1:orphan:
2
3.. _glossary:
4
5Glossary of Terms
6#################
7
8.. glossary::
9   :sorted:
10
11   API
12      (Application Program Interface) A defined set of routines and protocols for
13      building application software.
14
15   application
16      The set of user-supplied files that the Zephyr build system uses
17      to build an application image for a specified board configuration.
18      It can contain application-specific code, kernel configuration settings,
19      and at least one CMakeLists.txt file.
20      The application's kernel configuration settings direct the build system
21      to create a custom kernel that makes efficient use of the board's
22      resources.
23      An application can sometimes be built for more than one type of board
24      configuration (including boards with different CPU architectures),
25      if it does not require any board-specific capabilities.
26
27   application image
28      A binary file that is loaded and executed by the board for which
29      it was built.
30      Each application image contains both the application's code and the
31      Zephyr kernel code needed to support it. They are compiled as a single,
32      fully-linked binary.
33      Once an application image is loaded onto a board, the image takes control
34      of the system, initializes it, and runs as the system's sole application.
35      Both application code and kernel code execute as privileged code
36      within a single shared address space.
37
38   board
39      A target system with a defined set of devices and capabilities,
40      which can load and execute an application image. It may be an actual
41      hardware system or a simulated system running under QEMU.
42      The Zephyr kernel supports a :ref:`variety of boards <boards>`.
43
44   board configuration
45      A set of kernel configuration options that specify how the devices
46      present on a board are used by the kernel.
47      The Zephyr build system defines one or more board configurations
48      for each board it supports. The kernel configuration settings that are
49      specified by the build system can be over-ridden by the application,
50      if desired.
51
52   IDT
53      (Interrupt Descriptor Table) a data structure used by the x86
54      architecture to implement an interrupt vector table. The IDT is used
55      to determine the correct response to interrupts and exceptions.
56
57   ISR
58      (Interrupt Service Routine) Also known as an interrupt handler, an ISR
59      is a callback function whose execution is triggered by a hardware
60      interrupt (or software interrupt instructions) and is used to handle
61      high-priority conditions that require interrupting the current code
62      executing on the processor.
63
64   kernel
65      The set of Zephyr-supplied files that implement the Zephyr kernel,
66      including its core services, device drivers, network stack, and so on.
67
68   SoC
69      `System on a chip`_
70
71   west
72      A multi-repo meta-tool developed for the Zephyr project. See :ref:`west`.
73
74   west installation
75      An obsolete term for a :term:`west workspace` used prior to west 0.7.
76
77   west manifest
78      A YAML file, usually named :file:`west.yml`, which describes projects, or
79      the Git repositories which make up a :term:`west workspace`, along with
80      additional metadata. See :ref:`west-basics` for general information
81      and :ref:`west-manifests` for details.
82
83   west manifest repository
84      The Git repository in a :term:`west workspace` which contains the
85      :term:`west manifest`. Its location is given by the :ref:`manifest.path
86      configuration option <west-config-index>`. See :ref:`west-basics`.
87
88   west workspace
89      A directory on your system with a :file:`.west` subdirectory and
90      a :term:`west manifest repository`. You clone the Zephyr source
91      code onto your system by creating a west workspace using the
92      ``west init`` command. See :ref:`west-basics`.
93
94   XIP
95      (eXecute In Place) a method of executing programs directly from long
96      term storage rather than copying it into RAM, saving writable memory for
97      dynamic data and not the static program code.
98
99.. _System on a chip: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_on_a_chip
100