Definitions of Technical Terms
"A" "B" "C", "D", "E", "F", "G", "H", "I", "J", "K", "L", "M",
"N", "O", "P", "Q", "R", "S", "T", "U", "V", "W", "X", "Y", "Z"

"T" to "Ter", "Tes", "Thermb" to "Top", "Tor" to "Transf",
"Trans" to "Tre", "Triac" to "Tub", "Tun" to "Tz"

Triac. A three-terminal device that is similar to two SCRs back to back with a common gate and common terminals. Although similar in construction and operation to the SCR, the triac controls and conducts current flow during both alternations of an ac cycle. [Manufacturers of Triacs]

Triangle Wave. Periodic Waveform having a slow linear rise time followed by a slow linear fall time. Also refer to a Triangle Wave Oscillator Circuit.

Triax. A conductor surrounded by an insulator and shield which is also covered by another insulator and shield

Triaxial Cable. A cable using three [tri] signal lines or conductors, cables are axial type by definition [leads coming out the long axis of the component]. Types or examples of Triax Cable.

Trickle Charge. A charge at a low rate, balancing through self-discharge losses, to maintain a cell or battery in a fully charged condition.

Trigger. A short pulse, either positive or negative, that can be used to cause an electronic function to take place.

Trigger Generator. A circuit that generates a trigger pulse. Refer to Synchronizer.

Trigger Level. The voltage level at which a circuit responds to a trigger pulse.

Triggering. Using a pulse or some other signal to start an event or capture an event.

Trigger Pulses. A pulse used to cause a circuit to perform some function.

Trimmer. A circuit element or component used to make adjustments in a circuit. A variable resistor or capacitor used to make circuit adjustments. A Trimmer may be contained in a number of different packages, as seen in the Resistor Trimmer graphic to the right.

Triode. Any component that has three electrodes; for example, a transistor, FET or triode tube.

Triode Tube. A three-electrode electron tube containing a plate, a cathode, and a control grid. The plate is the top electrode, and control grid is the center electrode, and the cathode is the bottom electrode. Also refer to Vacuum Tube Classifications or the Vacuum Tube Definition page.

Astable Multivibrator using two vacuum tube triode amplifiers

Trip-Element. The part of a circuit breaker that senses any overload condition and causes the circuit breaker to open the circuit.

Trip-Free Circuit Breaker. A circuit breaker that will open a circuit even if the operating mechanism is held in the ON position. [Manufacturers of Circuit Breakers]

Tri-State. A condition at the output of an integrated circuit in which both output transistors [see Totem-Pole] shut off producing neither a high or low output, but a third high impedance state. Read more on 3-State IC Outputs.

Trivalent Impurity. Acceptor impurities containing only three valence electrons.

Troposphere. The portion of the atmosphere, closest to the earths surface, where all weather phenomena take place.

Tropospheric Scatter. The propagation of radio waves in the troposphere by means of scatter.

Trouble Indicator. Signal lights used to aid maintenance personnel in locating troubles quickly. Also refer to Fault Indicator [which shows a mechanical indicator].

Troubleshooting. The process of locating and diagnosing faults in equipment by means of systematic checking or analysis.

Trouble Tables. Tables of trouble symptoms and probable causes, furnished by many manufacturers to help technicians isolate problems.

Trough (Bottom). The peak of the negative alternation (maximum value below the line) of a sine wave.

Throughput. The actual data passed through a system from one point to another. Data Throughput only relates to the information passed and not the complete message. So throughput is the time to receive the actual intelligence in a message not the total time to transmit the entire message, which would include overhead information, start bits, CRC bits, framing bits and so on. In other words a bus with a high clock rate may have a low throughput rate if the protocol requires a large amount of overhead.

Truncate. To drop digits in a number, decreasing the precision of the number.

True North. Geographic north. For reference also refer to Definition of Magnetic Declination, which has a relationship to the term.

True Power. The power dissipated in the resistance of the circuit, or the power actually used in the circuit.

Trunk. A telephone circuit or channel running between two central offices operating in the public phone system. A long distance cable used to carry signals. In a communications network, a single transmission channel between two points that are switching centers or nodes, or both.

Truth Table. A table that describes a logic function by listing all possible combinations of input values and indicating, for each combination, the true output values. [Logic Truth Tables]

TTL. Transistor Transistor Logic. A type of digital logic that switches or changes state at defined voltage levels. Read more on Transistor Transistor Logic.

TTL Compatible. A logic device or component that has TTL compatible inputs, that respond to outputs received from a TTL type logic gate.

Tube. A hermetically sealed glass tube that is used to conduct electrons through a vacuum. Refer to Vacuum Tube.

Tubeaxial Fan. A non-positive displacement mechanical device without guide vanes and having an axial fan impeller inclosed within a tubular housing. It is designed primarily for duct installation to move air or gas axially over a wide range of volumes at medium pressures.

Tube Dynamic Condition. Refers to the testing condition in which a vacuum tube is actually performing its function.

Tube Static Condition. Refers to the testing condition in which a tube has certain voltages applied but is not in its normal operating condition.

 
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