W - a) Abbreviation for watt. See watt. b) Heavy duty portable power cable, Neoprene® jacket, in single or multiple conductors, 600 volt. Neoprene® is a trademark of the DuPont de Nemours Co. c) Abbreviation for with.
W BAND - A band of microwave frequencies. See frequency band.
WALL THICKNESS - Refers to insulation thickness or jacket thickness that has been applied.
WATER ABSORPTION - A test to determine the water absorbed by a material after a given immersion period.
WATER BLOCKED CABLE - A multi-conductor cable having voids filled to prevent water flow or wicking.
WATT - The unit of measure of electric power. One watt is equivalent to the power represented by one ampere of current under a pressure of one volt in a DC circuit. Abbreviation W.
WAVEGUIDE - A transmission line that consists of a suitably shaped hollow conductor, which may be filled with a dielectric material, and that is used to guide ultrahigh frequency electromagnetic waves propagated along its length. The most common shapes of waveguide are rectangular and cylindrical; the most common dielectric is air. A cylindrical waveguide is sometimes known as a wave duct; one that contains a solid rod of dielectric is a uniconductor waveguide. If a wide range of frequencies is to be transmitted, a ridged waveguide may be used. The presence of the ridges extends the possible range of frequencies that may be propagated in a particular transmission mode but the transmission is greater than in the equivalent rectangular waveguide.
WAVEGUIDE DISPERSION - Dispersion caused by the fact that light travels at different speeds in the core and cladding of single-mode fibers.
WAVELENGTH - The distance, measured in the direction of propagation, of a repetitive electrical pulse or waveform between two successive points that are characterized by the same phase of vibration.
WICKING - The longitudinal flow of a liquid in a wire or cable due to capillary action.
WIRE - A slender rod or filament of drawn metal. The term is a generally used one, which may refer to any single conductor. If larger than 9 AWG or multiple conductors, it is usually referred to as a cable.
WIRE BRAID - Flexible wire constructed of small size strands woven together in tubular form. Used for shielding or connections where constant flexing is required.
