T

Thermoplastic vinyl insulated building wire, 60° C.

T Connector

A branch connector that joins a branch conductor to the main conductor at a 90° angle.

T Dimension

Dimension of the crimped portion of a connector, measured between two opposite points on the crimped surface. Also called G dimension.

T-2 System

A Premium line 2.0 mm pitch wire-to-board single row crimp connector system originally introduced for the audio/video industry.

TA

Switchboard wire insulated with thermoplastic and felted asbestos, 90° C.

TAA

Flexible nickel or nickel-clad copper, PTFE tape, felted asbestos, asbestos braid, 200° C.

Tab

  1. The flat blade portion of certain terminals.
  2. On strip terminals, the projection that results when the point-of-shear is not flush with the terminal body (i.e. cutoff tab).
  3. Non-preferred term for printed contact.
  4. Tape Automated Bonding. A die handling, mounting, and interconnection scheme in which the dies are mounted in windows in a movie film like medium. From this medium, the parts can be tested or mounted.

Tactile Switch

A membrane switch that makes a snap when depressed.

Tail Length

The length of the header or pin, as dictated by the thickness and spacing of the PCB to which it will be attached.

Tang

See Locking Spring.

Tang Termination

Method of joining insulated or non-insulated low resistance wires.

Tape Cable

A form of multiple conductor consisting of parallel metal strips im7bedded in insulation material. Also called flat flexible cable.

Tape Reel

A method of handling and transporting loose components by supporting them with a continuous strip of tape and rolling this strip onto a reel. This technique is controlled by EIA standard RS 481.

Tape Terminal

Terminal supplied in a continuous form for use in automatic or semiautomatic crimping machines. Also called strip terminal.

Taper Tab

A flat terminal that has tapered sides designed to receive a mating tapered female terminal.

TB/VP

Three cotton braids, weatherproof saturated.

TBS

Switchboard wire, thermoplastic insulation, flameproof cotton braid, 600 in. 90° C.

TC

Tinned Copper

TCE

  1. Thermal Coefficient of Expansion. A constant that describes the changes in linear dimensions with respect to temperature for a device or material.
  2. A common industrial solvent called trichloroethane.

TD

See Time Delay - Absolute.

Td

See Time Delay - Normalized.

TDR

Time Domain Reflectometer. A test instrument which can electrically characterize a transmission line discontinuity (its specific characteristic impedence and electrical length) through use of a radar-like signal and the analysis of the signals reflection.

Tear Test

In fiber optics A test to determine the tear strength of an insulating material.

Tee Coupler

In fiber optics, an optical component used to interconnect a number of terminals through optical wave guides by using partial reflections at dielectric interfaces or metallic surfaces, or by splitting the optical wave guide bundle.

TEM Mode

Transverse Electromagnetic. The preferred mode of electromagnetic signal wave propagation down a transmission line, allowing both monomode propagation and simplified transmission line characteristics and behavior. 

The TEM mode has no electromagnetic field variations in the z-axis or transmission line axial direction, only in the perpendicular cross-section directions. 

The TEM mode also requires for its existence a skin effect condition to exist for the conductors of the line as well as a homogeneous dielectric medium.

See also Skin Effect.

Temperature Rise

Temperature change of a terminal from a no load condition to full current load. Also called T Rise.

Tensile Strength

For crimp technology, the amount of axial load required to break or pull wire from the crimped barrel of a terminal, splice, or contact.

Tensile Strength

Greatest longitudinal stress that a substance can bear without pulling apart.

Terminal

A somewhat confusing term because it is used differently in the telecommunications and data communications industries.

In the telecom industry:

In the datacomm industry:

In the connector industry:

Terminal Area

Non-preferred term for land.

Terminal Block

An assembly that contain connection provisions to facilitate the connection of one or more conductors.

Terminal Board

Board fabricated from an insulating material that contains a single or multiple row or arrangement of termination points, for the purpose of making connections.

Terminal Connector

A connector that joins a conductor to a lead, terminal pad (solid or laminated block), or round terminal stud of an electrical apparatus.

Terminal Enclosure

A housing that fits over switch terminals to protect against electrical shock and accidental shorting, and to facilitate wiring.

Terminal End

See Front End, Back End.

Terminal Hole

A hole used for the attachment and electrical connection of component terminations, including pins and wires, to the PCB.

Terminal Lug

A terminal designed to be affixed, usually at one end, to a post, stud, chassis or the like, and with provision for attachment of a wire(s) or similar electrical conductor(s) in order to establish an electrical connection.

Terminal Pad

See Land.

Terminal Pitch

  1. The distance between the centers of two adjacent terminals.
  2. The progression of the die, divided by the number of terminals per stroke in each row of the die.

Terminal Plate

A conductive busing or commoning bar.

Terminal Strip

An insulated mounting for terminal connections. Terminal strips are available with threaded holes to accept threaded screws or with threaded studs to accept fastening washers and nuts. If terminal areas are separated by an insulating barrier, the terminal strips are called barrier blocks.

Terminal Style

Refers to the tongue design of the terminal.

Termination

  1. Device at the end of a transmission line that completes a circuit.
  2. Any of several methods used to attach an electronic interconnect device a conductor. The six most common termination methods are:

Termination Block 

See Terminal Block.

Terminator or Terminator Kit

Tool or kit for tools used to terminate wire to connectors. developed to service the automotive and computer markets in the Far East.

Terminus

In fiber optics, an item that terminates an optical conductor and provides for the location and containment of an optical conductor within a connector.

Test Lead

A flexible, insulated lead wire that usually has a test prod on one end. It is ordinarily used for making tests, connecting instruments to a circuit temporarily, or for making temporary electrical connections.

Test Point

Special points of access to an electrical circuit, used for testing purposes.

Test Terminal Block

A miniaturized block for small instrument and test circuitry. It has test points plus an informal circuit testing facility of either a plug or knife-blade disconnecting mechanism.

TEW

Thermoplastic Equipment Wire