arithmetic logic unit (ALU): The section of the computer that carries out all arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or comparison) and logic functions.
ARP:  See auxiliary register pointer.
ARR: See BSP address receive register.
ARSR: See asynchronous serial port receive shift register.
ASCII: American Standard Code for Information Interchange, 1968. The standard set of 7-bit coded characters ( 8-bit including parity check) used for information interchange among data processing systems, communications systems, and associated equipment. The ASCII set consists of control characters and graphics characters.
ASIC: Application-specific integrated circuit.
ASPCR: See asynchronous serial port control register.
assemble: To prepare a machine-language program from a symbolic language program by substituting absolute operation codes for symbolic operation codes and absolute or relocatable addresses for symbolic ad-
dresses.
assembler: A software program that creates a machine-language program from a source file that contains assembly language instructions and directives. The assembler substitutes absolute operation codes for symbolic operation codes, and absolute or relocatable addresses for symbolic addresses.
assembly language: A low-level symbolic programming language, closely resembling machine code language and composed of groups of letters — each group representing a single instruction; allows a computer user to write a program using mnemonics instead of numeric instructions.
assembly language instructions: The language in which computer operations are represented by mnemonics.
assembly mode: A debugging mode that shows assembly language code in the DISASSEMBLY window and does not show the FILE window, no matter what type of code is currently running.
assembly optimizer: A software program that optimizes linear assembly
code, which is assembly code that has not been register-allocated or scheduled. The assembly optimizer is automatically invoked with the shell program, cl6x, when one of the input files has a .sa extension.
assembly-time constant: A symbol whose full definition is assigned at assembly time.
assert: To make a digital logic device pin active. If the pin is active low, then a low voltage on the pin asserts it. If the pin is active high, then a high voltage asserts it.
assignment statement: A statement that initializes a value to a variable.
asynchronous data transmit and receive register (ADTR): A register used by the on-chip asynchronous serial port. Data to transmit is written to the 8 least significant bits (LSBs) of the ADTR, and received data is
read from the 8 LSBs of the ADTR. See also asynchronous serial port receive shift register.  (TMS320C2xx)
asynchronous serial port control register (ASPCR): A 16-bit register used to control the on-chip asynchronous serial port; contains bits for setting port modes, enabling or disabling the automatic baud-rate detection logic, selecting the number of stop bits, enabling or disabling interrupts, setting the default level on the TX pin, configuring pins IO3–IO0,and resetting the port. (TMS320C2xx)
asynchronous serial port receive shift register (ARSR): A register in the on-chip asynchronous serial port that receives data from the RX pin one bit at a time. When full, ARSR transfers its data to the asynchronous data
transmit and receive register (ADTR).
asynchronous serial port transmit shift register (AXSR): A 16-bit register in the asynchronous serial port that receives data from the asynchronous data transmit and receive (ADTR) register and transfers it one bit at a time to the asynchronous transmit (TX) pin. (TMS320C2xx)
asynchronous transmit (TX) pin: The pin on which data is transmitted serially from the asynchronous serial port; accepts a character one bit at a time from the asynchronous serial port transmit shift register (AXSR).
(TMS320C2xx)
attribute: A parameter specifying some characteristic or feature to be applied to subsequent pictorial information.
audio breakout cable: A cable that connects the software development board (SDB) to audio input and output peripherals. It contains standard RCA jacks for stereo line-out, line-in, and auxiliary-in. (TMS320C8x)
autobuffering receiver enable (BRE) bit: A bit field that enables/disables
the autobuffering receiver. At reset, BRE = 0. This bit is stored in the buffered serial port (BSP) control extension register (SPCE).