The Illustrated Dictionary of Electronics - Loscha

290 flight telerobotic servicer • floating-point systema computer program or by a human operator. Themost-sophisticated machines can use TELEOP-ERATION and/or TELEPRESENCE so that a humancan perform dangerous work without beingplaced at personal risk.flight test 1. To test airborne electronic equipmentin actual flight. 2. Any test made as in 1.Flinders bar In a magnetic compass, a metal barthat corrects for the vertical component (inclination)of the earth’s magnetic field. The bar mustbe designed differently in different geographic locations,because the inclination varies from placeto place. Inclination is greatest near the geomagneticpoles, and is zero at the geomagnetic equator.flint glass A hard, bright, lead glass. Dielectricconstant, 7 to 9.9. Dielectric strength, 30 to 150kV/mm. Also see GLASS.flip chip A monolithic semiconductor device (suchas a diode, transistor, or integrated circuit), inwhich bead-like terminals are provided on oneface of the chip for bonding.flip-chip bonding A scheme for making connectionsbetween a semiconductor chip and aheader, in which leads are not run between chipand header. Instead, bead-like projections areelectrodeposited as terminals around one face ofthe chip, which is then registered with the headerterminals and bonded to them.flip-flop 1. See BISTABLE MULTIVIBRATOR. 2. Atwo-position relay that locks in alternate positionsupon receiving successive actuating pulses.flip-flop key In a video display, a key that, whenpressed, allows viewing of one half of the screenand then the other.flip-flop memory A bistable computer memorythat stores bits of data as flip-flop states.flip-flop relay See BISTABLE RELAY.float charging The constant charging of a storagebattery, keeping the battery at or near the fullycharged state at all times.floated battery A storage battery connected inparallel with a generator, which supplies theload; the battery, always completely charged,helps during high-current demands.floating 1. To float a storage battery; see FLOAT. 2.An ungrounded device or circuit that is not connectedto a source of voltage. 3. Not loaded ordriven. 4. Not fixed in position. 5. A dedicatedground connection that remains isolated from thecommon circuit ground.floating address See RELATIVE ADDRESS.floating charge See TRICKLE CHARGE.floating control 1. A potentiometer, such as again control, installed with its shaft insulatedfrom ground and, accordingly, subject to bodycapacitanceeffects. 2. A type of automatic controlin which the rate of final control element movementdepends on the amount that the controlledvariable deviates from a prescribed value.floating ground See FLOATING, 5.floating input An ungrounded input circuit.floating-input measurement See DIFFERENTIAL-INPUT MEASUREMENT.floating instrument An instrument whose signalterminals are above ground.floating I/O port An input/output (I/O) terminalthat is not loaded or being driven.floating junction A junction (in a semiconductordevice, for example), that has no net current flowingthrough it.floating neutral A circuit with a variable commonvoltage reference.floating paraphase inverter A dual-transistoradaptation of the paraphase inverter. The secondstage receives its input signal from a tap on theload resistor of the first stage and provides theadditional phase shift that is required.InputSDDSfloating paraphase inverterOutput 1CommonOutput 2floating-point calculation An electronic calculationusing a floating point number [i.e., a numberwhose value is represented by two sets of digits, afixed-point part (see FIXED-POINT SYSTEM) anda radix (base number) with an exponent]. Importantin the operation of microprocessors, especiallyin computer systems.floating-point number A number expressed in thefloating-point system.floating-point package Computer-vendor softwarethat enables that computer to perform floating-pointcalculations.floating-point system A system of notation inwhich a number n is represented by two sets ofnumbers: a fixed-point part (see FIXED-POINTSYSTEM) a, the radix (base number) r, and an exponentb as follows: n = a × r b . For example, in thefloating-point system, 623 can be written 6.23 ×10 2 . Floating-point numbers can be stored economically(in terms of memory) and in magnitudesthat might otherwise be beyond thecapacity of the computer to operate upon withrelatively consistent accuracy. Compare FIXED-POINT SYSTEM.