| F |
|
|
| Facilities Management |
Operation of a bank’s in-house data processing by an outside
contractor. |
|
| Fallback |
As used in stand-alone off-line fallback, this concept calls
for the intelligence to allow an ATM to run independently of its
host computer and communications link. This means the ATM is totally
operational except for balance inquiry functions when phone lines,
modem and host computers are not. |
|
| Farrington 7B |
A type font comprising letters and digits only and used for
embossing text on identification cards (defined in ISO7811) |
|
| Fault Tolerant |
Capable of uninterrupted operation when breakdowns occur. Achieved
through duplicate hardware or components, sometimes, called redundant
or nonstop hardware. |
|
| Ferrous Oxide |
The metal “rust” particles that are used to make magnetic stripes.
The controlled rust (oxidation) determines the recording characteristics
of the magnetic material. |
|
| File Management System |
Software to maintain and provide access to data in a file. |
|
| Financial Institution |
Generally any organization in the business of moving, investing,
or lending money, dealing in financial instruments or providing
financial services. In the specific context of a payments system,
any such organization processing transaction data. |
|
| Financial Transaction Card |
An identification card identifying both the card issuer and
cardholder and used to facilitate, and sometimes provide data for
transaction. |
|
| Fine Line Security Pattern |
A printed pattern of finely spaced lines used to prevent counterfeiting
of printed matter. |
|
| Fingerprint Reader |
A device which forms a digitized image of a human fingerprint
for the purpose of biometric authentication. |
|
| Firmware |
That portion of a computer program which is stored in read-only
memory and thus cannot be modified without a change of hardware.
|
|
| Flex Transition |
A reversal of magnetic polarity on a magnetic track. |
|
| Float |
The value of funds tied up in the payment process, reflecting
the value of payment processing time. |
|
| Floor Limit |
A transaction amount limit above which an Acceptor must obtain
authorization from the issuer. |
|
| Footprint |
The area a piece of equipment takes up on a floor desktop. |
|
| Fourth Generation Language |
Computer language designed to be the easiest for programmers
enabling them to write software using plain English terms. |
|
| Free-standing |
Of an electronic payment terminal, having its own housing as
opposed to being mounted through the wall. |
|
| Frequency Modulation |
Encoding of signals by changing the frequency of an alternating
current. Often used, somewhat confusingly, to refer to “two-frequency
recording”. |
|
| Front End |
The communications network interfacing equipment at a control
point or central site. |
|
| FTPMM |
Flux Transitions per Millimeter. A measure of the density of
recording on a magnetic track, but not the same as BPMM. |
|
| Full Track Reading |
Reading the full capacity of a magnetic track. |
|
