Electronics (Mike Jaroch)
Note: You may download the entries for this glossary here. If you wish to use this in your own Moodle course, first make a blank glossary and then follow the instructions for importing glossary entries here.
Browse the glossary using this index
Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
A |
---|
A-SCOPEA radar display on which slant range is shown as the distance along a horizontal trace [18]. | ||
ABSORPTION(1) Dissipation of radio or sound waves as they interact with matter. (2) The absorbing of light waves without reflection or refraction [10]. | ||
ABSORPTION WAVEMETERAn instrument used to measure audio frequencies [16]. | ||
ACCELERATING ANODEAn electrode charged several thousand volts positive and used to accelerate electrons toward the front of a cathode-ray tube [6]. | ||
ACCELERATION SERVOSYSTEMA servosystem that controls the acceleration (rate of change in velocity) of a load [15]. | ||
ACCELEROMETERA device that measures the acceleration to which it is subjected and develops a signal proportional to it [15]. | ||
ACORN TUBEA very small tube with closely spaced electrodes and no base. The tube is connected to its circuits by short wire pins that are sealed in a glass or ceramic envelope. The acorn tube is used in low-power uhf circuits [6]. | ||
ACOUSTICSThe science of sound [10]. | ||
ACQUISITIONOperational phase of a fire-control or track radar during which the radar system searches a small volume of space in a prearranged pattern [18]. | ||
ACTIVE SATELLITEA satellite that amplifies the received signal and retransmits it back to earth [17]. | ||
ACTUATORThe part of a switch that is acted upon to cause the switch to change contact connections; for example, toggle, pushbutton, and rocker [3]. | ||
AFDSAn abbreviation for the amphibious flagship data system [17]. | ||
AIR-CONTROL PANELPanel that monitors the dry-air input at each user equipment [18]. | ||
AIR-CORE TRANSFORMERA transformer composed of two or more coils that are wound around a nonmetallic core [2]. | ||
ALLOYED JUNCTIONA junction formed by recrystallization of a molten region of P-type material on an N-type substrate, or vice versa [7]. | ||
ALPHAThe emitter-to-collector current gain in a common-base circuit [7]. | ||
ALTERNATING CURRENTAn electrical current that constantly changes amplitude and changes polarity at regular intervals [2]. | ||
ALTITUDEThe vertical distance of an aircraft or object above a given reference, such as ground or sea level [18]. | ||
ALUMINUM CREEP(1) The movement of aluminum wire from a point where pressure is applied. (2) The "retreat" of heated aluminum wire as it cools [4]. | ||
AMBIENT TEMPERATUREThe surrounding temperature such as the temperature of air surrounding a conductor in a compartment or within a piece of equipment [4]. | ||
AMBIGUOUS RETURNSEchoes that exceed the prt of a radar and appear at incorrect ranges [18]. | ||
AMMETERAn instrument for measuring the amount of electron flow (in amperes) [1] [3] [6]. | ||
AMPEREThe basic unit of electrical current [1]. | ||
AMPERE-TURN The magnetomotive force developed by 1 ampere of current flowing through a coil of one turn [8]. | ||
AMPERITE (BALLAST) TUBEA current-controlling resistance device designed to maintain substantially constant current over a specified range of variation in applied voltage or resistance of a series circuit [6]. | ||
AMPLIDYNEA special dc generator in which a small dc voltage applied to field windings controls a large output voltage from the generator. In effect, an amplidyne is a rotary amplifier that often times produces gain of approximately 10,000 [5]. | ||
AMPLIFICATION(1) The process of enlarging a signal in amplitude (as of voltage or current) [8]. (2) The ratio of output magnitude to input magnitude in a device that is intended to produce an output that is an enlarged reproduction of its input [6] [7]. | ||
AMPLIFICATION FACTORThe voltage gain of an amplifier with no load on the output [6] [7]. | ||
