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Jargon Buster
This page is based on the original MERG glossary.
Before adding entries, please read guide to adding entries a how to do it for MERG Members.
Index to other public pages
A
AC - Alternating Current
Accessory decoders
Accessory encoder
Address
Agile
Amplifier
AM - Amplitude Modulation
Amps or Ampere - The measure of electrical current flow
Analogue
AND
API - Application Program Interface
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASCII Hex
Aspect
At-Bus - (Layout) Control Bus
Auto Reverse Module
AWG - American Wire Gauge
B
Back EMF
Baud
BC3
Bell signals
BGA
Bipolar
Bistable
Bit
Bite
BJT - Bipolar Junction Transistor
Block Control
Block occupancy
BloNg
Boolean
Booster
Bps - Bits per second
Bridge rectifier
Buffer
Bus
Byte
C
C/MRI - Computer/Model Railroad Interface
Cab Control
Cabling
CAN or CAN BUS - Controller Area Network
CAN related projects from MERG CBUS Modules
Capacitor
CARLOS
CBUS - (Layout) Control Bus
CDC - Communications Device Class
CDU - Capacitor Discharge Unit
CE Mark - Conformité Européenne
Ceramic
Channel
Charlieplexing
Circuit
Circular Buffer - FiFo
Clearing Point
Clock
Closed loop
CMOS - Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor
Coil
Colour Light
COM Port - Communication Port
Command Station
Common
Common Return Wiring
Computer Control Software
Conductor
Consist
Control Systems
Crystal
Current
Current Shunt
CV - Configuration Variable
D
D Type Connector
DC - Direct Current
DC Control
DCC - Digital Command Control
Debounce
DecoderPro
Decoupling Capacitor
Digital
Digitrax
DIL Socket - Dual In-Line
Diode
Dirty PSU
DPDT - Double Pole Double Throw
DPR - Double Pole Relay
DPST - Double Pole Single Throw
Driver
DTC - DCC Track Circuit
E
EDG - Event Data Grid
EPROM
EEPROM
Electro Frog
Electromagnet
Engine Driver - Android Throttle Application
ESD - Electo Static Discharge
ESR - Equivalent Series Resistance
EV - Event Variable
Event
F
Faller
Fast clock
FCU - FLiM Configuration Utility
Feathers
FET- Field Effect Transistor
FIFO
Firmware
Flag
Flash Memory
FLiM - Full Layout implementation Model
Flip flop
Frequency
FM - Frequency Modulation
Fuse
G
Gerber image
GIT repository
GPP software
GPIO General Purpose Input and Output
Ground
H
Hall effect
Handset
Handshaking
Happening
HASL
Header plug or socket
Heat sink
Hector
Hexadecimal or Hex
High
HO Scale
HYPOTRAC
Hysteresis
Hysteresis loop
I
ICs - Integrated Circuits
ICSP - In Circuit Serial Programming
Incandescent lamps
Inductor
Infrared emitter
Infrared receiver/detector
Insulfrog
Interlocking
ISR - Interrupt Service Routine
J
K
L
Latching
Layout Command Control
Lead free
LED - Light Emitting Diode
LENZ
LiFo
Lighting decoder
Logic
Long Event
M
Magnet
Matrix
Memory Wire
Microprocessor
Mobile decoder
Modulation
MOMS - MERG Online Membership System
Monostable
MOSFET - Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor
MSAG - MERG Somerset Area Group
Multiplexor
N
O
Octal Darlington Arrays
Ohms
OP Original Post(er)
Op amp
Open collector
OpenLCB - Open Layout Control Bus
Optical detector
Opto-isolator
OR
Oscillation
Oscilloscope
P
Parallel
PCB - Printed Circuit Board
PCB software
Peco motor
PEI - Polyetherimide
Phase
PM - Phase Modulation
PM - Pulse Modulation
PIC - Peripheral Interface Controller
PICKit
PiSo - Parallel in Serial out
PLA
PMD1
PMD2
PMP - Pocket Money Project
PMR1
PNP
Point Motors
Points
Polarity
Positive
POR
Pot
Potentiometer
Power district
Power pack
Programming
Progressive cab control
PSU - Power Supply Unit
PTP - Point to Point
PTP-Lite
Pulse
Pulse Width Modulation
Pulsed output
Q
QFN - Quad Flat No Leads - a surface mount IC package
QFP - Quad Flat Pack - a surface mount IC package
QTU - Quad Throttle Unit
R
RailCom
RC filter - Resistance and Capacitor Filter
Rectification
Reed Switch
Regulated power supply
Relays
Resistor
Resistor network
Resonator
Reverse polarity
RFID - Radio Frequency IDentification
Ring Buffer
Risk assessment
RLSC - Reversed Linked Section Control
RMS - Root Mean Square
Road Vehicle Control
Route setting
RPC - Remote Panel Control
RPI - Remote Panel Interface
RPi - Raspberry Pi
RS232
RS485
RSA
RSE- Remote Stack Extension
RTC
RTFM- Read The Flipping Manual
RTOS- Real-Time Operating System
S
SABLE
SD4
Seep motor
Semaphore
Series
Servo
Shift register
Short Event
Signalling
SiPo - Serial in Parallel out
SLiM - Simple/Small Layout implementation Model
Smoothing
SMPS
SoC - System on Chip
SoD - Start of Day
Solid conductor
Sound decoder
Soundtrax
SPAD
SPDT- Single Pole Double Throw
Sprog
SPST - Single Pole Single Throw
SRI4
SRO4
SSI
Star network
Start of Day - SoD
Stationary decoder
Stay Alive
Steady state
SToC - Searchable Table of Contents
Stranded conductor
SuperBloc
Surface Mounted Components
SWG - Standard Wire Gauge
Switch
Switch machine
Switch mode
T
Tag strip
TB - Technical Bulletin
TCC - Train Control Centre/Center
Technical Data
Throttle/handset
Timers
Toggle
TORR
Tortoise motor
Toti - Train-on-Track Indicator
TOU
Track circuit
Track cleaner
Train detection
Transducer
Transformer
Transistor
Tri-State or Three State output pin - can be a 0, a 1 or open circuit
Turnout actuator
TVS
Twinkling
U
UART
Unregulated power supply
USB - Universal Serial Bus
V
VCP Virtual Communications Port.
Volt The measure of electrical potential difference
Voltage regulator
W
X
XAND - eXclusive AND
XLR Connector
XOR - eXclusive OR