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ABC of electronics terms

(To find chips for distinct functions, see the functional pages.)

V

Varactor

A diode used as a capacitor. Its capacitance varies versus voltage. Used in tuning circuits, PLLs, etc. Normally reverse-biased. The "depletion region" around the physical junction is an insulating space between the two conducting regions; it's width depends on voltage. All diodes do this, but varactors are optimized to be used this way.Andy

www.americanmicrosemi.com/tutorials/varactor.htm

VCO

Voltage Controlled Oscillator

Where	Manufacturer
www.amplifonix.com/	Amplifonix

VGA

Video Graphics Array (=EGA+) from IBM's PS/2-series PC's, copied as the industry standard's PC-color-card.

www.datashopper.dk/~finth/	Doc's about a lot of VGA cards!
www.faqs.org/faqs/by-newsgroup/comp/comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video.html	FAQ about 3D cards

See also 'video card' and 'VLB'.

VHDL

Very High Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) Hardware Description Language.

A standard worldwide language for the design and description of electronic systems.

See Free Model Foundation

www.gmvhdl.com/VHDL.html	Introduction to VHDL
www.vhdl.org/	VHDL International User's Forum

See also CPLD and FPGA as a cheap way to implement VHDL design's.

Video

www.oh-bugger.net.nz/ (in new window)	Video monitor test patterns
www.oreilly.com/reference/dictionary/terms/V/Video.htm	O'Reilly
www.pco.de/	PCO
nyquist.ee.ualberta.ca/pub/cookbook/video/	In the Circuit Cookbook

Very helpful is a book by Keith Jack: 'Video demystified'.
High Text Publications.
This book is offered for free by Harris Semiconductor.

Video Camera

Camera for recording video movies.

Subject: Complete B&W Video Camera on a Chip

Complete B&W Video Camera on a Chip from Marshall Electronics, Inc.

All video circuitry built into a single CMOS* sensor
outputs directly to standard 75 ohm video monitor
320(H)*240(V) Pixel array
Sensitivity is 0.9 lux (f1.4)
Operates up to 35 hours on a 9V Lithium battery
(24 hrs. on Alkaline battery)
6-18 VDC Supply voltage
Lenses: 2.1mm, 2.9mm, 3.6mm, 5.7mm, 8mm,
12mm & pinhole

Culver City, CA - The Optical Systems Division of Marshall Electronics introduces another breakthrough in low-cost camera technology.
The single CMOS* sensor is the first commercially available camera on a chip made entirely in the USA.
All functions except for the lens are built into the small CMOS* device.

www.mars-cam.com/cmos.html

Video Card

A card to push in your PC that enables you to see things on your monitor.

local	Video card insiders info
www.diamondmm.com/	Diamond Multimedia
www.aceshardware.com/Spades/read.php?article_id=80	A long look at the GeForce256

Virus (computer-)

Malicious computer program or part of a program that enters the computer without permission, spreads itself (on the computer and to other computers) and often destroys data on the computer.

www.howstuffworks.com/virus.htm

How it works

VLB

Vesa Local Bus

local

About the VESA* Local Bus by Mark Sokos

See also 'VGA' and 'video card'.

VLSI

Very Large Scale Integration. The more complex chips, so not the basic 7400 glue chips, or the medium density peripheral chips. But this is a shifting notion of course.

Book:

title	order at Amazon USA	price indication
Atlas Of IC* Technologies; An Introduction to VLSI processes	ISBN: 0805368507	$35

VME

Industrial bus, originally for 68000 boards.

www.faqs.org/faqs/by-newsgroup/comp/comp.arch.bus.vmebus.html	FAQ
nyquist.ee.ualberta.ca/archive/vmefaq.html	FAQ

Voice

Human voice

See Speech

VT-100

Famous terminal from DEC.

local

Escape code definitions

VXCO

Where	Manufacturer
www.vectronlabs.com/	Vectron Labs Inc