Asynchronous

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Asynchronous \A*syn"chro*nous\, a. [Gr. ? not + synchronous.]
     Not simultaneous; not concurrent in time; -- opposed to
     {synchronous}.
  
     Syn: nonsynchronous, unsynchronized, unsynchronous.
          [Webster 1913 Suppl.]


  
     2. (Paleontology) occurring in different geologic times; --
        of taxa/ {synchronous}
  
     Syn: allochronic
          [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
  
     3. chronologically misplaced; belonging to a different time
        or era
  
     Syn: anachronic, anachronous, anachronistic
          [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
  
     4. (Computers) occurring at different speeds in different
        computers connected by a data transmission link; -- said
        of methods data of transmission between computers.
        Opposite of {synchronous}.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  asynchronous
       adj 1: (digital communication) pertaining to a transmission
              technique that does not require a common clock between
              the communicating devices; timing signals are derived
              from special characters in the data stream itself
              [ant: {synchronous}]
       2: not synchronous; not occurring or existing at the same time
          or having the same period or phase [ant: {synchronous}]

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  asynchronous
       
           Not synchronised by a shared signal such as
          {clock} or {semaphore}, proceeding independently.
       
          Opposite: {synchronous}.
       
          1.  A {process} in a {multitasking} system
          whose execution can proceed independently, "in the
          {background}".  Other processes may be started before the
          asynchronous process has finished.
       
          2.  A communications system in which data
          transmission may start at any time and is indicated by a
          {start bit}, e.g. {EIA-232}.  A data {byte} (or other element
          defined by the {protocol}) ends with a {stop bit}.  A
          continuous marking condition (identical to stop bits but not
          quantized in time), is then maintained until data resumes.
       
          (1995-12-08)