Electronics

Terms related to electronics, including definitions about electrical components and words and phrases about computers, laptops parts, digital cameras, televisions and home appliances.

42 (h2g2, meaning of life, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) - In Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," 42 is the number from which all meaning ("the meaning of life, the universe, and everything") can be derived.
720p - 720p is a high-definition (HD) display standard used to describe the resolution of a television or computer display that measures 1280 x 720 pixels.
A-weighted decibel (dBA or dB(A)) - A-weighted decibel (dBA or dB(A)) is an expression of the relative loudness of sounds as perceived by the human ear.
accumulator - An accumulator is a type of register for short-term, intermediate storage of arithmetic and logic data in a computer's central processing unit (CPU).
admittance (Y) - Admittance (symbolized Y) is an expression of the ease with which alternating current (AC) flows through a complex circuit or system.
AF (audio frequency or a.f.) - AF is a frequency such that, if applied to a transducer such as a loudspeaker or headset, will produce acoustic waves within the range of human hearing.
agri-tech - Agri-tech, sometimes ag-tech, agtech or digital agriculture, is the application of technology and digital tools to farming.
ambient temperature - Ambient temperature is the air temperature of any object or environment where equipment is stored.
American Wire Gauge (AWG) - American Wire Gauge (AWG) is the standard way to denote wire size in North America.
ampere - An ampere is a unit of measure of the rate of electron flow or current in an electrical conductor.
ampere hour (Ah or amp hour) - Ampere hour -- sometimes abbreviated as Ah or amp hour -- is the amount of energy charge in a battery that enables 1 ampere of current to flow for one hour.
ampere per meter (A/m) - The ampere per meter (A/m) is the measure for magnetic field strength, as defined by the International System of Units (SI).
amplification factor (gain) - The amplification factor, also called gain, is the extent to which an analog amplifier boosts the strength of a signal.
amplifier - An amplifier is an electronic device that increases the voltage, current, or power of a signal.
analog telephone adapter (ATA) - An analog telephone adapter (ATA) is a device used to connect an analog telephone, fax machine or similar equipment to a computer or network to enable communications over the internet.
analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) - Analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) is an electronic process in which a continuously variable, or analog, signal is changed into a multilevel digital signal without altering its essential content.
Android OS - Android OS is a Linux-based mobile operating system that primarily runs on smartphones and tablets.
anode - An anode is the electrode in a polarized electrical device through which current flows in from an outside circuit.
antenna - An antenna is a specialized transducer that converts electric current into electromagnetic (EM) waves or vice versa.
apparent power - Apparent power is a measure of alternating current (AC) power that is computed by multiplying the root-mean-square (rms) current by the root-mean-square voltage.
Apple - Apple Inc. (formerly Apple Computer Inc.
Apple 3D Touch - Apple 3D Touch was a hardware-based feature Apple introduced in iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices running iOS 9 that perceives the amount of force a user puts on the touchscreen to activate different functions.
Arm processor - An Arm processor is one of a family of CPUs based on the RISC architecture for computer processors.
attenuation - Attenuation is a general term that refers to any reduction in the strength of a signal.
ATV (advanced television) - ATV (Advanced Television) is the name given by the U.
audio - Audio is sound that is within the acoustic range of human hearing.
augmented reality (AR) - Augmented reality (AR) is the integration of digital information with the user's environment in real time.
barcode reader - A barcode reader, also called a price scanner or point-of-sale (POS) scanner, is a hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read information contained in a barcode.
battery memory effect - The battery memory effect is a reduction in the longevity of a rechargeable battery's charge, due to incomplete discharge in previous uses.
bezel - A bezel is the border between the screen and frame of a computer monitor, smartphone or any other computing device.
Bohr radius - The Bohr radius is a physical constant that represents the most probable distance between the electron and nucleus of a hydrogen atom at its ground state (lowest energy level).
burn-in - Burn-in is a test in which a system or component is made to run for an extended period of time to detect problems.
calculator - A calculator is a device that performs arithmetic operations on numbers.
capacitor (capacitance) - In its simplest form, a capacitor consists of two conducting plates separated by an insulating material called thedielectric.
cathode - A cathode is the metallic electrode through which current flows out in a polarized electrical device.
cathode ray tube (CRT) - A cathode ray tube (CRT) is a specialized vacuumtube in which images are produced when an electron beam strikes aphosphorescent surface.
