Dictionary of Electrical Engineering

Commonly used terms in the Electrical industry.

automatic frequency control (AFC)
(1) an automatic feedback control system that is used to maintain active power balance by means of the speed governor system. In an interconnected system, scheduled power interchanges are maintained by means of controlling area generations.
(2) electronic circuitry used to keep the received signal properly placed within the desired IF frequency range. In televisions, the AFC circuitry is also called the AFT or "automatic fine tuning" section. The AFC circuit will generate an error signal if the input frequency to the IF drifts above or below the IF frequency. The error signal is fed back to vary the local oscillator frequency in the tuner section. See also automatic fine tuning (AFT).