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Dictionary of Electronics
"A" to "AWG" |
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- A
Abbreviation for "ampere" a unit of electrical current.
- absorption
- Loss or dissipation of energy as it travels through a medium, Example: radio waves lose some of their energy as they travel through the atmosphere.
- AC
- Abbreviation for "Alternating Current"
- acceptor atoms
- Trivalent atoms that accept free electrons from pentavalent atoms.
- AC coupling
- Circuit that passes an AC signal while blocking a DC voltage.
- AC/DC
Equipment that will operate on either an AC or DC power source.
- AC generator
- Device used to transform mechanical energy into AC electrical power.
- AC load line
- A graph representing all possible combinations of AC output voltage and current for an amplifier.
- AC power supply
- Power supply that delivers an AC voltage.
- active component
- A component that changes the amplitude of a signal between input and output.
- active filter
- A filter that uses an amplifier in addition to reactive components to pass or reject selected frequencies.
- active region
- The region of BJT operation between saturation and cutoff used for linear amplification.
- AC voltage
- A voltage in which the polarity alternates.
- ADC
- Abbreviation for "analog to digital converter"
- Admittance
- (symbol "Y") Measure of how easily AC will flow through a circuit. Admittance is the reciprocal of impedance and is measured in siemens.
- AF
- Abbreviation for "audio frequency".
- AFC
- Abbreviation for "automatic frequency control".
- AGC
- Abbreviation for "automatic gain control"
- alkaline cell
- A primary cell that delivers more current than a carbon-zinc cell. Also known as an "alkaline manganese cell".
- alligator clip
- Spring clip on the end of a test lead used to make a temporary connection.
- alpha
- Ratio of collector current to emitter current in a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). Greek letter alpha "a" is the symbol used.
- alternating current
- An electric current that rises to a maximum in one direction, falls back to zero and then rises to a maximum in the opposite direction and then repeats.
- alternator
- Name for an AC generator.
- AM
- Abbreviation for "amplitude modulation"
- ammeter
- A meter used to measure current.
- ampere
- Unit of electrical current.
- amplifier
- A circuit that increases the voltage, current, or power of a signal.
- amplitude:
- Magnitude or size of a signal voltage or current.
- analog
- Information represented as continously varying voltage or current rather than in discrete levels as opposed to digital data varying between two discrete levels.
- anode
- The positive electrode or terminal of a device. The "P" material of a diode.
- antenna, transmitting
- A device that converts an electrical wave into an electromagnetic wave that radiates away from the antenna.
- antenna, receiving
- A device that converts a radiated electromagnetic wave into an electrical wave.
- apparent power
- Power attained in an AC circuit as a product of effective voltage and current which reach their peak at different times.
- arc
- Discharge of electricity through a gas such as lightning discharging through the atmosphere.
- armature:
- The rotating or moving component of a magnetic circuit.
- armstrong oscillator
- An oscillator that uses an isolation transformer to achieve positive feedback from output to input.
- astable multivibrator
- An oscillator that produces a square wave output from a DC voltage.
- atom
- The smallest particle that an element can be broken down into and still maintain its unique identity.
- atomic number
- The number of positive charges or protons in the nucleus of an atom.
- attenuate
- To reduce the amplitude of an action or signal. The opposite of amplification.
- audio
- Relating to frequencies that can be heard by the human ear. Approximately 20 Hz. to 20 kHz.
- autotransformer
- A single winding transformer where the output is taken from taps on the winding.
- average value
- A value of voltage or current where the area of the wave above the value equals the area of the wave below the value.
- AVC
- Abbreviation for "automatic volume control"
- avionics
- Aviation electronics.
- AWG
- Abbreviation for "american wire gauge". A gauge that assigns a number value to the diameter of a wire.
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