Electronics

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

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.
microfarad - The microfarad -- symbolized as µF using the Greek symbol mu -- is a unit of capacitance, equivalent to 0.
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.
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.
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.
NAND flash memory - NAND flash memory is a type of non-volatile storage technology that does not require power to retain data.
nanosecond (ns or nsec) - A nanosecond (ns or nsec) is one-billionth (10-9) of a second.
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.
neutron - A neutron is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus of every atom except that of simple hydrogen.
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.
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.
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.
personal digital assistant (PDA) - A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a small, mobile, handheld device that provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use, often for keeping schedules, calendars and address book information handy.
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.
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.
plenum - In building construction, a plenum (pronounced PLEH-nuhm, from Latin meaning full) is a separate space provided for air circulation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (sometimes referred to as HVAC).
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.
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.
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.
quad-core processor - A quad-core processor is a chip with four independent units called cores that read and execute central processing unit (CPU) instructions such as add, move data and branch.
quantum interference - Quantum interference is when subatomic particles interact with and influence themselves and other particles while in a probabilistic superposition state.
raceway - A raceway, sometimes referred to as a raceway system, is an enclosed conduit that forms a physical pathway for electrical wiring.
radio frequency (RF, rf) - Radio frequency (RF) is a measurement representing the oscillation rate of electromagnetic radiation spectrum, or electromagnetic radio waves, from frequencies ranging from 300 GHz to as low as 9 kHz.
random numbers - As the term suggests, a random number is a number chosen by chance -- i.
reactance - Reactance is a form of opposition generated by components in an electric circuit when alternating current (AC) passes through it.
resistance - Resistance is the opposition that a substance offers to the flow of electric current; the term contrasts with conductance, which is a measure of the ease with which current flows through a substance.
resistor - A resistor is an electrical component that limits or regulates the flow of electrical current in an electronic circuit.
resolution - Resolution is the number of pixels -- picture elements or individual points of color -- that can be contained on a display screen or in a camera sensor.
RFID tagging - RFID tagging uses small radio frequency identification devices to track and identify objects.
RGB (red, green and blue) - RGB (red, green and blue) refers to a system representing the colors used on a digital display screen.
robot - A robot is a machine designed to execute one or more tasks automatically with speed and precision.
scanner - A scanner is a device that captures images from photographic prints, posters, magazine pages and similar sources for computer editing and display.
screen door effect - The screen door effect is the occurrence of thin, dark lines or a mesh appearance caused by the gaps between pixels on a screen or projected image.
Seebeck effect - The Seebeck effect is a phenomenon in which a temperature difference between two dissimilar electrical conductors or semiconductors produces a voltage difference between the two substances.
semiconductor fab - A semiconductor fab -- short for fabrication -- is a manufacturing plant in which raw silicon wafers are turned into integrated circuits (ICs).
sensor - A sensor is a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment.
Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA) - Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA) is a command and transport protocol that defines how data is transferred between a computer's motherboard and mass storage devices, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), optical drives and solid-state drives (SSDs).
serial peripheral interface (SPI) - A serial peripheral interface (SPI) is an interface commonly used in computers and embedded systems to facilitate short-distance communication between a microcontroller and one or more peripheral integrated circuits (ICs).
seven wastes - The seven wastes are categories of unproductive manufacturing practices identified by Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System (TPS).
shift register - A shift register is a digital memory circuit found in calculators, computers, and data-processing systems.
soap opera effect (motion interpolation) - The soap opera effect is the colloquial name for a visual effect caused by motion interpolation on television sets that some people find undesirable.
solar power - Solar power is a renewable form of energy harvested from the sun for the purpose of producing electricity or thermal energy (heat).
solid - A solid is a state of matter that retains its shape and density when not confined.
solid-state - Solid-state is a common descriptor used to refer to electronic components, devices and systems based entirely on semiconductor materials such as silicon, germanium or gallium arsenide.
solid-state storage - Solid-state storage is a type of computer storage media that stores data electronically and has no moving parts.
sound card - A sound card is a computer component responsible for generating and recording audio.
sound wave - A sound wave is the pattern of disturbance caused by the movement of energy traveling through a medium (such as air, water or any other liquid or solid matter) as it propagates away from the source of the sound.
space - Space is a term that can refer to various phenomena in science, mathematics and computing and generally encompasses the concept of an area or region.
spatial computing - Spatial computing broadly characterizes the processes and tools used to capture, process and interact with three-dimensional (3D) data.
stack pointer - A stack pointer is a small register that stores the memory address of the last data element added to the stack or, in some cases, the first available address in the stack.
standard temperature and pressure (STP) - Standard temperature and pressure (STP) refers to the nominal conditions in the atmosphere at sea level.
standing wave ratio (SWR) - Standing wave ratio (SWR) is the ratio of the maximum magnitude or amplitude of a standing wave to its minimum magnitude.
Stefan-Boltzmann constant - The Stefan-Boltzmann constant, symbolized by the lowercase Greek letter sigma (σ), is a physical constant expressing the relationship between the heat radiation emitted by a black body and its absolute temperature.
superconductivity - Superconductivity is the ability of certain materials to conduct a direct electric current (DC) with practically zero resistance.
tablet (tablet PC) - A tablet is a wireless, portable personal computer with a touchscreen interface.
teleoperations (telerobotics) - Teleoperation, also called telerobotics, is the technical term for the remote control of a robot.
thyristor - A thyristor is a four-layer semiconductor device, consisting of alternating P-type and N-type materials (PNPN).
toroid - A toroid is a coil of insulated or enameled wire wound on a donut-shaped form made of powdered iron.
touch screen - A touch screen is an electronic display screen that is also an input device.
transconductance - Transconductance is an expression of the performance of a bipolar transistoror field-effect transistor (FET).
transducer - A transducer is an electronic device that converts energy from one form to another.
transistor-to-transistor logic (TTL) - Transistor-to-transistor logic -- also known as simply transistor-transistor logic or TTL -- is a family of digital logic design built from a family of bipolar junction transistors that act on direct-current pulses.
transponder - A transponder is a wireless communication, monitoring or control device that picks up and automatically responds to an incoming signal.
volt-ampere (VA) - A volt-ampere (VA) is a measurement of power in a direct current (DC) electrical circuit.
voltage - Voltage, also called electromotive force, is a quantitative expression of the potential difference in charge between two points in an electrical field.
voltage reference - A voltage reference is an electronic component or circuit that produces a constant DC (direct-current) output voltage regardless of variations in external conditions such as temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, current demand, or the passage of time.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive - The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is a legislative act that the European Union adopted to address the growing amounts of e-waste that come from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) at the end of its life.
water cooling - Water cooling, also called liquid cooling, is a method used to lower the temperature of computer processor units (CPUs), and sometimes graphics processor units (GPUs).
watt - A watt (symbolized W) is the standard unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI).
watt-hour (Wh) - The watt-hour, which is symbolized Wh, is a unit of energy equivalent to one watt of power expended for one hour of time.
wave number - A wave number, or wavenumber, refers to the spatial frequency of a wave over a specific unit distance.
What are logic gates? - A logic gate is a device that acts as a building block for digital circuits.
What is a capacitor (capacitance)? - A capacitor is a passive electronic component that stores electrical charge.
What is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)? - A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) is the semiconductor technology used in most of today's integrated circuits (ICs), also known as chips or microchips.