G.W.A. Dummer

AC alternating current

AAL ATM adaptation layer

AALA American Association for Laboratory Accreditation

ABR auxiliary bus resonator

ABR available bit rate

ACAST Advisory Committee on the Application of Science and Technology to Development

ACC automatic chrominance control

acc accumulator

ACIA asynchronous communication interface adapter

ACK acknowledge

ACR attenuator to crosstalk ratio

ACU automatic clearing unit

A-D analogue to digital

ADA computer language (named after Ada Augusta)

ADC analogue-to-digital converter

ADCCP advanced data communication control procedure

ADDER automatic digital data error recorder

ADF automatic direction finder

ADP automatic data processing

ADPCM adaptive differential pulse code modulation

ADPCU adaptive differential pulse conditioning unit

ADS address data strobe

ADSL asychronous digital subscriber line

ae aerial

AEA American Electronics Association

AES (USA) Audio Engineering Society

AES auger electron spectroscopy

AES auto-electronic separator

AEW airborne early warning

AF audio frequency

AFC automatic frequency control

AFM atomic force microscopy

AFIPS American Federation of Information Processing Societies

A/G air to ground

AGC automatic gain control

AHDL analog hardware descriptive language

AHS after-hours sync

AI artificial intelligence

AIA (USA) Automated Imaging Association

AIM avalanche-induced migration

AIRCOMNET Air Force Command and Administrative Network

ALC automatic level control

ALD automatic location device

ALGOL ALG-orithmic computer language

ALT radio altimeter

ALU arithmetic/logic unit

AM amplitude modulation

AMLCD active-matrix liquid crystal display

AMPS advanced mobile phone system

AND automatic network dialling

ANI automatic number identification

ANSI American National Standards Institute

ant antenna

AOI AND/OR invert

AOI automated optical inspection

APA all points addressable

APC aperiodic choke

APCM adaptive pulse code modulation

APD avalanche photo-diode

API application programming interface

APL a programming language developed by Iverson

APPC advanced program-to-program communications

APPS automatic parts programming system

APU arithmetic processor unit

AQL acceptable quality level

ARB all routes busy

ARC adaptive response control

ARINC Aeronautical Radio, Inc.

ARL acceptable reliability level

ARP address resolution protocol

ARPA Advanced Research Project Agency (Department of Defense)

ARQ automatic repeat request

ARPANET Advanced Research Project Agency Network

ARRL American Radio Relay League

ARU acoustical resistance unit

ASA American Standards Association

ASA Army Security Agency

ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASD adaptive signal discriminator

ASET Association of Super-Advanced Electronic Technologies

a-Si amorphous silicon

ASIC application specific integrated circuits

ASM assembler

ASNT American Society for Non-destructive Testing

ASR automatic send/receive

ASSOC application-specific optical chip

ASPR automatic satellite position reporting system

ASQC American Society of Quality Control

ASTE American Society of Test Engineers

ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials

AT advanced technology

ATAB area-array tape automated bonding

ATAPI advanced technology attachment packet interface

ATC address translation cache

ATDM asynchronous time-division multiplexing

ATE automatic test equipment

ATLAS abbreviated test language for avionic systems

ATM asynchronous transfer mode

ATPG automatic test program generator

ATS automatic test system

AT & T American Telephone and Telegraph Company

ATU aerial (or antenna) tuning unit

ATX automatic telex exchange

aux Auxiliary

AV audio-visual

AVC automatic volume control

AWACS Airborne Warning and Control System

AWG American Wire Gauge

BABS beacon approach, beacon systems

BABT British Approvals Board Telecommunications

BALUN balanced-to-unbalanced transformer

BARRITT barrier controlled injection and transit time (diode)

BASIC beginners all-purpose symbolic instruction code

BBC British Broadcasting Corporation

BBD bucket-brigade device

BBS bulletin board system

BCCD buried-channel charge-coupled device

BCD binary-coded decimal

BCD bipolar C-MOS D-MOS

BCH an FEC parity coding scheme

BCI bit count integrity

BCS binary synchronous communication

BCS British Computer Society

BDOS basic disk operation system

BDPSK binary differential phase shift keying

BER bit error rate

BFO beat frequency oscillator

BGA ball grid array

BICMOS bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor

BIFET bipolar field effect transistor

BIOS basic input/output system

BIPM International Bureau of Weights and Measures

BIST built-in self-test

BIT built-in test

bit binary digit

BITE built-in test equipment

BJT bipolar junction transistor

BLAISE British Library Automated Information Service

B-LD bi-stable laser diode

BMEWS Ballistic Missile Early Warning System

BMFT Bundes Ministerium für Forschung und Technologic

BNC type of co-axial connector

BORAM block-oriented random-access memory

BP band pass

BPS bits per second

BPSK binary phase-shift keying

BS backing store

b/s bits per second

BSB British Satellite Broadcasting Ltd

BSC bisynchronous or (binary synchronous) communications

BSDL boundary scan descriptive language

BSI British Standards Institute

BTAB bumped tape automated bonding

BW bandwidth

byte 8 bits

C type of co-axial connector

CAAP co-processor architecture and protocols

CAD computer-aided design

CAE computer assisted engineering

CAI computer aided instruction

CAL computer assisted learning

CAM computer aided manufacturing

CAM content-addressable memory

CAMAC computer automated measurement and control

CAMEL Chalmers Advanced Microelectronics Lab., Sweden

CAP carrier amplitude phase

CAS column address select

CAS cordless access service

CASE computer-aided software engineering

CAT computer aided testing

CATT controlled avalanche transit time (diode)

