1. On the viewing screen of a display device, e.g., a computer monitor, horizontal shifting of the entire displayed image.
Note: The panning direction is at a right angle with respect to the scrolling direction.
2. In video technology, the use of a camera to scan a subject horizontally.
3. In antenna systems, successively changing the azimuth of a beam… (Read More →)

Abbreviation for peak-to-average ratio meter. A meter used to measure, calculate, and display the ratio of the peak power level to the time-averaged power level in a circuit, i.e., the peak-to-average ratio (p/a r).
Note 1: A par meter is used as a quick means to identify degraded telephone channels.
Note 2: A par meter is very sensitive to envelope… (Read More →)

An antenna consisting of a parabolic reflector and a radiating or receiving element at or near its focus.
Note: If the reflector is in the shape of a paraboloid of revolution, it is called a paraboloidal reflector; cylindrical paraboloids and off-axis paraboloids of revolution are also used.

1. In an optical fiber, a power-law index profile with the profile parameter, g, equal to
2. Synonym quadratic profile.

A computer that has multiple arithmetic units or logic units that are used to accomplish parallel operations or parallel processing.

A port through which two or more data bits are passed simultaneously, such as all the bits of an 8-bit byte, and that requires as many input channels as the number of bits that are to be handled simultaneously. [From Weik '89]

Pertaining to the concurrent or simultaneous execution of two or more processes in a single unit.

1. The simultaneous transmission of the signal elements of a character or other data item.
2. In digital communications, the simultaneous transmission of related signal elements over two or more separate paths.
Note: Protocols for parallel transmission, such as those used for computer ports, have been standardized by ANSI.

Conversion of a stream of multiple data elements, received simultaneously, into a stream of data elements transmitted in time sequence, i.e., one at a time.

An amplifier that (a) has a very low noise level, (b) has a main oscillator that is tuned to the received frequency, (c) has another pumping oscillator of a different frequency that periodically varies the parameters, i.e., the capacitance or inductance, of the main oscillator circuit, and (d) enables amplification of the applied signal by making use of the energy… (Read More →)