Phase Shift: The difference in phase angle between phasor voltages at points A and B. For an oscillator, the phase shift around the amplifier and…

Phase-locked Loop: An electronic circuit that uses feedback and a phase comparator to control frequency or speed.

Periodic: An adjective that describes a waveform that repeats the same basic shape for cycle after cycle.

Peak Value: The largest instantaneous value of a time-varying voltage.

Peak Inverse Voltage: The maximum reverse voltage across a diode in a rectifier circuit.

Peak Detector: The same as a rectifier with a capacitor input filter. Ideally, the capacitor charges to the peak of the input voltage. This peak…

Parasitic Oscillations: Oscillations of a very high frequency that cause all sorts of strange things to happen. Circuits act erratically, oscillators may produce more than…

Overloading: Using a load resistance so small that it decreases the voltage gain of an amplifier by a noticeable amount. In terms of the Thevenin…

Output Offset Voltage: Any deviation or difference of the output voltage from the ideal output voltage.

Output Impedance: Another term used for the Thevenin impedance of an amplifier. It means the amplifier has been Thevenized, so that the load sees only…

Outboard Transistor: A transistor placed in parallel with a regulating circuit to increase the amount of load current that the overall circuit can regulate. The…

Oscillations: The death of an amplifier. When an amplifier has positive feedback, it may break into oscillations, which is unwanted high-frequency signal. This signal is…

Optoelectronics: A technology that combines optics and electronics, including many devices based on the action of a pn junction. Examples of optoelectronic devices are LEDs,…

Optocoupler: A combination of a LED and a photodiode. An input signal to the LED is converted to varying light which is detected by the…

Optimum Q point: The point where the ac load line has equal maximum signal swings on both half-cycles.