In-Line Die

A type of stamping die in which multiple terminals are produced in one stroke and are designed side-by-side and the raw material width is approximately equal to the extended width of the terminal.

In-line Plant

See Surface Mount Automated Placement Equipment.

Inclusion

A foreign particle in the conductive layer, plating, or base material.

Indentor

Part of crimping die set, it shapes the terminal barrel into the desired configuration while the nest provides the location and support for the crimping process.

Index Edge

See Reference Edge.

Index of Matching Materials

In fiber optics, materials placed between terminals of a connector to reduce coupling loss.

Index of Refraction

In fiber optics, a basic property of glass describing the velocity of light within the material. It establishes the numerical aperture for optical fibers and is used to calculate the time delays in high speed data links.

Induced Voltage

Voltage induced in a wire or coil as a result of a changing magnetic field.

Inductance (L)

  1. The magnetic reactance property of a circuit, or circuit element known as an inductor, which resists AC current changes, storing / releasing energy reversibly in and from its magnetic field every cycle.
  2. Dynamically, per Lenz's Law, the ratio of the induced backward voltage to the change of current with respect to time.
  3. Magnetic flux per unit current.
  4. for a coil the inductance L = µ µo A N / x where µ is the material medium's relative permeability, uo is its absolute permeability, A is the cross-sectional area of the coil, x is its length, and N is the number of windings of the wire.

Inductance (External)

See Inductance (Line).

Inductance (Line)

The inductance of a transmission line, normalized to the unit length of the conductors for lines whose equivalent circuit is a distributed transmission line, and from the interaction of the external magnetic fields of two conductors (add to this result also the self-inductances due to the internal magnetic fields of the individual conductors for the (total) Inductance (Line) ) carrying current in opposite directions, i.e., a transmission line. Also a special case of Mutual Inductance. Its units of dimensions are: henrys per unit length. Symbolized by H.

Inductance, Mutual

See Mutual Indutance.

Inductance, Self

See Self-inductance.

Induction

The phenomenon of a voltage, magnetic field, or electrostatic charge being produced in an object by lines of force from the source of such fields.

Induction Heating

Heating a conducting material by placing it in a rapidly changing magnetic field. The changing field induces electric currents in the material and 12R losses account for the resultant heat.

Induction Soldering

A method of soldering in which the solder is reflowed or supplied by preforms. If the work is moved slowly through the energy field, the induction process may be made continuous.

Inductive Coupling

Crosstalk resulting from the action of the electromagnetic field of one conductor to the other.

Inductive Reactance

  1. The opposition that inductance offers to an alternating current.
  2. AC inductive reactance (XL) and a function of frequency (w) is given by: X = j w L , where j is an imaginary operator, w is the angular frequency, and L is the Inductance.

See also Inductance.

Inductors

Any coiled device, with or without a magnetic core, used to introduce inductive reactance into a circuit. An inductor is an energy storing device. Inductors oppose any change in current. Inductors are the mirror-image counterparts of capacitators (which resist voltage changes). Inductive reactance is defined as XL = 6.28 fL or XL = 2(pi)fL. Inductors block AC and pass DC.

Infrared Reflow Solder

A soldering process in which heat from infrared radiation is used to melt solder paste between connector leads and PCB pads to make a solder joint.

Inhibitor

A material which prevents or delays oxidation and galvanic action on a connector surface or the interface of different conductors.

Ink

One of several conductive materials used for any of the following purposes:

Input Impedance

The impedance that exists between the input terminals of an amplifier or transmission line when the source is disconnected.

Input Offset Connector

A mating pair of connectors used to carry signals into and out of a panel-mounted subsystem.

Input Offset Current

Difference between the currents of two input terminals of an operational amplifier when the output is at zero.

Input Offset Voltage

The voltage that must be applied between the two input terminals of an operational amplifier to obtain zero output voltage.

Input/Output Connector (I/O)

A mated pair of connectors used to carry signals into and out of a panel-mounted subsystem.

Insert

That part of a connector that holds the contacts in proper arrangement and electrically insulates them from each other and from the shell.

Insert Arrangement

The number, spacing, and arrangement of contacts in a connector.

Insert Cavity

A defined hole in the connector insert into which the contacts are inserted.

Insertion Force

The force required to mate a male and female connector.

Insertion Loss

Additional loss in a system when a device such as a connector is inserted, equal to the difference in signal level between the input and output.

Insertion Tool

A small hand-held tool used to insert contacts into a connector. Insertion tools are used to insert terminated cable into connector housings, especially where multi-stranded or soft cables are present.

Insert Retention

Axial load in either direction which an insert must withstand without being dislocated from its normal position.

Insert Retention Force

The maximum allowable force which, if applied to the mating face of a connector insert, does not displace the insert permanently from its normal position in the connector housing or jeopardize or damage the insert connector housing retention provision.

Inside Wiring

The wiring on the customer side of the FCC-defined network interface point in the United States.

Inspect/Reject Station

A sensor device to inspect parts for defects and only allow good parts to pass through. Rejects are ejected out of the system. The extent of inspection depends on the device used. Some of the devices used are: fiber optic sensors, lasers, video-cameras, etc.

Inspection Hole

A hole placed at one end of a crimped terminal barrel that permits visual inspection to see that the conductor has been inserted to the proper-depth in the barrel prior to crimping.

Insulated Terminal

Solderless terminal with an insulated sleeve over the barrel to prevent a short circuit in certain installations.

Insulation

See Dielectric.

Insulation Adhesion

The degree of looseness or tightness of the insulation over the base conductor, measured in terms of force required to remove a specified length of insulation from the wire.

Insulation Crimp

See Crimp.

Insulation Displacement

See IDT.

Insulation Displacement Connection (IDC)

See IDT.

Insulation Displacement Technology (IDT)

See IDT.

Insulation Grip

The grip of a crimped terminal.

See also Crimp.

Insulation Pierce

A termination technique in which a metal lance or tine in the terminal passes through the insulation and into the conductive strands. Insulation pierce is neither crimp or insulation displacement, but sometimes it is combined with these techniques. Also known as cable pierce or wire pierce.

Insulation Piercing Terminal

A terminal designed for insulation piercing termination.

See also Insulation Pierce.

Insulation Resistance

  1. The electrical resistance of an insulating material, determined under specific conditions, between any pair of contacts, conductors, or grounding devices in various combinations.
  2. The resistance of an insulator, measured as the ratio of a voltage connected across the insulator to current flowing through the insulator between the connectors.

Insulation Stress

The molecule cavitation/separation pressure caused by a potential difference across an insulator. The practical electrical stress on insulation is expressed in volts per mil.

Insulation Support

An extension of the rear portion of the contact, which gives the wire side support, but not longitudinal support. This section is not crimped, as is the insulation grip.

Insulation System

All of the insulation materials used to insulate a particular electrical or electronic product.

Insulator

See Dielectric.