Page 290 - Electrical Engineering Dictionary

typically constructed using two “latches” in floppy disk a flexible plastic disk coated
series. The first one (the “master”) opens and with magnetic material. Enclosed in a card-
closes by one clock-phase, and the second board jacket having an opening where the
(the “slave”) opens and closes using another read/write head comes into contact with the
(non-overlapping) phase. A flip/flop may be diskette. A hole in the center of the floppy
implemented using a static or dynamic logic allows a spindle mechanism in the disk drive
style. In the latter case, the size is only half to position and rotate the diskette. A floppy
of the static version, but the information is disk is a smaller, simpler, and cheaper form
lost (due to leakage) after some time, need- of disk storage media, and is also easily re-
ing “refresh” (or storing new data) for proper moved for transportation.
operation.
Floquet mode a solution to Maxwell’s
float switch a switch that is operated by a equations that can be supported by an infinite,
fluid level in a tank or process channel. periodic structure.

floating point characteristic part of a Floquet’s theorem a basic theorem un-
number that represents the exponent. derlying the theory of wave propagation in
periodic structures.
floating point operation arithmetic oper-
ation (e.g., add or multiply) involving float- flowdependency Seetruedatadependency.
ing point numbers (i.e., numbers with deci-
mal points).
flow diagram See flowchart.
floating-point operations per second
(FLOP) a measure of processing speed, as flowchart a traditional graphic represen-
in megaFLOPs or gigaFLOPs. tation of an algorithm or a program, in using
named functional blocks (rectangles), deci-
floating-point register a register that sion evaluators (diamonds), and I/O symbols
holds a value that is interpreted as being in (paper, disk) interconnected by directional
floating-point format. arrows which indicate the flow of process-
ing. Also called flow diagram.
floating-pointrepresentation infloating-
point notation, a number is represented as a flower pot a cover for the bushing of a
fractional part times a selected base (radix) pad-mount transformer.
raised to a power. This is the counterpart
of scientific notation used in digital systems. fluidized bed combustion a method of
The decimal equivalent of the floating-point solid-fuel combustion in which the fuel, usu-
e
value can be written N.n = f × r where ally coal, is pulverized and mixed with a bal-
f is the fraction or mantissa and e is a pos- lasting substance and burned on a bed of pres-
itive or negative integer called the exponent. surized air. If the ballasting agent is crushed
Contrast with fixed-point representation. limestone, sulfur from the coal is absorbed
and carried out as solid ash.
floating-point unit a circuit that performs
floating point computations, which is gener- fluorescence emission of light from an
ally addition, subtraction, multiplication, or electronically excited state that was produced
division. by absorption of radiation with a wavelength
shorter than the emitted light. Fluorescence
FLOP See floating-point operations per emission is a quantum mechanically allowed
second. transition between electronic levels of the

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2000 by CRC Press LLC