Basic Electronic Vocabulary

Axial - A component is described as being an axial component when it has leads which
protrude from opposite end.

Capacitor - Capacitors store an electric charge and then return the charge to a circuit.
The amount of charge they can hold per volt is called their capacitance.
This is measured in farads.(Capacitance Charge/Volt)

Crystal - Crystals create frequencies of electric oscillation which control timing in electronic
equipment.

Connector - Connectors join one part of a circuit to another.

Diode - Diodes allow an electric current to flow in one direction only they prevent current from  flowing back.

DIP - Dual in-line package.
This is a component shape usually used for PTH integrated circuits and resistor packs.
A row of leads are along two opposite sides of the component.

FAB - A fabricated printed circuit board with no components.

Fuse- Fuses are used to protect equipment from electrical overload.
They contain a small wire which melts when too much electricity.

Goldfinger - Goldfinger are a part of a printed circuit board which can be used as a connector to
plug that board into another.

Inductor - Inductors store energy in the magnetic fields surrounding them.
This inductance is measured in henrys.

Integrated Circuit - Integrated circuits are combinations of resistors, capacitors, diodes and transistors connected inside one component.
They are used for a variety of functions including computer logic and computer memory, and also as amplifiers, oscillators, and timers.

Land - Synonymous with "pad". (See pad)

Lead - Leads are the parts of a component that are soldered to a circuit board.
When a component has more than three leads, they are referred to as pins. (See also pin)

Orientation - A component which does not have polarity (+ and - sides), but must be placed in a specific direction on a circuit board has orientation.
Examples of such components are integrated circuits and SIP and DIP resistor packs. (See also polarity)

Pad - Pads are the metal portions of printed circuit boards which components are soldered on.
Most pads are round, but on PCBs which have both round and square pads, the square pad shows the proper placement of a component with polarity or orientation.
Sometimes pads are called lands.

PCB - Printed circuit board. PCB is an old term still in use although the technology of circuit boards has changed. It used to be that circuits were printed onto the surface of the boards.
Today,the boards have layers of laminate and circuitry. (See also PWB)

Pin - Pins are the parts of a component which are soldered to a circuit board.
The term pin is used when the component has more than three leads.
Some components can have as few as four pins, while others can have as many as a hundred or more. (See also lead)

Polarity - A component which has polarity has a positive "+" and negative side.
This will be marked in some way on the component.
These components (such as batteries, diodes and some capacitors) must be placed in a specific direction on a circuit board in order for them to work. (See also orientation)

PTH - Pin-through-hole.
This describes an assembly technology where components, are placed in holes in a circuit board and then soldered.

PWB - Printed wiring board; synonymous with "PCB".

Radial - A component is described as being radial when both leads protrude from the same end.

Resistor - Resistors limit the flow of electric current. They are measured in ohms.
More ohms will allow less current to flow, and fewer ohms will allow more current to flow.

Silkscreen - "Drawings" or "pictures" on a circuit board which show component locations, shapes, and polarity or orientation is called the silkscreen. Not every circuit board will have a silkscreen.
If there is no silkscreen, you will have to look at the assembly drawing (blueprint) for this information.

SIP - Single in-line package.
This is a component shape usually used for PTH resistor packs.
A row of leads is along one side of the component.

SMD - Surface mount device.
(SMD is a registered service mark of North American Phillips Corporation. It also stands for Surface Mount Division)

SMT - Surface Mount Technology.
This is an assembly technology where components are soldered to pads on the surface of a circuit board.

Switch - Switches open and close a gap in a wire in order to stop or allow the flow of electric current.

Trace - Traces provide the electrical connection between components, pads and other parts of a PCB. They are thin wires through which electric current flows on a circuit board.

Transformer - Transformers change one voltage level to another. They are also used to isolate different parts of a circuit.

Transistor - Transistors can be used as either amplifiers, in analog circuits, or as switches in digital circuits.

General Summary of Basic Electronic Components