| TAB | tape automated bonding | -- |
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| TACS | total access communication system | Analog cell phone standard. |
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| TC | temperature coefficient or thermo-compression or temperature cycle | A type of wirebond employing heat. |
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| TCAD | Technology computer aided design | Tools used by technology developers (as opposed to circuit designers using ECAD) |
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| TCC | temperature coefficient of capacitance | -- |
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| TCE | temperature coefficient of resistance (CTE is also used) | An approximate measure of how a solid expands or contracts over temperature. |
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| TCR | temperature coefficient of resistivity | An approximate measure of how a resistor varies over temperature. |
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| TCXO | temperature-compensated crystal oscillator | -- |
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| TDD | time division duplex | -- |
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| TDMA | time division multiple access | -- |
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| TDU | time delay unit | A network that provides switchable path lengths for delaying a signal by a specified time. |
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| TE | transverse electric | A type of waveform associated with waveguides, requires only one closed conductor. |
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| TE | test equipment | -- |
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| TEM | transverse electromagnetic | A type of waveform that requires two conductors, such as coax or stripline. |
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| TFC | thin-film capacitor | Capacitors that are formed using thin-film processes, often called MIM (metal-insulator-metal) caps. |
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| TFMSL | thin-film microstrip line | This type of transmission line is often used on silicon RF devices. Because silicon is not a great insulator, a dielectric layer such as BCB is deposited, then metal is patterned on top to define circuitry. |
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| TFN | thin-film network | A circuit that is processed on a substrate by depositing layers of metals (and sometimes insulators), using etching (and sometimes plating) operations to define features. |
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| TFR | thin-film resistor | Resistors that are formed using thin-film techniques. |
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| THZ | terahertz | The region of electro-magnetic spectrum between millimeterwaves and light; 1012 Hertz. |
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| TIA | trans-impedance amplifier | -- |
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| TLA | three letter acronym | As in, FBI, EWR, WWW, DOS. Cheer up, there are only 17,576 possible TLAs! |
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| TM | transverse magnetic | A type of waveform associated with waveguides, requires only one closed conductor. |
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| TN | equivalent noise temperature | An alternate method of expressing noise figure, often used by scientists with thick glasses. |
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| TNC | threaded Neill-Concelman | A connector developed a long time ago that you might find on older equipment. |
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| TOI | third-order intercept | -- |
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| TPMS | tire pressure monitoring system | A future government mandate to protect fat stupid people from SUV rollovers |
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| TR, T/R | transmit receive | A transmit receive element, module, or system. |
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| TRF | tuned radio frequency (receiver) | A radio architecture from the early 20th century. Mostly abandoned when the superhet was developed. |
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| TRL | through reflect line | A type of network measurement calibration. |
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| TS | thermo-sonic | A type of wirebond employing heat and sound waves. |
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| TSA | tapered slot antenna | Also known as the Vivaldi antenna. |
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| TSSOP | thin shrink small outline package | One of many package styles. |
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| TTD | true time delay | A type of phase shifter employing switched lines that are multiple wavelengths long. |
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| TTL | transistor-transistor logic | Old-school logic standard. |
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| TVAC | thermal vacuum chamber | Used for simulating the conditions of space flight on electronics. |
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| TVRO | television receive only | -- |
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| TWT | traveling wave tube | A form of microwave power amplifier. Provides tens of watts to several thousand watts, often with poor noise characteristics but high efficiency. Named after a guy named Wave who was on the road a lot. |
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| TX | transmit | An abbreviation sometimes used for transmit. |