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AGP
See Advanced Graphics Port

AIMM
AGP inline memory module (See Advanced Graphics Port)

Access Time
The average time interval between a storage peripheral (usually a disk drive or semiconductor memory) receiving a request to read or write a certain location and returning the value read or completing the write.

Advanced Graphics Port
The advanced graphics port (AGP) bus allows the graphics controller to directly access texture map data from the main memory rather than having to move it to the graphic controllers' local memory first. This helps the system increase the speed of processing graphics and allows for a use of a larger portion of memory by "borrowing" storage for texture maps from main memory.

AMB
Fully Buffered DIMM architecture introduces an Advanced Memory Buffer (AMB) between the memory controller and the memory module. Unlike the parallel bus architecture of traditional DRAMs, a FB-DIMM has a serial interface between the memory controller and the AMB. This enables an increase to the width of the memory without increasing the pin count of the memory controller beyond a feasible level. With this architecture, the memory controller does not write to the memory module directly, rather it is done via the AMB. The AMB can thus compensate for signal deterioration by buffering and resending the signal. In addition, the AMB can also offer error correction, without posing any overhead on the processor or the memory controller. It can also use the Bit Lane Failover Correction feature to identify bad data paths and remove them from operation, which dramatically reduces command/address errors. Also, since reads and writes are buffered, they can be done in parallel by the memory controller. This allows simpler interconnects, more memory bandwidth, and (in theory) hardware-agnostic memory controller chips (such as DDR2 and DDR3) which can be used interchangeably. The downside to this approach is that it introduces latency to the memory request. However, the approach should allow higher memory speeds in the future thus obviating this concern.

Array
The area of the RAM that stores the bits. The array consists of rows and columns, with a cell at each intersection that can store a bit.

Asynchronous Memory
Memory that is not synchronized with the system clock. EDO and FPM are examples of asynchronous memory.

ATA Flash
PCMCIA ATA Flash Disk PC Cards are mass storage devices and are fully PCMCIA complaint. ATA Flash PC Cards include an intelligent controller providing two key features: flash media control and PC Card ATA (IDE) interface. ATA Flash Cards also integrate a sophisticated defect and error management system into the PC Card's controller.

ATCA
Advanced Telecommunications Com-puting Architecture, known as ATCA, is a new system form-factor defined by the PCI Industrial Computers Manufacturers Group (PICMG) and was created with a number of objectives in mind. The main objectives of the ATCA standard are to enable building carrier-grade convergent systems—systems that include computing and communications products for myriad applications.

Auto Precharge
A synchronous DRAM feature that allows the memory chip's circuitry to close a page automatically at the end of a burst.