IMPORTANT ELECTRONICS TERMS

 AC - Alternating Current
 ADC - Analog to Digital Converter
 AFC - Automatic Frequency Control
 AM - Amplitude Modulation
 AMPS - Advanced Mobile Phone System
 ASIC - Application-Specific Integrated Circuit
 BJT - Bipolar Junction Transistor
 BNC - Bayonet Neill-Concelman
 CAD - Computer-Aided Design
 CC - Constant Current
 CCFL - Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp
 CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access
 CMOS - Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor
 CNC - Computer Numerical Control
 CPU - Central Processing Unit
 CRT - Cathode Ray Tube
 DAC - Digital to Analog Converter
 DC - Direct Current
 DIP - Dual In-line Package
 DRAM - Dynamic Random Access Memory
 DSL - Digital Subscriber Line
 DSP - Digital Signal Processor
 DVI - Digital Visual Interface
 EEPROM - Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
 EMI - Electromagnetic Interference
 EPROM - Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
 ESD - Electrostatic Discharge
 FET - Field Effect Transistor
 FFT - Fast Fourier Transform
 FPGA - Field Programmable Gate Array
 FR - Flame Retardant
 GND - Ground
 GPRS - General Packet Radio Service
 GSM - Global System for Mobile communications
 HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface
 IC - Integrated Circuit
 IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
 IGBT - Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor
 IR - Infrared
 ISP - In-System Programming
 I2C - Inter-Integrated Circuit
 JTAG - Joint Test Action Group
 LCD - Liquid Crystal Display
 LED - Light Emitting Diode
 LVDT - Linear Variable Differential Transformer
 MCU - Microcontroller Unit
 MOSFET - Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor
 MPEG - Moving Picture Experts Group
 MTBF - Mean Time Between Failures
 MTTR - Mean Time to Repair
 NFC - Near Field Communication
 NPN - Negative-Positive-Negative
 NTSC - National Television System Committee
 OFDM - Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing
 OLED - Organic Light Emitting Diode
 OPAMP - Operational Amplifier
 PAL - Phase Alternating Line
 PCB - Printed Circuit Board
 PDP - Plasma Display Panel
 PIN - Positive-Intrinsic-Negative
 PLL - Phase-Locked Loop
 PMOS - Positive Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor
 POTS - Plain Old Telephone Service
 PPTC - Positive Temperature Coefficient
 PWM - Pulse Width Modulation
 QAM - Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
 QPSK - Quadrature Phase Shift Keying
 RAM - Random Access Memory
 RF - Radio Frequency
 RFI - Radio Frequency Interference
 RMS - Root Mean Square
 ROM - Read-Only Memory
 RS - Recommended Standard
 RTC - Real-Time Clock
 RTD - Resistance Temperature Detector
 RTL - Register Transfer Level
 RX - Receiver
 SCL - Serial Clock
 SDRAM - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
 SERDES - Serializer/Deserializer
 SMD - Surface-Mount Device
 SMPS - Switched-Mode Power Supply
 SNR - Signal-to-Noise Ratio
 SPI - Serial Peripheral Interface
 SRAM - Static Random Access Memory
 SSD - Solid-State Drive
 TFT - Thin-Film Transistor
 TTL - Transistor-Transistor Logic
  TX - Transmitter
 UART - Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter
 UDP - User Datagram Protocol
 USB - Universal Serial Bus
 VHDL - VHSIC Hardware Description Language
 VHSIC - Very High-Speed Integrated Circuit
 VLSI - Very-Large-Scale Integration
 VSS - Virtual Switching System
 Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity
 ZIF - Zero Insertion Force
 ZVS - Zero Voltage Switching
 ZVT - Zero Voltage Transition

ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS & MEASUREMENTS

 Voltage (V):

 Measurement: The electric potential difference between two points.

 Instrument: Voltmeter.
 Working: Measures the difference in electric potential, typically using a high
impedance to minimize circuit impact.

 Current (I):

 Measurement: The flow of electric charge.

 Instrument: Ammeter.
 Working: Measures the flow of electric charge by detecting the magnetic field
generated by the current or by inserting a low-resistance shunt in the circuit.

 Resistance (R):

 Measurement: The opposition to the flow of current.

 Instrument: Ohmmeter.
 Working: Measures resistance by applying a small voltage and measuring the
resulting current.

 Capacitance (C):

 Measurement: The ability of a component to store charge.

