Contents: 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

A

Amperes

ABTT

Association of British Theatre Technicians

AC

Alternating Current

ACN

Architecture for Control Networks

ADAT

Originally Alesis Digital Audio Tape, can refer to an analogue to digital convertor or a 8 channel digital connection.

ADSL

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line

AES

Audio Engineering Society

AF

Audio Frequency

AFL

After Fade Listen

AJ

Adjustable Spanner

ALD

Association of Lighting Designers

AM

Amplitude Modulation

AMM

Analogue Multi Meter

AMX

• AMX192
• AMX Corporation
• Analogue Multiplex

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASM

Assistant Stage Manager

ASP

Association of Stage Pyrotechnicians

AV

Audio Visual comprising of sound and video

AVR

Automatic Voltage Regulator

B

BC

Bayonet Cap

BECTU

Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union

BNC

Bayonet connector named after its two inventors Neill and Concelman

BPF

Band Pass Filter

BPM

Beats per Minute

BPS

Bits per Second

BRI

Basic Rate ISDN, see also ISDN

BS

British Standard

C

C&G

City & Guilds

CAD

Computer Aided Design

CAN

Controller Area Network

CCFL

Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp

CD

Compact Disc

CDM

Ceramic Discharge Metalhalide (lamp)

CE

Conformité Européenne

CENELEC

Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique

CFL

Compact Flourescent Lamp

CID

Compact Iodide Daylight (lamp)

CMY

Cyan Magenta Yellow

COSHH

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (Regulations) HSE site

CPC

• Circuit Protective Conductor
• Combined Precision Components plc (CPC)

CRT

Cathode Ray Tube

CSA

• Cross Sectional Area
• Canadian Standards Association

CST

Ceramic Studio Theatre (lamp)

CT

• Colour Temperature
• Current Transformer

CTC

Colour Temperature Correction

CVBS

Colour, Video, Blanking and Sync

D

DA

Distribution Amplifier

DALI

Digital Addressable Lighting Interface

DAT

Digital Audio Tape

DBO

Dead Black Out

also Desk Black Out

DC

Direct Current

DCA

Digital Control Amplifier

or Digitally Controlled Attenuator

DCC

Digital Compact Cassette

DFA

Does Absolutely Nothing:)

DI

Direct Inject (Box) - see DI Box

DIN

Deutsches Institut für Normung (connector)

DIP

Dual Inline Package (DIP Switch Article)

DJ

Disk Jockey

DLP

Digital Light Processing

DMM

Digital Multi Meter

DMX

Digital Multiplex

DSI

Digital Serial Interface

DSM

Deputy Stage Manager

DSP

Digital Signal Processing

or Digital Signal Processor

DTI

Department of Trade & Industry (UK government)

DVD

Digital Versatile Disc

E

EBU

European Broadcasting Union

EMC

ElectroMagnetic Compatibility

EQ

Equaliser

ES

Edison Screw

ESD

Electro Static Discharge

ESTA

Entertainment Services and Technology Association

ETC

• Electronic Theatre Controls
• E/T/C. LARGE projection specialists.E/T/C

ETNow

Entertainment Technology Now

F

FAQ

Frequently Asked Question

FCC

Federal Communications Commission

FM

Frequency Modulation

FOH

Front Of House

FPS

• Frames Per Second (Video)
• Flying Pig Systems

FUCT

• Failed Under Continuous Test
• Further Use Completely Terminated
• Broken

G

GBF

Gain Before Feedback

GM

Grand Master

H

HES

High End Systems

HF

High Frequency

HMI

Hydrargyrum Medium-Arc Iodide

HPF

High Pass Filter

HPL

High Performance Lamp

HSE

Health and Safety Executive (UK government) see also HSE Website

HSI

Hue Saturation Intensity

HSWA

Health & Safety at Work Act

HTP

Highest Takes Precedence

Hz

Hertz

I

IEC

International Electrotechnical Commission

IEE

Institution of Electrical Engineers (UK group)

• Name changed to the Institution of Engineering and Technology (see IET).

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (USA group)

IET

Institution of Engineering and Technology (UK group)

IGBT

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor

IR

Infra Red

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network

ITC

Independent Theatre Council

IWB

Internally Wired Bar

J

J

Joule

JFMG

Joint Frequency Management Group: Independent contractor appointed by government agency to administer frequencies for radio microphones, IEMs and video/audio links JFMG

K

L

LAN

Local Area Network (see Ethernet)

LASER

Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation

LCD

Liquid Crystal Display

LD

Lighting Designer

also Lighting Director (TV)

LDI

Lighting Dimensions International

LED

Light Emitting Diode

LF

Low Frequency

L&SA

Lighting & Sound America

LOLER

Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations An HSE PDF about...

