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Jargon Buster
This page is based on the original MERG glossary.
Guide to adding entries How to do it for MERG Members wishing to add items.
Index to other public pages
A
AC - Alternating Current
Accessory decoders
Accessory encoder
Address
Agile
Amplifier
AM - Amplitude Modulation
Amp The measure of electrical current flow
Analogue
AND
API - Application Program Interface
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange
Aspect
At-Bus - (Layout) Control Bus
Auto reverse
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 - Byte per second
Bridge rectifier
Buffer
Bus
Byte
C
C/MRI - Computer/Model Railroad Interface
Cab Control
Cabling
CAN - Controller Area Network
CAN... CBUS Modules
Capacitor
Carlos
CBUS - (Layout) Control Bus
CDC - Communications Device Class
CDU - Capacitor Discharge Unit
CE - Conformité Européenne
Ceramic
Channel
Charlieplexing
Circuit
Cleaning Tracks
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
CSA
Current
Current shunt
CVs - Configuration Variable
D
D type connector
Darlington
DC - Direct Current
DC Control
DCC - Digital Command Control
Debounce
DecoderPro
Decoupling capacitor
Digital
Digitrax
DIL - Dual In-Line
Diode
Dirty PSU
DPDT - Double Pole Double Throw
DPR - Double Pole Relay
DPST - Double Pole Single Throw
Driver
E
EDG
EEPROM
Electro frog
Electro magnet
ESD - Electo Static Discharge
ESR - Equivalent Series Resistance
F
Faller
Fast clock
FCU - FLiM Configuration Utility
Feathers
FET- Field Effect Transistor
FIFO
Firmware
Flag
FLiM - Full Layout implementation Model
Flip flop
Frequency
FM - Frequency Modulation
Fuse
G
GIT repository
GPP software
GPIO General Purpose Input and Output
Ground
H
Hall effect
Handset
Handshaking
HASL
Header plug or socket
Heat sink
Hector
High
HYPOTRAC
Hysteresis loop
I
ICs - Integrated Circuits
ICSP - In Circuit Serial Programming
Incandescent lamps
Inductor
Infra red emitter
Infra red receiver/detector
Insulfrog
Interlocking
J
K
L
Latching
Layout Command Control
Lead free
LED - Light Emitting Diode
LENZ
Lighting decoder
Logic
M
Magnet
Matrix
Memory Wire
Microprocessor
Mobile decoder
Modulation
MOMS - MERG Online Membership System
Monostable
MOSFET - Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor
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
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
Risk assessment
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
S
SD4
Seep motor
Semaphore
Series
Servo
Shift register
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
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
Super Bloc
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
Tortoise motor
Toti - Train-on-Track Indicator
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
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