See Dielectric Isolation.
Diameter
A two terminal bi-directional semiconductor device designed for triggering TRIACs and SCRs.
A thermo-setting plastic that offers outstanding dimensional stability and resistance to most chemicals and chemical compounds. It is used extensively in the production of connector housings.
The crimping chamber when the dies are fully closed or buttoned.
The die is actually made up of a few hundred small pieces assembled together; each of these are referred to as the inserts (female parts) and punches (male parts). They can be replaced individually as they break or wear out. They are also called the die spares.
Synonym for insulator. A material having relatively high insulating properties (very high volume resistivity values, i.e., 10**15 ohm-cm compared with metal of about 10**-6 ohm-cm, a ratio of values of 10**21), higher than conductors, that is used to separate close electrical components such as two wires in a cable.
Fiber optic cable does not need insulation, but usually has it anyway for protection.
Recent research has indicated that low insulation value shielding may actually be preferred to high insulation value in high quality copper communications cables to minimize electro-static problems.
Any change in the properties of a dielectric that causes it to become conductive. Normally a catastrophic failure of an insulation because of excessive voltage.
A comparative measure of the charge storage ability of a material between two metal plates at unit voltage difference compared with the charge storage ability of air / vacuum as the medium.
The heating of an insulating material when placed in a radio-frequency field, caused by internal losses during the rapid polarization reversal of molecules in the material, attempting to follow the field.
An additional step in the semiconductor manufacturing process which insulates the elements of an integrated circuit from each other with silicon dioxide.
The power dissipated in a dielectric (internal loss) as the result of the friction produced by molecular motion when an alternating electric field is applied.
See also Dielectric Heating.
The maximum voltage that a dielectric material can withstand, under specified conditions, without rupturing. It is usually expressed as volts/unit thickness. Also called disruptive gradient or electric strength.
Tests that consist of the application of a voltage higher than the rated voltage for a specific time for the purpose of determining the adequacy against breakdown of insulation materials and spacings under normal conditions.
Dielectric Withstanding Voltage
Maximum potential gradient that a dielectric material can withstand without failure. If the dielectric withstanding voltage is 500V AC/1 minute, the insulator of this connector withstands and does not exceed electron flow 0.005 Amperes under 500V AC for one minute.
In a progress die stamping operation, the length or distance the material moves through a die with each stroke of the machine.
An amplifier with two inputs, but only one output which compares two independent input signals and amplifies the difference between them.
A thermal process used in semiconductor manufacturing that introduces tiny amounts of chemical impurities into the semiconductor material to achieve a desired electrical characteristic in the device.
A switching circuit that is either on or off and is equivalent to the binary numbers 1 and 0.
Digital Cross-connect System (DCS)
An electronic multi-port switch for digital traffic.
A signal that transfers information by transmitting a series of bits (on and off levels or "1" and "0").
Digital to Analog Converter (D/A Converter)
A device that converts a digital signal into an analog voltage or current, the magnitude of which is proportional to the numeric value of the digital signal.
An instrument, commonly with several ranges and an accuracy of 0.1% or better, used to measure voltage, current, and resistance.
Dimensions
A measure of dimensional charge caused by such factors as temperature, humidity, chemical treatment, age, or stress, usually expressed a units/unit.
Dual In-line Memory Module. DIMM sockets are the successors to SIMM sockets. They provide connection for memory modules that can be mounted on both sides of the socket.
A small round protruction at the mating end of a terminal that becomes a gas tight contact point for mating. Dimples also increase engage/disengage forces.
A German standards organization similar to UL in the United States, which creates standards and specifications for technical and non-technical products/systems.
DIN has two meanings:
A diode is a active circuit element (AC rectifier changing AC to DC), which is made from two different semiconductor materials bonded so as to create an interfacial junction or depletion layer between the two materials which acts like a "valve" allowing current to flow in one direction only (forward- biased case) ; whereas in the reverse-biased case the current is zero, or near zero.
A socket designed to accommodate dual in-line IC packages.
See also Dual In-line Package.
The terminals on a connector which are inserted into holes in the PC board and then soldered in place.
A process whereby items to be soldered are brought in contact with the surface of a static pool of molten solder for the purpose of soldering the entire exposed conductive pattern in one operation.
An assembly of one or more switches in a miniature housing equipped with terminal pins in dual-inline package configuration, designed for PC board insertion.
The capacitance measured directly from conductor-to-conductor through a single insulating layer.
Method of mounting terminal blocks in which the blocks are solder-mounted using the bottom terminals. Direct mounting is also possible with models using press-on retaining clips.
Conductive device designed to be separated from its mated part.
See Discrete Wire.
An element or component manufactured in such a manner that it may be individually measured and transported.
A type of mold, used in the manufacturing of housings, that can run only one part number at a time. Discrete molds are desirable for large production runs of a single part number. This eliminates changeovers, which reduces cost.
A single cable or wire. Contrast it to ribbon cable, which consists of multiple cables or wires.
The cause of bandwidth limitations in a fiber. Dispersion causes a broadening of input pulses along the length of the fiber. Two major types are a)mode dispersion caused by differential optical path lengths in a multimode fiber, and b)material dispersion caused by a differential delay of various wavelengths of light in a waveguide material.
The undesired loss of energy, usually by conversion into heat.
A measure of the AC loss.
The dissipation of energy, due to conductor resistance and the insulating properties of the dielectric, that takes place as an RF wave travels along a transmission line.
An undesired change in wave form as a signal passes through a device.
In a CATV system, the transmission cable from the distribution amplifier to the drop cable.
A rack-mounted panel of termination blocks used for cross-connection. Generally located in a wiring closet.
Distributed Transmission Line Equivalent Circuit
A equivalent circuit for a transmission line characterized by line resistance, line conductance and line reactances, all values constant and normalized to unit length, which describes a transmission line of an axially uniform cross-section. The Characteristic Impedance Zo is derived for this circuit in terms of the above circuit line parameters.
Used in the Premium line 1461 commoning to separate circuits. Sometimes mistakenly called a polarization key.
Digital Multimeter
