black box vs configuration

black box

noun
  • A theoretical construct or device with known input and output characteristics but unknown method of operation. 

  • A flight recorder; the brightly colored cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders in an aircraft designed to aid in determining the cause of an accident. 

  • A device used in phreaking that prevents the calling party from being billed for the call placed. 

  • A type of theater characterized by a lack of decoration or complex mechanisms. 

  • Any similar device on motor vehicles, such as rail event recorders and ship trip recorders. 

verb
  • To focus on the inputs and outputs without worrying about the internal complexity. 

configuration

noun
  • The way things are arranged or put together in order to achieve a result. 

  • Relative position or aspect of the planets; the face of the horoscope, according to the relative positions of the planets at any time. 

  • Form, as depending on the relative disposition of the parts of a thing's shape; figure; form factor. 

  • The arrangement of electrons in an atom, molecule, or other physical structure like a crystal. 

  • A finite set of points and lines (and sometimes planes), generally with equal numbers of points per line and equal numbers of lines per point. 

How often have the words black box and configuration occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )