Electronic Engineering Dictionary

Gain. Any increase in the strength of a signal. The ratio of output current, voltage, or power to input current, voltage, or power, respectively. The ratio of the magnitude of an output signal compared to the input signal. Also see Antenna Gain.

Gain-Bandwidth Product. The number that results when the gain of a circuit is multiplied by the bandwidth of that circuit. For an operational amplifier, the gain-bandwidth product for one configuration will always equal the gain-bandwidth product for any other configuration of the same amplifier.

Gain Block. A component that provides amplification, which normally contains additional circuitry in addition to a simple amplifier.

Gallium Arsenide. [GaAs] a compound of the two elements Gallium [Ga] and Arsenic [As]. GaAs is normally used with high power or high frequency components [examples diode mixer 1N5764 or power rectifier 1N6751]. For current devices in production see individual Component pages. Also refer to the Periodic Table of Elements on the companion site.

Galvanic Isolation. The separation in movement of charge-carrying particles from one section to another. A current moving in one section of a circuit does not flow in another section of the circuit. Isolation between the ground reference of two power systems such that the potential difference between the two ground references, up to some maximum voltage, would not cause damage or interference to normal operations.

Galvanometer. A meter used to measure small values of current by electromagnetic or electrodynamic means.

Gamma. The transistor emitter-to-base current ratio in a common-collector configuration. Gamma Ray; Emissions of a specific frequency produced from sub-atomic particle interaction.

Ganged Tuning. The process used to tune two or more circuits with a single control. Also refer to Capacitor Ganged Tuning [part of the dictionary of capacitor terms.

Gapped Clock. A periodic clock stream which is missing clock pulses at arbitrary intervals for arbitrary lengths of time. A clock signal which has had one or more clock pulses removed from the series.

Garble. An error in transmission or reception, that results in incorrect or un-decryptable information.

Gas Discharge Tube. A gas filled tube that illuminates by ionizing the gas within the tube with an applied voltage.

Gas Filled Tube. Gas Tube. A two-electrode vacuum tube with a cathode and plate. The evacuated tube contains a small amount of gas, such as neon, which is sealed inside the tube. When sufficient voltage is applied to the tube, ionization of the gas molecules occurs and is responsible for the current passing through the tube during operation.

Gas Filled Tube

Gasket. A preformed shapeable component that is placed between two adjoining parts to prevent electromagnetic radiation into or escaping from an enclosure or system.

Gate. As applied to logic circuitry, one of several different types of electronic devices that will provide a particular output when specified input conditions are satisfied. Gate; as in AND Gate, OR Gate, NOR Gate, NAND Gate or Inverter [shown to the right]. Also, a circuit in which a signal switches another signal on or off [see Gate Pulse]. The electrode associated with the region in which the electric field due to the control voltage is effective [see FET].

Gate Turn-off Thyristor. [GTO] A Thyristor that may be turned on or off by a signal applied to the gate, as opposed to only being turned on with a normal thyristor. Also refer to GTO Thyristor Manufacturers for a list of vendors.

Gated AGC. Circuit that permits automatic gain control to function only during short time intervals.

Gated-Beam Detector. An FM demodulator that uses a special gated-beam tube to limit, detect, and amplify the received FM signal. Also known as a quadrature detector.

Gate Terminal. [G]. The gate lead of a Field Effect Transistor.

Gating. The process of selecting those portions of a wave that exist during one or more selected time intervals or that have magnitudes between selected limits. Also, the application of a specific waveform to perform electronic switching.

Gate Pulse. A signal pulse use to gate or allow another signal through a circuit.

Gauge. The thickness of a wire, as in the American Wire Gauge.

Gaussian Noise. Noise whose amplitude is characterized by the normal distribution.

Gender Changer. A component that changes the Gender of a connector or cable assembly. An SMA male to female gender changer is shown to the right. Refer to the full Gender Changer Definition.

Generator. A machine that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy by applying the principle of magnetic induction. A machine that produces ac or dc voltage, depending on the original design.

Germanium. Symbol Ge in the periodic table. A grayish-white metal having semiconductor properties, similar to tin. Many transistors once used Germanium as the semiconductor material [example Germanium diodes; 1N270, 1N276, 1N277, 1N3287 and Germanium transistors 2N384, 2N539, 2N1120].

Germanium Photodiode. A germanium-based PN- or PIN-junction photodiode.