Elenco Digital Roulette Kit - Manual (Page 14)

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WORD GLOSSARY
Capacitor An electrical component that can
store electrical pressure (voltage)
for periods of time.
Cold Solder Joint Occurs because insufficient heat
was applied or the connection
was moved before the solder had
set. Connection looks crystalline,
crumbly, or dull.
Flux A substance that is used to
cleanse the surface of oxide
before it is soldered.
Always
used in electronics work. Most of
the solder used in electronics has
flux built right into it.
Heat Sinking A process of keeping the
component from becoming
overheated during soldering. Any
metal object that can be clamped
to the component lead will work
as an effective heat sink.
An
alligator clip or pliers work well.
Integrated Circuit (IC) A type of circuit in which
transistors, diodes, resistors, and
capacitors are all constructed on
a semiconductor base.
Jumper Wire A wire that is connected from one
place to another on a PC board,
thereby making a connection
between two pads.
LED Common abbreviation for light
emitting diode.
Light Emitting Diode A diode made from gallium
arsenide that has a turn-on
energy so high that light is
generated when current flows
through it.
Oxidation Most metals, when exposed to
air, form an oxide on their surface
which prevents solder from
adhering to the metal.
Polarity The division of two opposing
forces or properties.
Printed Circuit Board A board used for mounting
electrical components.
Components are connected
using metal traces “printed” on
the board instead of wires.
Resistor Component used to control the
flow of electricity in a circuit. It is
made of carbon.
Rosin Core Solder The most common type of solder
used in electronics generally
referred to as 63/37 rosin core
solder.
Solder A tin/lead alloy that melts at a
very low temperature, used to
join other metals together.
It
produces excellent electrical
connections.
Solder Bridge An unwanted solder connection
between two points that are close
together.
Solder Melting Point The temperature at which a
tin/lead alloy (solder) melts. The
common solder used in
electronics (63% tin / 37% lead)
has a melting point of 370
O F.
Solder Wick Braided wire coated with flux to
effectively remove solder from a
connection.
Soldering The process of joining two or
more metals by applying solder to
them.
Tack Soldering A connection where the lead or
wire does not have
any
mechanical support.
Tinning the Tip A process of coating the
soldering iron tip with solder to
minimize the formation of oxide
on the tip, which would reduce
the amount of heat transfer.
Transistor An electronic device that uses a
small amount of current to control
a large amount of current.
Wire Gauge Refers to the size of the wire. The
bigger the number, the smaller
the diameter of the wire.
18 gauge to 24 gauge is
generally used for hook-up in
electronics.