The world of electrical engineering is complex, and we understand you might not be familiar with all the terms we use. We’ve created this lexicon to help our clients, who may not be in our field, speak the language of the electronics engineering industry. If you have any questions, we are always eager to help!
A
4-20mA Current Loop: Widely used control signal and prevailing method for transferring information. Zero is represented by 4mA, and full scale is represented by 20mA.
Accelerometer: This sensor detects a change in velocity by detecting a change in applied force. Thus, this sensor not only detects a change in velocity, but also detects orientation relative to gravity. This type of sensor is common in cell phones as it allows a cell phone app to create a level function by reading the built-in accelerometer. It is also how the cell phone knows to change the screen orientation when you rotate the cell phone.
Altium: The leading software tool for electronic design automation, specifically created for schematic capture and designing printed circuit boards.
Analog: Analog electronics refers to signals represented by a continuously variable physical quantity. Some examples include sensor signals, motor control voltage, and current signals that are variable voltage and current as needed.
ASCII: American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The standard character coding used in most systems and PCs. See also: EBCDIC
B
Baud rate: Named for Émile Baudot, inventor and French telegraph engineer, Baud is the rate in bits per second in a serial transmission line.
Binary: Refers to the Base 2 number system that represents data only through 0s and 1s.
Bit: The smallest digital entity is the bit. It is either 0 or 1. A bit can only represent two states, such as on or off.
bPS: bits Per Second. Note the lowercase b for “bits”; in some instances, the upper- and lower-case B is not implemented correctly; the measurement of how fast data is being transferred — the higher the bPS, the faster the communication.
BPS: Bytes Per Second. Note the uppercase B for “Bytes”; in some instances, the upper- and lower-case B is not implemented correctly; the measurement of how fast data is being transferred — the higher the BPS, the faster the communication.
Byte: A byte is 8 bits. An unsigned byte can represent any number from 0 to 255. A signed byte can represent any number from -127 to +128.
C
COTS: Commercial Off The Shelf. Products that are commercially available without a custom design or custom production.
Chip: Slang for IC (Integrated Circuit).
Cleanroom: The globally accepted ISO standard for critical manufacturing steps; it defines the maximum number of permissible airborne particles per cubic meter of air.
CO: Central Office. In wired telephone service, every telephone instrument must have voltage (typically 48VDC) and current available to operate. This comes from the nearest CO, and the CO houses the equipment to interpret dialing and automatically connect calls either locally (within the same CO) or intralata or interlata, or internationally.
Cryptanalyst: A person who specializes in decrypting, especially surreptitiously decrypting, messages not intended for that person. This role is common in the military.
Cryptography: The art and act of encrypting messages or data to keep it secret.
Current Loop: An electronic signaling method more tolerant of electronic noise than voltage signaling. Since voltage can vary over a signaling wire, and current is the same everywhere in a circuit, signaling with a variable current is more reliable.
D
DC to light: A common reference to the entire electromagnetic spectrum.
DFM: Design For Manufacturing. An important aspect of any design, especially designs intended for volume production. DFM refers to intentional electronic designs with the production end goal in mind.
Digital: Digital electronics use binary (0 or 1) in combinations to represent information. There are only two states in digital electronics. As a serial bit stream, the voltage is a square wave, as contrasted with analog electronics, where the information is in the voltage level.
Distributor: An agent who supplies components. See also: Vendor
Doppler effect: When a sound or wave changes pitch because the source is moving toward you or away from you. The Doppler effect is present in any wave: sound, radio, seismic, and light waves.
DTMF: Dual Tone Multi Frequency. The tone dialing system that replaced rotary dialing.
E
EBCDIC: Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code. An alternative to ASCII developed by IBM in the 1960s.
EOL: End Of Life. When a chip or other component is no longer produced, it has reached EOL. Often, gray market vendors will find or have unused stock of a specific part, and the part will be available until their stock is depleted.
F
Firmware: Software that is specially coded into the hardware of a device, controlling the components for an intended function.
G
Gray Market: Distributors that are not licensed for a given product but still stock the product for sale.
Gyroscope / Gyroscopic sensor: A sensor that detects angular velocity. The way a gyroscope works is much like how a bicycle tire helps the bicycle rider stay upright. When the tire is not rotating, the bike will easily tip from side to side, but when the tires are rotating, they resist any change in tipping or turning. Similarly, a spinning disk tends to hold a fixed orientation, allowing the sensor to detect any change in the direction of the central axis of the spinning disk. This principle allows the calculation of guidance information for any moving object.
H
Hardware: The physical components of a device.
Hexadecimal / Hex: The Base 16 number system that is comprised of 16 unique symbols that represent numbers, instead of using the standard decimal system. Often numbers are used to represent 0-9, and letters A-F are used to represent 10-16. This creates a more concise system for representing code in computing.
I
IC: Integrated Circuit. Also commonly referred to as a “chip” because it is typically made of a chip of silicon substrate.
IoT: Internet of Things. As more and more sensors are deployed in everyday applications, and running wires to sensors is labor-intensive at best, sensors are becoming connected wirelessly. Sometimes the sensors are on local RF connections, which is common for door and window sensors in home security systems. In some cases, sensors are on local WiFi networks using TCP/ IP protocol. These sensors have joined the Internet of Things.
