Electronic Definitions (M)

[M] Presenting a list of electronic terms starting with letter m that are available for more detailed lookup for their definitions or abbreviation explanation. All terms are listed in alphabetical order for easy browsing.

Electronic Acronyms and Terms For [M]	Description	Other Electronic Terms Somewhat Related;
M3vds	- Millimetre wave multi-channel multi-point video distribution system
Mac	- A personal computer made by Apple and which is incompatible with PCs. Developed as a rival standard its operating system looks like Windows but predates it and looks and works much better. Another definition of MAC: "Multiplying ACcumulator" "Multiplexed Analogue Components" "Multiplexed Analogue Confusion" "Media Access Control"	machine code, machine code instruction, machine readable, macro assembler, macro instruction
Machine Code	- is the set of machine code instructions for a particular computer. Any program must be translated into machine code instructions either before or during the running of the program.	machine code instruction
Machine Code Instruction	- Is one that directly defines a particular machine operation and can be recognised and executed without any intermediate translation
Machine Readable	- Refers to data that can be input to the computer without further preparation such as magnetic ink characters	data preparation, kimball tag
Macro Assembler	- Is one that offers the facility of expanding macro instructions
Macro Instruction	- Is an instruction in a programming language that causes several instructions of the same language to be generated and that is replaced by those instructions in the program. This is usually a feature of low level languages.
Magazine	- A rectangular tube carrier for storing and handling of IC devices	spymaster
Magnetic Disk	- Is a storage device consisting of a flat rotatable circular plate coated on both surfaces with a magnetic material	floppy disk, Spooling
Magnetic Drum	- Is a cylindrical storage device the outside curved surface of which is coated with a magnetic material	first generation
Magnetic Polariser	- Fixes to feedhorn. Used to bend polarised wave from say vertical to horizontal.
Magnetic Tape	- Is a storage medium consisting of a flexible plastic tape covered with magnetic material on one side and kept on spools	magnetic tape encoder
Magnetic Tape Encoder	- Is an input device that accepts data from a keyboard and writes it directly to magnetic tape
Main Store	- Is the store of the computer consisting of those locations that may be addressed by the central processor directly	fifth generation, paging, program relocation, runtime system
Mainframe	- Is a computer with a variety of peripheral devices a large amount of backing store and a fast central processing unit. The term is generally used in comparison with a smaller or subordinate computer	download, mi6, mini computer
Majority Carrier	- Carriers are either free electrons or holes. If the free electrons outnumber the holes, the electrons are the majority carriers. If the holes outnumber the free electrons, the holes are the majority carriers.
MAN	"Metropolitan Area Network"	manager/secretary operation
Manager/Secretary Operation	- PABX facility where calls for the manacer are routed to the secretary who can easily transfer the call if required
MAP	"Manufacturing Automation Protocol"	disk map, footpath, process
MARECS	"MARitime European Communications Satellite"
Margin	- The extent (in dB) by which no official working (or clear sky) CNR exceeds threshold CNR or other value at which reception is deemed unusable.	link budget
Mark Sense Reader	- Is an input device that reads special forms (or cards) usually by electrically sensing the marks made in predetermined positions. Also called a mark sense device.
MASCAM	"Maskingpattern Adaptive Subband Coding And Multiplexing"
Masking	- Is an operation that selects certain of the bits in a register for subsequent processing	conformal coatings, polymer coating, solder mask
Mass Storage Device	- Is a term used to denote a large capacity backing store such as a magnetic drum
Master File	- Is a file of data which is a principal source of information for a job
Maths Co Processor	- A specialised chip that handles mathematical calculations for the processor
MATV	"Master Antenna Television"	head end
MATY	- Master Antenna Television Private cable
Maximum Forward Current	- The maximum amount of current that a forward-biased diode can withstand before burning out or being seriously degraded
MB/S	Megabits per second
MBO	"Management Buy Out"
MBR	"Memory Buffer Register" - Is a central processor register that acts as a buffer for all data transfers to and from main store
MCA	- A type of bus designed by IBM to beat EISA. Although faster it never became popular because every machine that used it had to pay a royalty to IBM and because it was not backwards compatible with ISA.	bus
MCM	"Multi Chip Module"
MCTDMA	"Multiple Carrier Time Division Multiple Access"
MCW	"Modulated Continuous Wave"
MD	- A system of signalling to the exchange the required number by transmitting a unique pair of tones to represent each digit	mda mdf mds
MDA	"Manufacturing Defects Analysis" "Microstrip Disk Antenna" "Mail Delivery Agent"
MDF	"Main Distribution Fame"
MDS	"Microwave Distribution System"
Measured Voltage Gain	- The voltage gain that you calculate from the measured values of input and output voltage
Mechanical Polariser	- Used to bend polarised wave from say vertical to horizontal. Works by controlled mark to space voltage pulses from indoor unit.
