Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

DMA

noun
/ˈdiːˌɛmˈeɪ/
Definition
DMA stands for Direct Memory Access, a feature that allows hardware devices to access the main system memory independently of the CPU.
Examples
  • The sound card used DMA to stream audio data directly to memory.
  • Using DMA improves the efficiency of data transfers during intense processing tasks.
Meaning
It enables efficient data transfers between devices and memory, improving performance by offloading work from the processor.
Synonyms
  • Direct Memory Access
  • Memory DMA