the percentage of time during an arbitrary test period, usually 10 minutes, during which a power supply can be operated at its rated output without overloading.

For printers, this usually refers to the ratio of time spent printing to the total number of power-on hours.

The relationship between the operating and rest times or repeatable operation at different loads. A motor which can continue to operate within the temperature limits of its insulation system, after it has reached normal operating (equilibrium) temperature is considered to have a continuous duty (CONT.) rating. One which never reaches equilibrium temperature, but is permitted to cool down between operations is operating under intermittent duty (INT.) conditions such as a crane and hoist motor which are often rated 15 or 30 min. duty.

Rating as specified on the pump product. The operating time of a pump expressed as a time 'on' and a time 'off'. A continuously rated pump can be operated non stop.

In a circuit, the ratio of off time to on time.

"The percent of a single pulse period (for a ""1"") during which the voltage is nonzero. The ratio between actual pulse width and the total available time slot."

The ratio of working time to total time for a motor or machine that operates intermittently.

Used with chopped DC power, it's the amount of time the current flows compared to the total cycle time (e.g., if a chopped DC power supply is on for 20 microseconds and then off for 80 microseconds, the duty cycle would be 20%).

The time duration and use frequency during which a battery is drained (i.e. 2 hours/day).

percentage of time the motor is on.

(DC)– A number indicating the amount of time that some signal is at full power. In the context of an ECU, duty cycle is used to describe the amount of time that the injectors are on, and to describe the “hold” part of the peak and hold injector drivers (see Low Impedance Injectors, below).

Percentage of load "ON" time relative to total cycle time.

Used when computing failure rates based on active and dormant settings. The duty cycle is equal to the percentage of total time the item or system is in the active environment.

With respect to periodic current pulses, the term is used to denote the ratio between on- and off time.

The fraction of time a system is actually employed in performing its function. In printing systems, the percent of time that printing is carried out as opposed to the time the system is inactive.

Instead of transmitting messages continually, say every 120 seconds, you can send them in cycles, such as eight hours on, eight hours off. Purpose is usually to conserve battery lifetime.

The total time to complete one on/off cycle

working cycle of the generator, expressed in percentage, before reaching thermostatic protection.

The ratio of the on time to the total cycle time in a repetitive motor cycle.

A term with identical meaning to symmetry. Use of the term "symmetry" is preferred to avoid confusion with other parameters. See symmetry (MIL-PRF-55310D, 6.4.7).

A percentage of the time "on" (transmitting) versus the time "off" (not transmitting).

The ratio of operating to non-operating time for a device.

The percentage of the on-time relative to the sum of the on-time and off-time setting for a particular cut. [ Words starting with E

The ratio of pulse width to overall signal repetition period.

The operating regime of a battery including factors such as charge and discharge rates, depth of discharge, cycle duration, and length of time in the standby mode.

For a repetitive cycle, the ratio of on time to total cycle time. Duty cycle (%) = [On time / (On time + Off time)] x 100

The ratio of the time the sound is being transmitted over the total time period, measured in percent.

The amount of work that a machine can handle within a given period of time.

The number of minutes out of a 10-minute time period an arc welding machine can be operated at maximum rated output. An example would be 60% duty cycle at 300 amps. This would mean that at 300 amps the welding machine can be used for 6 minutes and then must be allowed to cool with the fan motor running for 4 minutes. (Some manufacturers rate machines on a 5 minute cycle). [ return to the top] [ return to the top

The amount of time a positioner can run and how much time it needs to cool. It is on time to cooling time, meaning a duty cycle of 25% is a cycle in which a positioner operates continually for ten seconds must rest for thirty seconds.

The duration and relationship of operating and non-operating times or repeatable operation at different loads.

The amount of time a shredder can be used before it must be turned off and cooled down.

The ratio of the working time to the total time of a pulse train expressed as a percent.

The amount of time in a ten-minute period that a welder can perform work without overheating. In the shop, welders with a higher duty cycle are preferred.

The total time to one on/off cycle. Usually refers to the on/off cycle time of a temperature controller.

Expresses a powered device's capability, determined by load, rate and number of motor activations. Through heat generation, these factors limit the operating capability of the device.

The percentage of time in which an operation is active.

is a ration of operating time to total cycle time, expressed in percent .

The percentage of ON time vs. OFF time. A device that is always on has a 100% duty cycle. A device that is half on and half off has a 50% duty cycle.

The relationship between the energized and non-energized time of an electric pinch valve usually expressed as a percentage (%). Duty cycle is determined by (ON time) / (ON time + Off time). For example if a pinch valve is energized for 1 second out of 4 seconds, the duty cycle is 1/(1+3) = 1/4 = 25%.

The percentage of time a transformer will be supplying the Full Rated Power to the load. Percentage of time a unit is expected to perform at Full Rated power versus time spent in idle can significantly affect the physical size of a transformer.

The comparison of operating and rest times due to normal operating temperature.

Duty cycle is the amount of material a piece of paper handling equipment can handle in a day, month or period of time.

The ratio of active time to total time. Used to describe the operating regime of appliances or loads in PV systems.

proportion of time for a transformer to provide full rated power to the load. This measurement greatly affects the actual size of the transformer.

The relationship between operating and rest time.

The length of time the reader can be emitting energy. Regulations in the European Union say readers can be on only 10 percent of the time. Back to the alphabetical list at the top.

The ratio of active time to total time allowed in repetitive process. Edge Effects (Optical) Image or data distortions which can occur at the edges and corners of an image due to optical aberrations building up at the extreme range of the field of view. These aberrations can include geometric distortion (fish eye), vignetting (hot center/dark corners), ray distortion (apparent corner defocusing).

Measures On and Off times in fuel injection systems, ABS wheel-speed sensors, signals from CAM or Crankshaft etc.

Measurement of output waveform's uniformity; also referred to as symmetry. Measurement of the time in which, the output waveform is in a logic high state, expressed in percentages (%). Must be measured at a specified voltage or at a percentage of the output waveform amplitude.

A charcteristic of a pulse waveform that indicates the percentage of time that a pulse is present during a cyle. The ratio of pulse width to period. The ratio of pulse width (PW) to cycle time (T), given as a percent.

The length of time the laser beam is actually cutting, drilling, welding, or heat-treating, as compared to the entire work cycle time. The Duty Cycle is described as a percentage of laser on time, in relation to pulse period. An example is a 1.0 millisecond pulse length with a 4.0 millisecond pulse period (250 Hz) which produces a 25% duty cycle.

In a digital transmission, the fraction of time a signal is at the high level.

An engineering term used to describe the actual time (or frequency) that a circuit or device operates. A pulsing alarm output that is on for seven-tenths of a second and off for three-tenths of a second would have a 70% duty cycle.

The relationship between the operating time and the resting time of an electric motor. Motor ratings according to duty are: Continuous duty: the operation of loads for over one hour. Intermittent duty: the operation during alternate periods of load and rest. Intermittent duty is usually expressed as 5 minutes, 30 minutes or one hour.

An energy management program that lowers the consumption of electric power by cycling the equipment so that minimum operating time is used for comfort conditions.

The duration and periodicity of the operation of a device.