Electronics

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

gallium arsenide field-effect transistor (GaAsFET) - A gallium arsenide field-effect transistor (GaAsFET) is a specialized type of field-effect transistor (FET) that is used in amplifier circuits at very-high, ultra-high, and microwave radio frequencies.
gas - A gas is a substance that is in a gaseous, or vaporous, state of matter.
graphic equalizer - A graphic equalizer is a high-fidelity audio control that allows the user to see graphically and control individually a number of different frequency bands in a stereophonic system.
green networking - Green networking is the practice of selecting energy-efficient networking technologies and products and minimizing resource use whenever possible.
harmonic - A harmonic is a wave or signal whose frequency is an integral (whole number) multiple of the frequency of the same reference signal or wave.
HDTV (high-definition television) - HDTV (high-definition television) is a television display technology that provides picture quality similar to 35 mm movies with sound quality similar to that of a compact disc.
henry (H) - The henry (symbolized H) is the International System of Units (SI) derived unit of electrical inductance.
hole - In physics, a hole is an electric charge carrier with a positive charge, equal in magnitude but opposite in polarity to the charge on the electron.
horsepower (hp) - Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement in the foot-pound-second (fps or ft-lb/s) or English system, sometimes used to express the rate at which mechanical energy is expended.
hydraulics - Hydraulics is a mechanical function that operates through the force of liquid pressure.
IBM Roadrunner - Roadrunner was a supercomputer developed by IBM at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
impedance - Impedance, denoted Z, is an expression of the opposition that an electronic component, circuit, or system offers to alternating and/or direct electric current.
inductor - An inductor is a passive electronic component that temporarily stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current flows through the inductor's coil.
instant app (Google Android instant app) - A Google Android instant app is a small software program that enables users to test out a portion of a native Android app without installing it on a device.
integrated circuit (IC) - An integrated circuit (IC), sometimes called a chip, microchip or microelectronic circuit, is a semiconductor wafer on which thousands or millions of tiny resistors, capacitors, diodes and transistors are fabricated.
intellectual property core (IP core) - An intellectual property core (IP core) is a functional block of logic or data used to make a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or application-specific integrated circuit for a product.
intelligent system - An intelligent system is an advanced computer system that can gather, analyze and respond to the data it collects from its surrounding environment.
interlaced display - An interlaced display, or interlaced scan video, is when a video only changes every other row of pixels in the image at each screen refresh.
International System of Units (SI) - The International System of Units is a global standard for expressing the magnitudes or quantities of important natural phenomena.
iPhone - The iPhone is a smartphone made by Apple that combines a computer, iPod, digital camera and cellular phone into one device with a touchscreen interface.
judder - Judder is a television screen artifact that occurs when content recorded on film is shown on a television with a 60Hz refresh rate.
kill switch - A kill switch in an IT context is a mechanism used to shut down or disable a device or program.
kinetic energy - Kinetic energy is the energy of motion, observable as the movement of an object or subatomic particle.
laser - A laser is a coherent and focused beam of photons; coherent, in this context, means that it is all one wavelength, unlike ordinary light which showers on us in many wavelengths.
LCD TV - LCD TV is a television display technology based on a liquid crystal display.
LED TV (LED-backlight LCD television) - LED TV is a type of LCD television that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to backlight the display instead of the cold cathode fluorescent lights (CCFLs) used in standard LCD televisions.
lithium polymer battery (LiPo) - A lithium-polymer battery (LiPo) is a rechargeable battery that, in the case of true LiPo, uses solid polymer for the electrolyte and lithium for one of the electrodes.
logic gate (AND, OR, XOR, NOT, NAND, NOR and XNOR) - A logic gate is a device that acts as a building block for digital circuits.
logical equivalence - Logical equivalence is the condition of equality that exists between two statements or sentences in propositional logic or Boolean algebra.
machine-to-machine (M2M) - Machine-to-machine, or M2M, is a broad label that can be used to describe any technology that enables networked devices to exchange information and perform actions without the manual assistance of humans.
magnetic field strength - Magnetic field strength is a measure of the intensity of a magnetic field in a given area of that field.
magnetomotive force (magnetic potential) - Magnetomotive force, also known as magnetic potential, is the property of certain substances or phenomena that gives rise to magnetic field s.
matter - Matter is a substance made up of various types of particles that occupies physical space and has inertia.
memristor - A memristor is a type of resistor in which the flow of electrical current in an electronic circuit is determined by the amount of charge that has previously flowed through it.
MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) - A MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) is a miniature machine that has both mechanical and electronic components.
metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) - The metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET, pronounced MAWS-feht) is the most common type of field-effect transistor (FET).
micro USB - A micro USB is a miniaturized version of the Universal Serial Bus interface developed for connecting compact and mobile devices, such as smartphones, MP3 players, Global Positioning System devices, printers and digital cameras.
microchip - A microchip -- also called a chip, computer chip or integrated circuit (IC) -- is a unit of integrated circuitry that is manufactured at a microscopic scale using a semiconductor material, such as silicon or, to a lesser degree, germanium.
microcontroller (MCU) - A microcontroller is a compact integrated circuit designed to govern a specific operation in an embedded system.
microfarad - The microfarad -- symbolized as µF using the Greek symbol mu -- is a unit of capacitance, equivalent to 0.
microgrid - A microgrid is a small-scale power grid that can operate independently or collaboratively with other small power grids.
microphone - A microphone is a device that translates sound vibrations in the air into electronic signals and scribes them to a recording medium or over a loudspeaker.
milliampere-hour (mAh) - A milliampere-hour (mAh) is one-thousandth of an ampere hour (Ah), which can also be written as 1 mAh = 0.
MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) - MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) is an antenna technology for wireless communications in which multiple antennas are used at both the source (transmitter) and the destination (receiver).
modulation - Modulation is the process of converting data into radio waves by adding information to an electronic or optical carrier signal.
molecule - A molecule is two or more atoms connected by chemical bonds, which form the smallest unit of a substance that retains the composition and properties of that substance.
motherboard - A motherboard is the main printed circuit board (PCB) in a computer.
MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3) - MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3) is a method to compress and store audio.
mPOS (mobile point-of-sale) - MPOS, or mobile point-of-sale, is a smartphone, tablet or dedicated wireless device that performs the functions of a cash register or electronic POS terminal wirelessly.
mu - The lowercase Greek letter µ (pronounced mu) generally represents the prefix multiplier 0.
NAND flash memory - NAND flash memory is a type of non-volatile storage technology that does not require power to retain data.
nanomachine (nanite) - A nanomachine, also called a nanite, is a mechanical or electromechanical device whose dimensions are measured in nanometers (millionths of a millimeter, or units of 10 -9 meter).
nanopaint - Nanopaint is a coating that can modify the properties of a surface or substance according to user-defined parameters.
neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) - A neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) is a type of battery-electric vehicle that is capable of traveling at a maximum speed of 25 mph and which has a maximum loaded weight of 3,000 lbs.
network node - A computer network is a system of computers and computing devices that are connected via communication links.
neural radiance field (NeRF) - Neural radiance fields (NeRF) are a technique that generates 3D representations of an object or scene from 2D images by using advanced machine learning.
neutron - A neutron is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus of every atom except that of simple hydrogen.
no-fly zone - A no-fly zone is a restricted area of airspace over a landmark, event or geographic region in which aircraft are forbidden to fly, unless they have special authorization.
noise - Noise is unwanted electrical or electromagnetic energy that degrades the quality of signals and data.
non-interlaced display - A non-interlaced display is a screen display in which the lines are scanned progressively from the top to the bottom of the screen.
NOR flash memory - NOR flash memory is one of two types of non-volatile storage technologies.
NRZ (non-return-to-zero) - NRZ (non-return-to-zero) refers to a form of digital data transmission in which the binary low and high states, represented by numerals 0 and 1, are transmitted by specific and constant DC (direct-current) voltage s.
Nyquist theorem - The Nyquist theorem is also known as the sampling theorem.
ohm - The ohm is the standard unit of electrical resistance in the International System of Units (SI).
Ohm's Law - Ohm's Law is the mathematical relationship among electric current, resistance, and voltage.