CATV community antenna television

CAW common aerial working

CB cellular broadcast

CB citizens band (radio)

CBIC complimentary bipolar integrated circuit

CBR constant bit rate

CBT computer based training

CBT computer-based terminal

CCD charge-coupled device

CCE computer controlled equalisation

CCIA Computer and Communications Industries Association

CCIF International Telephone Consultative Committee

CCIR International Radio Consultative Committee

CCITT International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee

CCTS Co-ordinating Committee on Satellite Communications

CCTT cold-cathode trigger tube

CCTV closed-circuit television

CD compact disc

CDC compiler object code

CDI collector-diffusion isolation

CD-I compact disc interactive

CDMA code-division multiple access

CDM charged-device model

CDU central display unit

CD-R compact disc recordable

CD-ROM compact disc read-only memory

CD-RW compact disc rewritable

CEEFAX BBC teletext service

CEMA Canadian Electrical Manufacture Association

CEN European Committee on the Co-ordination of Standards

CENEL European Electrical Standard Co-ordinating Committee

CERDIP ceramic dual-in-line package

CERN European Particle Physics Laboratory, Geneva

CESA Canadian Engineering Standards Association

CFC chlorofluorocarbon

CFD computational fluid dynamics

CFR constant failure rate

CGA Colour/Graphics Adapter

CGI common-gateway interface

CH chain home (radar)

CHL chain home low (radar)

CIRM International Marine Radio Association

CISC complex-instruction-set computer

CISPR International Special Committee on Radio Interference

CIRC cross-interleaved Reed-Soloman code (for CDs)

CLCC ceramic leaded chip carrier

CLOS common LISP object system

CLS clear screen display

CML current-mode logic

CMM compatibility maturity model

CMO common-mode operation

CMOS complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor

CMP chemical mechanical polishing

CMR common-mode rejection

CMRR common-mode rejection ratio

CMV common-mode voltage

CMVR common-mode voltage ratio

CNRS Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (the French National Science Foundation)

COB chip on board

COBOL common business-oriented language

codec coder-decoder

COFDM common orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing

COMP compiler

COMSAT communications satellite corporation

CORBA common object-request-broker architecture

COTS commercial off-the-shelf

CPC crucially permutable code

CPI characters per inch

CPM continuous phase modulation

CPM control program for microcomputers

CPP Consultative Panel on Public Information (United Nations)

CPS characters per second

CPU central processing unit

CPW co-planar waveguide

CQ call to all stations

CR carriage return

CRC cyclic redundancy check

CRM cyclic redundancy model

CROM control read-only memory

CRO cathode-ray oscilloscope

CRT cathode-ray tube

CSA carrier service area

CSMA/CD carrier-sense multiple access collision detector

CSN common services network

CSP chip scale packaging

CT cordless telecommunications

CTD charge transfer device

CTE coefficient of thermal expansion

CTL complementary transistor logic

CTS clear to send

CU control unit

CVBS composite video blanking and sync

CVD chemical vapour deposition

CW continuous wave

D-A digital to analogue

DAB digital audio broadcasting

DAC digital-to-analogue converter

DACS Data and Analysis Centre Software

DAL data access line

DAP distribute array processor

DAQ data acquisition

DARPA Defense Advanced Research Project Agency

DART dual asynchronous receiver/transmitter

DAS data acquisition system

DASM direct access storage medium

DAT digital audio tape

DAVIC Digital Audio-Visual Council

DAVID digital audio-video interactive decoder

dB decibel

dBi decibels related to an isotropic antenna

dBm decibels related to 1 mW

dBw decibels related to 1 V into 600 Ohm

DBMS database management system

DBPSK differential-binary phase-shift keying

DBS direct-broadcasting satellite

DC direct current

DC don’t care

DCA Defense Communications Agency

DCA direct chip attach

DCE data communications equipment

DCS digital cellular service

DCS digital communication system

DCTE data circuit termination equipment

DCTL direct-coupled transistor logic

DD disk drive

DDD direct distance dialling

DDL data description language

DECT digital enhanced cordless communications

DECT digital European cordless communications

DES data encryption standard

DEW distant early warning

DF direction finding

DFA digital fault analysis

DFM design for manufacturability

DFT design for test

DFT discrete Fourier transform

DGAC data generation and acquisition circuit

DI dielectric isolation

DIANE Direct Information Access Network for Europe

DIN Deutsches Industrie Normale (German Standards Institute)