AMPLIFIERAMPLIFIER—The device that provides amplification (the increase in current, voltage, or power of a signal) without appreciably altering the original signal [7] [8]. | ||
AMPLITRONAMPLITRON—See CROSS-FIELD AMPLIFIER [18]. | ||
AMPLITUDEAMPLITUDE—The size of a signal as measured from a reference line to a maximum value above or below the line. Generally used to describe voltage, current, or power [8] [12]. | ||
AMPLITUDE DISTORTIONAMPLITUDE DISTORTION—Distortion that is present in an amplifier when the amplitude of the output signal fails to follow exactly any increase or decrease in the amplitude of the input signal [6] [7]. | ||
AMPLITUDE MODULATIONAMPLITUDE MODULATION—Any method of varying the amplitude of an electromagnetic carrier frequency in accordance with the intelligence to be transmitted [12]. | ||
AMPLITUDE STABILITYAMPLITUDE STABILITY—Amplitude stability refers to the ability of the oscillator to maintain a constant amplitude in the output waveform [9]. | ||
AND CIRCUITAND CIRCUIT—See AND GATE [13]. | ||
AND GATEAND GATE—(1) An electronic gate whose output is energized only when every input is in its prescribed state. An AND gate performs the function of the logical "AND"; also called an AND circuit. (2) A binary circuit, with two or more inputs and a single output, in which the output is a logic 1 only when all inputs are a logic 1 and the output is a logic 0 when any one of the inputs is a logic 0 [13]. | ||
ANGLE MODULATIONModulation in which the angle of a sine-wave carrier is varied by a modulating wave [12]. | ||
ANGLE OF INCIDENCEThe angle between the incident wave and the normal [10]. | ||
ANGLE OF INCLINATIONThe angular difference between the equatorial plane of the earth and the plane of orbit of the satellite [17]. | ||
ANGLE OF REFLECTIONThe angle between the reflected wave and the normal [10]. | ||
ANGLE OF REFRACTIONThe angle between the normal and the path of a wave through the second medium [10]. | ||
ANGSTROM UNITThe unit used to define the wavelength of light waves [10]. | ||
ANISOTROPICThe property of a radiator that allows it to emit strong radiation in one direction [10]. | ||
ANODE(1) A positive electrode of an electrochemical device (such as a primary or secondary electric cell) toward which the negative ions are drawn [1] [6) [7]. (2) The semiconductor-diode terminal that is positive with respect to the other terminal when the diode is biased in the forward direction [13]. | ||
ANTENNAA conductor or set of conductors used to radiate RF energy into space or to collect RF energy from space or to do both [10]. | ||
ANTENNA BEAM WIDTHWidth of a radar beam measured between half-power points [18]. | ||
ANTENNA COUPLERA device used for impedance matching between an antenna and a transmitter or receiver [17]. | ||
ANTENNA SYSTEMRoutes RF energy from the transmitter, radiates the energy into space, receives echoes, and routes the echoes to the receiver [18]. | ||
ANTIJAMMING CIRCUITAn electronic circuit used to minimize the effects of enemy countermeasures, thereby permitting radar echoes to be visible on the indicator [18]. | ||
ANTISEIZE COMPOUNDA silicon-based, high-temperature lubricant applied to threaded components to aid in their removal after they have been subjected to rapid heating and cooling [4]. | ||
APERTUREAPERTURE—See SLOT [11]. | ||
APLALLOWANCE PARTS LIST (APL)—Repair parts required for units having the equipment/ component listed [14]. | ||
APOGEEThe point in the orbit of a satellite the greatest distance from the earth [17]. | ||
APPARENT DRIFTThe effect of the earth's rotation on a gyro that causes the spinning axis to appear to make one complete rotation in one day. Also called APPARENT PRECESSION or APPARENT ROTATION [15]. | ||
APPARENT POWERThat power apparently available for use in an ac circuit containing a reactive element. It is the product of effective voltage times effective current expressed in volt-amperes. It must be multiplied by the power factor to obtain true power available [2]. | ||
APPARENT PRECESSIONAPPARENT PRECESSION—See APPARENT DRIFT [15]. | ||