OLED TV (organic light-emitting diode television) - An OLED TV (organic light-emitting diode television) is a type of display technology that uses OLEDs to render images on the panels used for TV screens.
on-screen display (OSD) - An on-screen display (OSD) is a control panel superimposed on a computer monitor, mobile device, television screen or another electronic device display that enables users to select viewing options and/or adjust components of the display, such as brightness, contrast, and horizontal and vertical positioning.
optoisolator (optical coupler or optocoupler) - An optoisolator (also known as an optical coupler, photocoupler, optocoupler) is a semiconductor device that transfers an electrical signal between isolated circuits using light.
oscillator - An oscillator is a mechanical or electronic device that works on the principles of oscillation: a periodic fluctuation between two things based on changes in energy.
oscilloscope - An oscilloscope is a laboratory instrument commonly used to display and analyze the waveform of electronic signals.
Parallel ATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment or PATA) - Parallel ATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment or PATA) is a legacy standard for connecting internal floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs) and optical drives to older computer systems.
pascal - The pascal (Pa) is the unit of pressure or stress in the International System of Units (SI).
passive keyless entry (PKE) - Passive keyless entry (PKE) is an automotive locking system that operates automatically when the holder is in proximity to the vehicle.
peak-to-peak (pk-pk) - Peak-to-peak (pk-pk) is the difference between the highest and the lowest values in a waveform.
permittivity (electric permittivity) - Permittivity (electric permittivity) is defined as the ratio of electric displacement to the electric field intensity.
permittivity of free space - The permittivity of free space is a physical constant that reflects the ability of electrical fields to pass through a classical vacuum.
phase - In electronic signaling, a phase is the position of a wave at a point in time (instant) on a waveform cycle.
phase-locked loop (PLL) - A phase-locked loop (PLL) is an electronic circuit with a voltage or voltage-driven oscillator that constantly adjusts to match the frequency of an input signal.
phenomenon - A phenomenon, in a scientific context, is something that is observed to occur or to exist.
pixel - The pixel -- a word invented from picture element -- is the basic unit of programmable color on a computer display or in a computer image.
Planck's constant - Planck's constant, symbolized as h, is a fundamental universal constant that defines the quantum nature of energy and relates the energy of a photon to its frequency.
plasma - Plasma is a form of matter in which many of the electrons wander around freely among the nuclei of the atom s.
plasma TV - Plasma TV is a television display technology in which each pixel on the screen is illuminated by a tiny bit of plasma (charged gas).
plenum - In buildings, a plenum is a separate space provided for air circulation for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (sometimes referred to as HVAC) and typically provided in the space between the structural ceiling and a drop-down ceiling.
plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) - A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a type of hybrid electric vehicle that combines a gasoline or diesel engine with an electric motor and a large battery, which can be recharged by plugging it into an electrical outlet or charging stations.
podcasting - Podcasting is the preparation and distribution of audio files using RSS feeds to the computers or mobile devices of subscribed users.
point of care (POC) testing - Point of care testing (POC testing or POCT) is medical testing performed with the patient, outside of a laboratory setting.
polarity - Polarity is when an entity contains two distinct and opposite poles that can either attract or repel each other.
positron - A positron is a particle of matter with the same mass as an electron but an opposite charge.
potential energy (U) - Potential energy, expressed in science as U, is energy that is stored within an object, not in motion but capable of becoming active.
power - Electrical power is the rate at which electrical energy is converted to another form, such as motion, heat, or an electromagnetic field.
power factor correction (PFC) - Power factor correction (PFC) is the set of mechanisms built into a power supply circuit to raise the power factor (PF).
power take-off (PTO) - Power take-off (PTO) is a device that transfers an engine's mechanical power to another piece of equipment.
power-on reset (PoR) - A power-on reset (PoR) is a circuit that provides a predictable, regulated voltage to a microprocessor or microcontroller with the initial application of power.
printed circuit board (PCB) - A printed circuit board (PCB) is a structure for assembling electronic components and their connections into a unified circuit that allows electrical current to pass between components.
processing in memory (PIM) - Processing in memory, or PIM (sometimes called processor in memory), refers to the integration of a processor with Random Access Memory (RAM) on a single chip.
processor (CPU) - A processor is the logic circuitry that responds to and processes the basic instructions that drive a computer.
proton - A proton is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus of every atom.
pulse - A pulse is a burst of current, voltage, or electromagnetic-field energy.
pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) - Pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) is the transmission of data by varying the amplitudes (voltage or power levels) of the individual pulses in a regularly timed sequence of electrical or electromagnetic pulses.