Z 1. symb. impedance. See impedance. 2. abbrev. Zulu time. See Zulu time. 3. abbrev. Zebra time.

See Zebra time. 4. symb. zetta-. See zetta. 5. The name of a formal specification language for describing and modeling computing systems, based on axiomatic set theory and predicate calculus. Z was developed at Oxford University in the early 1980s. Z axis A reference baseline or vector within a coordinate system, most often associated by convention with rectangular or Cartesian coordinates. The Z axis is oriented perpendicular to the X and Y axes in a three-dimensional system. See Cartesian coordinates, X axis, Y axis. Z axis modulation The varying of the intensity of an electron stream in a cathode-ray tube (CRT) by manipulating the cathode or control grid. Z code In telegraphy, a system of shortcut codes related to short phrases to save transmissions time. Z codes were those prefixed with Z, a rarely used letter, to reduce the chance of confusing them with the content of a message. For example, ZFB meant Your signal is Failing Badly. Z force The pressure sensitivity of touch-activated devices, such as touchscreen monitors or touch-sensitive pads, as are often used in kiosks. Z Series Recommendations A series of ITU-T recommendations providing guidelines for programming languages and general software aspects of telecommunications systems. These guidelines are available as publications from the ITU-T for purchase on the Net. Since ITU-T specifications and recommendations are widely followed by vendors in the telecommunications industry, those wanting to maximize interoperability with other systems, or conform to software conventions widely used, need to be aware of the information disseminated by the ITUT. A full list of general categories is listed in Appendix C and specific series topics are listed under individual entries in this dictionary, e.g., B Series Recommendations. See Z Series Recommendations chart. Z-80 The Zilog Z-80 8-bit computer microprocessor was released in 1976 by the Zilog Corporation and was quickly incorporated into many control and robotics applications, and into a number of popular microcomputers such as the Tandy Radio Shack

Model I and LNW-80 computers. While it was capable of clock rates up to 2.5 MHz, implementations of 1.4 to 2.4 were common. The Z-80 evolved from the Intel 8080 with which it was more or less compatible; it was faster, with more instructions, not all of which were used to ensure compatibility with 8080 systems. The Z-80 has a simple register structure, including index registers and an accumulator, and is capable of 16-bit addressing through 8-bit double register pairs, something not found on most of the other microprocessing chips that were incorporated into 8-bit microcomputers at the time. Many hobbyists acquired their first machine language and assembly language programming skills on the Z-80 chip. The original Z-80 was followed by faster versions, such as the Z-80A, Z-80B, and others, and has been used for two decades in many control applications such as robotics and telemetry, due to its simple efficiency, low cost, and practical instruction set. See TRS-80. z-fold, zigzag fold, fanfold A term for a type of fold often used in continuous-feed forms and other computer printouts. The name is derived from the shape of three sheets of paper that alternately fold one way or the other along the perforations. The design allows long lengths of paper to pass through a printer and refold on the other side to form a neat pile. In the printing industry, the z-fold is sometimes used for company brochures and handouts, and typically doesnt require perforations unless a folded section is designed as a tear-off return sheet. Z-marker See zone marker. Z++ Just as C++ is seen as a more recent, objectoriented derivative of the C programming language, Z++ is an object-oriented extension of Z, a formal specification language for describing computing systems. See Z. Z1 A historically important pioneer home-brewed binary relay computer developed in Germany in the mid-1930s by Konrad Zuse. While this was a significant pioneering computer construction, it was largely unknown outside of Germany due to the second World War and, as such, did not significantly influence the industry abroad. It is noteworthy that it was built in an apartment, rather than in a university

Z
Z

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research facility as were other pioneer computing platforms. See Zuse, Konrad. Z3 A historic programmable, general purpose computer, developed by Konrad Zuse. The Z3 was released in 1941. See Z1, Zuse, Konrad. zap slang To eradicate data, to burn out a circuit, or to apply charge to an object or environment. It may or may not be intentional, and can result from power fluctuations such as those caused by lightning (which