APPARENT ROTATIONAPPARENT ROTATION—See APPARENT DRIFT [15]. | ||
ARC EXTINGUISHERThe part of a circuit breaker that confines and divides the arc which occurs when the contact of the circuit breaker opens [3]. | ||
ARMATURE(1) In a relay, the movable portion of the relay [3]. (2) The windings in which the output voltage is generated in a generator or in which input current creates a magnetic field that interacts with the main field in a motor [5]. | ||
ARMATURE LOSSESCopper losses, eddy current losses, and hysteresis losses that act to decrease the efficiency of armatures [5]. | ||
ARMATURE REACTIONThe effect in a dc generator of current in the armature creating a magnetic field that distorts the main field and causes a shift in the neutral plane [5]. | ||
ARRAY OF ARRAYSARRAY OF ARRAYS—Same as COMBINATION ARRAY [10]. | ||
ARTIFICIAL TRANSMISSION LINEAn LC network that is designed to simulate characteristics of a transmission line [18]. | ||
ASBESTOSA noncombustible, nonconductive, fiber-like mineral used as an insulating material [4]. | ||
ASBESTOSISFibrosis of the lungs caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers [4]. | ||
ASSEMBLYA number of parts or subassemblies, or any combination thereof, joined together to perform a specific function [17]. | ||
ASTABLE MULTIVIBRATORA multivibrator that has no stable state. Also called free-running because it alternates between two different output voltage levels during the time it is on. The frequency is determined by the RC time constant of the coupling circuit [9]. | ||
ASWTDSAn abbreviation for the antisubmarine warfare tactical data system [17]. | ||
ASYMMETRICAL MULTIVIBRATORA multivibrator that generates rectangular waves [18]. | ||
ASYNCHRONOUSThe teletypewriter operation where the transmitter and receiver do not operate continuously [17]. | ||
ASYNCHRONOUS ORBITOne where the satellite does not rotate or move at the same speed as the earth [17]. | ||
ATDSAn abbreviation for the airborne tactical data system [17]. | ||
atrA tube that isolates the transmitter from the antenna and receiver. Used in conjunction with a tr tube [18]. | ||
ATTENUATIONThe ability of a filter circuit to reduce the amplitude of unwanted frequencies to a level below that of the desired output frequency [9]. | ||
ATTRACTIONThe force that tends to make two objects approach each other. Attraction exists between two unlike magnetic poles (north and south) or between two unlike static charges [1]. | ||
AUDIO AMPLIFIERAn amplifier designed to amplify frequencies between 15 hertz (15 Hz) and 20 kilohertz (20 kHz) [8]. | ||
AUDIO-FREQUENCY-TONE SHIFT A system that uses amplitude modulation to change dc mark and space impulses into audio impulses [17]. | ||
AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROLA circuit used to vary radar receiver gain for best reception of signals that have widely varying amplitudes [18]. | ||
AUTOMATIC TRACKINGTracking done by equipment that compares the direction of the antenna axis and the direction of the received signal and uses the difference (error) signal to reposition the antenna [17]. | ||
AUTOMATIC VOLUME/GAIN CONTROLA circuit used to limit variations in the output signal strength of a receiver [17]. | ||
AVALANCHE EFFECTA reverse breakdown effect in diodes that occurs at reverse voltages beyond 5 volts. The released electrons are accelerated by the electric field, which results in a release of more electrons in a chain or "avalanche" effect [7]. | ||
AVERAGE POWER(1) The peak power value averaged over the pulse-repetition time [12]. (2) Output power of a transmitter as measured from the start of one pulse to the start of the next pulse [18]. | ||
AVERAGE VALUEThe average of all the instantaneous values of one-half cycle of alternating current [2]. | ||
AWGThe standards adopted in the United States for the measurement of wire sizes [4]. | ||
AXISA straight line, either real or imaginary, passing through a body around which the body revolves [15]. | ||
AZIMUTHAngular measurement in the horizontal plane in a clockwise direction [18]. | ||