video terminal ==>
Visual Display Unit
<hardware> (VDU, or "video terminal", "video display terminal", VDT,
"display terminal") A device incorporating a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, a
keyboard and a serial port. A VDU usually also includes its own display
electronics which store the received data and convert it into electrical
waveforms to drive the CRT.
VDUs fall into two categories: dumb terminals and intelligent terminals
(sometimes called "programmable terminals").
Early VDUs could only display characters in a single preset font, and these were
confined to being layed out in a rectangular grid, reproducing the functionality
of the paper-based teletypes they were designed to replace.
Later models added graphics facilities but were still driven via serial
communications, typically with several VDUs attached to a single multi-user
computer. This contrasts with the much faster single bitmap displays integrated
into most modern single-user personal computers and workstations.
The term "Display Screen Equipment" (DSE) is used almost exclusively in
connection with the health and safety issues concerning VDUs.
Working with VDUs - UK Heath and Safety Executive.
(2002-11-09)
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