ITU-T Z Series Recommendations

Recom. Z.100 Z.105 Z.106 Z.107 Z.109 Z.110 Z.120 Z.130 Z.140 Description Specification and description language (SDL) SDL combined with ASN.1 modules (SDL/ASN.1) Common interchange format for SDL SDL with embedded ASN.1 SDL combined with UML Criteria for use of formal description techniques by ITU-T Message sequence chart (MSC) ITU object definition language The tree and tabular combined notation version 3 (TTCN-3): Core language The Tree and Tabular Combined Notation version 3 (TTCN-3): Tabular presentation format CHILL - The ITU-T Programming Language Introduction to the CCITT manmachine language The meta-language for describing MML syntax and dialogue procedures Introduction to syntax and dialogue procedures Basic format layout The character set and basic elements Input (command) language syntax specification Output language syntax specification Man-machine dialogue procedures Introduction to the extended MML for visual display terminals Capabilities of visual display terminals Man-machine interaction Introduction to the specification of the man-machine interface Methodology for the specification of the man-machine interface - General

Z.141

Z.200 Z.301 Z.302

Z.311 Z.312 Z.314 Z.315 Z.316 Z.317 Z.321 Z.322 Z.323 Z.331 Z.332

is probably where the term originated). You can zap a file to kill specific data (or the whole file), you can zap food in a microwave, and you can zap or fry a circuit by accidentally shorting it. The term is occasionally used to indicate a quick change, such as the changing of a TV station with a remote, but this dilutes the meaning of the term and is better avoided (unless perhaps its a lightning fast change) as zap is intended to describe an action or event that is potentially dangerous, lethal, or destructive, especially where electricity is involved. See kill. zapper 1. A device or function that can apply a sudden stimulus such as electricity or heat that affects an immediate change such as a burn or incision. Examples include shock devices such as a stun gun or a laser torch or scalpel. 2. A software utility that causes something to be instantly altered or removed, such as a file zapper that may be designed to seek out and permanently eradicate the entries of customers who have not purchased anything for more than a year. ZBTSI See zero byte time slot interchange. Zebra time, Z time The same as Greenwich Mean Time. See Greenwich Mean Time, Z. Zeeman effect An effect observed in 1896 on the structure of gas spectrum lines when subjected to the influence of a moderately strong magnetic field. It was observed by Pieter Zeeman that sharp spectral lines split into multiple closely spaced lines. This early puzzle gave rise to a number of lines of research in quantum physics. The number of lines is generally three, although anomalous effects have been observed and even stronger magnetic fields can cause some spectral lines to emerge. The Zeeman effect is a useful tool in a number of areas of science including the study of laser light. It is an intriguing effect to quantum physicists and is used by astrophysicists to map the magnetic field strengths of solar effects and to study other galactic magnetic fields. The Zeeman effect is often described in association with the Stark effect that describes the influence of strong electrical fields on spectral lines. See Stark effect. Zen An Asian Buddhist system of belief that encourages meditation and self-discipline, and the attainment of enlightenment through direct intuitive experience. Some aspects of Zen are unfamiliar to Westerners who are raised with different philosophies and customs, but it is nevertheless of interest to many and frequently referenced in philosophical writings about mathematics, physics, and telecommunications. Zen mail A tongue-in-cheek descriptive phrase for computer communications that erroneously (or deliberately) arrive with no content in the body of the message. See Zen. zener current In an intense electric field, a current through an insulator sufficient to excite an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. zener diode An electronic component that behaves like a rectifier below a certain voltage, but exhibits