 Instrument: Capacitance Meter.
 Working: Measures capacitance by charging the capacitor and measuring the
voltage and current over time.

 Inductance (L):

 Measurement: The ability of a component to induce voltage when current

changes.
 Instrument: Inductance Meter.
 Working: Measures inductance by applying an AC signal and measuring the
resulting impedance.

 Frequency (f):

 Measurement: The number of cycles of a periodic signal per second.

 Instrument: Frequency Counter.
 Working: Measures frequency by counting the number of cycles in a given time
period.
 Impedance (Z):

 Measurement: The total opposition to AC current, including resistance and

reactance.
 Instrument: Impedance Analyzer.
 Working: Measures impedance by applying an AC signal and measuring the
voltage and current phase relationship.

 Power (P):

 Measurement: The rate at which energy is used or transferred.

 Instrument: Wattmeter.
 Working: Measures power by multiplying the voltage and current and
considering the phase angle between them.

 Reactance (X):

 Measurement: The opposition to AC current due to capacitance or inductance.

 Instrument: LCR Meter.
 Working: Measures reactance by applying an AC signal and calculating the
reactive component of impedance.

 Phase (Φ):

 Measurement: The relative position of a waveform in time.

 Instrument: Phase Meter.
 Working: Measures phase difference between two signals by comparing their
zero-crossing points.

 Signal Amplitude:

 Measurement: The strength or magnitude of a signal.

 Instrument: Oscilloscope.
 Working: Visualizes signal amplitude over time by displaying voltage changes on
a screen.

 Pulse Width:

 Measurement: The duration of a pulse in a digital signal.

 Instrument: Oscilloscope.
 Working: Measures the time interval of a pulse width directly from the waveform
display.
 Duty Cycle:

 Measurement: The ratio of the pulse duration to the total period of a signal.
 Instrument: Duty Cycle Meter.
 Working: Measures the on-time versus the total period of a repeating signal.

 THD (Total Harmonic Distortion):

 Measurement: The harmonic distortion present in a signal.

 Instrument: Distortion Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the harmonics in a signal and calculates the ratio of the sum
of the powers of all harmonic components to the power of the fundamental
frequency.

 Temperature (T):

 Measurement: The thermal state of an object.

 Instrument: Thermometer or Thermocouple.
 Working: Measures temperature changes through material property changes,
such as voltage changes in a thermocouple.

 Light Intensity (Lux):

 Measurement: The amount of light per unit area.

 Instrument: Lux Meter.
 Working: Uses a light sensor to detect light intensity and convert it to a readable
value.

 Magnetic Field Strength (H):

 Measurement: The intensity of a magnetic field.

 Instrument: Gauss Meter.
 Working: Uses a Hall effect sensor to detect magnetic flux density.

 Sound Level (dB):

 Measurement: The pressure level of sound.

 Instrument: Sound Level Meter.
 Working: Uses a microphone to detect sound pressure and convert it to a
decibel reading.
 Electromagnetic Interference (EMI):

 Measurement: The interference caused by electromagnetic fields.

 Instrument: EMI Tester.
 Working: Detects and measures electromagnetic disturbances in a circuit or
environment.

 Electrostatic Discharge (ESD):

 Measurement: The sudden flow of electricity between two electrically charged

objects.
 Instrument: ESD Tester.
 Working: Measures the discharge characteristics and simulates ESD events to
test circuit protection.

 Leakage Current:

 Measurement: The unwanted current that flows through the insulation of a

device.
 Instrument: Leakage Current Tester.
 Working: Measures the small currents that leak through insulation or
components.

 Dielectric Strength:

 Measurement: The maximum electric field that a material can withstand without
breaking down.
 Instrument: Dielectric Strength Tester.
 Working: Applies a high voltage to the material and measures the point at which
breakdown occurs.

 Capacitive Reactance (Xc):

 Measurement: The opposition to AC current due to capacitance.

 Instrument: Capacitance Meter.
 Working: Measures the capacitive reactance by applying an AC signal and
measuring the resulting current.

 Inductive Reactance (Xl):

 Measurement: The opposition to AC current due to inductance.

 Instrument: Inductance Meter.
 Working: Measures the inductive reactance by applying an AC signal and
measuring the resulting voltage.
 Q Factor:

 Measurement: The quality factor of an inductor or capacitor.

