| DAC |
digital
to analog convertor |
|
|
DAD
|
not an acronym
|
The guy who used to fill
your gas tank while you were in college studying to be a microwave
big shot. Don't wait until father's day to call him.
|
| DAMPS |
digital
advanced mobile phone system |
|
|
dB
|
decibel
|
Refers to relative RF
power levels on a logarithmic scale. Used to express any ratio
logarithmically. “I love you 1 dB more than yesterday”
means a 20 percent increase.
|
|
dBc
|
dB below carrier
|
Measurement of how much
less power a signal at one frequency has with respect to the
signal at the carrier frequency.
|
|
dBm
|
decibel relative to one
milliwatt
|
Log scale that refers
to absolute RF power levels. For example, 0 dBm refers to
1 mW, 30 dBm refers to 1 Watt.
|
|
DBM
|
double balanced mixer
|
One of many cases of
acronym reuse!
|
|
DBS
|
direct broadcast satellite
|
The thing out in space
that transmits all of those cartoons to your kids. The link
between the satellite and your house is done with microwave
signals.
|
|
DC
|
direct current
|
What Edison incorrectly
thought you'd use in your home.
|
|
DCS
|
digital communication
system
|
Analog cell phone standard.
|
| DCXO |
digitally-compensated
crystal oscillator |
|
|
DECT
|
digital enhanced cordless
telephone
|
Digital cordless phone
standard.
|
| DF |
dissipation
factor |
The
reciprocal of quality factor (Q) for a capacitor. |
| DFW |
dielectrically-filled waveguide |
See substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) |
| DHBT |
double-heterojunction
bipolar transistor |
|
| DLVA |
detector
log video amplifier |
|
| DOE |
design
of experiments |
A more
impressive way of saying, "I tried a lot of sh*t, and this
seems to work the best, now pass the donuts" |
| DPDT |
double-pole,
double throw |
A pair
of SPDT switches that are ganged together (thanks, Micah!) |
| DPLL |
digital
phase-locked loop |
|
| DPQSK |
differential
quadrature phase shift keying |
|
| DRC |
design
rule checking |
Software
that verifies that you didn't do something really stupid in
your layout. |
| DRO |
dielectric
resonator oscillator |
|
| DSA |
digital step attenuator |
|
| DSB |
double
sideband |
A receiver
or downconverter that uses both sidebands. |
| DSBSC |
double
sideband carrier suppression |
|
|
DSP
|
digital signal processor
|
What the nerds do with
your IF output signal.
|
| DSR |
double-selective
recess |
A highly-repeatable
way to make pHEMT gates. |
| DSS |
digital
satellite system |
|
|
DUT
|
device under test
|
That thing you just blew
up out in the lab.
|