MEDEA	"MicroElectronics Development for European Applications"
Media	- Is the collective name for materials (tape disk paper cards etc.) used to hold data.	cd rom, ultrasound
Medium Power Satellite	- Satellite with transponder RF power in the region of 30W to 100W
Megastream	- A trade name of BT for primary rate access
MELF	"Metal Electrode Leadless Face"
Memory	- The term normally refers to RAM (Random Access Memory). This is the kind that disappears when you turn off your computer and is much faster to access than a hard disk. It acts as a staging post between your computer`s hard disk and its main processor.	memory map
Memory Map	- Describes the way storage is organised in a computer	disk map
MEMS	"Micro ElectroMechanical System"
Menu	- Is a display of a series of option choices designed (e.g.) to lead a user through the stages of an interactive program.	pulldown menu
Meridian	- Plane passing through the Earth`s axis and including one`s location	azimuth
MES	"Medium Edison Screw"
Metaphor	- Use of words in a way that the literal left brain cannot understand, but the wholistic right brain can.	crowbar
MF	"Medium Frequency"	mflops, mfsk
MFLOPS	"Million FLoating point Operations Per Second"
MFSK	"Multiple/Minimum Frequency Shift Keying"
MHS	"Message Handling System/Service"
MIC	"Microwave Integrated Circuit"	micr, micro code, micro computer, micro instruction, micro microphones, micro processor, microfiche, microprogram
MICR	"Magnetic Ink Character Recognition" - Is machine recognition of stylised characters printed in magnetic ink	micro code, micro computer, micro instruction, micro microphones, micro processor, microfiche, microprogram
Microcode	- Is a software equivalent of a micro instruction written to extend the machine code instruction set of a computer without the addition of further hardwired logic
Micro Computer	- Is a computer based on a microprocessor. Generally this is a cheap and relatively slow computer with a limited immediate access store a simple instruction set and elementary backing store (e.g. floppy disks).
Micro Instruction	- Is a hardwired instruction controlling the flow of data in an arithmetic logic unit	micro code
Micro Processor	- Is a single chip that performs the functions of a central processing unit
Microfiche	- Is an output medium consisting of large capacity microfilm sheets (sometimes card mounted for robustness) which may be randomly accessed by a special optical reader/magnifier.
Microprogram	- is a sequence of micro instructions
Midband	- Is the transistor's gain at its mid frequencies; the midband gain is where the transistor's gain is at the highest and most constant level in its bandwidth.
MIDI	"Musical Instrument Digital Interface" - Is a digital communications language that allows multiple electronic instruments, controllers, computers and other related devices to communicate within a connected network	midi filter
MIDI filter	- A dedicated digital device, on-board processor, or computer algorithm that allows specific MIDI messages or range of messages within a data stream to be either recognized or ignored
Migration Of Solder	- The flow of the liquid solder alloy during processing
Miller`s Theorem	- It says a feedback capacitor is equivalent to two new capacitances, one across the input and the other across the output
Mini Computer	- Is a computer whose size speed and capabilities lie between those of a mainframe and a microcomputer
Mini Display Port to Display Port Adapter	- It lets you easily connect your MacBook device to an HDTV display
Minority Carrier	- The carriers that are in the minority
MIPS	"Millions of Instruction Per Second"
MIT	"Massachusetts Institute of Technology"
Mixed Mode Dialling	- A system of signalling to the exchange the required number by transmitting a unique pair of tones to represent each digit
Mixer	- An op amp circuit that can have a different voltage gain for each of several input signals. The total output signal is a superposition of the input signals.
