Glossary1xRTT CDMA: Specifically, 1xRTT (otherwise known as 3G 1x) represents one times radio transmission technology with 1.25 MHz channels. This technology supports peak data speeds up to 144 kbps, and up to a doubling of voice capacity. 2G: Second-Generation cellular – digital cellular including TDMA, CDMA, and GSM systems. Most 2G digital phones are voice only phones, but some offer limited data capability.
2.5G: Enhanced data rate Second Generation 3G: Third-Generation Cellular- characterized by support for very high-speed data transmission rates. 3GPP: The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaboration that brings together a number of telecommunication standards bodies that are known as “Organizational Partners,” including ARIB, CCSA, ETSI, T1, TTA, and TTC. Their scope is to produce globally applicable Technical Specifications and Technical Reports for a 3rd Generation Mobile System based on evolved GSM core networks and the radio access technologies that they support. 802.11: Wi-Fi IEEE standards for wireless LANs with specs for 1-2, 11 and 24 Mbps with access points typically covering 50-100 meters each.
Accelerated Test: A test designed to shorten the test time by increasing the frequency or duration of environmental stress that would be expected to occur during normal application. Access Point: A stationary device that acts as a base station for wireless LAN users. Unlike a network interface card that connects to a mobile device, the access point connects directly to a wired network. Adaptive (Smart) Antenna: An antenna system having circuit elements associated with its radiating elements such that one or more of the antenna properties are controlled by the received signal. Adaptive Frequency Hopping: A method whereby a Bluetooth radio would first check that a band was clear before it attempted a transmission. This would allow Bluetooth radios to better peacefully exist with other radios such as 802.11. Aggregation: Aggregation is the process of collecting charges for multiple transactions and combining them on a single bill. Charges are typically aggregated when the cost of processing the individual transaction exceeds the profit that would be realized from that transaction. A-GPS: assisted GPS can improve startup performance of a GPS satellite-based positioning system by storing last known location at shutdown AMI: Advanced Metering Infrastructure AMM: Automated Meter Management AMR (Automatic Meter Reading): The automated reading of utility meters, generally power utility meters. AMR can be made of a wired or wireless technology, including cellular and LEOs (Low Earth Orbiting satellites). ANSI: American National Standards Institute. A standards setting, non-government organization founded in 1918, which develops and publishes standards for transmission codes, protocols and high level languages for voluntary use in the United States. Antenna Diversity: The use of two or more antennas to improve signal quality. In most designs, the baseband processor automatically selects the antenna that is providing the best quality signal. APN: Access Point Name is a URL that is used within the GPRS network to route to the correct GGSN and to identify the services that should be provided to the user of the APN. For example, users of one APN might use a VPN connection, while users of another would not. ASCII: American Standard Code for Information Interchange – ASCII is now universally used as the prime means of converting characters to digital format for storage with or communication between computers and peripherals. The code assigns a sequence of 8 1’s and 0’s, or bits, to each of 256 characters commonly needed to accurately convey text-based information. ASIC: Application-Specific Integrated Circuit – A silicon chip that is custom-designed for a specific purpose, at least that’s the pure definition. In actuality, the term is misleading because many ASICs are designed to perform multiple, generalized tasks. From the manufacturer’s point of view, a microprocessor is an ASIC, though they can and are used for widely disparate purposes in the field. Manufacturers use ASICs to consolidate many chips into a single package, thereby reducing system board size and power consumption. AT Commands (Attention Commands): are used by a mobile application to control a wireless modem. The AT command set consists of a series of short text strings which combine together to produce complete commands for operations such as dialing, hanging up, and changing the parameters of the connection. The command set for GSM modems is specified in 3GPP specifications, TS 27.007 and TS 27.005 (for SMS-related commands). The standardized commands include some commands that are optional. Therefore, most wireless modem makers support most, but not all standardized commands. In addition, most modem makers include additional vendor-specific AT commands Attenuation: The loss in power of electromagnetic signals between transmission and reception points. AVL: Automated Vehicle Locator Bandwidth: Bandwidth of a communications channel is a measure of the range of frequencies over which the carrier signal is allowed to vary. Generally a communications channel is defined by its lowest and highest frequency, and channel bandwidth is computed as the difference between the two as measured in Hertz, kHz or MHz. Since bandwidth of a channel is directly proportional to the amount of data that can be transmitted over it per unit time, channel bandwidth is sometimes measured as a data rate rather a frequency difference. Technical term for the capacity of a transmission channel. Because capacity, or even maximum speed, is generally dependent on the frequency range available, the ‘bandwidth’ (i.e., the width of a frequency band) usually has the same meaning as the maximum transmission speed available to a subscriber. Beamwidth: The angle of signal coverage provided by an antenna. Beamwidth typically decreases as antenna gain increases. BGA: Ball Grid Array – the position of solder balls on a surface mount component; they can be designated for specific connections Bit-rate: The speed at which bits are transmitted over the physical layer, also called signaling rate. This is quite different than throughput, which is an end measure of a network’s speed. Bluetooth: A radio technology that makes it possible to transmit signals over short distances between computers and handheld devices without the use of wires. It uses short-range radio links in the 2.gGHZ Instrumentation Scientific and Medical (ISM) “free