hardware (VDU, or "video terminal", "video display
terminal", VDT, "display terminal") A device incorporating a
electronics which store the received data and convert it into
electrical waveforms to drive the CRT.
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 term "Display Screen Equipment" (DSE) is used almost
exclusively in connection with the health and safety issues
concerning VDUs.
(2002-11-09)