This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
Poire
par apprentissage

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

temoin de fonctionnement

English translation:

mains OR power OR 'on' indicator

Added to glossary by Tony M
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2010-08-23 15:54:11 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
Aug 19, 2010 21:14
13 yrs ago
French term

temoin de fonctionnement

French to English Tech/Engineering Mechanics / Mech Engineering remote tools
"Caractéristiques
- 1 prise télécommandée 230VAC-50Hz
- Puissance maxi : 1000W
- 1 télécommande 16 canaux
- Portée en champ libre : 120 m
- Témoin de fonctionnement
- Fusible interne de sécurité
- La télécommande fonctionne avec 1 pile 12V de type 23A (fournie)
- Fréquence radio : 433,92MHz
- La prise et la télécommande sont à usage uniquement en intérieur"


not sure what the witness aspect could be in this context??
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 mains OR power on indicator
3 +3 indicator light
4 activity LED
3 operation indication
3 -1 operational tell-tale
Change log

Aug 23, 2010 16:08: Tony M changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/0">'s</a> old entry - "temoin de fonctionnement"" to ""mains OR power on indicator""

Discussion

Travelin Ann Aug 19, 2010:
As certain remote controls "blink" when a button is pressed.//
How about "status indicator"?
rkillings Aug 19, 2010:
Ah, but it wouldn't take much to have the LED pulse on and off when it's receiving a radio command, to tell you the thing is working.
Tony M Aug 19, 2010:
@ RK Normally, I'd agree with you, but these remote-controlled sockets are such simple devices, I really doubt it would be anything so sophisticated; as I said below, it's just important to know if the power is on or off, i.e. if the socket is live or not (before you go to plug something in).
rkillings Aug 19, 2010:
It's an indicator all right, but do we know that it's merely an indicator of powered-up status? The French term would not be inconsistent with a fault indicator that would tell you whether everything is on and working (including, say, the radio circuitry).
Tony M Aug 19, 2010:
@ Callum I found 472 Ghits for "LED tell-tale", compared to over a million for "LED indicator" — but interestingly enough, as you say, it seems to be used a lot in automotive contexts.

I am familiar with the term 'tell-tale' particularly for indicating something that you couldn't otherwise know — the classic one being the 'fuse blown' indicators used on some equipment; if there wasn't a tell-tale indicator, then it wouldn't be easy to know... I've also encountered the term used to refer to something that may betray a past condition: for example, that a piece of delicate equipment has been subjected to excessive shock or temperature; even though that condition may have now been eliminated, the tell-tale 'spills the beans': "I've been dropped!"
Travelin Ann Aug 19, 2010:
@katem81 Target audience? Which English-speaking country(ies)?
Tony M's suggestion of mains indicator is completely accurate, but would not be widely understood in the US, for example.
Normally, with a 230V AC designation, I would not offer a US EN option, since we use 110/120 for most things. But, some major electrical items do run on 220/230 in the US.

Proposed translations

+3
16 mins
Selected

mains OR power on indicator

As Ann says, 'indicator' is the word needed for 'temoin' here (also often found as 'voyant') — however, calling it a 'light' is rather layman's language, and if you look for the equivalent in EN texts, you'll usually find that the 'indicator' is qualified in some other way: 'mains indicator', 'power on indicator', etc. — in most cases, if it is intended to indicate that the unit is working, then it will indeed simply indicate that the power is on. I feel pretty sure this would be the case here, in this relatively basic context.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2010-08-19 21:34:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Of course, in your context of remote-controlled sockets, that's why you need an indicator — and it will indeed be a 'mains on' indicator!