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a sudden increase in current-carrying capacity above a specific voltage level (zener value) and a corresponding decrease in dynamic resistance resulting in a reverse breakdown. The dual nature (di-) makes it possible to represent conducting and nonconducting (or very low conducting) states as a binary system and the breakdown under reverse bias (functioning as an open circuit) is particularly useful as a reference circuit or as a shutoff circuit to respond to power surges above a certain voltage threshold. Doping is a manufacturing process in which elements such as rare earth elements are introduced into a substance (e.g., fiber optic cable) to improve its qualities for a particular purpose such as the transmission of laser light. Doping is also used in semiconductors to influence their conducting qualities. Heavy doping in pn junctions, for example, results in very thin depletion layers that hinder impact ionization but facilitate quantum tunneling and the flow of current. This, in turn, leads to zener breakdown which is somewhat related to avalanche breakdown from impact ionization, as may occur in lightly doped pn junctions. Zener diodes are used in voltage regulators and power supplies and help prevent electrostatic discharge in a wide variety of semiconductor technologies. They are becoming especially important in the mobile communications industry because small portable devices become vulnerable to voltage surges/ static electricity when they are connected to other devices such as network cables, docks. Tiny zener diodes capable of absorbing static surges are thus being incorporated into mobile phones, pagers, etc. zener effect A reverse-current breakdown effect that occurs at a semiconductor or insulator junction in the presence of a high electric field. See zener current, zener diode. Zenith Corporation One of the early entrants to the radio industry, Zenith was founded in 1931 by a radio amateur and soon became a major manufacturer. Zenith now promotes consumer flat-screen, largesize television/media screens. Too bad the commercials arent as classy as the products. zeppelin antenna A horizontally oriented antenna, which is a multiple of a half wavelength in length with a two-wire transmission coming into one end, which is also a multiple of a half wavelength. zepto- A standard metric prefix of the Systme Internationale (SI). The zepto unit is used in scientific measurement requiring very small numbers and represents 1000-7 in decimal. See zetta-. zero balancing A telephone service accounting technique in which a specific dollar quantity is distributed over a large category of calls. The total base price of all the calls within the category is used to calculate an adjustment percentage so the full dollar amount produces a zero balance (rounding errors are not permitted). zero beat In electronics and acoustics, a condition during which two combined frequencies match, and consequently do not create a beat. zero beat reception, homodyne reception In radio

transmission reception, a system that uses locally generated voltage at the receiving end of the transmission, which is the same frequency as the original carrier and combines it with the incoming signal. See beat reception, heterodyne. zero bias 1. In a cathode-ray tube (CRT), the absence of any difference in potential between the cathode and its control grid. 2. In teletypewriter transmission circuits, zero bias is a state in which the length of the received signal matches the length of the transmitted signal. zero bit insertion, bit stuffing In data communications, the process of inserting a zero bit after a series of one bits in order to specify a distinct break or change. Thus, the beginning or ending of a frame is not misconstrued. This is sometimes used in place of control signals. zero compression A data compression technique in which nonsignificant leading zeros are removed. zero fill A data manipulation technique in which zeros are inserted into a file or transmission without affecting the meaning of the data. See zero bit insertion. zero insertion force ZIF. A type of socket used in integrated circuits that allows a chip to be inserted without undue pressure. A lever or screw is then pushed or turned to lock the component securely in place so that it is not dislodged due to bumping or transit. This type of socket costs more than standard pressure sockets and tends to be used in specialized systems such as test systems or with specific chips that are larger or more expensive. zero level A level established in order to have a reference from which to judge further states or activities of sounds and signals for observation, calibration, or testing. The definition of zero level is technology specific. zero potential The potential of the Earth, used as a reference measure. zero power peripheral A device that requires very little power and consequently can draw that power from the primary device to which it is attached, or from the circuit with which it is associated. Some modems and most telephones take their power from the phone line, unless they have extra features (e.g., speakerphone) requiring additional power. External floppy drives and pointing devices often draw power from the laptops to which they are attached. Zero power peripherals are favored in mobile communications as they are less bulky than standard peripherals with power supplies, and easier to attach, since extra electrical outlets are not required. zero punch A punch located specifically in the third row from the top of a punch card. See Hollerith card, punch card. zero shift, zero drift A descriptive measure of the amount of shift or drift that has occurred from the original setting or calibration point, at a subsequent point in time. See zero stability. zero stability The ability of an instrument to retain its original state or settings over time, that is, to withstand zero shift. Zero stability is generally

