NEPP - GLOSSARY

accelerometer	-	a sensor used to measure acceleration; may be used alone or integrated to measure parameters such as vibration, shock, inertia and tilt
COTS	-	Commercial Off The Shelf
dielectric charging	-	tunneling of charge into a dielectric (insulator) or trapped on the surface of a dielectric
failure mode	-	the degradation in operational performance, temporary or permanent, resulting from a failure mechanism
failure mechanism	-	the root cause of a failure mode
FET	-	Field Effect Transistor, A field-effect transistor (FET) is a type of transistor commonly used for weak-signal amplification (for example, for amplifying wireless signals). The device can amplify analog or digital signals. It can also switch DC or function as an oscillator.
getter	-	attractors of specific liquid, gas, or soild undesirables in device packages
Ion Drive	-	Ion propulsion is a technology that involves ionizing a gas to propel a craft. Instead of a spacecraft being propelled with standard chemicals, the gas xenon (which is like neon or helium, but heavier) is given an electrical charge, or ionized. It is then electrically accelerated to a speed of about 30 km/second. When xenon ions are emitted at such high speed as exhaust from a spacecraft, they push the spacecraft in the opposite direction.
Magnetometer	-	a sensor used to measure the intensity of a magnetic field
Mass Spectrometers	-	a powerful tool used for identifying atomic, molecular and biological species and their abundance in differrent mediums
Microgyroscope	-	a miniaturized gyroscope, a gyroscope is used to measure rotation
Microthruster	-	miniaturized thruster delivering small impulse, expected to keep nanosatellites in their well defined orbits
nanosatellite	-	a miniaturized satellite, miniaturization is possible due to the use of MEMS devices
PIN Diode	-	(Positive Intrinsic Negative) Diode: A photodiode with a large, neutrally doped intrinsic region sandwiched between p-doped and n-doped semiconducting regions. Note: A PIN diode exhibits an increase in its electrical conductivity as a function of the intensity, wavelength, and modulation rate of the incident radiation.
RF	-	Radio Frequency
relay	-	an electromechanical or semiconductor switch (i.e., solid-state relay) in which a current or voltage applied across one port or terminal controls electrical currents or voltages that appear across another terminal or terminals.
stiction	-	A phenomenon that appears when a very strong interfacial adhesion force (capillary, Van der Waals, or electrostatic) is created between smooth contacting surfaces