AS 1046, Part 2—1978

Australian Standard
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

LETTER SYMBOLS
FOR USE IN
ELECTROTECHNOLOGY

Part 2—
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
AND ELECTRONICS
 This standard, prepared by the Joint Telecommunications and Electronics and Electrical
Committee TE/13, Symbols, Units and Quantities for Electrotechnology, was approved
on behalf of the Council of the Standards Association of Australia on 4 August 1977,
and was published on 1 December 1978.

The following scientific, industrial and governmental organizations and departments

were officially represented on the committee entrusted with the preparation of this
standard:
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Australian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association

Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Inc.
Confederation of Australian Industry
Department of Construction
Department of Defence
Department of Productivity
Department of Transport
Electricity Supply Association of Australia
Institute of Draftsmen, Australia
Institution of Radio and Electronics Engineers, Australia
Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works
Queensland Chamber of Mines
Railways of Australia Committee
Technical press
Telecom Australia

Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australi an Standards are subject
to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editi ons as necessary. It is
important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest editi on, and any
amendments thereto.
Full detail s of all Australi an Standards and related publications wil l be found in the Standards Australia
Catalogue of Publications; this information is supplemented each month by the magazine ‘The Australian
Standard’, which subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publi cati ons, new editi ons
and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards.
Suggesti ons for improvements to Australi an Standards, addressed to the head offi ce of Standards Australi a,
are welcomed. Noti fi cati on of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australi an Standard should be made
without delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken.

This standard was issued in draft form for public review as DR 76041.
 AS 1046, Part 2—1978

Australian Standard
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

LETTER SYMBOLS
FOR USE IN
ELECTROTECHNOLOGY

Part 2—
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
AND ELECTRONICS

First publi shed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1978

PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

(STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA)
1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7262 1547 3
 AS 1046, Part 2—1978 2

PREFACE
This standard was prepared by the Association’s
Committee on Symbols, Units and Quantities for
Electrotechnology under the authority of both the
Telecommuncations and Electronics Standards Board
and the Electrical Standards Board, as Part 2 of the
standard on letter symbols.
The purpose of this Part of the standard is to specify
letter symbols for physical quantities used specifically
in the telecommunications, electronics and related
fields of electrotechnology and to specify
abbreviations and symbols for units for such
quantities. The standard defines rules for the
application of such symbols and as such is an
extension of AS 1046, Part 1 — General, which covers
the general area of electrical technology.
This Part 2 does not attempt to be exhaustive, but
covers the most commonly used fields of use listed in
the table of contents and extends these symbols by
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.
This standard is closely aligned with IEC 27-2 and
IEC 27-2A;. Acknowledgment is made of the
assistance received from this source. Like the
international standards on this subject, the standard
lists both International System (SI) units and non-SI
units likely to be met in text books and scientific
papers originating outside Australia. It is emphasized,
however, that for future Australian use preference
should be given to the units within the International
System.
For a fuller understanding of the symbols and
methods adopted in this standard reference should be
made to the following Australian standards:
AS 1000 The International System of Units (SI) and
Its Application
AS 1046 Letter Symbols for Use in Electro-

the specification of subscripts and indices to indicate technology

variations of characteristics listed. Part 1— General

Page
SPECIFICATION
1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Tables for Letter Symbols and
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Preferred Symbols and Units . . . . . .
TABLES
1 General Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 Quantities Concerning Two-port
Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 Line Transmission Signals . . . . . .
3.1 Letter Symbols For Line Trans-
mission of Signals (Including Cables)
3.2 Subscripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Radio Wave Propagation . . . . . . .
4.1 Ground Wave Propagation . . . . . .
4.2 Tropospheric Propagation . . . . . . .
4.3 Ionospheric Propagation . . . . . . . .
4.4 Radio Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Quantities Concerning Waveguide
Propagation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.1 Frequency and Wavelength in Wave-
guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2 Characteristic and Normalized
Impedance and Admittance In
General (Unbounded Space, Wave-
guide or Transmission Line) . . . . .
CONTENTS
Page
5.3 Impedance and Admittance at a
3 Point in a Substance . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3 5.4 Impedance and Admittance at a
3 Point in Vacuo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.5 Impedance and Admittance of a Wave-
3 guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3 ANNEX 1. Survey of Impedances and
Admittances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4 6 Quantities Associated with Aerials
(Antennas) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
7 7 Quantities Specific to Electro-
10 acoustics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
8 Quantities for Use in Equivalent
10 Circuits of Piezoelectric Crystals . . 22
11 9 Letter Symbols for Scattering Matrix
and Transfer Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . 24
12 10 Symbols for Use in the Field of Static
12 Convertors Using Tubes or Semi-
13 conductor Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
13 10.1 Subscripts Which May be Added to
13 the Letter Symbols in Table 10.2 . . 25
10.2 List of Letter Symbols . . . . . . . . . 26
14 11 Symbols for Quantities Used in
Automatic Control Science
14 and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
ANNEX 2. Functional Block Diagrams . . 30
ANNEX 3. Denotation of some Math-
14 ematical Concepts . . . . . . . . . 31

