Jargon Buster
This page is based on the original MERG glossary.
Before adding entries, please read guide to adding entries a how to do it for MERG Members.
A
AC - Alternating Current
Accessory decoders
Accessory encoder
Address
Agile
Amplifier
AM - Amplitude Modulation
Amps or Ampere - The measure of electrical current flow
Analogue
AND
API - Application Program Interface
Arduino
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASCII Hex - Hexadecimal
Aspect
At-Bus - (Layout) Control Bus
ATC - Automatic Train Control
Auto Reverse Module
AVR - Microcontroller family
AWG - American Wire Gauge
B
Back EMF - Back Electromotive Force
Baud
BC3
Bell signals
BGA - Ball Grid Array
Bipolar
Bistable
Bit
Bite
BJT - Bipolar Junction Transistor
Block Control
Block occupancy
BloNg - Block oriented N-Gauge
Boolean
Booster
BootLoader
Bps - Bits per second
Bridge rectifier
Buffer
Bus
Byte
C
C/MRI - Computer/Model Railroad Interface
Cab Control
Cabling
CAN or CAN BUS - Controller Area Network
CAN related projects from MERG - CBUS Modules
Capacitor
CARLOS - Computer Aided Railway Layout Operating System
CBUS - (Layout) Control Bus
CDC - Communications Device Class
CDU - Capacitor Discharge Unit
CE Mark - Conformité Européenne
Ceramic
Channel
Charlieplexing
Circuit
Circular Buffer - FiFo
Clearing Point
Clock
Closed loop
CMOS - Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor
Coil
Colour Light
COM Port - Communication Port
Command Station
Common
Common Return Wiring
Computer Control Software
Conductor
Consist
Control Systems
Crystal
Current
Current Shunt
CV - Configuration Variable
D
D Type Connector
DC - Direct Current
DC Control
DCC - Digital Command Control
DCC-EX
DCO - District Cut-Out
DCT - see DTC
Debounce
DecoderPro
Decoupling Capacitor
Digital
Digitrax
DIL Socket - Dual In-Line socket
Diode
Dirty PSU - Dirty Power Supply Unit
DPDT - Double Pole Double Throw
DPR - Double Pole Relay
DPST - Double Pole Single Throw
Driver
DTC - DCC Track Circuit
E
EDG - Event Data Grid
EEPROM - Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
Electro Frog
Electromagnet
EMF - Electromotive Force
Engine Driver - Android Throttle Application
EPROM - Erasable Programmable Read-Only
ESD - Electo Static Discharge
ESR - Equivalent Series Resistance
EV - Event Variable
Event
F
Faller
FallerCarSystem
Fast clock
FCU - Full layout implementation model Configuration Utility
FDM - Fused Deposition Modeling (3D Printing)
Feathers
FET- Field Effect Transistor
FIFO - First In First Out
Firmware
Flag
Flash Memory
FLiM - Full Layout implementation Model
Flip flop
FM - Frequency Modulation
Frequency
FSM - Finite State Machine
FTDI - Future Technology Development International (connection devices)
Fuse
G
Gerber image
GIT repository
GPP software
GPIO - General Purpose Input and Output
Ground
H
Hall effect
Handset
Handshaking
Happening
HASL - Hot Air Solder Leveling
Header plug or socket
Heat sink
Hector
Hexadecimal or Hex
High
HO Scale
HYPOTRAC
Hysteresis
Hysteresis loop
I
ICs - Integrated Circuits
ICSP - In Circuit Serial Programming
Incandescent lamps
Include Guard - also pragma once
Inductor
Infrared emitter
Infrared receiver/detector
Insulfrog
Interlocking
ISR - Interrupt Service Routine
J
JAL - Just Another Language
Java
JMRI - Java Model Railroad Interface
JSON - JavaScript Object Notation
K
Kits
KnowledgeBase
KSM Kit Sales Manager - email on the Kitlocker page
L
Latching - the new state is held until it is changed
LCB - Layout Control Bus
LCC - NMRA's Layout Command Control (equiv. to OpenLCB)
LDR - Light Dependent Resistor
Lead free - usually refers to a type of solder
LED - Light Emitting Diode
LENZ - European manufacturer of DCC equipment
LiFo - Last in First out
Lighting decoder
Logic - refers to circuits ot calculations on binary information
Long Event - 32-bit eventid
M
Magnet
Matrix
Memory Wire
Microprocessor
MMC - MERG Management Committee.
