Connector that allows connectors of different types or families to be connected together.

An equation or procedure that produces a result in a fixed number of steps.

Electrical current that flows in alternating directions.

A test instrument that measures current.

A wire or cable's rated current-carrying ability.

The unit of measurement of electrical current flow, named for Andre-Marie Ampere, a 19th-century scientist who studied electricity. One ampere = 6.25 × 10¹⁸ electrons per second.

The process of increasing the voltage, current, or power of a signal.

A circuit that increases the amplitude of a signal.

The size or strength of a signal.

An electrical signal that has continuously varying voltages, frequency, or phase.

A digitally controlled semiconductor switch for analog signals.

The positive terminal of a diode, thyristor or vacuum tube (also called the plate in vacuum tubes).

A device that has no stable state, oscillating regularly between two or more states.

To reduce the amplitude of a signal.

Signals with frequencies between a few hertz and 20 kHz.

To automatically adjust an instrument's scale so the measured value can be displayed.

A circuit that attenuates signals above and below a specific range of frequencies.

The control terminal of a bipolar transistor.

A device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy

Greek letter β (lower-case) used as symbol for the current gain of a bipolar transistor, the ratio of collector current to base current.

DC voltage applied across the terminals of a PN junction. Forward bias causes current to flow and reverse bias prevents or reduces current flow.

Three-terminal component with three layers of alternating P- and N-type semiconductor materials (constructed as NPN or PNP).

Circuit with two stable states.

A drawing using boxes to represent sections of a complicated device or process and the connections between them.

Referring to a fuse or wire, to open a circuit by melting from excessive current.

The maximum time required for a fuse to open after being subjected to a current higher than the rated current. Fuses can have slow, normal, or fast blow times.

Four diodes configured as a bridge that changes AC to full-wave pulsating DC.

Circuit used to provide isolation between an input and output.

Design error or flaw in a circuit or program.

For supplying power, a bus is a common connection, often a heavy printed-circuit board trace, wire or strap, for power or ground. For the transfer of data and address information, the bus is a set of connections that carry data or addressing information in a computer.

Adjust a circuit to perform equivalently a specified reference or level of performance.

The amount of charge a capacitor stores per volt of charging potential, measured in farads (F).

Electrical component formed by separating two conductive plates with an insulating material (dielectric). A capacitor stores energy in an electric field.

A battery's ability to deliver current.

The negative terminal of a diode, thyristor, or vacuum tube.

The metric prefix for 10⁻², or divide by 100.

The metal frame or structure on which electronic equipment is assembled or mounted.

The common connection for all parts of a circuit that connect to the negative side of the power supply.

See IC.

Inductor intended to prevent the flow of AC current, usually RF current.

A group of interconnected components Configured for a specific purpose.

A magnetic or bimetallic device that opens a circuit when a fault condition is detected.

An electrical circuit with an uninterrupted Current path.

A combination of an N-channel and a P-channel MOSFET in a single switching Circuit.

Coax (pronounced ko-aks) is a type of feed line with a center conductor inside an outer shield that's often made with flexible braid.

See Inductor.

One of the output terminals of a bipolar transistor.

A system in which numerical values are designated by various colors to indicate a Component's value.

An individual part or element that performs a designated function within an electronic Circuit.

A material in which electrons can flow easily.

Material used to concentrate the magnetic field of an inductor.

Flow of electrons in an electrical circuit.

One complete repetition of a periodic waveform.

A complete description of an electronic Component's properties and characteristics.

The time it takes for a circuit breaker to open after its rated current is exceeded.

A two-terminal semiconductor used for triggering a triac.

Insulating material in a capacitor or coaxial cable that stores or carries electric or electromagnetic energy.

A signal that has only specific values of current or voltage.

A device that allows current to flow in one direction only.

Electrical current that flows in one direction.

An individual component not combined with others in a common package.

The act of removing or giving off power or energy.

A switch with two sets (poles) of three contacts, each set containing a common contact that can be connected (thrown) to either of the remaining contacts in that set. Both sets of contacts are mechanically linked to change position at the same time.

