PHY from FOLDOC

physical

The opposite of logical in its jargon sense. Compare real, virtual, and transparent.

It is said that what you can touch and see is real; what you can see but not touch is virtual; what you can touch but not see is transparent; and what you can neither touch nor see is probably imaginary.

Last updated: 2001-10-26

physical address

<memory management>

The address presented to a computer's main memory in a virtual memory system, in contrast to the virtual address which is the address generated by the CPU. A memory management unit translates virtual addresses into physical addresses.

Last updated: 1995-03-31

physical addressing

<networking>

The low level addressing scheme used on Ethernet. The 48-bit destination Ethernet address in a packet is compared with the receiving node's Ethernet address.

Compare IP address.

Last updated: 1994-12-23

physical file

<file system>

A low-level view of the physical characteristics of a file, such as its location on a disk or its physical structure, for example, whether indexed or sequential.

Last updated: 2004-12-23

physical layer

<networking>

Layer one, the lowest layer in the OSI seven layer model. The physical layer encompasses details such as electrical and mechanical connections to the network, transmission of binary data as changing voltage levels on wires or similar concepts on other connectors, and data rates.

The physical layer is used by the data link layer.

Example physical layer protocols are CSMA/CD, token ring and bus.

Last updated: 2004-06-29

physical memory

<memory management>

The memory hardware (normally RAM) installed in a computer. The term is only used in contrast to virtual memory.

Last updated: 1996-03-23

physical memory address

physical address

Physical Sequential

<file format>

(PS, QSAM, Queued Sequential Access Method) The simplest data set on an IBM mainframe. Sequential files can only be read or written from the beginning: they do not support random access.

[Why "Queued"?]

Last updated: 2003-12-05

Physical Transport Network

<communications>

(PTN) The actual hardware through which data transfer devices are connected.

Virtual Circuits may be leased by the owner of the physical network to organisations which cannot afford the high costs of laying long distance cable.

Last updated: 2003-11-23

Physics Analysis Workbench

<tool>

(PAW) A general purpose portable tool for analysis and presentation of physics data.

Last updated: 1994-11-28

Nearby terms:

phreak ♦ phreaking ♦ physical ♦ physical address ♦ physical addressing

Try this search on Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Google, OneLook.