 Copyri ght STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Users of Standards are reminded that copyri ght subsists in all Standards Australi a publications and soft ware. Except where the
Copyri ght Act all ows and except where provided for below no publications or software produced by Standards Austr alia may be
reproduced, stored in a retri eval system in any form or transmitt ed by any means without pri or permission in wri ti ng fr om
Standards Australi a. Permission may be conditi onal on an appropri ate royalty payment. Requests for permission and information on
commercial soft ware royalti es should be dir ected to the head off ice of Standards Australi a.
Standards Austr alia wil l permit up to 10 percent of the technical content pages of a Standard to be copied for use
exclusively in-house by purchasers of the Standard without payment of a royalty or advice to Standards Austr alia.
Standards Australi a wil l also permit the inclusion of it s copyri ght material in computer soft ware programs for no royalt y
payment provided such programs are used exclusively in-house by the creators of the programs.
Care should be taken to ensure that materi al used is from the curr ent editi on of the Standard and that it is updated whenever the
Standard is amended or revised. The number and date of the Standard should therefore be clearly identif ied.
The use of material in pri nt form or in computer soft ware programs to be used commercially, with or without payment, or in
commercial contracts is subject to the payment of a royalty. This policy may be vari ed by Standards Austr alia at any ti me.
 3 AS 1046, Part 2—1978
STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA
Australian Standard
for
LETTER SYMBOLS FOR USE IN ELECTROTECHNOLOGY
PART 2— TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS
1 SCOPE. This standard specifies letter symbols for
physical quantities and abbreviations and symbols for
units for use particularly in telecommunications and
electronics engineering. This standard supplements
the symbols given in AS 1046, Part 1 — General.
2 APPLICATION. The recommendations in this
standard on the use of symbols, alphabets and type
fonts relate specifically to printed matter. In written
and typewritten documents it is recommended that the
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.
choice of type be indicated by underlining with a
straight line for italic type and with a wavy line for
bold type.
In order to make the best use of the limited number
of readily available alphabets and fonts, it is
recommended that the general principles specified
internationally be adopted.
Even with the provisions made for the use of
different fonts, and cases, the number of distinctive
letter symbols available for use is insufficient to
enable each physical quantity or unit to be allotted a
unique symbol or abbreviation. Alternatives have
therefore been allotted where a need for them is most
likely to arise or where alternative usage has been
firmly established.
The use of the preferred symbol or abbreviation is
strongly recommended.
3. GENERAL. This standard extends the list of
symbols given for physical quantities and
abbreviations for symbols and units in AS 1046,
Part 1— General. The rules for choice of alphabet,
choice of type, treatment of vectors and combination
of symbols as stated in that standard are followed
in this Part. Reference should be made to Part 1 for
this information.
4 TABLES FOR LETTER SYMBOLS AND
ABBREVIATIONS. The tables include in addition
to symbols and abbreviations specific to
telecommunications and electronic engineering, other
symbols and abbreviations used in these fields
although specific to other disciplines. In the interests
of simplicity, the vectorial or tensorial character of
certain quantities, or their complex representation,
may be disregarded.
5 PREFERRED SYMBOLS AND UNITS. The
preferred symbols for quantities are listed in the first
column after the name of the quantity. Reserve
symbols for use where the preferred symbol is
unsatisfactory, e.g. where confusion could arise with
a similar letter with a different significance, are listed
in the following column.
Names are used only for identification and in general
agree with AS 1852, International Electrotechnical
Vocabulary. Should this name of a quantity or unit,
or its symbol or abbreviation vary from that listed in
the international standard ISO/R31, this is indicated
by a Note. Sometimes preference is given to a certain
symbol in cases where ISO, by reasons of its
widespread use, has been unable to indicate a
distinction between those listed.
The units that belong to the International System of
Units (SI) shall be used in preference to others listed.
Additional information on SI units is given in
AS 1000.
 This is a free preview. Purchase the entire publication at the link below:

AS 1046.2-1978, Letter symbols for use in

electrotechnology Telecommunications and
electronics
This is a free 5 page sample. Access the full version at http://infostore.saiglobal.com.

Looking for additional Standards? Visit SAI Global Infostore

Subscribe to our Free Newsletters about Australian Standards® in Legislation; ISO, IEC, BSI and more
Do you need to Manage Standards Collections Online?
Learn about LexConnect, All Jurisdictions, Standards referenced in Australian legislation
Do you want to know when a Standard has changed?
Want to become an SAI Global Standards Sales Affiliate?

Learn about other SAI Global Services:

LOGICOM Military Parts and Supplier Database

Metals Infobase Database of Metal Grades, Standards and Manufacturers
Materials Infobase Database of Materials, Standards and Suppliers
Database of European Law, CELEX and Court Decisions

Need to speak with a Customer Service Representative - Contact Us