A switch with two pairs of contacts (poles) that can be connected together or separated. Both pairs of contacts are mechanically linked to change position at the same time.

One output terminal of a JFET or MOSFET.

A measure of the amount of time a circuit is operating over a given interval.

A circuit connection to the Earth.

A solution of chemicals that serves to connect the electrodes in a battery or capacitor.

A type of capacitor whose dielectric is a chemical solution or paste of electrolytes.

The electrical force that causes current to flow in a circuit, measured in volts.

An atomic particle that constitutes the smallest unit of electrical charge.

The sudden discharge of static energy, usually from a human body to a piece of electronic equipment. The energy in the discharge can be quite damaging to sensitive electronic components.

One of the output terminals of a bipolar transistor.

The unit of capacitance, named for Michael Faraday, a 19th-century scientist who studied electromagnetism.

A three-terminal semiconductor that uses electric fields to control current through its output terminals.

A circuit that passes signals of some frequencies while attenuating other frequencies.

The number of cycles per second of an AC waveform, measured in hertz (Hz).

Interference to a receiver caused by a strong signal that overpowers the receiver's input circuits.

The maximum reading an instrument can produce for a specific scale setting.

A circuit of either two or four diodes that changes AC to pulsating DC at twice the input frequency.

A thin metal strip that melts when subjected to excessive current, opening the circuit.

The input or control terminal of an SCR, triac, or FET.

The metric prefix for 10⁹, or times 1,000,000,000.

Scales arranged in a grid overlaid on the screen of an oscilloscope.

The part of a circuit that acts as a reference for the voltages in that circuit.

Continuous conducting surface at ground potential.

A copper or copper-clad steel rod that's driven into the Earth to provide a ground

A circuit consisting of a single diode that changes AC to DC that pulsates at the input frequency.

A metal base or plate onto which one or more components are mounted to absorb, carry away, or radiate the heat generated by the component(s). Overheating may result in the malfunction or destruction of the part(s) generating the heat or might cause damage to other parts of the circuit.

The unit of inductance, named for Joseph Henry, a 19th-century scientist who studied magnetic fields.

The unit representing one cycle per second.

A filter designed to pass highfrequency signals, while attenuating low-frequency signals.

Integrated circuit or "chip". A group of components (primarily resistors and transistors) fabricated from a common piece of semiconductor material.

The opposition to AC and DC current.

A measure of the ability of a coil to store energy in a magnetic field, measured in henries (H).

A component usually composed of a coil of wire and which stores energy in a magnetic field.

A material in which electrons flow with difficulty, preventing current flow.

Mechanical safety device that removes power from circuits when an enclosure is opened.

Female connector, usually mounted on electronic equipment.

An FET constructed with its gate terminal forming a PN junction with the channel between the output terminals.

The unit of energy.

A short length of wire or cable used to connect a pair of terminals or printed-circuit board traces.

In a semiconductor, the point at which N-type and P-type material come together.

The metric prefix for 10³, or times 1000.

Arrangement of components in a circuit.

Wires by which attachments are made to an electronic component or device.

Light-emitting diode.

See Amplitude.

The AC voltage supplied by an electric utility.

A circuit whose output signal is an amplified reproduction of its input signal.

A device, component, appliance, system, or machine to which electrical power is applied.

A filter designed to pass lowfrequency signals, while attenuating highfrequency signals.

The metric prefix for 10⁶, or times 1,000,000.

The metric prefix for 10⁻⁶, or divide by 1,000,000, represented by the Greek letter micron.

A device that converts sound waves into electrical energy.

The metric prefix for 10⁻³, or divide by 1000.

A circuit device that has a single stable state.

An FET whose gate is insulated from the channel between the output terminals by an insulating layer of oxide.

An electronic test instrument used to measure current, voltage, and resistance.

Fictitious character blamed for causing failures and bugs. Murphy's Law states, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

The metric prefix for 10⁻⁹, or divide by 1,000,000,000.