 Instrument: Q Meter.
 Working: Measures the ratio of the reactance to the resistance in a resonant
circuit.

 Surface Resistivity:

 Measurement: The resistance of a material's surface.

 Instrument: Surface Resistivity Meter.
 Working: Measures the resistance of a material's surface by applying a voltage
and measuring the resulting current.

 Conductivity (σ):

 Measurement: The ability of a material to conduct electric current.

 Instrument: Conductivity Meter.
 Working: Measures conductivity by applying a voltage and measuring the
resulting current.

 Transconductance (gm):

 Measurement: The ratio of the current change at the output to the voltage
change at the input of a transistor.
 Instrument: Transistor Tester.
 Working: Measures the change in output current for a given change in input
voltage.

 Noise Figure (NF):

 Measurement: The ratio of the signal-to-noise ratio at the input to the signal-to-
noise ratio at the output.
 Instrument: Noise Figure Meter.
 Working: Measures the degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio in a device.

 S-Parameters (Scattering Parameters):

 Measurement: Describes the electrical behavior of linear RF and microwave

devices.
 Instrument: Network Analyzer.
  Working: Measures the incident and reflected power waves to determine the S-
parameters.

 Gain (G):

 Measurement: The increase in power or amplitude of a signal.

 Instrument: Gain Meter.
 Working: Measures the ratio of output power to input power in an amplifier.

 Ripple Voltage:

 Measurement: The residual periodic variation of the DC voltage within a power

supply.
 Instrument: Oscilloscope.
 Working: Measures the AC component superimposed on the DC output.

 Bandwidth (BW):

 Measurement: The range of frequencies within which a device operates

effectively.
 Instrument: Spectrum Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the frequency response and calculates the usable frequency
range.

 Propagation Delay:

 Measurement: The time it takes for a signal to travel from one point to another.
 Instrument: Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR).
 Working: Measures the time difference between the transmitted and received
signal.

 Jitter:

 Measurement: The deviation in signal timing from the ideal position.

 Instrument: Jitter Analyzer.
 Working: Measures variations in signal timing over time.

 Rise Time:

 Measurement: The time it takes for a signal to change from a low to a high
value.
 Instrument: Oscilloscope.
  Working: Measures the time interval for a signal to transition from 10% to 90% of
its final value.

 Fall Time:

 Measurement: The time it takes for a signal to change from a high to a low
value.
 Instrument: Oscilloscope.
 Working: Measures the time interval for a signal to transition from 90% to 10% of
its initial value.

 Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR):

 Measurement: The ratio of the maximum to minimum voltage in a standing wave

pattern.
 Instrument: VSWR Meter.
 Working: Measures the reflection coefficient of a transmission line or antenna.

 Electric Field Strength (E):

 Measurement: The force per unit charge in an electric field.

 Instrument: Field Strength Meter.
 Working: Measures the electric field intensity at a given point.

 Conductance (G):

 Measurement: The ability of a material to conduct electric current.

 Instrument: Conductance Meter.
 Working: Measures the inverse of resistance by applying a voltage and
measuring the current.

 Thermal Resistance:

 Measurement: The resistance to heat flow through a material.

 Instrument: Thermal Resistance Tester.
 Working: Measures the temperature difference across a material for a given
heat flow.

 Thermal Conductivity (k):

 Measurement: The ability of a material to conduct heat.

 Instrument: Thermal Conductivity Meter.
  Working: Measures the rate of heat transfer through a material.

 Humidity (RH):

 Measurement: The amount of water vapor in the air.

 Instrument: Hygrometer.
 Working: Measures humidity using sensors that detect changes in electrical
properties with moisture levels.

 Dissipation Factor (DF):

 Measurement: The loss rate of energy in a dielectric material.

 Instrument: Dissipation Factor Meter.
 Working: Measures the ratio of the real power loss to the reactive power in a
capacitor.

 Crosstalk:

 Measurement: The interference caused by signals in adjacent channels.

 Instrument: Crosstalk Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the unwanted coupling of signals between different channels
or circuits.

 Reflection Coefficient:

 Measurement: The ratio of the reflected signal power to the incident signal
power.
 Instrument: Network Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the amount of signal reflected back from a load or device.

 Transmission Coefficient:

 Measurement: The ratio of transmitted signal power to the incident signal power.
 Instrument: Network Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the amount of signal that passes through a load or device.

 Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR):

 Measurement: The ratio of signal power to noise power.

 Instrument: SNR Meter.
 Working: Measures the strength of the desired signal relative to the background
noise.

 Field-Effect Transistor (FET) Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of FETs.

  Instrument: FET Tester.
 Working: Measures parameters such as pinch-off voltage, drain current, and
transconductance.

 MOSFET Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of MOSFETs.

 Instrument: MOSFET Tester.
 Working: Measures parameters such as threshold voltage, drain current, and
transconductance.

 Triac Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of triacs.

 Instrument: Triac Tester.
 Working: Measures parameters such as gate trigger current, holding current,
and on-state voltage.

 Diode Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of diodes.

 Instrument: Diode Tester.
 Working: Measures parameters such as forward voltage, reverse current, and
breakdown voltage.

 Optocoupler Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of optocouplers.

 Instrument: Optocoupler Tester.
 Working: Measures parameters such as current transfer ratio and isolation
voltage.

 Photoresistor Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of photoresistors.

 Instrument: Photoresistor Tester.
 Working: Measures resistance changes in response to light intensity.

 Piezoelectric Sensor Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of piezoelectric sensors.

 Instrument: Piezoelectric Tester.
 Working: Measures voltage output in response to mechanical stress.

 Strain Gauge Parameters:

  Measurement: Various electrical parameters of strain gauges.
 Instrument: Strain Gauge Tester.
 Working: Measures resistance changes in response to mechanical strain.

 Thermistor Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of thermistors.

 Instrument: Thermistor Tester.
 Working: Measures resistance changes in response to temperature changes.

 Zener Diode Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of Zener diodes.

 Instrument: Zener Diode Tester.
 Working: Measures Zener voltage and reverse current characteristics.

 SCR Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of silicon-controlled rectifiers

(SCRs).
 Instrument: SCR Tester.
 Working: Measures parameters such as gate trigger current, holding current,
and on-state voltage.

 Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of ADCs.

 Instrument: ADC Tester.
 Working: Measures parameters such as resolution, sampling rate, and linearity.

 Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of DACs.

 Instrument: DAC Tester.
 Working: Measures parameters such as resolution, update rate, and linearity.

 Transformer Parameters:

 Measurement: Various electrical parameters of transformers.

 Instrument: Transformer Tester.
 Working: Measures parameters such as turns ratio, impedance, and leakage
inductance.

 Power Factor (PF):

  Measurement: The ratio of real power to apparent power.
 Instrument: Power Factor Meter.
 Working: Measures the phase difference between voltage and current to
calculate power factor.

 Electromotive Force (EMF):

 Measurement: The voltage generated by a source such as a battery or

generator.
 Instrument: EMF Meter.
 Working: Measures the open-circuit voltage of a source.

 Step Response:

 Measurement: The response of a system to a step input.

 Instrument: Oscilloscope.
 Working: Measures the output signal when a step voltage is applied to the input.

 Pulse Response:

 Measurement: The response of a system to a pulse input.

 Instrument: Oscilloscope.
 Working: Measures the output signal when a pulse voltage is applied to the
input.

 Total Harmonic Distortion (THD):

 Measurement: The distortion in a signal due to harmonics.

 Instrument: THD Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the harmonic content of a signal and calculates the ratio to
the fundamental frequency.

 Dynamic Range:

 Measurement: The ratio of the largest to smallest signal a system can handle.
 Instrument: Dynamic Range Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the range of input signals that can be accurately processed
by a system.

 Gain Margin:
  Measurement: The amount by which gain can be increased before a system
becomes unstable.
 Instrument: Bode Plot Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the frequency response to determine gain margin.

 Phase Margin:

 Measurement: The amount by which phase can be increased before a system

becomes unstable.
 Instrument: Bode Plot Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the frequency response to determine phase margin.

 Noise Margin:

 Measurement: The difference between the minimum signal level and the
maximum noise level that a system can tolerate.
 Instrument: Noise Margin Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the signal and noise levels to calculate noise margin.

 Signal Integrity:

 Measurement: The quality of an electrical signal.

 Instrument: Signal Integrity Analyzer.
 Working: Measures parameters like timing, amplitude, and noise to assess
signal integrity.

 Return Loss:

 Measurement: The loss of signal power due to reflections.

 Instrument: Network Analyzer.
 Working: Measures the reflected signal power to calculate return loss.