Engineering jargon and 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"

'Wa' to 'Wd', 'We' to 'Wz'

Wafer. A slice of semiconductor material upon which monolithic ICs are produced. A thin slice of semi-conducting material, such as a silicon crystal, upon which microcircuits are constructed by diffusion and deposition of various materials.

CMOS Semiconductor Wafer
Wafer

Wafer Switch. A rotary switch in which the contacts are arranged on levels. Each level (wafer) is electrically independent but mechanically connected by the shaft of the switch. Rotary Switch vendors. A rotary wafer switch, and a wafer layer are shown in the right side-bar.

Wait State. A state in a state machine which holds its value, or doesn't allow the next state to occur until another process or signal is detected. A clock cycle in a clocked process that goes unused as a microprocessor waits for an event to occur.

Wall Wart. An AC to DC power adapter which plugs into an AC outlet and contains the power supply within the plug.
Read more on Wall Wart.

WatchDog Timer. A timer used by a cpu that will cause the cpu to reset if the cpu does not service [signal] the watchdog time at certain intervals. If the WatchDog Timer does not receive a signal within a certain length of time it will cause the processor to reset itself. Refer to the block diagram in the right side-bar.

Watertight. An enclosure which prevents leakage when water strikes or covers the enclosure. No ventilation or other openings are permitted in the enclosure. Related terms which might be used include the following; Unsealed, Dusttight, Resilient, Hermetic, and Splashproof [not watertight].

Watt. The unit of electrical power that is the product of voltage and current. The unit of electric power, or amount of work (J), done in a unit of time. One ampere of current flowing at a potential of one volt produces one watt of power.

Wattage Rating. A rating expressing the maximum power that a device can safely handle.

Watt-Hour. A practical unit of electrical energy equal to one watt of power for one hour.

Watt-Hour Meter. A meter used to measure electrical energy.

Wattmeter. A meter used to measure electrical power. An instrument which measures electrical power and is calibrated in watts or any multiple and/or sub-multiple.

Wave. A disturbance that is a function of time or space.

Waveform. The shape of the wave obtained when instantaneous values of an ac quantity are plotted against time in rectangular coordinates.

Waveform Analysis. Observation displays of voltage and current variations with respect to time or by harmonic analysis of complex signals.

Wavefront. A small section of an expanding sphere of electromagnetic radiation that is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the energy.

Waveguide. A rectangular, circular, or elliptical metal pipe designed to transport electromagnetic waves through its interior. [WaveGuide Manufacturers]. A material medium that confines and guides a propagating electromagnetic wave.

Waveguide Duplexer. TR and atr tubes housed in a resonant cavity attached to a waveguide system.

Waveguide Mode of Operation. Any particular field configuration in a waveguide that satisfies the boundary conditions. Usually divided into two broad types: the transverse electric (TE) and the transverse magnetic (TM) modes.

Waveguide Post. A rod of conductive material used as impedance changing devices in waveguides.

Waveguide Screw. A screw that projects into a waveguide for the purpose of changing the impedance.

Wavelength. The distance, usually expressed in meters, traveled by a wave during the time interval of one complete cycle. Wavelength is equal to the velocity divided by the frequency. The distance between points of corresponding phase of two consecutive cycles of a wave.

Signal Wavelengths
Signal Wavelengths

Wavemeters. Calibrated resonant circuits that are used to measure frequency. An instrument for measuring the wavelength of an RF wave. [Test Equipment Manufacturers]

Wave Motion. A recurring disturbance advancing through space with or without the use of a physical medium.

Wave Train. A continuous series of waves with the same amplitude and wavelength.

Wave Winding. An armature winding in which the two ends of each coil are connected to commutator segments separated by the distance between poles.

 
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