Page 77 - The Illustrated Dictionary of Electronics
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5059F-pB_56-92  4/9/01  4:45 PM  Page 62




                   62   bandstop filter • bar meter


                   bandstop filter See BAND-REJECTION FILTER.    CODE. The laser beam moves across the tag. The
                   band suppression  1. The property of blocking, or  beam is reflected from the white regions between
                      greatly attenuating, signals within a specific fre-  the lines, but is absorbed by the dark lines them-
                      quency band.  2. The frequency limits between  selves. This produces modulation of the reflected
                      which a device or circuit rejects or blocks ac en-  beam by the data contained in the tag.
                      ergy, while passing energy at other frequencies  bare conductor A conductor with no insulating cov-
                      with negligible loss.                      ering, a common example being bare copper wire.
                   band-suppression filter  See BAND-REJECTION  bar generator A special type of radio-frequency
                      FILTER.                                    signal generator that produces horizontal or ver-
                   bandswitch A low-reactance selector switch (usually  tical bars on the screen of a television receiver. It
                      rotary) that facilitates changing the tuning range of  is used in adjustment of horizontal and vertical
                      a radio receiver, transmitter or transceiver from  linearity.
                      one band of frequencies to another.      bar graph A graphical presentation of data, in
                   bandswitching In a receiver, transmitter, or test  which numerical values are represented by hori-
                      instrument, the process of switching self-  zontal bars of width that correspond to the val-
                      contained tuned circuits to change from one fre-  ues. This type of graph is nonstandard in the
                      quency spectrum to another within the range of  sense that the ordinate is horizontal, whereas it is
                      the device’s intended operation.           usually vertical. Compare COLUMNAR GRAPH.
                   bandwidth  1. For a communications or data sig-  bar-graph meter See BAR METER.
                      nal, a measure of the amount of spectrum space  barium Symbol, Ba. An elemental metal of the al-
                      the signal occupies. Usually, it is given as the dif-  kaline-earth group. Atomic number, 56. Atomic
                      ference between the frequencies at which the sig-  weight, 137.36. It is present in some compounds
                      nal amplitude is nominally 3 dB down with  used as dielectrics (e.g., barium titanate).
                      respect to the amplitude at the center frequency.  barium-strontium oxides The combined oxides of
                      These frequencies represent the half-power  barium and strontium used as coatings of
                      points of the amplitude-versus-frequency func-  vacuum-tube cathodes to increase electron emis-
                      tion. In general, the bandwidth increases as the  sion at relatively low temperatures.
                      data rate (in bits per second, baud, or words per  barium strontium titanate A compound of bar-
                      minute) increases.  2. Also called NECESSARY  ium, strontium, oxygen, and titanium that is
                      BANDWIDTH. The minimum amount of spectrum  used as a ceramic dielectric material. It exhibits
                      space normally required for effective transmis-  ferroelectric properties and is characterized by a
                      sion and reception of a communications or data  high dielectric constant.
                      signal. 3. See BANDPASS, 1.              barium titanate Formula, BaTi0 2. A ceramic used
                   bank  A collection of usually similar components  as the dielectric in ceramic capacitors. It exhibits
                      used in conjunction with each other, usually in a  high dielectric constant and some degree of ferro-
                      parallel configuration. Some examples are resis-  electricity.
                      tor bank, lamp bank, and transformer bank.  Barkhausen effect The occurrence of minute
                   banked   transformers Parallel-operated  trans-  jumps in the magnetization of a ferromagnetic
                      formers.                                   substance as the magnetic force is increased or
                   bankwound coil A coil wound in such a way that  decreased over a continuous range.
                      most of its turns are not side by side, thus reduc-  Barkhausen interference Interference that results
                      ing the inherent distributed capacitance.  from oscillation because of the BARK-HAUSEN
                   bar  1. Abbreviation, b. The cgs unit of pressure, in  EFFECT.
                                 5
                      which 1 b = 10 pascals per square centimeter. 2.  bar magnet A relatively long permanent magnet in
                      A horizontal or vertical line produced on a televi-  the shape of a bar with a rectangular or square
                      sion (TV) screen by a bar generator and used to  cross section.
                      check linearity.  3. A thick plate of piezoelectric  bar meter  A digital meter that displays a quan-
                      crystal. 4. A solid metal conductor, usually unin-  tity, such as signal strength, incrementally, us-
                      sulated, of any cross section.  5. A silicon ingot  ing a set of LEDs or LCDs arranged in a straight
                      from which semiconductor devices can be fabri-  line. Its main advantage is that it has no moving
                      cated.                                     parts, yet (unlike direct-readout digital meters)
                   BAR Abbreviation of BUFFER ADDRESS REGIS-     gives the viewer some impression of the way a
                      TER.                                       rapidly fluctuating quantity changes. Its chief
                   bar code  A printed pattern that contains data that
                      can be recovered by laser scanning. It is com-
                      monly used for the pricing and identification of
                      store merchandise. It can also be used by an as-
                      sembly or maintenance robot as an aid to identi-
                      fying tools.
                   bar-code reader A laser scanning device that re-
                      covers the data from a tag that contains a BAR
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