band”. Bottleneck: 1) Capacity constraint that may limit traffic carried on the network during peak load conditions; 2) In the US, part of the local loop, which is monopolized, is known as a bottleneck, because only one carrier provides the service. Thus it is a regulatory term and affects how prices are regulated. BPS: Bits per second – meaning data transmission speed, the number of pieces of information transmitted per second. BREW: Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless: application development environment routinely supported on Qualcomm chipsets. Broadband: A term used to describe a channel or communications line offering a bandwidth > 2Mb/s. (Synonymous with Wideband) Broadcast: The simultaneous transmission of data or voice to a number of stations. Cable Loss: A numeric value reflecting the amount or signal loss from one point of length of cable to another. This is measured in microvolts in two-way radio products and in decibels (dB) loss in cellular equipment. Call Drop Rate: A dropped call rate out of completed sending calls (a sending call drop rate) or out of completed receiving calls (a receiving call drop rate). Capacitively Coupled: A capacitor is a storage device for electrical energy. A capacitor has two metal plates separated by an insulator, in a glass mount antenna the insulator is the glass itself. A capacitor has two functions, first it allows alternating current to pass through it, and secondly it blocks direct current from crossing from one plate to the other. A capacitance fed glass mount antenna allows alternating current energy to pass through the glass to the external radiating element. Received radio signals follow the reverse process to reach the radio receiver. Carrier: A licensed company (network operator) may market any number of communication services for voice and data. Carriers offer their services to both end-customers (private or business) and other carriers. In the latter case, the service simply consists of transport capacity for long-distance traffic. For example, local/regional network operators will buy transport capacity from carriers that operate on a global basis. Carrier Signal: A signal transmitted at a pre-determined frequency to act as a “carrier” for voice or data. The carrier signal is modulated by voice or data input so as to “carry” the information to its destination where the modulation process is reversed to recover the original information. CDG: CDMA Development Group – The purpose of the CDG is to lead the rapid evolution and deployment of CDMA-based systems, based on open standards and encompassing all core architectures, to meet the needs of markets around the world in an emerging, information-intensive environment. CDG is three-stage process. All CDMA devices must pass all three stages. Stage 1: RF Parametric Testing, Stage 2: Interoperability Test (network infrastructure compatibility) and Stage 3: Field testing (typically done by the network operator). CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access – A technology for digital transmission of radio signals between, for example, a mobile telephone and a base station. The system uses the same frequency to allow multiple conversations. Each conversation is cut into snippets and then remodulated in reassembled in the other end. CDR: Change Detail Record - Any transaction, traffic or resources usage records created by various other network components which may subsequently be used for billing purposes. CE: Communauté Européenne CE Mark: The CE Marking is the manufacturer’s declaration, showing compliance with all applicable directives. For most products sold in the EU, the use of the CE Marking and a Declaration of Conformity are mandatory. With the exception of some high-risk products, most products can be self- assessed by the manufacturer to meet the Essential Requirements. While the CE Marking does permit a product’s access to the EU, it is not an approval mark, certification or quality mark; nor is it intended to be a marketing tool. CE is a “Marking” that is only a declaration of the supplier’s own responsibility. Cell: The basic geographical unit of a cellular communications system. Service coverage of a given area is based on an interlocking network of cells, each with a radio base station (transmitter/receiver) at its center. The size of each cell is determined by the terrain and forecasted number of users. Cell Switching: Feature that enables a caller to move from one location to another without losing the connection. The cellular system is designed to switch calls to a new call without a noticeable drop in the connection. While not noticeable in voice communications, the 300 milliseconds required for cell switching can cause problems in data transmission. Channel: An individual UMTS radio channel is defined in the IMT 2000 standard as having a bandwidth of 5 MHz. This means that an individual UMTS radio channel, for example, ranges from 1900 to 1905 MHz. How many radio channels a UMTS provider can make available to customers depends on which frequency spectrum has been won in the auctioning of UMTS mobile phone frequencies. Each radio channel can transport more than one connection. So that more than one subscriber can use the same channel, multiple access methods such as W-CDMA (FDD), TD-CDMA (TDD) or cdma2000 are used for 3G networks. It nevertheless depends on the service profile of the connection how many connections per channel can be managed at the same time. It is also true that in the planning of the radio network, the effect of cellular respiration for CDMA should be considered. Circuit Switched Cellular (CSC): Circuit Switched Cellular, good for large data transfers, offers wide coverage. Also see Circuit Switched Data. Circuit Switched Data (CSD): Data communication over a dedicated channel or circuit assigned on a per call basis. CSD calls are often metered and priced by the minute like voice calls. Circuit Switching: A method of communicating in which a dedicated communications path is established between two devices through one or more intermediate switching nodes. Unlike packet switching, digital data are sent as a continuous stream of bits. Bandwidth is guaranteed, and delay is essentially limited to propagation time. The telephone system uses circuit switching. Codec: (pronounced CO-deck, short for compressor/decompressor) refers to an algorithm which takes digitized voice and compresses it prior to transmission to the cell, and which takes compressed voice received from the cell and decompresses it