Glossary of electrical and electronics engineering: Difference between revisions

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{{shortShort description|List of definitions of terms and concepts commonly used in the study of electrical engineering and electronics}}

This '''glossary of electrical and electronics engineering''' is a list of definitions of terms and concepts related specifically to [[electrical engineering]] and [[electronics engineering]]. For terms related to engineering in general, see [[Glossary of engineering]].

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{{term|[[AC power]]}}

{{defn|Electric power where the current reverses direction periodically.}}

{{term|[[Rectifier|AC/AC-to-DC conversion converter(rectifier)]]}}

{{defn|Rectification of AC current, so that current flows in only one direction.}}

{{term|[[AC/DC-to-AC conversionconverter]]}}

{{defn|A power converter where the input and output are both {{gli|alternating current}}, but may differ in frequency or other characteristics.}}

{{term|[[AC/DC receiver design]]}}

{{defn|A radio receiver that can operate from either {{gli|alternating current}} or {{gli|direct current}} wall socket power.}}

{{term|[[AC/DC conversion]]}}

{{defn|Rectification of AC current, so that current flows in only one direction.}}

{{term|[[active rectification]]}}

{{defn|A circuit where rectifier devices are externally controlled to change AC to current flowing in one direction.}}

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{{term|[[adjustable-speed drive]]}}

{{defn|Control for a motor that allows more than one speed to be selected.}}

{{term|[[advanced Zz-transform]]}}

{{defn|A mathematical technique used to model and analyze digital systems.}}

{{term|[[affinity laws]]}}

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{{defn|A power transformer where the metallic core is made of metals cooled so quickly that they do not form a crystal structure; such transformers can reduce some kinds of energy loss.}}

{{term|[[ampacity]]}}

{{defn|The {{gli|current}} carrying capacity of a conductor, in the context of electric power wiring. }}

{{term|[[ampere]]}}

{{defn|The [[International System of Units|SI]] unit of electrical current.}}

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{{term|[[apparent power]]}}

{{defn|In an {{gli|alternating current}} power circuit, the product of the magnitude of RMS {{gli|voltage}} and {{gli|current}}.}}

{{term|[[Apple ComputerInc.]] (formerly known as Apple Computer)}}

{{defn|A company that makes mobile telephones and computers.}}

{{term|[[arbitrary waveform generator]]}}

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{{term|[[artificial intelligence]]}}

{{defn|A computer system that replicates some feature of human intelligence.}}

{{term|[[artificial neural networksnetwork]]}}

{{defn|An electricalA network of individual logic elements in multiple layers that mimics the function of a biological nervous system; a technique in artificial intelligence.}}

{{term|[[asymptotic stability]]}}

{{defn|A condition of a control system where the output eventually reaches a steady-state value in response to any input.}}

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{{defn|The fraction of time that a power plant is available to produce power.}}

{{term|[[avalanche diode]]}}

{{defn|A diode intended for regular operation in the reverse, avalanche breakdown, mode. Used as a {{gli|voltage}} reference, noise source, and in certain classes of microwave oscillator device. }}

{{term|[[average rectified value]]}}

{{defn|The average value of an {{gli|alternating current}} waveform, taking the absolute value of the waveform. The average value is generally different from the root-mean-square value. }}

{{glossary end}}

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{{glossary}}

{{term|[[backward wave oscillator]]}}

{{defn|A type of microwavemicowave oscillator vacuum tube.}}

{{term|[[balanced line]]}}

{{defn|A transmission line with two conductors, with equal impedances to earth ground.}}

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{{term|[[cavity magnetron]]}}

{{defn|A vacuum tube that is a high power microwave oscillator, using a resonant cavity and electrons traveling through a magnetic field.}}

{{term|[[CCFL inverter]]}}

{{defn|A power supply to generate the voltages required to operate a cold cathode fluorescent lamp.}}

{{term|[[CD]]}}

{{defn|A "Compact Disc" used to store digital data or digitally recorded sound using an infrared laser.}}

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{{term|[[choke (electronics)|choke]]}}

{{defn|An induction coil used to block {{gli|alternating current}} and pass {{gli|direct current}}, or to block high frequencies and pass lower frequencies.}}

{{term|[[chopper (electronicelectronics)|chopper]]}}

{{defn|A circuit that switches on and off at a high rate, used either for power conversion or to convert a DC signal to a more easily processed AC signal. }}

{{term|[[circle diagram]]}}

{{defn|A representation of the {{gli|voltage}} and {{gli|current}} characteristics of an electrical machine; the plot traces out a circle or part of a circle.}}

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{{defn|A type of microwave amplifier vacuum tube.}}

{{term|[[crosstalk]]}}

{{defn|Objectionable presence of a signal from one circuit in another circuit sharing the same transmission path, such as a cable. }}

{{term|[[crystal oscillator]]}}

{{defn|An electronic oscillator whose frequency is stabilized by a piezoelectric crystal resonator element.}}

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{{defn|The production of current in a circuit by the change of magnetic field intersecting the circuit.}}

{{term|[[electromagnetic radiation]]}}

{{defn|Radio waves, light and other radiation that travels through space at the speed of light. }}

{{term|[[electromagnetic spectrum]]}}

{{defn|The range of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation.}}

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{{term|[[ferroelectricity]]}}

{{defn|The property of materials that spontaneously maintain an electrical polarization, as a ferromagnetic material maintains magnetic polarization.}}

{{term|[[fiber -optic cable]]}}

{{defn|A transmission medium that uses infrared energy or light to transmit information down a long thin transparent filament such as glass.}}

{{term|[[field effect transistor]]}}

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{{term|[[induction coil]]}}{{defn|An early name for a transformer; a type of transformer for high-voltage uses.}}