The problem with this type of socket is that you have no way of knowing if the power is on or off (unless you can tell from soemthing that is plugged in to it!) — and someone might come along and remotely turn it on just as you were sticking your fingers in the socket... So it's quite important to be able to tell when the mains voltage is present or not.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 55 mins (2010-08-19 22:10:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I guess perhaps for the US something like 'power indicator' might be OK? The 'on' is rather redundant, since it is unusual (not to say technically tiresome) to produce a special indicator just to show when the power is 'off'.
Peer comment(s):
agree mhanbury : what about ON/OFF indicator?
16 mins
Thanks! Yes, you're right, though being a pedant, I'd say that it can only indicate when it is 'on', and not indicate when it is 'off' ;-)
agree Travelin Ann : I like this, with the proviso mentioned in my discussion entry. US tends to speak of "water mains" but not for electrical power.// Love it when we can communicate in spite of our common language ;)//My new telly has a red standby indicator, w/green for on
32 mins
Thanks, Ann! In my Euro-centric way, I'd sort of assumed it had to be this side of the Pond — and indeed yes, doesn't do to mix water and electricity, now does it?! ;-) / Yup, mine too!
neutral Jennifer Levey : I don't read this as a 'power' indicator - rather as a 'working' indicator.
2 hrs
Sure — but in the context of a simple remote-controlled socket, 'working' simply means that 'the power is on'...
agree chris collister : I like the idea simply of "ON indicator".
13 hrs
Thanks, Chris! Yes, probably all that is needed here, eh?
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
-1
1 min

operational tell-tale

This would be a light which tells you whether the device is working or not (or working properly or not).

Translation taken from Termium Plus.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 mins (2010-08-19 21:16:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Definition: "Informe le conducteur qu'un dispositif a été mis en action et qu'il fonctionne correctement." (this is obviously in the context of a car/vehicle - but applies to most electronics).
Peer comment(s):
disagree Tony M : Although the idea is right, I'm afraid this just wouldn't be normal technical terminology. And a 'tell-tale' is often used to refer to other (non-electronic) things...
15 mins
I have seen this used for electronic products on numerous occasions, in car manuals among other places, to refer to dashboard lights. But I'll happily admit that this is not my area of expertise.
Something went wrong...
+3
4 mins

indicator light

something that gives you feedback that it is working

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2010-08-19 21:20:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://raywinstead.com/nintendods.shtml

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2010-08-19 21:33:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"In-use indicator" - the example happens to be a light, but the name describes the function in a more generic fashion.
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20060723/in-use-indicator/
Peer comment(s):
agree mhanbury : indicator light sounds pretty perfect to me
5 mins
Thanks mhanbury
agree Tony M : Better really to avoid 'light' if possible...
7 mins
Agree, I tried to come up with some more "generic" - any ideas? in-use indicator?
agree mimi 254
11 hrs
Thanks, mimi 254
Something went wrong...
24 mins

operation indication

I chose indication purpose (not indicator) - to express what benefit the user gets rather than what device the kit has. Temoin is actually "feedback" IMHO (like DE Rueckmeldung)
Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : But here they are using 'témoin' as a noun, and it simply means 'indicator', not 'the action of indicating' — that way, it fits better into the list of other features. Besides, ..-tion ...-tion is so ugly!
8 mins
Wahtever - we are wasting too much energy (splitting hairs) - considering that the intended audience is not "rocket scientists"
neutral Jennifer Levey : This is 'patent-speak', quite unsuitable for the spec of a commercial product that has to be intelligible to the common (wo)man.
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

activity LED

My guess is as good as anyone's here :)

It's similar to that flashing wot-not on your PC that flashes to tell you the hard disc is working, not the static wot-not that tells you the thing is switched on.

Of course, the 'témoin' might not be a LED - but if it ain't then I'll eat my hat!

Ethernet activity LED - [ Traducir esta página ]
The Ethernet activity LED indicates that the SAN Volume Controller 2145-8G4 is communicating with the Ethernet network that is connected to the Ethernet ...
publib.boulder.ibm.com/.../svc_8g4etheractled_37prgw.html - En cachéOn Screen Hard Drive Activity LED | PCMech - [ Traducir esta página ]
20 Nov 2009 ... You are probably very familiar with the hard drive activity LED that seems to constantly be blinking on either your desktop or laptop case.
www.pcmech.com/.../on-screen-hard-drive-activity-led/ - En caché - Similares
Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : Yes, but haven't you actually seen one of these r/c socket things? It's dead basic, and the light just tells you it's on (even if it might additionally flash during reception of a command)
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search