Engineering Dictionary

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An alphabetical listing of General terms and items.

Icon   Dico Tools
A graphic functional symbol display. A graphic representation of a function or functions to be performed by the computer.


ICP   Dico Tools
Integrated Circuit Piezoelectric; term sometimes used to describe an accelerometer with built-in electronics.


Impedance   Dico Tools
The total opposition to electrical flow (resistive plus reactive).


Inaki   Dico Tools
A fortification used as a defence against an enemy's archers, consisting of a defensive palisade made of bundles of rice plants piled together, dating from the 6th century. This type of fortification was used by the Mononobe clan (who were against the introduction of Buddhism) against the Soga clan (who were advocates of Buddhism). (J. rice plant fort).


Independent Curtain Walls   Dico Tools
Each wallwalk was only accessible by the doorways in each flanking tower which punctuated the length of the curtain wall, while these were weaker than the main gates they were strong enough to withstand anything the attackers could bring up the scaling ladders. If an attacking force gained control of a wall walkway between two flanking towers there was a little that could be done to improve there position if each curtain wall was separate from each other as well as from the adjacent towers. During their effects to gain entry to the flanking towers or the inner defences they would be under fire from the defenders of the inner fortification as well as those of the flanking towers flanking the section of curtain wall they occupied, a most difficult position indeed. See concentric castle.


Infrared   Dico Tools
An area in the electromagnetic spectrum extending beyond red light from 760 nanometers to 1000 microns (106 nm). It is the form of radiation used for making non-contact temperature measurements.


Initial Unbalance   Dico Tools
Initial unbalance is that unbalance of any kind that exists in the rotor before balancing.


Inner Bailey   Dico Tools
The bailey surrounding a keep; also known as the inner ward. See bailey, ward.


Inner Curtain Wall   Dico Tools
The inner curtain of a fortification surrounding the inner bailey. See concentric castle, curtain.


Input Impedance   Dico Tools
The resistance measured across the excitation terminals of a transducer.


Input Resistance (Impedance)   Dico Tools
The input resistance of a pH meter is the resistance between the glass electrode terminal and the reference electrode terminal. The potential of a pH-measuring electrode chain is always subject to a voltage division between the total electrode resistance and the input resistance.


Inskonce   Dico Tools
An earthwork consisting of a ditch and rampart stretching the length of a frontier, which was intersperse by bastioned and fortified villages.


Insulated Junction   Dico Tools
See Ungrounded Junction


Insulation Resistance   Dico Tools
The resistance measured between two insulated points on a transducer when a specific dc voltage is applied at room temperature.


Integral   Dico Tools
A form of temperature control. See Automatic Reset, #2


Interchangeability Error   Dico Tools
A measurement error that can occur if two or more probes are used to make the same measurement. It is caused by a slight variation in characteristics of different probes.


Interface   Dico Tools
The means by which two systems or devices are connected and interact with each other.


Interior Crest   Dico Tools
The line formed by the meeting of the interior and superior slopes of a parapet or rampart.


Interior Flanking Angle   Dico Tools
The angle formed by the junction of the line of defence and the curtain.


Interior Side   Dico Tools
The line from the centre of one bastion to the centre of its neighbouring bastion.


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Interior Slope   Dico Tools
The earthen slope on the inside of a rampart or parapet.


Internal Polygon   Dico Tools
The line followed by the curtain which runs from the gorge to the base of a bastion, and is parallel to the external polygon.


Internal Reference Electrode (Element)   Dico Tools
The reference electrode placed internally in a glass electrode.


Interpreter   Dico Tools
A system program that converts and executes each instruction of a high-level language program into machine code as it runs, before going onto the next instruction.


Interrupt   Dico Tools
To stop a process in such a way that it can be resumed.


Intervallum   Dico Tools
The space between the wagons used in the form a wagenburg and the infantry and cavalry stationed in the centre of the field defencework.


Intrinsically Safe   Dico Tools
An instrument which will not produce any spark or thermal effects under normal or abnormal conditions that will ignite a specified gas mixture.


Ionic Mobility   Dico Tools
Defined similarly to the mobility of nonelectrolytic particles, viz., as the speed that the ion obtains in a given solvent when influenced by unit power.


Ionic Strength   Dico Tools
The weight concentration of ions in solution, computed by multiplying the concentration of each ion in solution (C) by the corresponding square of the charge on the ion (Z) summing this product for all ions in solution and dividing by 2:ionic strength - 1/2 _ Z2 C.


IPTS-48   Dico Tools
International Practical Temperature Scale of 1948. Fixed points in thermometry as specified by the Ninth General Conference of Weights and Measures which was held in 1948.


IPTS-68   Dico Tools
International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968. Fixed points in thermometry set by the 1968 General Conference of Weights and Measures.


Irish Battlement   Dico Tools
A battlement typified by the used of stepped merlons, where a smaller merlon rises out of a larger main merlon. See stepped merlon, venetian battlements.


Iron   Dico Tools
A chemical element (Fe); one of the cheapest and most used metals


ISA   Dico Tools
Instrument Society of America.


Ishi-otoshi Mado   Dico Tools
A structure which was used for the vertical defence of the walls of a Japanese castle, consisting of a section of the wooden or plastered wall of a; tenshu, tower, connecting tower or other structures, which was built out over the stone walls at strategic locations. The structures enabled the defenders to shoot arrows as well as throw stones at attackers attempting to scale the walls. The aperture could be closed for protection if necessary by a panel of thick wood which was strengthened by iron bars. (J. stone dropping window).


Ishigaki   Dico Tools
A dry stone wall used in the construction of a Japanese castle. The ishigaki was introduced into Japanese military architecture because of the increase in the frequency of conflict, and the earthworks were no longer a form of effective defence. The technique of construction involved embedding stones into an earthen embankment and locking them in place with smaller stones. This allowed the whole wall to shake and thus dissipate the effect of earthquakes, which are a normal occurrence for the country. The ishigaki were used as a foundation for such structures as; tenshus, corner towers, parapets and connecting towers.


Isolation   Dico Tools
The reduction of the capacity of a system to respond to an external force by use of resilient isolating materials.


Isopotential Point   Dico Tools
A potential which is not affected by temperature changes. It is the pH value at which dE/dt for a given electrode pair is zero. Normally, for a glass electrode and SCE reference, this potential is obtained approximately when immersed in pH 7 buffer.


Isothermal   Dico Tools
A process or area that is a constant temperature.


Italian Machicolation   Dico Tools
A machicolation which was corbelled out on a long brick projection descending down a third of the tower height forming ribs around the upper sections of towers and curtains, and joined at the top by semicircular arches. See machicolation.


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Italian Merlon   Dico Tools
A merlon provided with a curved indentation at its apex. Also known as a notched merlon. See merlon.



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