| Abbreviation |
Description |
| A
(amp) |
Ampere |
| AC |
Alternating current |
| AC/DC |
Alternating current or direct current |
| A/D |
Analog to digital |
| ADC |
Analog-to-digital converter |
| AF |
Audio frequency |
| AFT |
Automatic fine tunung |
| AFC |
Automatic frequency control |
| AFC |
Automatic flow controller, used in controlling the flow of
gasses under pressure into a vacuum system |
| AGC |
Automatic gain control |
| Ah |
Ampere hour |
| Ai |
Current gain |
| AM |
Amplitude modulation |
| AM/FM |
Amplitude modulation or Frequency modulation |
| AMM |
Analog multimeter |
| antilog |
Antilogarithm |
| Ap |
Power gain |
| apc |
Automatic phase control |
| Av |
Voltage gain |
| AVC |
Automatic volume control |
| AWG |
American wire gauge |
| B |
Flux density |
| BCD |
Binary coded decimal |
| bfo |
Beat frequency oscillator |
| BJT |
Bipolar junction transistor |
| BW |
Bandwidth |
| c |
Centi (10-2) |
| C |
Capacitance or capacitor |
| CAD |
Computer aided design |
| CAM |
Computer aided manufacture |
| CATV |
Cable TV |
| CB |
Common base configuration |
| CB |
Citizen's band |
| CC |
Common collector |
| CE |
Common emitter |
| cm |
Centimeter |
| cmil |
Circular mil |
| CPU |
Central processing unit |
| C (Q) |
Coulomb |
| CR cr |
Junction diode |
| CRO |
Cathode ray oscilloscope |
| CRT |
Cathode ray tube |
| CT |
Total capacitance |
| cw |
Continuous transmission |
| d |
Deci (10-1) |
| D/A or D-A |
Digital to analog |
| DC |
Direct current |
| Di or ?i |
Change in current |
| DIP |
Dual in-line package |
| DMM |
Digital multimeter |
| DPDT |
Double pole double throw |
| Dt or ?t |
Change in time |
| DTL |
Diode transistor logic |
| Dv or ?v |
Change in voltage |
| DVM |
Digital voltmeter |
| E DC or Erms |
Difference in potential |
| e |
Instantaneous difference in potential |
| ECG |
Electrocardiogram |
| ECL |
Emitter coupled logic |
| EHF |
Extremely high frequency |
| EHV |
Extra high voltage |
| ELF |
Extremely low frequency |
| EMF |
Electromotive force |
| EMI |
Electromagnetic interference |
| EW |
Electronic warfare |
| f |
Frequency |
| FET |
Field effect transistor |
| FF |
Flip Flop |
| fil |
Filament |
| FM |
Frequncy modulation |
| fr |
Frequency at resonance |
| fsk |
frequency-shift keying |
| FSD |
Full scale deflection |
| G |
Gravitational force |
| G |
Conductance |
| G |
Giga (109) |
| H |
Henry |
| H |
Magnetic field intensity |
| H |
Magnetizing flux |
| h |
hecto (102) |
| h |
Hybrid |
| HF |
High frequency |
| hp |
Horsepower |
| Hz |
Hertz |
| I |
Current |
| i |
Instantaneous current |
| IB |
DC Base current |
| IC |
DC Collector current |
| IC |
Integrated circuit |
| Ie |
Total emitter current |
| Ieff |
Effective current |
| IF |
Intermediate frequency |
| Imax |
Maximum current |
| Imin |
Minimum current |
| I/O |
Input/output |
| IR |
Infrared |
| IR |
Resistor current |
| IS |
Secondary current |
| IT |
Total current |
| JFET |
Junction field effedt transistor |
| K |
Coefficient of coupling |
| k |
Kilo (103) |
| kHz |
Kilohertz |
| kV |
Kilovolt |
| kVA |
Kilovoltampere |
| kW |
Kilowatt |
| kWh |
Kilowatt-hour |
| L |
Coil, inductance |
| LC |
Inductance-capacitance |
| LCD |
Liquid crystal display |
| L-C-R |
Inductance-capacitance-resistance |
| LDR |
Light-dependent resistor |
| LED |
Light emitting diode |
| LF |
Low frequency |
| LM |
Mutual inductance |
| LNA |
Low noise amplifier |
| LO |
Local oscillator |
| LSI |
Large scale integration |
| LT |
Total inductance |
| M |
Mega (106) |
| M |
Mutual conductance |
| M |
Mutual inductance |
| m |
Milli (10-3) |
| mA |
Milliampere |
| mag |
Magnetron |
