Glossary

Here are a few terms and acronyms I use in my articles.

• BB: Battery Box. The power source for all motorized elements. In the PFS system, there are three available, though any of the old generation can be used with a special extension wire.
• Gearbox: Technic element composed of one driving ring (with an eventual extension), one or two 16t gears with pinhole and a changeover catch. This system is used as a regular gearbox in a car or to select a function to power through a common axle.
• Gears: there is a large variety of gears. They fell in two categories: bevelled and unbevelled gears. They are usually called by the number of teeth they have. There have been many versions of these through the years. Here are a the current one used:
• Unbevelled:
• 8t
• 8t without friction
• 16t
• 16t with pinhole (to be used with a 2L driving ring and a changeover catch)
• 16t with pinhole (new model, to be used with a new 3L driving ring)
• 24t
• 24t with clutch (actual clutch that links the inner part of the gear and the outer part)
• 40t
• differential with 16 and 24t, 4L
• Bevelled (with single or double bevel: SB and DB):
• 12t SB
• 12t DB
• 20t SB
• 20t SB with pinhole
• 20t DB
• 36t DB
• differential with 28t SB, 3L
• Other:
• Turntable 56t
• Turntable 28t SB
• worm gear 2L
• worm gear 3L (discontinued)
• 4L gear rack
• 7L gear rack
• 13L gear rack
• HOG : Hand of God. A gear or knob, usually on top of a model, used to steer it.
• LA : Linear Actuator. There are currently two types available: small and large.
• MOC : My Own Creation. Term usually used to designate someone's creation with Lego parts.
• PFS : Power Functions System. The current Lego Technic Motorization system, composed of battery boxes (small non-rechargeable, small rechargeable and large), motors (M, L, XL and servo), infrared emitters (small and large) and receiver and light units.