MMC - Module Management Console for the configuration and management of CBUS and VLCB modules.
Mobile decoder
Modulation
MOMS - MERG Online Membership System
Monostable
MOSFET - Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor
MSAG - MERG Somerset Area Group
Multiplexor
N
NAND - Not AND
Negative
NMRA - National Model Railroad Association
NMRAnet - Early Layout Command Control
NOR - Not OR
NPN - Type of transistor
NV - Node Variable
O
Octal Darlington Arrays
Ohms - a measurement of electrical resistence
OP - Original Post(er)
Op amp - operational amplifier, often refers to an electronic chip
Open collector - a circuit with a transistor that not connected
OpenLCB - Open Layout Control Bus (equiv to LCC)
Optical detector
Opto-isolator
OR - a logical operation similar to arithmetic addition
Oscillation
Oscilloscope - an electronics instrument that displays waveforms
P
Parallel
PCB - Printed Circuit Board
PCB software
Peco motor
PEI - Polyetherimide
Phase
PIC - Peripheral Interface Controller
PICKit
PiSo - Parallel in Serial out
PLA - Polylactid Acid or Programmable Logic Array
PM - Phase Modulation or Pulse Modulation
PMD1
PMD2
PMP - Pocket Money Project
PMR1
PNP - Type of Transistor
Point Motors
Points
Polarity
Positive
POR - Power On Reset
Pot - Potentiometer
Potentiometer
Power district
Power pack
Programming
Progressive cab control
PSU - Power Supply Unit
PTP - Point to Point
PTP-Lite
Pulse
PWM - Pulse Width Modulation
Pulsed output
Q
QFN - Quad Flat No Leads - a surface mount IC package
QFP - Quad Flat Pack - a surface mount IC package
QTU - Quad Throttle Unit
R
RailCom
Raspberry Pi
RC filter - Resistance and Capacitor Filter
Rectification
Reed Switch
Regulated power supply
Relays
Resistor
Resistor network
Resonator
Reverse polarity
RFC - Request For Comment
RFID - Radio Frequency IDentification
Ring Buffer
Risk assessment
RLSC - Reversed Linked Section Control
RMS - Root Mean Square
Road Vehicle Control
Route setting
RPC - Remote Panel Control
RPI - Remote Panel Interface
RS232
RS485
RSA - a MERG RS232 to RS485 converter
RSE - Remote Stack Extension
RTC
RTFM - Read The Flipping Manual
RTOS - Real-Time Operating System
S
SABLE - Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy
Schottky Diode
SD4 - Remote Panel Control module
Seep motor
Semaphore
Series
Servo
Shift register
Short Event
Signalling
SiPo - Serial in Parallel out
SLiM - Simple/Small Layout implementation Model
Smoothing
SMPS - Switch Mode Power Suppply
SoC - System on Chip
SoD - Start of Day
Solid conductor
Sound decoder
Soundtrax
SPAD - Signal Passed At Danger
SPDT- Single Pole Double Throw
SPI - Serial Peripheral Interface
Sprog
SPST - Single Pole Single Throw
SRI4 - Remote Panel Control module
SRO4 - Remote Panel Control module
SSI
Star network
Stationary decoder
Stay Alive
Steady state
SToC - Searchable Table of Contents
Stranded conductor
SuperBloc
SWG - Standard Wire Gauge
Switch
Switch machine
Switch mode
T
Tag strip
TB - Technical Bulletin
TCC - Train Control Centre/Center
Technical Data
Throttle/handset
Timers
Toggle
TORR - Train Operated Route Release
Tortoise motor
ToTI - Train-on-Track Indicator
TOU - Turnout Operating Unit
Track circuit
Track cleaner
Train detection
Transducer
Transformer
Transistor
Tri-State - Three State output pin
Turnout actuator
TVS - Transient Voltage Suppressor
Twinkling
U
UART or USART - Universal Synchronous and/or Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter
Unregulated power supply
USB - Universal Serial Bus
USI - Universal Serial Interface
V
Via
VCP - Virtual Communications Port
Volt The measure of electrical potential difference
Voltage regulator
W
X
XLR Connector
XOR Gate - Exclusive OR Gate
Z
Zener diode
Zero 1
ZIF socket - Zero Insertion Force socket
ZIMO - Austrian DCC supplier
ZTC - British DCC supplier