A physical discontinuity in a conductive path, resulting in infinite impedance and zero current flow. Opens can be intentional, like an open switch, or faults caused by broken wires, blown fuses, or cracked solder joints.
Heard on the job
The meter reads infinite ohms across the trace, so we definitely have an open somewhere on the board.
Insider tip
On a digital multimeter, an open circuit usually displays as OL (over limit) rather than zero.
Also heard as
- open circuit