Pick-Off Circuits

Thread Starter

dezurtrat

Joined Dec 9, 2008
4
Just a general question but I was wondering where the term pick-off was coined so to speak? I guess it seems like those circuits are used to signal that an event has occurred in another circuit that is inductively or capacitively coupled to it.

I was doing a little research and realized it was a term used allot but I had not seen before. The web seemed lacking in a real definition.

Thanks!:)
 

studiot

Joined Nov 9, 2007
4,998
I can't offer an etymological history but 'pick' is a corruption of the medieval pike or pointed weapon and refers to a point.

Pick-up usually refers to a signal generated via a transducer (or the transducer) itself and may have come from the days when the user genuinely had to lift the pickup arm of a record player.

Pick-off seems to refer either to the point of access in a circuit or the resulting signal by electrical means. This may includes direct methods such as from a chain of resistors.

Both terms are pretty self-evident.
 

Thread Starter

dezurtrat

Joined Dec 9, 2008
4
Thank you. I think you are dead on with that. Sounds like one of those terms that just evolved over time and if you were involved it all made sense. Thanks again!!
 
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