DIL dual-in-line

DIP dual-in-line package

DIP dual-in-line plastic

DMA direct memory access

DMAC direct memory access control

DMD depletion-mode device

DMM digital multimeter

D-MOS double-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor

DMS dynamic mapping system

DMUX demultiplexer

DNA digital network architecture

DNS domain name service

DOA direction of arrival (signal)

DOS disc operating system

DP data processing

DPCM differential pulse-code modulation

DPDT double-pole double-throw (switch)

DPE data processing equipment

DPEK differential phase-exchange keying

DPM digital panel meter

DPSK differential phase-shift keying

DPU display processing unit

DQA design quality assurance

DQPSK differential quadrature phase-shift keying

DR data rate

DRAM dynamic random access memory

DS direct sequence (in spread spectrum systems)

DSB double sideband (transmission)

DSBSC double-sideband suppressed carrier

DSBTC double sideband transmitted carrier

DSDD double-sided double-density

DSC direct satellite communication

DSCC double silk-covered copper

DSIR Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (UK)

DSL digital subscriber line

ΔΣM delta sigma modulation

DSN deep space network

DSP digital signal processing

DSP data signal processor

DSSC double-sideband suppressed carrier

DSSD double-sided single-density

DSTC double-sideband transmitted carrier

DTE data terminal equipment

DTF dynamic track following

DTL diode/transistor logic

DTMF dual-tone multiple-frequency

DTP desktop publishing

DTT digital terrestrial television

DTV digital television

DUT device under test

DVB digital video broadcasting

DVD digital versatile disc

DVD digital video disc

DVD-RAM digital versatile disc random-access memory

DVM digital voltmeter

DWDM dense wave division multiplexing

DX duplex

EAN European Article Number

EAROM electrically alterable read-only memory

EBCDIC extended binary code decimal interchange code

EBIM electron beam induced current

EBL electron beam lithography

ECCM electronic counter-counter measures

ECL emitter-coupled logic

ECM electronic counter measures

ECMA European Computer Manufacturers Association

ECO electron-coupled oscillator

EDA electronic design automation

EDC error detecting code

EDCC error detection/correction code

EDP electronic data processing (or processor)

EEPROM electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory

EEROM electrically erasable read-only memory

EFL emitter follower logic

EFM eight-to-fourteen modulation

EFT electrical fast transient

EGA enhanced graphics adaptor

EHF extremely high frequency

EIA Electronic Industries Association

EIAJ Electronic Industries Association of Japan

EIDE enhanced integrated drive electronics

EIRP effective isotropic radiated power

ELF extremely low frequency (≤ 3 kHz)

ELN extra-low noise

ELS electrostatic loudspeaker

EMC electromagnetic capability

EMD enhancement-mode device

EMF electromagnetic field (or force)

EMI electromagnetic interference

EMP electromagnetic pulse

EMR electromagnetic radiation

EMS energy management system

EMT electrical module test

EMU electromagnetic unit

ENG electronic news gathering

EO erasable optical

EOC end of conversion

EOD end of data

EOF end of file

EOM end of message

EOS electrical overstress

EOT end of text

EOT end of transmission

EPLD erasable programmable logic device

EPOS electronic point of sale

EPS encapsulated PostScript

EPG electronic programme guide

EPM equipment performance monitoring

EPROM erasable programmable read-only memory

EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

ERCIM European Research Consortium for Information and Mathematics

ERDA Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis

EROM erasable read-only memory

ESA European Space Agency

Esc escape

ESD electrostatic discharge

ESDA electronic system design automation

ESL essential service line

ESPRIT European Strategic Programme for Research and Development in Information Technology

ESR equivalent series resistance

ESREF European Symposium on Reliability of Electronic Devices, Failure Physics and Analysis

ESS electronic switching system

EST echo suppressor terminal

ESTEC European Space Research and Technology Centre

ETA estimated time of arrival

ETD estimated time of departure

ETS European Telecommunications Standards

ETS equivalent time sampling

ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute

EUREKA European Research and Co-ordination Agency

EUT equipment under test

eV electron Volt

EXTND extended data transfer

F Farad

FA failure analysis

FAA Federal Aviation Authority

FAB fabrication automation bay

FAMOS floating-gate avalanche metal-oxide semiconductor

FAMOX floating-gate avalanche-rejection semiconductor

FAT file allocation table

fax facsimile

FC-AL fibre channel-automated loop

FCD file control block

FCC Federal Communication Commission

FCFS first come first served

FD fully depeleted (Silicon)

FDC floppy disc controller

FDD floppy disc drive

FDDI fibre-distributed data interface

FDM frequency-division multiplex

FDMA frequency-division multiple access

FDTD finite difference time domain

FEC forward error correction

FED field emission display

FEK frequency exchange keying

FEN far end noise

FET field effect transistor

FEXT far end cross talk

FFT fast Fourier transform

FG frame ground

FH frequency hopping (in spread-spectrum systems)

