Dell PowerEdge 6650 User Manual
Page 42
On a system board, switches control various circuits or functions in your system. These switches are known as DIP switches; they are normally packaged in
groups of two or more switches in a plastic case. Two common DIP switches are used on system boards: slide switches and rocker switches. The names of the
switches are based on how the settings (on and off) of the switches are changed.
system board
As the main circuit board, the system board usually contains most of your system's integral components, such as the following:
l
Microprocessor
l
RAM
l
Controllers for standard peripheral devices, such as the keyboard
l
Various ROM chips
Frequently used synonyms for system board are motherboard and logic board.
system configuration information
Data stored in memory that tells a system what hardware is installed and how the system should be configured for operation.
system diskette
System diskette is a synonym for bootable diskette.
system memory
System memory is a synonym for RAM.
System Setup program
A BIOS-based program that allows you to configure your system's hardware and customize the system's operation by setting such features as password
protection and energy management. Some options in the System Setup program require that you reboot the system (or the system may reboot automatically)
in order to make a hardware configuration change. Because the System Setup program is stored in NVRAM, any settings remain in effect until you change them
again.
system.ini file
A start-up file for the Windows operating system. When you start Windows, it consults the system.ini file to determine a variety of options for the Windows
operating environment. Among other things, the system.ini file records which video, mouse, and keyboard drivers are installed for Windows.
Running the Control Panel or Windows Setup program may change options in the system.ini file. On other occasions, you may need to change or add options
to the system.ini file manually with a text editor, such as Notepad.
termination
Some devices (such as the last device at each end of a SCSI cable) must be terminated to prevent reflections and spurious signals in the cable. When such
devices are connected in a series, you may need to enable or disable the termination on these devices by changing jumper or switch settings on the devices
or by changing settings in the configuration software for the devices.
text mode
A video mode that can be defined as x columns by y rows of characters.
UL
Abbreviation for Underwriters Laboratories.
UMB
Abbreviation for upper memory blocks.
upper memory area
The 384 KB of RAM located between 640 KB and 1 MB. If the system has an Intel386 or higher microprocessor, a utility called a
memory manager can create
UMBs in the upper memory area, in which you can load device drivers and memory-resident programs.
UPS
Abbreviation for uninterruptible power supply. A battery-powered unit that automatically supplies power to your system in the event of an electrical failure.
USB
Abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. A USB connector provides a single connection point for multiple USB-compliant devices, such as mice, keyboards, printers,
and system speakers. USB devices can also be connected and disconnected while the system is running.
utility
A program used to manage system resources—memory, disk drives, or printers, for example.
UTP
Abbreviation for unshielded twisted pair.