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93 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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A type of non-rechargable battery
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Alkaline
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Another name for Hex screw or wrench
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Allen
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Current in which the direction of the flow of electrons cycles continuously from one direction to the other and back again
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alternating current (AC)
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the amount of voltage in an electrical signal
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amplitude
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the positive terminal of a diode
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Anode
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A feature of some multimeters that automatically sets the test range.
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auto-ranging
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AWG
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American Wire Gauge
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relative to an oscilloscope, the highest frequency signal that you can reliably test, measured in megahertz (MHz).
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bandwidth
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a power source that uses a process called electrochemical reaction to produce a positive voltage at one terminal and a negative voltage at the other terminal. This process involves placing two different types of metal in a certain type of chemical.
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battery
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Applying a small voltage to the base of a transistor to turn the transistor partially on.
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biasing
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a common type of transistor
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bipolar transistor
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Plastic boards that come in a variety of shapes, styles, and sizes; they contain columns of holes that little slivers of metal connect electrically. You plug in components - resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, integrated circuits and so on - and then string wires to build a circuit.
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breadboard
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also called prototyping boards or solderless breadboards
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breadboard
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a common connection point
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buss
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groups of two or more wires protected by an outer layer of insulation, such as a common power cord
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cable
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the ability to store electrons, measured in farads
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capacitance
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a component that provides the property of capacitance (the ability to store electrons) in a circuit.
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capacitor
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the negative terminal of a diode
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cathode
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a series of wires connecting components so that a current can flow through the components and back to the source
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circuit
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a very thin sheet of copper that you glue over a plastic, epoxy, or phenolic base to make a printed circuit board
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cladding
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a circuit where wires are connected, and current can flow.
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closed circuit
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the position of a switch that allows current to flow
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closed position
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a defective joint that occurs when solder doesn't properly flow around the metal parts.
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cold solder joints
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A device used to change the direction of electric current in a motor or generator.
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commutator
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parts used in electronics projects, such as a battery or transistor
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components
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A substance through which electricity can move freely.
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conductor
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Metal or plastic receptacles on a piece of equipment that cable ends fit into; an example would be a phone jack in your wall.
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connector
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A test you perform with a multimeter to establish whether a circuit is intact between two points.
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continuity
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the flow a positive charge from positive to negative voltage; the reverse of real current
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conventional current
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the flow of an electrical charge
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current
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The portion of a waveform where the voltage goes from it's lowest point to the highest point and back again. Is repeated as long as the waveform is running
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cycle
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a device that sucks up excess solder with a vacuum.
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desolder pump
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components that limit the flow of current to one direction
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diode
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current in which the electrons move in only one direction, from the negative terminal through the wires to the positive terminal; the electric current generated by a battery is an example
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direct current (DC)
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A type of switch that has two input wires
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double-pole switches
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A type of switch that has two wires coming into the switch and four wires leaving the switch.
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double-pole, double throw switch (DPDT)
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A type of switch that has two wires coming into the switch and two wires leaving the switch
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double-pole, single throw switch (DPST)
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the movement of electrons through a conductor
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electricity
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Some form of coiled wire around a piece of metal (typically an iron bar). When you run current through the wire, the metal becomes magnetized. When you shut off the current, the metal loses that magnetic quality
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electromagnet
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An attractive force between positive and negative charges, measured in volts.
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electromotive force
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A negatively charged particle
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electron
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A program that runs inside the microcontroller that allows you to write your programs by using an easy-to-use programming language.
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embedded language interpreter
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ESD stands for
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electrostatic discharge
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A raised area formed by solder
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fillet
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A term used to describe both a screw with a flat head and single slot, and the screwdriver you use with it
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flathead
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A wax-like substance that helps molten solder flow around components and wire, and assures a good joint.
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flux
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A measurement of how often an AC signal repeats
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frequency (the symbol for frequency is f)
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The amount that a signal is amplified (the voltage of the signal coming out divided by the voltage of the signal coming in).
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gain
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A connection in a circuit used as a reference (zero volts) for a circuit.
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ground
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A piece of metal that you attach securely to the component you want to protect. It draws off heat and helps prevent the heat from destroying the component.
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heat sink
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(also sometimes called a third hand clamp) Adjustable clips that hold small parts while you're working on projects.
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helping hands clamp
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The measurement of the number of cycles per second in alternating current.
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Hertz (Hz)
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(also called allen) Both a screw with a squarish hole in the head and the wrench used with it.
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Hex (Allen)
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in digital electronics, a signal at any value higher than zero (0) volts.
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high signal
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the symbol for current
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I
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the measure of opposition in an electrical circuit to a flow of alternating current
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impedence
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the ability to store energy in a magnetic field (measured in Henries)
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inductance
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Components that provide the property of inductance (the ability to store energy in a magnetic field) to a circuit.
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inductors
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A kind of temperature sensor that measures temperature electrically
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infrared temperature sensors
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(also called I/O ports) Connections on a microcontroller through wich signals are sent or received.
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input/output ports
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A substance through which electrons are unable to move freely.
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insulator
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Components (often called a chip) that contain several small components such as resisitors or diodes.
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integrated circuits
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A type of logic gate that has only one input
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inverter
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A process by which an op amp flips an input signal to produce the output signal.
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inverting mode
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A type of connector
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jack
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A unit of energy
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joule
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A type of battery that generates higher voltage than other types, at about 3 volts. Also has a higher capacity than alkaline batteries
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lithium
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A circuit to which you've applied voltage.
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live circuit
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An integrated circuit that takes input values and determines what output value to use based on a set of rules
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logic gate
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in digital electronics, a signal at or near zero (0) volts.
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low signal
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a programmable circuit.
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microcontroller
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A tool used to make angled cuts with your hacksaw
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miter box
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An electronics testing device used to measure such things as voltage, resistance, and amperage.
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multimeter
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A resistor whose resistance decreases with a rise in temperature.
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negative temperature coeffecient (NTC) thermistor
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the most popular type of rechargable battery
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nickel-cadmium battery (NiCad)
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a type of rechargable battery
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nickel-metal hydride battery (Ni-MH)
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a semiconductor with contaminates added that causes it to have more electrons than a pure semiconductor
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n-type semiconductor
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A unit of resistance (the symbol is Ω)
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ohm
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microcontrollers that can only be programmed once
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one-time programmable
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A circuit where a wire is disconnected, and no current can flow
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open circuit
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the position of a switch that prevents current from flowing
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open position
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An integrated circuit used to boost an audio or other signal.
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operational amplifier
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An electronic device that measures voltage, frequency, and various other parameters for waveforms.
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oscilloscope
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A circuit that generates waveforms
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oscillator
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Contact points on a printed circuit board used for connecting components.
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pad
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A term used to refer to both a screw with a plus (+) shaped slot in the head and the screwdriver used with it.
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phillips
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A light-sensitive chemical layer used in making circuit boards.
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photoresist
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The ability of certain crystals - quartz and topaz are examples - to expand or contract when you apply voltage to them
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piezoelectric effect
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When regions containing boron and phosphorus are next to each other in a semiconductor.
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pn junction
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A device whose resistance increases with a rise in temperature.
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positive temperature coeffecient (PTC) thermistor
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A variable resistor that allows for continual adjustment of virtually no ohms to some maximum value.
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potentiometer
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The measurement of the amount of work that electric current does while running through an electrical component measured in Watts.
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power
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A type of resistor with low tolerance
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precision resistors
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