FIB focussed ion beam

FIFO first in, first out

FIMBE focussed ion beam molecular beam epitaxy

fit failure rate, one in 10₉ hours

FIT failure in time

FKE Institute for Solid-State Electronics (Austria)

FM frequency modulation

FMEA failure mode effects analysis

FO fibre optic

FOC fibre optic communications

FORTRAN formula translator (programming language)

FOT fibre optic transmission

FP flat pack

FP floating point

FPGA field-programmable gate array

FPLA field-programmable logic array

FPMCM field-programmable multi-chip module

F-PROM field-programmable read-only memory

FRAM high-density, sub-micrometer ferroelectric memory

FSK frequency shift keying

FSM frequency shift modulation

FTMIS floating-gate tunnel-metal-insulator semiconductor

FTP file transfer protocol (Internet)

FTTH fibres to the home

FX effects

FX foreign exchange

GaAs gallium arsenide

GaAlAs gallium aluminium arsenide

GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

GB grid bias

Gbyte gigabyte (= 1024 Mbytes)

GCC Global Climate Coalition (Washington, D.C.)

GCI ground-controlled interception

GDI graphics device interface

GDP graphic display processor

GDS graphic data system

GEE grid navigation system (radar)

GF ground fixed

GIGO garbage in, garbage out

GIF graphic image file

GIF graphics interchange format

GL gun laying (radar)

GM ground mobile

GMPCS global mobile positioning communications by satellite

GOP group of pictures (motion comprehension)

GP general purpose

GPIB general-purpose interface bus

GHz gigaHertz

GP general purpose

GPIS general-purpose interface bus

GPS global positioning system (satellite)

GSM global system for mobile communications

GUI graphical user interface

HASS highly accelerated stress testing

HAST highly accelerated stress test

HALT highly accelerated life testing

HBT heterojunction bipolar transistor

HCMOS highly scaled high-speed MOS

HCP hard copy printer

HD hard disc

HDI high-density interconnect

HDL hardware description language

HDLC high-level data link control

HDMOS high-density metal oxide semiconductor

HDSL high-bit-rate digital-subscriber line

HDSS holographic data storage system

HDT high-density interconnect

HDTV high-definition television

HEMT high-electron-mobility transistor

hex hexadecimal

HF high frequency

HFC high-frequency choke

HIC hybrid integrated circuit

HiNIL high noise-immunity logic

HIPPA high-performance parallel interface

HITFET highly-integrated temperature-protected FET

HLL high-level language

HLL high-level logic

H-MOS high MOS

HSM hermetically-sealed microcircuit

HTL high-threshold logic

HTML hypertext markup language

HTTP hypertext transfer protocol

HUD head-up display

HV high voltage

Hz Hertz

IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency

IANA Internet Assigned Numbers Agency

IARU International Amateur Radio Union

IATA International Air Transport Association

IBA International Broadcasting Authority

IBE ion beam etching

IBM International Business Machines

IC integrated circuit

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation

ICE in-circuit emulator

ICL International Computers Limited

ICPO International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol)

IDE integrated drive electronics (interface)

IDL interface definition language

IDPM Institute of Data Processing Management

IDS input-data strobe

IDX integrated digital exchange

IEC infused emitter coupling

IEC International Electrotechnical Commission

IEC Interzonal Electrotechnical Commission

IEE Institution of Electrical Engineers (UK)

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (USA)

IEMP International Electronics Manufacturing Technology (Symposium)

IERE Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers

IES Institute of Environmental Sciences (USA)

IF intermediate frequency

IFAC International Federation of Automatic Control

IFF identification, friend or foe

IFH Institüt für Hochfrequenztechnik (Darmstadt)

IGBT insulated-gate bipolar transistor

IGFET insulated-gate field-effect transistor

ILB Inner Lead Bonding

I₂L integrated-injection logic

ILS instrument landing system

IMAPS International Microelectronics Assembly and Packaging Society

IMF infant mortality factor

IMP interconnected mesh power system

IMPATT impact avalanche transit time (diode)

InP indium phosphide

I/O input/output

IOP input/output processor

IP Internet protocol

IPC Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronics Circuits (USA)

IPs intermodulation products

IPL initial program loader

IR infra-red radiation

IRE integrated receiver/decoder

IRE Institute of Radio Engineers (USA) (now IEEE)

IRQ interrupt request

ISA industry-standard architecture (PC Bus)

ISA Instrument Society of America

ISAM indexed sequential access method

ISB independent sideband (transmission)

