electronics abbreviations
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 Di
Change in current
DIP
Dual in-line package
DMM
Digital multimeter
DPDT
Double pole double throw
Dt or Dt
Change in time
DTL
Diode transistor logic
Dv or Dv
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 (mP)
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
PAL
Programmable Array Logic
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
PLD
Programmable Logic Device
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
kW
Kilohm
MW
Megohm
mA
Microamp
mF
Microfarad
mH
Microhenry
mV
Microvolt
mW
Microwatt
W
Ohm
l
Wavelength
°
Degrees
°C
Degrees centigrade or celcius
°F
Degrees farenheit