A set of guidelines governing electrical safety.

A bipolar transistor made with a layer of P-type material between layers of N-type material.

A filter that removes or attenuates signals in a very narrow range.

A DC voltage or current added to an existing signal.

The unit of measurement of resistance symbolized by the Greek letter omega (σ), named after Georg Ohm, a 19th-century German physicist who discovered the relationship between voltage and current.

Ohm's Law states the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.

An electrical circuit that does not have a complete path for current to flow.

A circuit that produces a continuous sequence of pulses or regular waveforms.

Interface through which data bits flow as sets, such as bytes or words.

A circuit in which the same voltage is applied to all components.

To route a signal from one piece of equipment to another, usually audio or telephone.

Printed-circuit board.

The time required for an AC signal to complete one cycle; this value is the reciprocal of the signal's frequency, measured in seconds and designated by the letter T.

The generation of an electrical current by exposure to light.

The metric prefix for 10⁻¹², or divide by 1,000,000,000,000.

Male connector, usually mounted on the end of cables.

A bipolar transistor made with a layer of N-type material between layers of P-type material.

See Voltage.

See variable resistor.

The rate at which work is done and measured in watts (W).

A circuit that produces DC power output from an AC input voltage.

Leads used to make contact between a circuit and electronic testing equipment.

See Front-end overload.

Disturbance to electronic equipment caused by radiofrequency signals.

See Bus.

See Scale.

Semiconductor diode, or group of diodes, that changes AC to pulsating DC.

Circuit that maintains a steady value of voltage or current.

The opposition to DC current flow, measured in ohms.

Component that presents a specific amount of resistance.

A particular setting of a measuring device's sensitivity.

Receiver designed to monitor many channels by automatically switching between them.

A symbol that represents an electronic component.

A semiconductor device with four layers of material arranged PNPN to act as a current switch.

Device that converts a physical or electrical measurement into an electrical signal.

Interface through which data bits flow individually in a sequence.

A circuit in which the same current flows through all components.

An unintended connection between two circuits or two points in a circuit.

Radio-frequency signals between 500 kHz and 30 MHz.

An AC waveform described mathematically by the sine function.

A switch with one set of three contacts (pole) in which one common contact is connected (thrown) to either of the remaining contacts.

A switch with a single pair of contacts (pole) that are connected together (thrown) or disconnected.

Unintentional connection made by solder across a gap between two terminals or PCB pads.

Coating applied to PCB surfaces that repels solder to prevent solder bridges.

An AC waveform that consists of two alternating voltages or currents.

Either a type of PCB on which components are mounted by soldering directly onto the conducting surface, or an electronic component that's attached to a PCB's surface without holes.

Device used to open or close a circuit.

The change in the characteristic of a component with temperature and specified in change per degree.

Total Harmonic Distortion, a measure of all signal energy due to distortion of an input signal.

A resistor whose resistance changes in a specified way with the temperature; a thermistor is used as a temperature sensor.

Type of PCB on which components are mounted by inserting their leads into holes that go all the way through the board.

A transistor that remains on after it's activated.

Common terminal used for connecting several components or leads.

Short disturbance in voltage or current.

A three-terminal device that functions as two SCRs connected in an inverse, parallel configuration to switch AC current.

A small current continuously applied to keep a battery at a state of full charge.

Open a circuit after detecting a fault, such as excessive current.

Type of cable in which pairs of wires are twisted together and carry a single signal.

Diode that acts as a variable capacitor whose value changes with the voltage across it.

A capacitor whose value may be changed within a certain range.

A resistor whose value may be changed within a certain range.

Protective component whose resistance drops when voltage across it exceeds a specified threshold.

Signals that carry picture or image information.

The unit of electromotive force, named for the 19th century Italian scientist, Alessandro Volta who studied electricity.

See Electromotive force.

A test instrument used to measure voltage.

The unit of power in the metric system.

The shape of an AC signal over time; this term usually refers to the shape of a single cycle.

A diode that maintains a constant voltage across its terminals after reverse bias reaches a specified voltage.