Computing

/ˌsɪmjʊˈleɪʃən/

noun — "the imitation of a real system over time."

/ˈdɪdʒɪtl ˈsɪgnəl ˈprəʊsɛsɪŋ/

noun — "analyzing and modifying signals with algorithms."

/ˈɒpəreɪtɪŋ ˈsɪstəm/

noun — "software that governs hardware and programs."

/ˌɛl ɑː ˈjuː/

noun — "evict the item not used for the longest time."

LRU, short for Least Recently Used, is a cache replacement and resource management policy that discards the item whose last access occurred farthest in the past when space is needed. It is based on the assumption that data accessed recently is more likely to be accessed again soon, while data not accessed for a long time is less likely to be reused. This principle aligns closely with temporal locality, a common property of real-world workloads.

/ˈmæskɪŋ/

noun — "selectively hiding or preserving bits."

Masking is the process of using a binary pattern, called a mask, to selectively manipulate, hide, or preserve specific bits within a data word or byte through bitwise operations. It is widely used in systems programming, embedded systems, digital communications, and data processing to isolate, modify, or test particular bits without affecting the remaining bits.

/ˈbɪtˌwaɪz ˌɒpəˈreɪʃənz/

noun — "manipulating individual bits in data."

Bitwise Operations are low-level computational operations that act directly on the individual bits of binary numbers or data structures. They are fundamental to systems programming, embedded systems, encryption, compression algorithms, and performance-critical applications because they provide efficient, deterministic manipulation of data at the bit level. Common operations include AND, OR, XOR, NOT, bit shifts (left and right), and rotations.

/ˈskɛdʒʊlɪŋ ˈælɡərɪðəmz/

noun — "methods to determine which task runs when."

/dɪˌtɜːrmɪˈnɪstɪk ˈsɪstəmz/

noun — "systems whose behavior is predictable by design."

/ˈrɪəl taɪm ˈsɪstəmz/

noun — "systems where being late is the same as being wrong."

Real-Time Systems are computing systems in which the correctness of operation depends not only on logical results but also on the time at which those results are produced. A computation that produces the right answer too late is considered a failure. This timing requirement distinguishes real-time systems from conventional computing systems, where performance delays are typically undesirable but not incorrect.

/ɪmˈbɛdɪd ˈsɪstəmz/

noun — "computers that disappear into the machines they control."

Embedded Systems are specialized computing systems designed to perform a single, well-defined function as part of a larger physical or logical system. Unlike general-purpose computers, which are built to run many different applications and adapt to changing workloads, embedded systems are purpose-built. They exist to do one job, do it reliably, and do it repeatedly, often without any direct human interaction once deployed.