ISCC international service co-ordination standard

ISD international subscriber dialling

ISDN integrated services digital network

ISDT integrated services digital terminal

ISDX integrated services digital exchange

ISFET ion-sensitive field-effect transistor

ISHM International Society for Hybrid Microelectronics

ISL integrated Schottky logic

ISMC International Society for Measurement and Control

ISO International Standards Organisation

ISOC International Service Co-ordination Centre

ISP Internet service provider

ISPBX Integrated Services Private Branch Exchange

ISV independent software vendor

IT information technology

ITE international telephone exchange

ITU International Telecommunications Union

JAN joint army/navy

JCL job control language

JEDEC Joint Electron Device Engineering Council

JEMIMA Japan Electric Measuring Instruments Manufacturers’ Association

JESSI Joint European Submicron Silicon Project

JFET junction field-effect transistor

JI junction isolation

JPCA Japanese Printed Circuit Board Association

JPCD just-perceptible colour difference

JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group

JUGFET junction-gate field-effect transistor

JVM Java Virtual Machine

K kilOhm

KBD keyboard

kbit kilobit

kbyte kilobyte

KGD known-good die

kHz kiloHertz

kΩ kilOhm

kR kilOhm

KSR keyboard send/receive

kV kiloVolt

LAN local area network

LAP link access procedure

LAP line access point

LAPUT light-activated programmable unijunction transistor

LARAM line-addressable random-access memory

LASCR light-activated silicon controlled rectifier

LASER light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation

LCA life cycle analysis

LCC leaded chip carrier

LCD liquid crystal display

LDM limited-distance modem

LEC light energy converter

LED light-emitting diode

LEED low-energy electron diffraction

LF low frequency (30 kHz to 300 kHz)

LFSR linear-feedback shift register

LGA lead-grid array

LIC linear integrated circuit

LIFO last in, first out

LLCC leadless chip carrier

LLD lightly doped drain

LMDS local multipoint distribution service

LMM Laboratoire de Microstructures et de Microélectronique

LMWS licensed millimetre wave service

LNA low-noise amplifier

LNB low-noise block

LNR low-noise receiver

LO local oscillator

LOCMOS locally oxidised CMOS

LORAN long-range air navigation

LOS line-of-sight

LP line printer

LP long play (gramophone record)

LPCVD low-pressure chemical vapour deposition

LPE liquid-phase epitaxy

LPM library of parameterised modules

LPTTL low-power transistor/transistor logic

LPTV low-power television

LRL logical record length

LRU least replacement unit

LRU line replacement unit

LS lower sideband

LSB least significant bit

LSD least significant digit

LSI large-scale integration

LT low tension

LUF lowest usable frequency

LUT look-up table

LZW Lempel-Ziv-Welsh (compression)

M megOhm

mA milliAmp

μA microAmp

Mac Macintosh

MAC multiply-accumulate

MADT micro-alloy diffused transistor

MAP manufacturing automatic protocol

MAP minimum acceptable performance

MAR memory address register

MAR mercury arc rectifier

MASER microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation

MASTER multimedia-aids-teleconferencing

MATV master antenna TV

MBA multiple-beam antenna

MBE molecular beam epitaxy

Mbit megabit

MBR master boot record

MBR memory buffer register

Mbyte megabyte

MCM multi-chip module

MCM-C multi-chip module - ceramic dielectric

MCM-D multi-chip module - organic dielectric

MCM-L multi-chip module - laminate

MCM-Si multi-chip module - silicon substrate

MCR minimum cell rate

MCT mobile communications terminal

MCU microcontroller (unit)

MDS microprocessor development system

MEDIA Microelectronics Development for European Applications

MEMS microelectromechanical systems

MESFET metallised-semiconductor field-effect transistor

MF medium frequency (300 kHz to 3 MHz)

μF microFarad

MFD microFarad

MFLOPS millions of floating-point instructions per second

MFP mini flat pack

MFSK multi-frequency shift keying

MHL microprocessor host loader

MHz megahertz

MIC microwave integrated circuit

MIDI musical instrument digital interface

MIMD multiple instruction, multiple data

MIME multipurpose Internet mail extensions

MIN multistage interconnection networks

MIPS millions of instructions per second

MIS metal oxide/silicon

MISD multiple instruction, single data

MLA microprocessor language assembler

MLB multilayer board

MLE microprocessor language editor

MLE maximum likelihood estimation

MLS microwave landing system

MMDS multichannel, multipoint distribution system

MMDS multipoint microwave distribution system

MMF magnetomotive force

MMI man/machine interface

MMIC monolithic microwave integrated circuit

MMU memory management unit

MMX multimedia extensions

MNCS multipoint network control system

MNOS metal nitride oxide semiconductor

MΩ megOhm

modem modulator/demodulator

MODHIC modular hybrid integrated circuit

MOS metal oxide semiconductor

MOSFET metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor

MOST metal oxide semiconductor transistor

μP microprocessor

MPEG Motion Picture Experts Group

MPU microprocessor unit

MPX multiplex

MR magnetorestrictive

MR megOhm

MSB most significant bit

MSC mobile switching centre

MSD most signicant digit

MS DOS Microsoft Disk Operating System

MSI medium-scale integration

MSIN multistage interconnection network

MSK medium shift keying

MST multiservice terminal

MTBF mean time between failures

MTD mass tape duplicator/verifier

MTR magnetic tape recorder

MTTF mean time to failure

MTTFF mean time to first failure

MTTR mean time to repair

MUMPS Massachussetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System

MUSA multiple-unit steerable antenna (or array)

