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Alternate Current (AC) - A periodic electrical current the average value of which over a period of zero. Unless specified otherwise, the term refers to a current that reverses at regularly recurring intervals of time and has alternately positive and negative values.

Amps - Short for amperes. The electron or current flow representing the flow of one coulomb per second past a given point in a circuit.

Anode - The electron-collecting electrode from an electron tube.

Bus - The common primary conductor from a power source to two or more separate circuits.

Cathode - The electrode in an electrochemical cell where reduction takes place. During discharge, the positive electrode of the cell is the cathode. During charge, the situation reverses, and the negative electrode of the cell is the cathode.

Circuit - A configuration of electrically or electromagnetically connected components or devices in a closed path followed or capable of being followed by an electric current.

Custom Products - Products made according to the specifications on the customers' orders.

Diode - A two-element device containing a cathode and an anode that permits flow in one direction and blocks flow from the other direction.

Direct Current (DC) - The type of electrical power produced by batteries and power supplies. Electrons flow in one direction.

Efficiency - The ratio of total output power to total input power, expressed as a percentage, under specified conditions.

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) - Any magnetism produced by an electric charge in motion that interrupts, obstructs, or otherwise impairs the performance of electronic equipment.

Frequency - Number of cycles per second measured in Hertz. The US standard is 60Hz per second.

Hertz - A unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second.

Induction - The process by which an electromotive force is produced in a circuit by varying the magnetic field linked with the circuit.

Input Voltage Range - The specified range input voltage within which a power supply or device operates.

Integrated Circuit - A complex set of electronic components and their interconnections that are etched or imprinted on a chip. The microelectronic circuit is incorporated into a chip of semiconductor; a whole system rather than a single component.

Joule - Unit of work or energy in the International System (SI) of Units; it is equal to the work done by a force of one newton acting through one meter.

Line Regulation - The percentage change in electrical output die to the input voltage varying over limits, at specified load values, with all other factors constant.

Load Regulation - 1) Static: The change in output voltage as the load is changed from the specified minimum to maximum and maximum to minimum, with all other factors held constant. 2) Dynamic: The change in output voltage expressed as a percentage for a given step change in load current.

Modified-Standard Products - A standard product modified to make it suitable for certain applications.

Newton - The unit of force in the meter-kilogram-second system equal to the force required to impart an acceleration of one meter per second to a mass of one kilogram.

Noise - The random component on the power source output, which is unrelated to source and switching frequency. Noise is typically expressed in peak-to-peak units over a specified bandwidth.

Power Supply - A circuit designed to furnish operating voltages and currents for electronic devices.

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) - An undesired radiated or conducted signal in the radio frequency spectrum.

Rectifier - A component that passes current in one direction, ex. a diode.

Semiconductor - Any of various solid crystalline substances, such as germanium or silicon, having electrical conductivity greater than insulators but less than good conductors, and used especially as a base material for computer chips and other electronic devices.

Switching Power Supplies - Include both AC/DC switchers and DC/DC converters.

Transformer - A device that transfers energy from one circuit to another by electromagnetic induction.

Transistor - A small electronic device containing a semiconductor and having at least three electrical contacts, used in a circuit as an amplifier, detector, or switch.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) - A circuit that inhibits the power supply when output voltage falls below a specified minimum.

Volt - A unit of measurement of electromotive force or potential difference.

Voltage - A derivative electrical quantity, measured in the unit of volts and defined in terms of the independently obtained amp, unit of resistance.

Watt - A unit of measurement of power equal to 1 joule per second. Watts equals volts times amps.

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