Page 337 - Electromechanical Devices and Components Illustrated Sourcebook
P. 337

GLOSSARY





        A                                                     buss bar A bar generally used to provide multiple power
        AC Abbreviation for alternating current               connections
        accelerometer An instrument to measure acceleration   button A switch that is actuated by pushing
        acorn tube An acorn shaped vacuum tube                BX cable Flexible metal jacketed wires
        acoustic Pertaining to sound
        actuator A device that moves a load                   C
        adaptor A plug or jack designed to change the configura-  cable A general term for multiconductor bundles or heavy
        tion of a connector                                   wire
        alarm A device that generates an audible signal for the  CAD Abbreviation for computer aided design
        express purpose of alerting an operator to a specific   capacitor A device that is intended to provide short-term
        condition                                             storage of an electrical signal
        alligator clip A spring loaded clip used for testing  cathode Negative electrode
        am Abbreviation for amplitude modulation              CRT Abbreviation for cathode ray tube
        ammeter A meter that is intended to display current   cell Single unit battery
        amp An abbreviation for ampere                        center tap A connection to the center of a coil or resistive
        amperage The number of amps flowing through a circuit  element
        ampere A measure of electrical current                ceramic insulator A nonconductive component made from
        amp-hour Amps per hour                                a high-fired material
        amplifier A device for proportionately increasing an   channel One path within a multipath circuit
        electrical signal                                     charge The electrical state of a conductor
        analog Continuously variable signal                   choke term for an inductor
        anode Positive electrode                              circuit Term for an electrical assembly
        antenna A wire or frame intended to pick up or transmit  circuit breaker A reusable device that is intended to
        electrostatic signals                                 automatically protect a circuit form over-current
        arc A high-energy discharge between two conductors    conditions
        armature The moving element in an electromechnical    CB Abbreviation for Citizens Band radio
        device                                                coaxial A configuration where one conductor surrounds
        armored cable Two or more wires within a protective   another
        jacket                                                coil A continuous length of wire wound in a circular pattern
        ASCII Abbreviation for American Standard Code for     coil form A piece that is intended to aid in winding and
        Information Interchange                               maintaining a coil
        attenuator A device for reducing an electrical signal  cold cathode An electron emitter that does not require
        AWG Abbreviation for American wire gauge              heat
                                                              collector A conductor that is specifically designed to collect
        B                                                     electrons
        batt Abbreviation for battery                         component Any single or grouped piece of an assembly
        battery A device for storing DC electrical energy     condenser Term for capacitor
        bell An alarm which used a resonating metal element   conductivity The efficiency of a conductor to transmit an
        bias A electrical or magnetic reference signal        electrical signal without resistive loss
        bimetal strip Two different types of metal fixed together  contact Two conductors forced together for the propose of
        for the sole purpose of distorting in reference to temperature  an electrical connection
        change                                                continuity To describe a continuous electrical path
        binding post A nut an bolt arrangement for connecting  control transformer A transformer that is intended to
        wires                                                 provide a lower control voltage, usually 120 volts
        black box Used to describe a complex component that is  collector A components that receives electron flow
        intended to be replaced rather than repaired          corona A visible leakage of electrons into the surrounding
        break down The voltage at which the insulation fails  gas
        breaker points A set of mechanical contacts           crimp To make an electrical connection by the defamation
        bridge rectifier A series of diodes arranged so that AC is  of a metal
        converted into DC                                     cross talk The leakage of an electrical signal into an
        brush A device that is intended to transmit an electrical   adjacent circuit
        signal from a moving element to a nonmoving element   current Amperage


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