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Glossary of Technical Terms

Here are some technical terms commonly used on our website and along with our products.

BNC connector

Bayonet Neill Concelman A type of connector commonly used To connect workstation monitors to terminals. A very sturdy, high quality and reliable connector

Cathode Ray Tube(CRT)

Technology used by many monitors that scans an electron beam Across blobs of phosphor to create an image on your screen. The beam scans many times faster than your eye Can perceive creating a "still" image to you. However, you may be Able to notice a "flicker" out of the corner of your eye on some monitors Because the refresh rate, or times the beam moves across the monitor, is slow Enough to be perceived by the more sensitive photoreceptors at the edges of your Eye. A monitor should refresh faster than 72hz in order to have this flicker go Away.

CGA

Abbreviation of color/graphics adapter, an old graphics system for PCs. Introduced in 1981 by IBM, CGA was the first color graphics system for IBM PCs. Designed primarily for computer games, CGA does not produce sharp enough characters for extended editing sessions. CGA's highest-resolution mode is 2 colors at a resolution of 640 by 200.

Colordepth

The number of distinct colors that can be represented by a piece of hardware or software, related to the number of bits used for each pixel. A 24-bit color depth gives you 16 million colors

Degauss

The electron "guns" used by a Cathode Ray Tube to create images On the screen, build up electromagnetic charges, and this can cause Image distortion over time. Degaussing your monitor realigns the Guns inside the screen to compensate for any magnetic interference.

Display Date Channel(DDC)

a VESA standard so your monitor can receive information from a video card and vice versa

Dot pitch or DPI

A measurement that indicates the diagonal distance in millimeters, between Pixels. It is used to assess the quality of a monitor with higher end monitors having A lower DPI and thus a crisper image.

EGA

Abbreviation of enhanced graphics adapter, a graphics display system for PCs introduced by IBM in 1984. EGA supports 16 colors from a palette of 64 and provides a resolution of 640 by 350. This is better than CGA but not as good as VGA. EGA is now obsolete.

EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory):

An EPROM is a special type of PROM that can be erased by exposing it to ultraviolet light.

EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory):

An EEPROM is a special type of PROM that can be erased by exposing it to an electrical charge.

Fixed frequency monitor

A monitor that accepts only a very narrow frequency range.

Interlacing

The process by which a monitor draws only the even or odd horizontal lines With each vertical refresh. This allows the monitor to draw twice as many Lines per refresh. However, if you are using an application that requires Fast refreshes, like streaming video or animations, this can create flickering and a chunky feel.

Pixel

a single point in a graphics display that is a triad of colored dots: red, blue, green, placed close together so that your eye sees it as one image.

RAMDAC

Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter, it converts digitally encoded images into analog signals that can be displayed by a monitor.

Resolution

is the number of pixels your monitor is currently displaying. For example, if you are in 1024 X 768 that's 1024 pixels by 768 pixels on your screen. The larger the resolution, the more visible area you can see on your monitor.

SGRAM

Synchronous Graphic Random Access Memory Used notably by video cards, very fast, 100mhz bus compatible RAM

Shadowmask

The thin sheet of metal that filters the electron beams so they only Strike their proper phosphor dots.

SVGA

Graphical Standards predecessor to VGA, it allows greater resolution And higher color depth.

Trinitron

An alternative to the Shadowmask invented by Sony in which the thin sheet Of metal is instead a grid of fine vertical wires A trinitron is noticeable by the several faint horizontal lines evident If you look closely at the screen. These are the stabilizing wires for The aperture grill.

True color

Refers to the use of 24-bit color depth. Because humans Cannot distinguish 16 million colors, all images Can be represented as "true" as we see them.

VGA

video standard supported by most monitors, that allows 640 X 480 and 16 colors

Video RAM Required for Different Resolutions

Resolution  256 colors 65,000 colors  16.7 mil colors 
            (8-bit)     (16-bit)      (true color)
640x480       512K       1 MB            1 MB 
800x600       512K       1 MB            2 MB 
1,024x768     1 MB       2 MB            4 MB 
1,152x1,024   2 MB       2 MB            4 MB 
1,280x1,024   2 MB       4 MB            4 MB 
1,600x1,200   2 MB       4 MB            6 MB

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