Glossary

Computer sciences have spawned many awkward terms and acronyms which are often hindering novice users to understand how-tos and manuals. Emulation some terms of its own, as does the Amiga, due to its unique hardware design. This pages aims to explain the most common terms.

General

Term	Explanation
BIOS	Basic Input Output System. Initializes the PC hardware in order to prepare the machine so programs can be run.
Bus	A subsystem that transfers data between computer components inside a computer or between computers.
CPU	Central Processing Unit. Also referred to as the "processor", all calculations are done in this unit.
FPU	Floating Point Unit. In the early days, this was a seperate unit used for floating point calculations. Nowadays integrated in the main CPU.
RAM	Random Access Memory. Main type of storage for a computer to work with. It is by nature volatile memory, i.e. it gets cleared when the computer is shut down. For WinUAE RAM emulation, see RAM & Kickstart.
ROM	Read Only Memory. Most commonly used to store Firmware, Kickstart, and BIOS programs. In contrary to RAM, it is not volatile.

Amiga Specific

Term	Explanation
AHI	Audio Hardware Interface, see Emulation Speed.
AGA	Advanced Graphics Architecture, see Custom Chips.
Autoconfig	Method for configuring Amiga expansion cards. Mostly equivalent to Plug&Play in the PC world Autoconfig.
Blitter	Graphics coprocessor, see Custom Chips.
Copper	Graphics coprocessor, see Custom Chips.
ECS	Enhanced Chip Set, see Custom Chips.
HAM	Hold And Modify, see Custom Chips.
Kickstart	The most basic program used to start up an Amiga, mostly equivalent to the BIOS in the PC world. See RAM & Kickstart.
OCS	Original Chip Set, see Custom Chips.
Paula	Amiga custom hardware, See Custom Chips.
Zorro	Zorro is the standard bus for expansions in Amigas. See Zorro Bus.

Emulation Specific

Term	Explanation
JIT	Just In Time [Compiling]. Gives a huge boost to emulation speed, see JIT - Just In Time.