Page 81 - The Illustrated Dictionary of Electronics

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66 battery • beacon

VOLTAIC CELL, PRIMARY BATTERY, and STOR- length, the interpretation of which depends on
AGE BATTERY. the history of the previous transmission or an ad-
battery acid 1. A chemical acid, such as sulfuric ditional case bit.
acid, used as the electrolyte of a battery. 2. Collo- baud rate 1. A colloquial expression for data speed
quially, any cell or battery electrolyte, whether in BAUD. 2. Colloquial, and technically inaccu-
acid, base, or salt. rate, expression for data speed in BITS PER SEC-
battery capacity The current-supplying capability OND.
of a battery, usually expressed in ampere-hours Baume (Antione Baume, 1728–1804). Abbreviation,
(Ah). Be. Pertaining to the Baume scales for hydrome-
battery cell See CELL, 1. ters. The two such scales are for liquids heavier
battery charger 1. A specialized dc power supply, than water and for liquids lighter than water.
usually embodying a stepdown transformer, rec- bay One of several sections of a directional an-
tifier, and filter. It is used to charge a storage bat- tenna array.
tery from an ac power line. 2. A motor-generator bayonet base The insertable portion of a plug-in
combination used to charge a storage battery component (e.g., a lamp) that has a projecting pin
from an ac power line. 3. A combination of solar that fits into a slot or keyway in the shell of the
cells, generators, or other voltaic transducers, socket into which the component is inserted.
that are used to charge a storage battery with dc bayonet socket A socket with a suitably slotted
obtained from a nonelectrical energy source. shell for receiving the bayonet base of a plug-in
battery clip 1. A heavy-duty metallic clamp that is component.
used for quick, temporary connection to a large bazooka A linear BALUN, in which a quarter wave-
cell terminal, such as that of a lead-acid storage length of metal sleeving surrounds a coaxial
battery. 2. A small connector of the snap-fastener feeder, and is shorted to the outer conductor of
type, used for quick connection to a small power the feeder to form a shorted quarter-wave section.
source, such as a transistor-radio battery. bb Abbreviation of BLACKBODY.
battery eliminator A specialized dc power supply, BBC Abbreviation of British Broadcasting Corpora-
usually embodying a transformer, rectifier, and tion.
filter, that permits battery-powered equipment to BBM Abbreviation of BREAK BEFORE MAKE.
be operated from an ac power line. b-box The index register of a computer.
battery holder 1. A case or container of any kind BC Abbreviation of BROADCAST.
for holding a cell or battery. 2. A shelf for holding BCD Abbreviation of BINARY-CODED DECIMAL.
a cell or battery. 3. A small, metal bracket-type BCFSK Abbreviation of BINARY CODE FRE-
device for holding a cell or battery between two QUENCY-SHIFT KEYING.
contacts. B channel One of the channels of a two-channel
battery life 1. The ampere-hour or watt-hour ca- stereophonic system. Compare A CHANNEL.
pacity of a battery. 2. The number of times that a BCI Abbreviation of BROADCAST INTERFERENCE.
rechargeable electrochemical battery can be cy- BCL Amateur radio abbreviation of BROADCAST
cled before it becomes unusable. 3. The nominal LISTENER.
length of time (e.g., hours, days, or weeks) that an BCN Abbreviation of BEACON.
electrochemical battery will function effectively in BCO Abbreviation of BINARY-CODED OCTAL.
a given application before it must be discarded or BCST Abbreviation of BROADCAST.
recharged. BDC Abbreviation of BINARY DECIMAL COUNTER.
battery memory See MEMORY DRAIN. B display A radar display in which the target is
battery receiver A usually portable radio or televi- represented by a bright spot on a rectangular-
sion receiver operated from self-contained batter- coordinate screen. Compare A DISPLAY and J
ies. DISPLAY.
battery substitute See BATTERY ELIMINATOR. Be Symbol for BERYLLIUM.
bat wing On a television (TV) or frequency-modula- Be Abbreviation of BAUME.
tion (FM) broadcast receiving antenna, a metallic beacon 1. A beam of radio waves, or a radio signal,
element with a shape that resembles that of a that is used for navigation and/or direction find-
bat’s wing. ing. 2. A transmitter that radiates a beam of radio
baud A unit of communications processing speed waves, or a radio signal, as an aid in navigation
in telegraphy and digital data communications and/or direction finding. 3. A signal transmitted
systems. Often confused with bits per second continuously on a specific frequency, to help ra-
(bps). Baud refers to the number of times per sec- dio operators ascertain propagation conditions.
ond that a signal changes state. The speed in bps 4. A station or transmitter that generates and ra-
is generally higher than the speed in baud, some- diates a signal to help radio operators determine
times by a factor of several times. Compare BITS propagation conditions. 5. In robotics, a device or
PER SECOND. system that aids in navigation. For example, tri-
Baudot code A machine communications code corner reflectors can be positioned in strategic
that uses five parallel binary digits of equal locations, and a mobile robot equipped with a