Glossary of Electronic & Microwave Oven Related
Terms
AC VOLTAGE
: An electric current that reverses its direction regularly and
continually, thus it is Alternating Current.
AMPERAGE
: The strength of an electric current measured in amperes. One
ampere is the amount of current that flows through one ohm of resistance with
one volt applied.
AMPLITUDE
: The maximum instantaneous value of an alternating wave of
voltage or current measured from a reference line to either a maximum positive
value or maximum negative value.
ANALOG
: A variable that remains similar to another variable in proportional
relationships over a specified range.
ANODE
: The positive electrode in an electrochemical device. In a magnetron
tube, the anode is usually the outer casting and is at ground potential.
ANODIZE
: A process that electrolytically produces an insulating oxide film on a
conducting surface.
ANTENNA PIN
: See tuning stub.
BIAS
: A DC voltage applied to the control electrode of an electronic device to
establish the desired operating point.
CAPACITANCE
: The property of a capacitor that determines how much charge
can be stored in it for a given potential difference across its terminals. The basic
unit is the farad. However, the small microfarad unit is more commonly used:
abbreviated MFD.
CATHODE
: The general name for any negative electrode. In a magnetron tube,
the cathode is centered within the anode and at high negative voltage potential.
CAVITY RESONATOR
: A space totally enclosed by a metallic conductor and
supplied with energy in such a way that it becomes a source of electromagnetic
oscillations. In a microwave oven, the food compartment is a resonant cavity.
CHOKE
: (1) An inductance (usually a coil) used in a circuit to impede the flow of
pulsed DC or AC without appreciably affecting the flow of DC. (2) A groove,
channel, or other discontinuity that is dimensioned so as to reflect guided
electromagnetic waves of a certain frequency range.
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