LPF

Low Pass Filter

LSB

Least Significant Bit

also Least Significant Byte

Talk:Acronyms

L&SI

Lighting & Sound International

LTC

Linear Time Code

LTP

Latest Takes Precedence

LVD

Low Voltage Directive

M

MCB

Miniature Circuit Breaker

MCU

Multipoint Control Unit

MD

• MiniDisc
• Musical Director

MEWP

Mobile Elevated Work Platform

MFL

Medium Flood - Par 64 CP62s beam angle

MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface

MOSFET

Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor

MSB

Most Significant Bit

also Most Significant Byte

Talk:Acronyms

MSC

MIDI Show Control

MSD

• Mass Storage Device
• Material Safety Data

MSR

Medium Source Rare earth (discharge lamp)

N

NICEIC

National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting

NSP

• Narrow Spot - Par 64 CP60s beam angle
• Network Signal Processor

NTSC

National Television System Committee

O

OHP

OverHead Projector

OLE

Off Line Editor

OSI

Open System Interconnection (see Ethernet)

P

PA

Public Address

PABX

Private Automatic Branch eXchange

Office telephone exchange.

PAL

Phase Alternating Line

PAR

Parabolic Aluminised Reflector or Parabolic Aluminized Reflector

See Par 64, Birdie, Pinspot and Parcan

PAT

Portable Appliance Test

PC

Pebble Convex / Plano Convex

PCB

Printed Circuit Board

PE

Protective Earth

PF

Power Factor

PFC

Power Factor Correction

PFL

Pre Fade Listen

PLASA

Professional Lighting and Sound Association

PMPO

Peak Music Power Output

PMX

Pulsar Multiplex

PPE

Personal Protective Equipment

PPS

Pieces Per Sheet

PRG

Production Resource Group

PRI

Primary Rate ISDN see also ISDN

PSA

Production Services Association

PSU

Power Supply Unit

PVC

PolyVinyl Chloride (plastic)

PWM

Pulse Width Modulation

Q

Q

• Q is shorthand for a Cue in a Prompt Script
• Q is the width of a frequency band of an Equaliser

R

RA

Risk Assessment

RCA

Radio Corporation of America (see phono plug)

RCBO

Residual Current Circuit Breaker with Overload/Overcurrent Protection

RCD

Residual Current Device

RDM

Remote Device Management

RF

Radio Frequency

RFI

Radio Frequency Interference

RGB

Red Green Blue

RMS

Root Mean Square

ROH

Rear Of House

ROHS

Restriction of Hazardous Substances

S

SCART

Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs

SCR

Silicon Controlled Rectifier (used in dimmers)

SDSL

Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line

SECAM

SEquential Coulour Avec Memoire - A type of television standard used in France.

SMA

Stage Management Association

SMPS

Switch Mode Power Supply

SMPTE

Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers - the SMPTE Timecode format is often used in video.

SMX

Synchronous Multiplex

S/PDIF

Sony/Philips Digital Interface

SPL

Sound Pressure Level

SPNE

Single Phase Neutral and Earth

STLD

Society of Television Lighting Directors

Sub

• Submaster
• Subgroup
• Sub-bass (loudspeaker)

SVGA

Super Video Graphics Array

SWA

Steel Wire Armoured

SWL

Safe Working Load

SWR

• Steel Wire Rope
• Standing Wave Ratio

SXGA

Super eXtended Graphics Array

T

TEN

Temporary Events Notice

TFT

Thin Film Transistor

TMA

Theatrical Management Association

TDIF

Tascam Digital Interface

TPNE

Three Phase Neutral and Earth

TRS

Tough Rubber Sheathed (cable) or Tip Ring Sleeve

TV

Television

U

U

Unit (e.g. 4U is four units of rack space)

UHF

Ultra High Frequency

UL

Underwriters Laboratories

USB

Universal Serial Bus

USITT

United States Institute for Theatre Technology

UTP

Unshielded Twisted Pair

UV

Ultra Violet

UXGA

Ultra eXtended Graphics Array

V

V

Volt

VCA

Voltage Controlled Amplifier

VGA

Video Graphics Array

VHF

Very High Frequency

VITC

Vertical Interval Time Code

VL

Vari*Lite

VNSP

Very Narrow Spot - Par 64 CP60s beam angle

W

W

Watts

WAHR

Work at Height Regulations

WEEE

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

WLL

Working Load Limit

WYSIWYG

• WYSIWYG - Visualisation software by Cast Lighting)
• What You See Is What You Get

X

XGA

eXtended Graphics Array

XLR

X-series Latched Rubber (connector) Screen - Line - Return

Y

Z