MUX multiplexer

mV milliVolt

MV megaVolt

μV microVolt

nA nanoAmp

NAND NOT AND gate

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NBS National Bureau of Standards (USA)

NC network computer

NCC National Computing Centre

NDP numeric data processor

NDRO non-destructive readout

NEMA National Electrical Manufacturers Association

NEN near-end noise

NEP noise equivalent power

NEXT near-end cross-talk

nF nanoFarad

NF noise figure

NFB negative feedback

NIC network information centre

NIC negative impedance converter

NiCad nickel/cadmium cell

NICAM near-instantaneous compression and audio multiplex

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

NIT network information table

n-MOS n-channel metal-oxide semiconductor

NMRR normal mode rejection ratio

NOP no operation

NOR inverted OR gate

NORAD North American Air Defence Command

NPL National Physical Laboratory (UK)

NRL Naval Research Laboratory (USA)

NRZ non-return zero

NRZI non-return to zero inverted

NSPE National Society of Professional Engineers (USA)

NTC negative temperature coefficient

NTIA National Telecommunications Information Administration

NTSC National Television Systems Committee (USA)

NTU network termination unit

nV nanoVolt

Ω Ohm

OAM operation and maintenance

OB optical buffer

OB outside broadcast

OBL one block lookahead

OBW occupied bandwidth

OCR optical character reader

OCR optical character recognition

ODA open-document architecture

ODI open datalink interface

ODS output datalink strobe

OEE overall equipment effectiveness

OEM original equipment manufacturer

OFDM orthogonal frequency division multiplexing

OHS occupational health system

OLB outer lead bonding (in tape automated bonding)

OLE object linking and embedding

OLR off-line reader

OMR optical mark reader

OOBE out-of-box experience

OODMS object-oriented database management system

OOK on/off keying

OOP object-oriented planning

OOP object-oriented programming

OOPS object-oriented programming system

OPAL operational performance analysis language

OP AMP operational amplifier

ORACLE ITV teletext service

OS operating system

OSCAR Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio

OSD on-screen display

OSI open systems interconnection

OSPSK offset phase shift keying

OTA operational transconductance amplifier

OTDM optical time-division multiplexing

OTDMA optical time-division multiple access

OTDR optical time-domain reflectometer

OWF optical working frequency

OXC optical cross connects

PA power amplifier

PA public address

PABX private automatic branch exchange

PACE plasma-assisted chemical etching

PAD packet assembly/disassembly

PADT post-alloy diffused transistor

PAL phase alternation, line (colour TV system)

PAM pulse-amplitude modulation

PAR partial amplitude response

PAR precision approach radar

PAR program aid routine

PASCAL computer language

PAT portable appliance tester

PAT program association table (SI)

PAVD plasma-assisted vapour deposition

PBGA plastic ball-grid array

PBX private branch exchange

PC printed circuit

PC personal computer

PCA principal components analysis

PCB printed circuit board

PCC plastic chip carrier

PC-DOS Personal Computer Disk Operating System

PCI peripheral component interconnect

PCL printer control language

PCM pulse code modulation

PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association

PCN personal communication network

PCS personal communication system

PD partially depleted (silicon)

PD phase-change disc

PD photodetector

PD potential difference

PD public domain

PDC personal digital cellular

PDM product data management

PDM pulse duration modulation

PDN provate data network

PDP plasma display panel

PEC photo-electric cell

PEM plastic encapsulated microcircuit

PEP peak envelope power

PERT program evaluation and review technique

PES packetised elementary stream

pF picoFarad

PF power factor

PFM pulse frequency modulation

PFR power failure restart

PGA pin grid array (package)

PHS personal headphone system

PI peripheral interface

PIA peripheral interface adaptor

PID packet identity

PIL precision in-line (colour picture tube)

PIM pulse interval modulation

PIND particle impact noise detection

PIPO parallel in, parallel out

PISO parallel in, series out

PIV peak inverse voltage

PLA programmable logic array

PLC programmable logic controller

PLCC plastic leadless chip carrier

PLD programmable logic device

PLD programmable logic design

PLL phase-locked loop

PLMN public land mobile network

PM phase modulation

PMG permanent magnet generator

p-MOS p-channel metal-oxide semiconductor

PMR private mobile radio

PMT program map table

POTS plain old telephone service

p-p peak-to-peak

PPI plan position indicator

PPI programmable peripheral interface

PPGA plastic pin gate array

ppm parts per million

PPM peak programme meter

PPM periodic permanent magnet

PPM pulse position modulation

PPTC polymer positive temperature co-efficient

PPV pay-per-view

PQFP plastic quad flat package

PRACL page-replacement algorithm and control logic

PRB pseudo-random binary (sequence)

