Information Technology Terms N-Z

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Transformer: an electrical device that transfers energy or electricity between multiple circuits using Electromagnetic induction.

*Class 2 - transformers have a maximum VA rating of less than 100 and a maximum final output of 75 volts. All class 2 transformers are limited by either the circuit safety device or their own design.

Trust Platform Module or TPM: is an international standard for a secure cryptoprocessor, which is a dedicated microcontroller designed to secure hardware by integrating cryptographic keys into devices.

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Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI): is a specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware. UEFI can support remote diagnostics and repair of computers, even with no operating system installed.

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Virtualization-Based Security or VBS: provides the core framework for some of the most impactful mitigations Windows 10 offers.

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Windows Hello: This feature allows users to use their face, iris, or fingerprint rather than a password to authenticate. Although biometric logon capabilities have been around since the Windows XPoperating system, they have never been as easy, seamless, and secure as they are in Windows 10.

Windows Trusted Boot or Secure Boot: stops a computer from loading an operating system that hasn’t been signed by the publisher (in this case, Microsoft or an OEM), and its signature added to the computer’s firmware.

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Peripheral: is a "device that is used to put information into or get information out of the computer."

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SATA or Serial AT Attachment: a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives.

-Revision 1.0a - communicate at a rate of 1.5 Gbit/s

-Revision 2.0 - is backward compatible with SATA 1.0a. Transfer rate of 2.4 Gbit/s (300 MB/s)

-Revision 3.0 - transfer rate of 6.0 Gbit/s

-Revision 3.1 - New features introduced:

• mSATA, SATA for solid-state drives in mobile computing devices, a PCI Express Mini Card-like connector that is electrically SATA.
• Zero-power optical disk drive, idle SATA optical drive draws no power.
• Queued TRIM Command, improves solid-state drive performance.
• Required Link Power Management, reduces overall system power demand of several SATA devices.
• Hardware Control Features, enable host identification of device capabilities.
• Universal Storage Module (USM), a new standard for cableless plug-in (slot) powered storage for consumer electronics devices.

-Revision 3.2 - New features introduced:

• SATA Express specification defines an interface that combines both SATA and PCI Express buses, making it possible for legacy SATA and PCI Express storage devices to coexist; see the SATA Express section below for a more detailed summary.
• SATA M.2 standard is a small form factor implementation of the SATA Express interface, with the addition of an internal USB 3.0 port; see the M.2 (NGFF) section below for a more detailed summary.
• microSSD introduces a ball grid array electrical interface for miniaturized, embedded SATA storage.
• USM Slim reduces thickness of Universal Storage Module (USM) from 14.5 millimetres (0.57 inches) to 9 millimetres (0.35 inches).
• DevSleep enables lower power consumption for always-on devices while they are in low-power modes such as InstantGo (which used to be known as Connected Standby).
• Hybrid Information allows higher performance for solid-state hybrid drives.

S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format) - interface carries compressed digital audio for surround sound (IEC 61937). This mode is used to connect the output of a DVD player or computer, via optical or coax, to a home theatre amplifying receiver that supports Dolby Digital or DTS. Another common use is to carry two channels of uncompressed digital audio from a CD player to an amplifying receiver.