memory
access away from the CPU control; internal registers in the memory
accept the request, and lets the CPU do something else while the data
requested is assembled for the next time the CPU talks to the memory.
SIR (Serial IrDA). A SIR specification defines a short-range infrared
asynchronous serial transmission mode with one stat bit, eight data bits
and one stop bit. The maximum data rate is 115.2Kbps.
SPD for SDRAM module. Serial Presence Detect (SPD) is most like an
ID detect for SDRAM module, it uses an EEPROM component on a DIMM
for storing module configuration information inside. The Serial Presence
Detect function is implemented using a 2048 bit EEPROM component.
This nonvolatile storage device contains data programmed by the DIMM
manufacturer that identifies the module type and various SDRAM
organization and timing parameters.