PRESTEL commercial teletext service

PRF pulse repetition frequency

PROM programmable read-only memory

PRTP pseudo-random test pattern

PRTPG pseudo-random test pattern generator

PSD power spectral density

PSI program status indicator

PSK phase-shift key(ing)

PSN packet switched network

PSP programme service provider

PSPDN packet-switched public data network

PSTN public switched telephone network

PSW processor status word

PTB plated-through board

PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene

PTH plated-through-holes

PTT postal, telegraph and telephone (authority)

PUT programmable unijunction transistor

PVQ pyramid vector quantisizer

PWB printed wiring board

PWM pulse-width modulation

PWS programmable workstation

QA quality assurance

QAGC quiet automatic gain control

QAM quadrature amplitude modulation

QC quality control

QFD quality, function, deployment

QFP quad flat pack

QISAM queued indexed sequential access method

QMB quick make and break (switch)

QML qualified manufacturers list

QoS-A quality of service (architecture)

QPL qualified parts list

QPP quiescent push-pull

QPSK quadrature phase-shift keying

QUIP quad in-line package

R Ohm

RAC Reliability Analysis Centre

RACE Research and Technology Development in Advanced Communication Technologies in Europe

RADAR radio detection and ranging

RALU register and arithmetic/logic unit

RAM random-access memory

RAS row address select

RASSP rapid programming of application-specific signal processors

RC resistance/capacitance

RCTL resistor-coupled transistor logic

RDB radio data broadcast

RDF radio direction finding

RDP reliable data protocol

RDS radio data services

RDSR relative data service request

rec receiver

RETMA Radio, Electronic and Television Manufacturers Association

RF radio frequency

RFC radio frequency choke

RFI radio-frequency interference

RFC request for comments

RGB red/green/blue

RIGFET resistive insulated-gate field-effect transistor

RIM read-in mode

RISC reduced-instruction-set computer

RJE remote job entry

RLC run-length coding

RLL run-length limited

R&M reliability and maintenance

RMS root mean square

ROM read-only memory

RPROM reprogrammable read-only memory

RRD reversed resistance design

RMM read-mostly mode

RS Reed-Solomon coding

RSA real sector access

RSGB Radio Society of Great Britain

RST running status table (part of SI)

RTB return to base

RTB reverse translation buffer

RTC real-time clock

RTFL real-time fault location

RTL resistor/transistor logic

RTO regenerative thermal oxidiser

RTS request to send

R/W read/write

RV random vibration

Rx receiver

RZ return to zero

SA spectrum analyser

SA signature analysis

SAGE semi-automatic ground environment (radar)

SAM scanning auger microscopy

SAR synthetic aperture radar

SAW surface acoustic wave

SAZ signature analyser

SBS silicon bilateral switch

SC semiconductor

SC short circuit

SCA subchannel adapter

SCAT scanning acoustic tomography

SCM subcarrier multiplexing

SCR silicon controlled rectifier

SCSI small computer system interface

SCTE Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (USA)

SDH synchronous digital hierarchy

SDLC synchronous data-link control

SDMA space-division multiple access

SDT service description table (part of SI)

SECAM système en couleurs à memoire (colour TV system)

SEM scanning electron microscope

seq sequential

S/H sample and hold

SIA Semiconductor Industry Association (USA)

Si silicon

SI service information (or housekeeping details added on to the video, audio or multimedia data stream)

SIC specific inductive capacity

SID Society for Information Display (USA)

SIL single in-line

SIMD single instruction, multiple data

SIMM single in-line memory module

SIO serial input/output

SiO₂ silicon dioxide

SIP single in-line package

SIPO serial in, parallel out

SISD single instruction, single data

SISO serial in, serial out

SLIC subscriber line interface card

SLR sideways looking radar

SMA surface mount assembly

SMA type of co-axial connector

SMART stress marginality and accelerated reliability test

SMART surface modification by atomic resolution terraces

SMATV satellite master antenna television

SMB type of co-axial connector

SMC surface mounting component

SMC type of co-axial connector

SMD surface mount device

SME Society of Manufacturing Engineers

SMP symmetrical multiprocessor

SMPS switched-mode power supply

SMS subscriber management system

SMT surface-mount technology

SMT systems management terminal

SMTA Surface Mount Technology Association (USA)

SMTP simple message-transfer protocol

SMPTE Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers

SN signal-to-noise

SNOBOL string-oriented symbolic language

SNR signal-to-noise ratio

SOHO small office/home office

SOI silicon on insulator

SOIC small-outline integrated-circuit package

SOM self-organising map

SOP small outline package

SOP Swiss outline package

SOS silicon-on-sapphire

SP stack printer

SPC statistical process control

SPCS satellite personal communication service

SPICE simulated program with integrated-circuit emphasis

SPURS spurious responses

SQL structured query language

SQUID superconducting quantum interference device

SRAM stand-alone random-access memory

SRAM static random-access memory

SRBP synthetic resin bonded paper

SRC Science Research Council (UK)

