▪ I. astable, -lish
obs. forms of estable, -lish.
▪ II. astable, a.
(ə-, eɪˈsteɪb(ə)l)
[f. a- 14 + stable a.]
Not stable. In Electr. (see quot. 1960).
| 1951 Electronic Engin. XXIII. 481/2 An astable multivibrator is synchronized by line frequency pulses at a multiple of line frequency. 1952 Proc. Inst. Radio Engin. XL. 1531/2 The operation of this circuit may be monostable, bistable, or astable (oscillatory), depending on the nature of the emitter load. 1953 Electronic Engin. XXV. 239 A form of astable pulse generator..has been used by several workers. 1960 Cooke & Markus Electronics & Nucl. Dict. 26/2 Astable circuit, a circuit that alternates automatically and continuously between two unstable states. Ibid., Astable multivibrator, a multivibrator in which each tube alternately conducts and is cut off. |