CD-ROM - A CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) is a type of compact disc that can only be read, not written to.
charge (electric charge) - In physics, charge, also known as electric charge, electrical charge, or electrostatic charge and symbolized q, is a characteristic of a unit of matter that expresses the extent to which it has more or fewer electrons than protons.
charge-coupled device - A charge-coupled device (CCD) is a light-sensitive integrated circuit that captures images by converting photons to electrons.
cinema pulldown 3:2 (telecine) - Cinema pulldown 3:2 is an algorithm for matching the slower frame rate of film to the faster refresh rate of a 60 Hz television.
circuit - In electronics, a circuit is a complete circular path that electricity flows through.
clean electricity - Clean electricity, or carbon-free electricity, is electricity without high voltage spikes and drops, meaning it is low on emitting electrical pollution.
coexistence testing - Coexistence testing, similar to compatibility testing, is a method of measuring the ability of multiple devices to interact in a single environment with limited bandwidth.
complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) - A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) is the semiconductor technology used in most of today's integrated circuits, also known as chips or microchips.
compound - In chemistry, a compound is a substance made up of two or more different chemical elements that are combined in a fixed ratio.
computer numerical control (CNC) - Computer numerical control (CNC) is a manufacturing method that automates the control, movement and precision of machine tools through the use of preprogrammed computer software, which is embedded inside the tools.
conductance - Conductance is an expression of the ease with which electric current flows through materials like metals and nonmetals.
conductor - A conductor, or electrical conductor, is a substance or material that allows electricity to flow through it.
conservation of angular momentum - Conservation of angular momentum is a physical property of a spinning system such that its spin remains constant unless it is acted upon by an external torque; put another way, the speed of rotation is constant as long as net torque is zero.
coulomb (C) - A coulomb (C) is the standard unit of electric charge in the International System of Units (SI).
cow power (biogas) - Cow power is a term for the conversion of manure to usable energy.
crosstalk - Crosstalk is a disturbance caused by the electric or magnetic fields of one telecommunication signal affecting a signal in an adjacent circuit.
current - Current is a flow of electrical charge carriers, usually electrons or electron-deficient atoms.
debouncing - Debouncing is removing unwanted input noise from buttons, switches or other user input.
decibels relative to isotropic (dBi) - Decibels relative to isotropic (dBi) is a unit of measurement that describes how much power an antenna transmits in a single direction when compared to an isotropic radiator, which transmits in all directions at once.
delivery drone - A delivery drone is a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used for distributing packages to consumers through advanced AI technology.
dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) - Dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) is an optical fiber multiplexing technology that is used to increase the bandwidth of existing fiber networks.
dielectric constant - The dielectric constant of a substance or material is a measure of its ability to store electrical energy.
dielectric material - A dielectric material is a poor conductor of electricity but an efficient supporter of electrostatic fields.
digital signal processing (DSP) - Digital signal processing (DSP) refers to various techniques for improving the accuracy and reliability of digital communications.
digital television (DTV) - Digital television (DTV) is the transmission of television signals using a digital broadcast format rather than conventional analog methods.
digital video - Digital video is audio/visual content in a binary format, with information presented as a sequence of digital data rather than in a continuous signal as analog information is.
digital wallet - In general, a digital wallet is a software application, usually for a smartphone, that serves as an electronic version of a physical wallet.
diode - A diode is a specialized electronic component with two electrodes called the anode and the cathode.
DisplayPort - DisplayPort is an interface for digital displays, particularly computer monitors.
dot product (scalar product) - The dot product, also called scalar product, is a measure of how closely two vectors align with each other, in terms of the directions they point.
double-slit experiment - The double-slit experiment is a 19th century investigation into the properties of light that has since been found to demonstrate the wave-particle duality of photons, electrons and other particle types as well as demonstrate other quantum properties, such as superposition and interference.
dual Wi-Fi antenna - A dual Wi-Fi antenna is a pair of identical antennas on a wireless router or Wi-Fi-equipped device, intended to eliminate signal fading and dead spots.
e-bomb (electromagnetic bomb) - An e-bomb (electromagnetic bomb) is a weapon that uses an intense electromagnetic field to create a brief pulse of energy that affects electronic circuitry without harming humans or buildings.
e-waste - Electronic waste, also known as end-of-life (EOL) electronics or e-waste, refers to discarded, recycled or refurbished electrical and electronic products.
EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) - EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) is a user-modifiable ROM.
electric field strength - Electric field strength is a quantitative expression of the intensity of an electric field at a particular location.
electric grid - An electric grid is a network of synchronized power providers and consumers that are connected by transmission and distribution lines and operated by one or more control centers.
electric vehicle charging station - An electric vehicle charging station is equipment that connects an EV to a source of electricity to recharge electric cars, neighborhood electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
electromagnetic field - An electromagnetic field, sometimes referred to as an EM field, is generated when charged particles, such as electrons, are accelerated.
electromagnetic induction - Electromagnetic induction is the creation of an electro-motive force by way of a moving magnetic field around an electric conductor and, conversely, the creation of current by moving an electric conductor through a static magnetic field.
electromagnetic interference (EMI) - Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is unwanted noise or interference in an electrical path or circuit caused by an outside source.
electron - An electron is a negatively charged subatomic particle that can be either bound to an atom or free (not bound).
electrostatic discharge (ESD) - Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the release of static electricity when two objects come into contact.
electrostatic field - When two objects in each other's vicinity have different electrical charges, an electrostatic field exists between them.
element - An element is a fundamental item that can't be easily broken into smaller pieces.
EM shielding (electromagnetic shielding) - EM shielding (electromagnetic shielding) is the practice of surrounding electronics and cables with conductive or magnetic materials to guard against incoming or outgoing emissions of electromagnetic frequencies (EMF).
embedded device - An embedded device is part of a larger computing system and has a specific purpose.
Energy Star - Energy Star is a government-backed labeling program that helps people and organizations save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying factories, office equipment, home appliances and electronics that have superior energy efficiency.
EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory) - EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory) is memory that does not lose its data when the power supply is cut off.
fan-out - In digital circuitry, fan-out is a measure of the maximum number of digital inputs that the output of a single logic gate can feed without disrupting the circuitry's operations.
farad (F) - A farad (F) is the standard unit of capacitance in the International System of Units (SI).
Faraday constant - Faraday's constant, symbolized by the italic uppercase letter F, is the physical constant representing the electric charge in a mole.
field of view (FOV) - Field of view (FOV) is the open, observable area a person can see through their eyes or via an optical device, such as a camera.
field-effect transistor (FET) - A field-effect transistor (FET) is a type of transistor commonly used for weak-signal amplification (for example, for amplifying wireless signals).
field-replaceable unit (FRU) - In computer systems, a field-replaceable unit (FRU) is a circuit board or part that can be removed and replaced without having to send the entire product or system to a repair facility.
flash storage - Flash storage is any type of drive, repository or system that uses flash memory to write and store data for an extended period.
Flat-panel TV Guide - Benefits of flat-panel TVs | Flat-panel features to considerA quick comparison of LCD, LED, OLED and plasma TVsFlat-panel TV technologies: LCD | LED | Plasma | OLEDMore informationA flat-panel TV is a television set that uses one of several different technologies for display in a flat, thin format.
floating gate transistor (FGT) - A floating gate transistor (FGT) is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology capable of holding an electrical charge in a memory device that is used to store data.
frequency - For an oscillating or varying current, frequency is the number of complete cycles per second in alternating current direction.
frequency band - In telecommunications, a frequency band -- sometimes called a band -- refers to a specific range of frequencies in the electromagnetic frequency spectrum assigned to certain applications.
frequency jammer - Frequency jamming is the disruption of radio signals through use of an over-powered signal in the same frequency range.
frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) - Frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) transmission is the repeated switching of the carrier frequency during radio transmission to reduce interference and avoid interception.
functional requirements - Functional requirements are the desired operations of a program, or system as defined in software development and systems engineering.
gallium arsenide (GaAs) - Gallium arsenide (chemical formula GaAs) is a semiconductor compound used in some diode s, field-effect transistors (FETs), and integrated circuits (ICs).