SSB single sideband (broadcast)

SSBSC single sideband, suppressed carrier

SSDD single-sided, double-density

SSI small-scale integration

SSIN single-stage interconnection network

SSSD single-sided single-density

SSM scanning squid microscope

SSTC single-sideband transmitted-carrier

SSTV slow-scan television

ST stuffing table (part of SI)

STB set-top box

STD subscriber trunk dialling

SUS silicon universal switch

SWR standing wave ratio

Sx simplex

SYSOP system operator

TAB tape automated bonding

TAT Transatlantic Telephone Transmission (cable)

TBMT transmitter buffer empty

TC temperature coefficient

TCP transmission control protocol

TCP/IP transmission control protocol/Internet protocol

TDD time division duplex

TDM time division multiplexing

TDMA time division multiple-access

TDR time domain reflectometry

TDSR transmitter data service request

TDT time domain transmission

TELEX teletypewriter exchange (service)

TEM transmission electron microscope

TEM transversal electromagnetic

TFT thin-film transistor

THD total harmonic distortion

TIA Telecommunications Industry Association (USA)

TIFF tagged image file format

TIQ total integrated quality

T²L transistor/transistor logic

TLB translation lookaside buffer

TLM transmission-line matrix

TMOS T-metal oxide/semiconductor

TMR triple modular redundancy

TODL tunable optical delay line

TOP technical and office protocol

TOS top of stack

TOT time offset table (part of SI)

TP test point

TPA transient program area

TQFP thin quad flat pack

TQM total quality management

TRAPPATT trapped-plasma avalanche transit time (diode)

TRF tuned radio frequency (receiver)

TRL transistor/resistor logic

TSL tri-state logic

TSOP thin small-outline package

TSS time shared system

TTL transistor/transistor logic

TTTN tandem tile trunk network

TTY teletypewriter

TV television

TVS transient voltage suppressor

TWAIN toolkit without an important name

TWT travelling wave tube

Tx transmitter

UART universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter

UDP user datagram protocol

UHF ultra high frequency (300–3000 MHz)

UHP ultra high purity

UJT unijunction transistor

ULA uncommitted logic array

ULSI ultra large-scale integration

UMTS universal mobile telecommunication system

UNCOL universal computer-oriented language

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

UNI user network interface

UPC universal peripheral controller

URCLK universal receiver clock

URL universal resource locator

USART universal synchronous/asynchronous receiver/transmitter

USRT universal synchronous receiver/transmitter

UTC co-ordinated universal time

UTCLK universal transmitter clock

UTP ultra-thin package

UUT unit under test

VAB voice answer back

VAN value added network

VBR variable bit rate

VCO voltage-controlled oscillator

VCR video cassette recorder

VCSEL vertical-channel surface-emitting laser

VCT voltage-to-current transactor

VCXO voltage-controlled crystal oscillator

VDG video display generator

VDI visual display interface

VDP vapour deposition polymerisation

VDR voltage-dependent resistor

VDSL very-high-speed digital subscriber line

VDU visual display unit

VE value engineering

VESA Video Electronics Standards Association

VFO variable-frequency oscillator

VGA video graphics array

VGA video graphics adaptor

VHDL VHSIC hardware description language

VHF very high frequency (30–300 MHz)

VHSIC very-high-speed integrated circuit

VIC video interface chip

VIDEOTEX interactive computer-controlled medium using TV and telephone

VIEWDATA now PRESTEL

VIL vertical injection logic

VIP versatile information processor

VIP virtual information projection

VLC variable-length coding

VLF very low frequency (3–30 kHz)

VLSI very-large-scale integration

VM virtual memory

VMA valid memory address

VMM virtual machine monitor

VMS virtual machine system

VMOS vertical groove MOS

VOM Volt/Ohm meter

VPA valid peripheral address

VPN virtual private network

VPT vapour-phase technology

VR virtual reality

VRAM video random-access memory

VRC vertical redundancy check

VRML virtual-reality modelling language

VS virtual storage

VSAT very-small-aperture terminal

VSB vestigial sideband transmission

VSOP very small outline package

VTR video tape recorder

WAIS wide-area information servers

WAN wide-area network

WARC World Advisory Radio Conference

WATS wide-area telephone service

WDM wavelength-division multiplexing

WIMPS windows, icons, menus and pointer

WORM write once, read many times

WP word processor

WPC write precompensation

WPM words per minute

WS working set

WSTS world semiconductor trade statistics

WT wireless telegraphy

WWW worldwide web

WYSIWYG what you see is what you get

XML extensible markup language

XMS extended memory specification

XNOR exclusive-NOR gate

XOR exclusive-OR gate

xtal crystal

YIG yttrium/iron garnet

ZF zero frequency

ZIF zero-insertion force