| Absolute Scale of Temperature |
A scale of temperature which was invented
by the British mathematician and physicist William Thomas, first Baron of Kelvin. Under
the absolute, or Kelvin, scale of temperature, 0 K (corresponding to -273 degrees C) is
the coldest possible temperature and is known as absolute zero.
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| Absolute Zero |
Under the absolute, or Kelvin, scale of temperature (which was invented by
the British mathematician and physicist William Thomas, first Baron of Kelvin), 0 K
(corresponding to -273 degrees C) is the coldest possible temperature and is known as
absolute zero.
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| Active-Low |
A signal whose active state is considered
to be a logic 0.
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| Active-High |
A signal whose active state is considered
to be a logic 1.
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| Active Substrate |
A hybrid or multichip module substrate
formed from a semiconductor. Termed active because components such as transistors can be
fabricated directly into the substrate.
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| Active Trimming |
The process of trimming components such as
resistors while the circuit is under power. Such components are fabricated directly onto
the substrate of a hybrid or multichip module, and the trimming is usually performed using
a laser beam.
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| Actuator |
A transducer that converts an electronic
signal into a physical equivalent. For example, a loudspeaker is an actuator which
converts electronic signals into corresponding sounds.
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| Adaptive Hardware |
Refers to devices which allow new design
variations to be "compiles" in real-time, which may be thought of as dynamically
creating subroutines in hardware (see also Virtual Hardware and Cache Logic).
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| Additive Process |
A process in which conducting material is
added to specific areas of a substrate. Groups of tracks, individual tracks, or portions
of tracks can be built up to precise thicknesses by iterating the process multiple times
with selective masking.
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| Address Bus |
A unidirectional set of signals used by a
computer to point to memory locations in which it is interested.
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| A/D (Analog-to-Digital) |
The process of converting an analog value into its digital equivalent.
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| Analog |
A continuous value that most closely
resembles the real world and can be as precise as the measuring technique allows. ("Analog"
is spelt "analogue" in England.)
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| Analog Circuit |
A collection of components used to generate
or process analog signals.
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| Analog-to-Digital (A/D) |
The process of converting an analog value
into its digital equivalent.
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| Analogue |
A continuous value that most closely
resembles the real world and can be as precise as the measuring technique allows. ("Analogue"
is spelt "analog" in America.)
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| Anisotropic Adhesive |
Special adhesives which contain minute
particles of conductive material. These adhesives find particular application with the
flipped-chip techniques used to mount bare die on the substrates of hybrids, multichip
modules, or circuit boards. The conducting particles are only brought in contact with each
other at the sites where the raised pads on the die are pressed down over their
corresponding pads on the substrate, thereby forming good electrical connections between
the pads.
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| Anti-Fuse Technology |
A programmable logic device technology in
which conducting paths (anti-fuses) are grown by applying signals of relatively high
voltage and current to the device's inputs.
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| Anti-Pad |
The area of copper etched away around a via
or a plated through-hole on a power or ground plane, thereby preventing an electrical
connection being made to that plane.
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| Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) |
A device whose function is determined by a
designer for a particular application or group of applications.
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| Application-Specific Standard
Part (ASSP) |
Refers to an integrated circuit created by
a device manufacturer using ASIC technologies, and for these components to be sold as
standard parts to anybody who wants to buy them.
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| ASIC (Application-Specific
Integrated Circuit) |
A device whose function is determined by a designer for a particular
application or group of applications.
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| ASIC Cell |
A logic function in the cell library
defined by the manufacturer of an application-specific integrated circuit.
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| Assertion-Level Logic |
Special symbols which are used to more
precisely indicate the function of gates with active-low inputs.
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| Associative Rules |
Algebraic rules that state that the order
in which pairs of variables are associated together will not affect the result of an
operation; for example ((a & b) & c) = (a & (b & c)).
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| ASSP (Application-Specific
Standard Part) |
Refers to an integrated circuit created by a device manufacturer using
ASIC technologies, and for these components to be sold as standard parts to anybody who
wants to buy them.
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| Asynchronous |
A signal whose data is acknowledged or
acted upon immediately, irrespective of any clock signal.
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| Atlo |
Unit qualifier (symbol = a) representing
one millionth of one millionth of one millionth, or 10-18. For example, 3aS
stands for 3 x 10-18 seconds.
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