IPC-A-610: The universal electronic assembly acceptance standard; includes three tiers of criteria, Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3, with Class 3 having the highest standards for safety and reliability.
ITU: International Telecommunications Union. The body responsible for assigning telephone country codes.
L
Landline: Wired telephone service, contrasted with cell phone service.
Lidar / Light Detection And Ranging: The same as Radar, but with light waves instead of radio waves.
LTSpice: A freeware SPICE-based software that is widely used in the electronics industry. This analog circuit simulation tool aids in circuit design before physically laying out the board.
M
MEMS: Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems. Microscopic transducers, sensors, and actuators that are literally moving parts at a microscopically small scale inside an integrated circuit. This allows sensors such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, and pressure sensors to be contained in a small chip. Typically, such chips contain 3-axis gyroscopes and 3-axis accelerometers, all contained in a single chip.
N
NADP: North American Dialing Plan. The publication that guides all telephone number assignments in North America.
NRND: Not Recommended for New Designs. This means that a chip or component is nearing EOL but is not there yet. If this part is designed into a new product, then the production of your product may be impeded by a scarcity of the part’s availability in the near future.
O
Octal: The base-8 number system that uses numbers 0-7.
Open / Electrical Open: When the electrical current is not flowing in the circuit as designed, which usually means that the intended function of the circuit is not operational.
P
PCA / PCBA / CCA: Printed Circuit Assembly / Printed Circuit Board Assembly / Circuit Card Assembly. A printed circuit board with the parts soldered on.
PCB / PWB: Printed Circuit Board / Printed Wiring Board. A circuit board without components; a custom-designed piece on which you mount all of the components of your custom-designed circuit.
POTS: Plain Old Telephone Service. A wired telephone service without the now common features of Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, and so on.
PQC: Post Quantum Cryptography. With the development of quantum computing, current cybersecurity methods will be easily defeated by quantum computers. New algorithms that are deployable on today’s digital computers can secure your data into the future.
Pressure sensor: A type of sensor that detects pressure and can be used to detect hydraulic, pneumatic (air), weight, and other pressures.
Q
Quantum Computing: Current binary, digital uP devices are just that — digital. Their speed is limited by their binary digital nature. Quantum computing employs QBITs, which are basically analog bits. This results in exponentially faster computing speeds. Widespread availability of quantum computers is expected by the 2030s, so they are not that far in the future.
R
Radar: Radio Detection And Ranging. Radio waves are sent out from a transmitting antenna. These radio waves are reflected from an object. A receiving antenna (possibly the same as the transmitting antenna multiplexed) determines the distance to the object by measuring the TOF (Time Of Flight). With multiple distance measuring returns, the direction and speed of the object may be determined. Additionally, with modern processing of the reflected signal, the size and shape of the reflecting object may be determined.
RF: Radio Frequency. As the frequency of the analog voltage signal increases, it reaches the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is commonly referred to as radio frequency. A frequency as low as 3-30Hz can be used for radio, with high power to communicate with submarines. So, really, any frequency can be used as a radio frequency.
Rotary dialing: When direct dialing was first introduced for telephones, the method of dialing was to place a finger in the rotary dial on the digit to be dialed, rotate your finger to the stop point, and remove your finger. Under spring drive, the dial would return to the home position while causing pulses on the telephone line corresponding to the digit dialed. The digit 0 took the longest. Since 0 pulses cannot be used, 10 pulses represented the dialed digit 0.
S
Safety Signaling: Since a safety signal protects the safety of people and equipment, it is paramount that it is fail-safe and reliable. The common way to accomplish this is by having the “safe” condition be an active current signal. This way, if the wire is cut or shorted, the current stops, and an unsafe condition is declared. If the unsafe condition were to be indicated by a current, then a cut or shorted wire would prevent the unsafe condition from being recognized.
Sensor Signal: Typically, sensors have analog outputs. Sensors detect the magnitude of the property being sensed. This property may be light, sound, temperature, humidity, weight, or other physical properties.
Short / Electrical Short: Whenever the electrical current is flowing in a path that is different from the intended one. This normally means that the intended function of the circuit is not operational.
SMT / SMD: Surface Mount Technology / Surface Mount Device. A reliable electronic assembly technique where electronic components are surface-mounted on a PCB. This method results in higher performance, tighter layouts, and automated circuit board assembly.
Software: The coding, or instructions, that communicate functions to a device.
SPICE: Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis. An industry-standard computer simulation tool used to determine a circuit’s behavior in the design phase, before physical development. At Above Average Outcomes, LTSpice is our software choice.
T
THT / TH / THD: Through Hole Technology / Through Hole Device. A reliable and proven method for which electronic components are mounted on a PCB. Leads are placed through holes in the PCB and soldered onto pads on the opposite side of the PCB, resulting in reliable connections and stronger mechanical bonds.
U
uP: Microprocessor. The brain of your product; the common reference for “micro” is the Greek Mu — µ — and a lower-case “u” is often used to represent the Greek Mu.
V
Vendor: One who stocks components.
W
Word: A digital word can be any length in common use in any given system. Typically, a word is 16 to 64 bits.