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Farad - The unit of measure to rate a
capacitor.
Fast Ethernet - A Ethernet network that is capable of transmitting data up to 100mbps.
FAX - Facsimile. A scanner that transfers images to another FAX machine.
FAT - File allocation table. This 'table'
helps a hard drive keep track of where data is stored.
FCC - Federal Communications Commission. Government agency that sets the laws for basically any type of broadcasting
frequency above certain levels.
FDD - Old floppy disks are outdated and no longer viable for PC use.
Click
here to read an in depth article on why and new means of storage.
FDDI - Fiber Data Distributed Interface. A
fiber optic network capable of transmitting data at 100 mbps.
Fiber Optic - Glass cabling where light is
used to transmit data. Data can only travel in one direction, so two cables must
be used. One for send and one for receive. One drawback to this type of cable is
being fragile, but is extremely fast at moving data.
Here is
an article about the history of fiber optics.
FIFO - First In First Out. Think of this
as "first come first serve basis". Storage devices using this setting will
take care of data in the order in which it was received.
FILO - First In Last Out. Just the
opposite of FIFO.
Firewall - A piece a computer security
hardware or software that blocks hacker attempts.
Click here
for an article on firewall.
FireWire - A newer type of port connection
from apple (similar to USB) and very fast.
Click here
to see a detailed article about Fire Wire vs. USB.
Floppy - A term used for the older floppy
disks that use magnetism to store data on a round disk encased in a square
plastic jacket. Write protection is controlled by open or closed square notch in
the upper corner of the disk. See FDD.
Flux - A material that is used to assist
in soldering electronics parts by making the metals easier to join. Flux core
solder has the flux already in the center of the solder wire.
FM synthesis - Type of software that tells
a computer how to make simulated music instrument sounds
Font - A particular style of characters
and numbers. For instance - everything on this page uses the Arial font.
Footer - Bottom table area of a document
such as a word file or internet page. You can add text and images in footers.
Form Factor - Form factor refers to the
size and shape of a motherboard.
Read more
about motherboard form factors.
Formula - In Microsoft excel, a formula
automates mathematical calculations in specified cells
FORTRAN - Formula Translator. A
programming language for mathematical operations.
FPM - Fast Page Mode. A very old type of
system memory that is virtually non existent today.
Fragmented - To put it simply, this means that data on a
hard drive has become disorganized. Fragmented hard drives can significantly
reduce system speed. See defragmentation for more information.
FRAM - ferroelectric random-access memory.
A type of memory that retains information in the absence of electricity. See
MRAM.
Freeware - Software that should be
absolutely free. Be careful, a lot of freeware out there comes attached with
spyware.
Full Duplex - A data transmission method
in which sending and receiving of data occurs simultaneously.
Full Wave Rectifier - Uses positive and
negative charge of AC voltage to produce DC voltage.
Fusible Link - A circuit protecting fuse
contained within a wire.
FTP - File Transfer Protocol. Method in
which files are transferred over the internet. SmartFTP is a good freeware (to
students) program that gets the job done.
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