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considered a desirable characteristic. See zero shift. zero stuffing See zero bit insertion. zero suppression The elimination of zeros that are not meaningful. Zero suppression is often used to increase the readability of information with leading zeros, for formatting or transmission purposes, which would otherwise be distracting or confusing to a human reader. In these cases, the zeros are often replaced with a blank (a space character on printouts). Tables and columnar data (like financial statements) are usually printed with zero suppression. zero transmission level reference point For an arbitrarily selected point in a circuit, a level reading that is subsequently used against which to measure transmission levels in other points of the circuit or at the same point at another time. In telephone transmissions, the reference point is frequently selected at the location of the source of the transmission. zero usage customer A listed subscriber who has not used the network to which he or she has access. zerofill, zeroize To insert the zero character into unused storage locations. This is done for a variety of reasons: for formatting, for creating space savers, and sometimes as a delay mechanism to match up transmission speeds with output speeds of slower output devices (printers, facsimile machines, etc.). zetta- Z. A standard metric prefix of the Systme Internationale (SI). The zetta unit is used in scientific measurement requiring very large numbers and represents 1021 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 or 10007 in decimal. See yotta-, zepto-. ZIF See zero insertion force. Zimmermann, Philip R. A software engineer and cryptography specialist, best known for developing the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encryption scheme based upon the Blowfish technology, Zimmermann is the founder of PGP, Inc. He is a software engineer with a long history of experience in cryptography, data security, data communications, and realtime embedded systems development. Zimmermann has been honored with numerous humanitarian awards due to his contribution to the safeguarding of personal privacy, including the 1996 Norbert Wiener Award, the 1995 Pioneer Award from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and many more. Zimmermann is a member of the International Association of Cryptologic Research, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and others. See Blowfish, PGP Inc., Pretty Good Privacy. zinc Zn. A malleable, bluish metallic element with a relatively high electropotential, useful in plating, dipping, and galvanizing, to prevent corrosion in other metals. Combined with copper, it forms brass, used for piping, construction accessories, and household items. zip v. To bundle up or compress a file or set of files, usually for transferring or archiving. The term is now commonly used for any such processing (zipping) of files, regardless of the archive utility used, but originally referred to programs called gzip and PKZIP. See arc, compress, gzip, PKZIP, uuencode. ZIP Zone Information Protocol.

zip code A series of characters added to a mail address that specifies the destination in order to expedite delivery. In Canada and the U.K. (called postal code), it consists of numbers and letters. In the U.S. it consists of five digits, a hyphen, and four additional digits more recently introduced as a routing code. Zip codes can be optically scanned and converted into bar codes for processing by automated mail systems. zipped See zip, gzip, PKZIP. Ziv See Lempel-Ziv. ZModem A fast, flexible, error-correcting, full-duplex file transfer data transmission protocol similar to XModem and YModem, but with updates and enhancements. YModem and ZModem were written by Chuck Forsberg. ZModem is well supported by various telecommunications programs, and many BBSs and service bureaus use it. ZModem includes fallback and dynamic adjustment of packet size, which is important if the connection is a line with fluctuating characteristics. One of ZModems most valuable features is its ability to resume a file transfer that has been aborted. With almost all earlier desktop serial file transfer programs, if the line was interrupted or the file transfer aborted 99% of the way through, the program would start again from the beginning when reconnected, rather than resuming from where it left off. ZModem can detect a partial file, establish a new starting point at the end of the partial file, and continue transmitting until the transfer is completed or interrupted. If youve ever spent a couple of hours transferring a very large file on a slow link and lost it when the transmission was almost complete, you will appreciate ZModems resume feature. See XModem, YModem. ZOG A high-performance frame- and link-based hypertext system designed for local area networks (LANs) developed at Carnegie Mellon University. It has evolved into a commercial product called Knowledge Management System (KMS). zone 1. An area, usually contiguous, which may or may not be self-contained; or has some common characteristics within itself; or which is distinguished as different, in some way, from the surrounding area; or which is assigned on the basis of size, population, or some other economic or practical characteristic (as in shipping zones). 2. A section of computer storage allocated for a particular purpose. 3. In telephone communications, a specified area outside the local exchange. 4. In cellular phone communications, a zone consisting of adjacent cells is called a cluster. 5. A region in which communications are banned or impeded, called a blackout zone. 6. A physical or virtual region of access within a network, sometimes delineated by physical structures such as a workstation or router. See firewall. zone, optical recognition A region manually specified by the user, or automatically detected and enclosed by the optical recognition software, that corresponds to a particular type of information. For example, some optical document recognition

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systems, and some of the better optical character recognition systems, can distinguish columns and page numbers, images and formulas, and scan each separately from the others. Some software allows zones to be set up in a template in advance and order priority to be assigned to the zones. In this way a long document, such as a book in which most of the pages are identical in format, can be scanned without resetting the zones each time.