| max |
Maximum |
| MF |
Medium frequency |
| mH |
Millihenry |
| MHz |
Megahertz |
| min |
Minimum |
| mm |
Millimeter |
| mmf |
Magnetomotive force |
| MOS |
Metal oxide semiconductor |
| MOSFET |
Metal oxide semiconductor field effect
transistor |
| MPU |
Microprocessor unit (?P) |
| MSI |
Medium scale integrated circuit |
| mV |
Millivolt |
| mW |
Milliwatt |
| N |
Number of turns in an inductor |
| N |
Revolutions per minute |
| n |
Nano (10-9) |
| N |
Negative |
| nA |
Nanoampere |
| NC |
Normally closed |
| NC |
No connection |
| NEG, neg |
Negative |
| nF |
Nanofarad |
| nH |
Nanohenry |
| nm |
Nanometer |
| NO |
Normally open |
| NPN |
Negative-positive-negative |
| ns |
Nanosecond |
| nW |
Nanowatt |
| OP AMP |
Operational amplifier |
| P |
Pico (10-12) |
| P |
Power |
| p |
Instantaneous power |
| P |
Positive, also peak |
| PA |
Public address or power amplifier |
| pA |
Picoampere |
| PAM, pam |
Pulse amplitude modulation |
| Pap |
Apparent power |
| Pav |
Average power |
| PCB |
Printed circuit board |
| PCM, pcm |
Pulse-code modulation |
| PDM |
Pulse-duration modulation |
| pF |
Picofarad |
| PLL |
Phase locked loop |
| PM |
Phase modulation, also Permanent magnet |
| PNP |
Positive-negative-positive |
| POT, pot |
Potentiometer |
| P-P |
Peak to peak |
| PPM |
Pulse-position modulation |
| PRF |
Pulse repetition frequency |
| PRT |
Pulse repetition time |
| pw |
Pulse width |
| PWM, pwm |
Pulse width modulation |
| Q |
Charge, also quality |
| q |
Instantaneous charge |
| R |
Potentiometer |
| R |
Resistance |
| RAM |
Random access memory |
| RC |
Resistance-capacitance, also Radio controlled |
| rcvr |
Receiver |
| rect |
Rectifier |
| ref |
Reference |
| rf |
Radio frequencies |
| RF |
Radio frequencies |
| RFI |
Radio frequency interference |
| RL |
Load resistor |
| RLC |
Resistance-capacitance-inductance |
| RMS, rms |
Root mean square |
| ROM |
Read only memory |
| rpm |
Revolutions per minute |
| SCR |
Silicon controlled rectifier |
| SHF |
Super high frequency |
| SIP |
Single in-line package |
| SNR |
Signal-to-noise ratio |
| SPDT |
Single pole double throw |
| sq cm |
Square centimeter |
| SSB |
Single sideband |
| SW |
Short wave |
| SWR |
Standing-wave ratio |
| SYNC, sync |
Synchronous |
| T |
Tera (1012) |
| T |
Torque |
| T |
Transformer |
| t |
Time in seconds |
| TC |
Time constant, also temperature coefficient |
| TE |
Transverse electric |
| temp |
Temperature |
| THz |
Terahertz |
| TM |
Transverse magnetic |
| TR |
Transmit-receive |
| TTL |
Transistor-transistor logic |
| TV |
Television |
| TWT |
Travelling wave tube |
| UHF |
Ultra high frequency |
| UHV |
Ultra high voltage |
| UJT |
Unijunction transistor |
| UV |
Ultraviolet |
| V |
Vacuum tube |
| V, v |
Volt |
| v |
Instantaneous voltage |
| VA |
Volt ampere |
| Vav |
Voltage (average value) |
| VBE |
DC voltage base to emitter |
| Vc |
Capacitive voltage |
| VCE |
DC voltage collector to emitter |
| VCO |
Voltage controlled oscillator |
| VHF |
Very high frequency |
| Vin |
Input voltage |
| VL |
Inductive voltage |
| VLF |
Very low frequency |
| Vm, Vmax |
Maximum voltage |
| VOM |
Volt ohm milliameter |
| Vout |
Output voltage |
| Vp |
Primary voltage |
| VS |
Source voltage |
| VSWR |
Voltage standing wave ratio |
| VT |
Total voltage |
| W |
Watt |
| XC |
Capacitive reactance |
| XL |
Inductive reactance |
| Y |
Admittance |
| Z |
Impedance |
| Zin |
Input impedance |
| Zo |
Output impedance |
| Zp |
Primary impedance |
| Zs |
Secondary impedance |
| ZT |
Total impedance |
| ° |
Degrees |
| °C |
Degrees centigrade or celcius |
| °F |
Degrees farenheit |