packed-pixel frame buffer
A portion of the display memory that holds the contents of a single screen image with screen bits stored in a single plane, with each pixel on the screen having a set of two or more corresponding bits that define the pixel color.
PCI
Acronym for Peripheral Component Interconnect. A high-performance 32-bit or 64-bit bus designed to be used with devices that have high bandwidth requirements, such as the graphics subsystem.
PCMCIA
Acronym for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. Usually used to refer to a controller for PC Card expansion cards as documented in the PCMCIA standards.
PIC
Acronym for programmable interrupt controller.
Planar
See system board.
Plug and Play
A design philosophy and a set of specifications that describe hardware and software changes to the PC and its peripherals for automatically identifying and arbitrating resource requirements among all devices and buses on the system.
PnP
See Plug and Play.
port
A connection or socket used to connect a device such as a printer, monitor, or modem to the computer. Information is sent from the computer to the device through a cable.
port replicator
Low-cost docking station substitute, intended to provide convenient, one-step connection to multiple desktop devices.
POST
Acronym for power-on self test. A procedure of the system BIOS that identifies, tests, and configures the PC in preparation for loading the operating system.