Many optical recognition programs will automatically determine zones or allow them to be manually configured. This allows the flow of text, and separation of graphics and text to be handled more efficiently by the software, as in this Caere Omnipage example.

zone, punch card One of three specific positions on the top of a punch card. See punch card, zone punch. zone blanking Turning off a cathode-ray tube (CRT) at a point in the sweep of an antenna. zone cabling A cabling architecture designed for open office systems in which various physical zones are designated and cabled so that office desks and equipment can be moved around without ever being too far from the various necessary outlets and connectors. zone marker, Z-marker A vertically radiating beacon of light that signals a zone above a radio station transceiver. zone method A wire installation ceiling distribution system in which the space above rooms is organized into sections or zones. Cables are centralized in each zone, with main arteries running between zones or to the central power source. See distribution frame. zone of authority The set of names managed by, or

under the authority of, a specific name server. zone of silence, skip zone In radio transmissions, a geographic region that does not receive normal radio signals, frequently due to abrupt changes in terrain, (e.g., mountains). zone paging The capability of an intercom or phone system to selectively page certain groups of speakers. See public address system. zone punch In a punch card, a punch located in one of the upper three rows (the section that usually has less text displayed on the card). See Hollerith card, punch card. Contrast with digit punch. zone time A system in which the Earth is divided longitudinally into 24 time zones of about 15 degrees each starting in Greenwich, England. It was developed in the late 1800s by a Canadian, S. Fleming, to establish a standard time. See Greenwich Mean Time. zoning, stepping In microwave transmissions, displacement of portions of the surface of the microwave reflector in order to prevent changes in the phase front in the near field. zoom To continuously reduce or enlarge an image, as on a monitor or in a viewfinder. Zooming capability is usually provided to improve the visibility of details (zoom in), or to provide a big picture, wide angle view (zoom out) of a diagram, object, image, or scene. See zoom factor. zoom factor The degree to which an image can be scaled, that is, decreased or enlarged. The X and Y axes may or may not be capable of sizing independent of one another. The enlargement zoom factor on consumer camcorders often ranges from 20 to 200 times (or more) the normal viewing factor. In some cases, the zoom factor on still cameras and camcorders may be digitally enhanced, that is, the zoom up to 20 times may be an optical zoom and, beyond that, it may be a digital zoom, which may show some pixelation at higher zoom factors. See zoom. zoom lens An apparatus that provides the ability to reduce or enlarge the apparent size of an image in order to frame that image with the desired scope or to enhance detail. Commonly used on video and film cameras, and sometimes on telescopes and binoculars. zsh, Z shell A Unix command interpreter shell, similar to ksh, developed by Paul Falstad. Zsh is said to be similar to a bash shell, but faster and with more features. Zsh is not a Posix-compliant implementation. Zulu time Greenwich Mean Time, Coordinated Universal Time. Zuse, Konrad (1910-1995) A German structural engineer and inventor who independently created pioneer general purpose calculating and computing technologies, coincident with the development of the Attanasoff-Berry computer in the U.S. and Alan Turings computing theories in England. Zuses accomplishment is remarkable, considering he didnt have the corporate and university facilities, funding, and personnel support that led to the development of other pioneer computing systems.

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Zuse began building computers in his mid-20s from a studio he set up in his parents apartment. He reports in his autobiography that he originated the concept in 1934, and constructed the V1, later called the Z1, between 1936 and 1938. His early notebooks describe important binary computing concepts. The Z1 included mechanical memory for data storage (for practical reasons of space and ease of construction) and used program instructions punched into film. Later, Zuse added the Z2, Z3 and Z4, with a friend, Helmut Schreyer, providing expertise on electronic relays and vacuum tubes. Zuse considered his Z3 relay-based version to be a true binary computer (the original Z3 was destroyed after World War II bombing raids). A reproduction has been installed in the Deutsches Museum. The Z4, which began development in 1942, was demonstrated in April 1945, and operated in Zrich from 1950 to 1955. From Zuses agile mind came also a pioneer algorithmic

programming language called PlanKalkel (plan calculus) that was developed in the mid-1940s. See Attanasoff-Berry computer; Hertzstark, Curt. Zworykin, Vladimir Kosma (1889-1982) A Russian-born American physicist and electrical engineer who emigrated to America in 1919 and worked for Westinghouse Electric Company in the 1920s. Zworykin developed an idea to control the passage of beams in an electron tube with magnets to devise a cathode-ray tube (CRT), which he patented in 1928. This historic CRT led to his development of the iconoscope, a practical television camera. In 1929 Zworykin demonstrated a cathode-ray-based display device, the same basic concept as current computer and television monitors. In the same year, Zworykin became the director of research for the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). In November 1935, he received a patent for his apparatus for producing images (U.S. #2,021,907).

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