{{term|[[induction cooker]]}}{{defn|A cooking appliance that heats pots with magnetic fields.}}

{{term|[[induction generator]]}}{{defn|A type of generator where the rotating field winding is excited by induction from the stationary armature winding. }}

{{term|[[induction motor]]}}{{defn|A type of motor where the rotating field winding is excited by induction from the stationary armature winding.}}

{{term|[[induction regulator]]}}{{defn|A kind of variable transformer that provides stepless control of the output by changing the coupling between two coils.}}

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==L==

{{glossary}}

{{term|[[CCFLLadder inverternetwork]]}}

{{defn|A string of many, often equally dimensioned, impedances connected between two reference voltages.}}

{{term|[[LAN]]}}

{{defn|Local Area Network, an interconnection of computers over a building or small campus.}}

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{{defn|An electric filter network that passes lower frequencies and blocks higher ones.}}

{{term|[[LTI system theory]]}}

{{defn|The theory of systems that, over a useful range, respond proportionally to inputs and don't change characteristics while responding. }}

{{term|[[lumen (unit)|lumen]]}}

{{defn|The [[International System of Units|SI]] unit of luminous flux, the energy of visible light.}}

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{{defn|The proportionality constant that relates the twisting torque produced on an object to the magnetic field.}}

{{term|[[magnetism]]}}

{{defn|The class of natural phenomena related to magnets and magnetic fields. }}

{{term|[[magnetization]]}}

{{defn|A property of a material that measures its response to a magnetic field.}}

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{{term|[[nanoinverter]]}}{{defn|Grid tied inverters rated less than 100 watts, useful for connection of single solar PV panels to a building AC power system.}}

{{term|[[nanotechnology]]}}{{defn|Technology that uses devices whose principal dimensions are of the order of a few nanometres.}}

{{term|[[National ElectricElectrical Code]]}}{{defn|The United States national technical standard for building wiring installation.}}

{{term|[[National Electrical Manufacturers Association|National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)]]}}{{defn|A US trade association for electrical manufacturers that also develops technical standards.}}

{{term|[[negative feedback]]}}{{defn|Feedback from a control system output that tends to oppose the input.}}

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{{term|[[network cable]]}}{{defn|Cables intended for use in data interconnections, with defined performance parameters.}}

{{term|[[network protector]]}}{{defn|A type of circuit breaker used to isolate a fault from a multi-transformer supply network.}}

{{term|neural network}}{{defn|An {{gli|artificial neural network}}, or one of the [[biological neural network]]s that the artificial networks are inspired by.}}

{{term|[[neural networks]]}}{{defn|A network of individual logic elements in multiple layers that emulates some of the behavior of a biological nervous system; a technique in artificial intelligence.}}

{{term|[[nodal analysis]]}}{{defn|A technique for analysis of currents in an electrical network.}}

{{term|[[node (circuits)|node]]}}{{defn|A defined point in an electrical network, with some potential relative to a reference node and where currents can be summed.}}

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{{term|[[Split phase|split phase distribution]]}}{{defn|A type of distribution system that uses a center tapped transformer to provide two voltages to a building wiring system.}}

{{term|[[Induction motor#Starting|split phase motor]]}}{{defn|A type of single phase motor that uses a resistor, inductor, or capacitor and two windings to obtain a rotating magnetic field.}}

{{term|[[Square wave (waveform)|square wave]]}}{{defn|A waveform that spends equal times at the positive and negative peak values with rapid transitions between them.}}

{{term|[[stability theory]]}}{{defn|The systematic study of control systems that deals with their response to disturbances.}}

{{term|[[stable polynomial]]}}{{defn|That class of polynomials representing the transfer functions of stable control systems.}}

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{{term|[[transmission tower]]}}{{defn|A structure for support of overhead transmission wires.}}

{{term|[[transmitter]]}}{{defn|Apparatus that prepares a signal for emission into some medium, such as a radio transmitter or a sonar transmitter.}}

{{term|[[traveling-wave tube]]}}{{defn|A type of microwave amplifier vacuum tube. }}

{{term|[[trembler coil]]}}{{defn|A kind of high-voltage coil that includes an interrupting mechanism, formerly used in automobile ignition systems.}}

{{term|[[TRIAC]]}}{{defn|A variation of the {{gli|thyristor}} that can pass bidirectional (ac) current.}}

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{{glossary}}

{{term|[[Yagi antenna]]}}

{{defn|A type of radio antenna using a feeder element, one or more parasitic reflector elements, and one or more director parasitic elements to provide a directional characteristic; the classic home TV rooftop antenna was usually a Yagi antenna .}}

{{term|[[Y-Δ transform|Y-delta transform]]}}

{{defn|A mathematical technique in circuit analysis to simplify a circuit.}}

{{glossary end}}

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{{term|[[Zener diode]]}}

{{defn|Nickname for "voltage regulator diodes" which may rely either on the Zener effect or avalanche breakdown to maintain a roughly constant voltage; the two effects have opposite temperature coefficients of voltage.}}

{{term|[[Ziegler-Nichols tuning method]]}}

{{defn|It is a heuristic method of tuning a PID controller.}}

{{term|[[zigzag transformer]]}}

{{defn|A multiwinding three phase transformer, sometimes used for grounding.}}

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{{Glossaries of science and engineering}}

[[Category:Electrical -engineering-related lists]]

[[Category:Electronic engineering]]

[[Category:Glossaries of science|electrical and electronics engineering]]

[[Category:WikipediaGlossaries glossariesof technology|Electrical and electronics engineering]]

[[Category:Wikipedia glossaries using description lists]]