MMD	"Micro Miniature Diode"	mmds
MMDS	"Microwave Multichannel Distribution System"
MMI	"Monolithic Microwave Integration"	mmic
MMIC	"Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit"
MMS	"Multimedia Messaging Service"
MMT	"Micro Miniature Transistor"
MMU	"Memory Management Unit"
MMX	"MultiMedia eXtensions"
Mnemonic	- Is the name given to a memorising aid which uses a rational `sounds like what it means`basis (e.g. LDA represents LoaD Accumulator).
MNP	"Microcom Networking Protocol"
Mobile Phone	- A telephone with access to a cellular radio system so it can be used over a wide area, without a physical connection to a network	3g, c guard, french intelligence, imt2000,f mms, voice stress phone
Modular	- The smaller connector or jack now used for most telephone installations	modular programming
Modular Programming	- Is one aspect of structured programming in which individual tasks are programmed as distinct sections or modules (subprograms)
Modulation Index	- The ratio of focal deviation to highest modulating frequency in an FM system
Modules	- Circuit Sub Assembly	modular programming
MOH	"Music On Hold" - A method by which external callers to a system hear music tones or messages while waiting to be connected to the appropriate person or department
Monitor	- Your computer`s screen. Signals are sent to it from the video card	bios, cctv lenses, cctv repair, computer security, executive program, ioca, spymaster, surveillance, tempest radiation
Monolithic IC	- An integrated circuit that is entirely on a single chip
MOS	"Meta-Oxide Semiconductor" - MOS consists of three layers, a metal conductor, insulating silicon layer, and a semiconductor silicon layer	MOSFET, most
MOSFET	"Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor"	voltage controlled device
MOST	"Multimeter Oscilloscope Spectrum Analyser and Transient" Recorder
mother board	- Is a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that holds the principal components in a microcomputer system
Motherboard	- The main printed circuit board which houses processor memory and other components
Motorboating	- A low-pitched putt-putt sound that comes out of a loudspeaker. It indicates that an amplifier is oscillating at a tow frequency. The cause is usually the power supply having too large a Thevenin impedance.
Mouse	- Is an input device. The user moves the device around on a flat surface thereby causing a cursor to move around the display screen in response to the movements of the mouse.	icons, wimps
MOVPE	"Metallic Organic Vapour Phase Epitaxy"
MP3	- An abbreviation of MPEG Audio-Layer 3
MPEG	"Moving Picture Expert Group" "Motion Picture Expert Group"	MP3, video cd
MPP Value	- Also called the output voltage swing. This is the maximum unclipped peak-to-peak output of an amplifier.
MPW	"Multi Project Wafers"
MQORC	"Modified Quadrature Overlapped Raised Cosine"
MRam	- Magnetic ram. A non-volatile memory technology that uses magnetic, thin film elements on a silicon substrate.
MSB	"Most Significant Bit" - Is the bit with the greatest place value in a word
MSDOS	- Is a disk operating system written by Microsoft used by the IBMPC and compatible machines
MSI	"Medium-Scale Integration"
MSK	"Minimum Shift Keying"
MSRN	"Mobile Station Roaming Number"
MTBF	"Mean Time Between Failures"
MTF	"Modulation Transfer Function"
MTTR	"Mean Time To Repair"
MUF	"Maximum Usable Frequency"
Muldex	- Multiplexer / Demultiplexer
Multi Programming	- Is a method of benefiting from the speed of a central processing unit compared to a slower peripheral device by allowing two or more programs to be processed apparently simultaneously but actually in bursts controlled by an operating system
Multifeed	- Fixed dish system with more than one LNB positioned to receive off axis satellite
MultiLayer	- Construction of three or more conductor trace layers separated by dielectric materials to form a circuit substrate
MultiPlexing	- The combining of independent signals into one transmission channel	802.11a, voip
Multiprocessor System	- Is a computer system that contains two or more processors thereby improving the processing speed or reliability of the system
MultiVibrator	- A circuit with positive feedback and two active devices, designed so that one device conducts while the other cuts off
Munee	- Is a signal which passes only good frequency signals from one end to another
MUSA	"Multiple Unit Steerable Array"
MUSE	"Multiple sub-Nyquist Sampling and Encoding"
Music Synthesizers	- Is an output device that generates sounds similar to musical notes on receipt of digital signals
MUSICAM	"Masking pattern Universal Sub-band Integrated Coding And Multiplexing"
Mute	- A push button on a telephone which disconnects the microphone temporary to allow the user to hold a conversation without the other party overhearing
MUX	"Multiplexer"