Direct memory access (DMA) is a method that allows an input/output (I/O) device to send or receive data directly to or from the main memory, bypassing the CPU to speed up memory operations. The process is managed by a chip known as a DMA controller (DMAC). In older computers, four DMA channels were numbered 0, 1, 2 and 3. When the 16-bit industry standard architecture (ISA) expansion bus was introduced, channels 5, 6 and 7 were added. ISA was a computer bus standard for IBM-compatible computers, allowing a device to initiate transactions (bus mastering) at a quicker speed. ISA has since been replaced by accelerated graphics port (AGP) and peripheral component interconnect (PCI) expansion cards, which are much faster. Each DMA transfers approximately 2 MB of data per second. With DMA, the CPU can process other tasks while data transfer is being performed. The transfer of data is first initiated by the CPU. During the transfer of data between the DMA channel and I/O device, the CPU performs other tasks. When the data transfer is complete, the CPU receives an interrupt request from the DMA controller. Definition - What does Direct Memory Access (DMA) mean? Direct memory access (DMA) is a method that allows an input/output (I/O) device to send or receive data directly to or from the main memory, bypassing the CPU to speed up memory operations. The process is managed by a chip known as a DMA controller (DMAC).

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