prior to playing it out the speaker of the device. Collinear Array: A system of two antenna radiators arranged in a line and connected end to end so as to generate a directed field pattern. Counterpoise: A wire or group of wires mounted close to ground, but insulated from ground, to form a low-impedance, high-capacitance path the ground. Used at medium frequencies (MF) and high frequencies (HF) to provide an RF ground for an antenna. (Also see ground plane.) Coupler: Referring to on-glass antennas, a coupler is the two-piece interface between the coaxial cable on the inside of the glass and the radiator on the outside of the vehicle. It is designed to efficiently couple RF energy through the glass. The formulation of the glass and glass thickness normally has a substantial effect on coupler performance. Coverage: The geographical reach of a cellular phone network or system. CSD: Circuit Switched Data: is the traditional technology used for the exchange of data. A circuit connection is made that is exclusively reserved for the individual’s use. Payment is then made in accordance with the duration of the connection. This can be inefficient, for example when connecting to the internet using WAP, as more time is spent reading the information than is spent exchanging data, however you continue to pay when you are reading. For corporate e-mail services however, applications have been developed where the user works “off line” and then only connects to the server to download and receive e-mails. CSMA: Carrier Sense Multiple Access – A MAC method of listening before transmitting (collision avoidance) and listening while transmitting (collision detection). For a wired network, such as Ethernet, collision detection is employed and packets are retransmitted should a collision be detected while transmitting. For wireless networks, this type of collision detection is usually not possible since the strength of a radio’s own transmissions would mask all other signals on the air. So for wireless networks, collision avoidance is employed. CTIA: Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. CTIA is the international organization that represents all sectors of wireless communications-cellular, personal communication services and enhanced specialized mobile radio. We serve the interests of service providers, manufacturers, wireless data and Internet companies and other contributors to the wireless universe. CTIA is the voice of the wireless industry – representing its members in a constant dialogue with policy makers in the Executive Branch, in the Federal Communications Commission, and in Congress, CTIA’s industry committees provide leadership in the area of taxation, roaming, safety, regulations, fraud and technology. CTS: Clear to Send Current Loop: A point of current maxima (antinode) on an antenna. Current Node: A point of current minima on an antenna. dB (decibel): Logarithmic way to express a value. Usually the signal strength (transmitted and received power) is expressed in dBm (the reference is 1 mW = 0 dBm). A difference between two values in dBm is without unit, in dB. Dc ground: An antenna, which is a dead short to a DC current, and has a shunt fed design. To RF it is not seen as a short. DCD: Data Carrier Detect DCS-1800: European 1800 MHz GSM band. Dipole: An antenna that is split at the exact center for connection to a feed line usually a half wavelength long. Also called a “doublet”. Directional Antenna: An antenna having the property of radiating or receiving electromagnetic waves more effectively in some directions than others. Directivity: The theoretical characteristic of an antenna to concentrate power in only one direction, whether transmitting or receiving. DNS Server: A DNS server holds translation tables linking domain names and APNs to IP addresses. It supplies the information to routers and other Internet elements on request. Document Type Definition (DTD): A DTD defines the names and contents of all elements that are permissible in a certain document. A DTD is used to specify XML document structure. Downlink: Most data-communication connections are bi-directional. The direction toward the remote user is referred to as the “downlink”. The direction away from the remote user is referred as the “uplink.” Technical term for data transmission in the direction from the network, the provider or the Internet provider to the subscriber. (The return channel is known as the uplink.) Driven Element: A radiator element of an antenna system to which the transmission line is connected. DSP: Digital Signal Processor – A digital signal processor is a specialized computer chip designed to perform speedy and complex operations on digitized waveforms Useful in processing sound (like voice calls) and video. Dual Band: Dual band phones are capable of using two different frequencies of the same technologies. For example, a TDMA or CDMA phone that can use either the 800 or 1900 MHz band. There are also Triple Band phones in the GSM market that support 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz. Dual band phones allow callers to access different frequencies in the same or different geographic regions, essentially giving their phone a wider coverage area. Dual Mode: Dual mode devices support more than one wireless technology, such as cellular and satellite, cellular and Wi-Fi, or cellular and Bluetooth E-Plane and H-Plane: Antenna measurements in general and radiation patterns in particular must be performed with polarization in mind. Since polarization is defined as having the same orientation as an antenna’s electric field vector, it is common practice to refer to measurements aligned with either the electric vector ( E-plane) or magnetic vector (H-plane). EC/I0: (pronounced Eee-See over Eye-Not) in CDMA refers to the portion of the RF signal which is usable. It’s the difference between the signal strength and the noise floor. EDGE: Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution. EDGE has been developed for those networks that didn’t but a UMTS license and while it promises only about a third of the bandwidth, most UMTS services will also have a form using EDGE. Speed of up to 184kbps will be possible. Efficiency: The ratio of useful output power determined in antenna systems by losses in the system including in nearby objects. (Also see VSWR.) EIRP: Effective Isotropic Radiated Power – A measure of the radiated power from a transmitter. Electrically Small Antenna: Some antennas (such as various low profile antennas, some base loaded whips and often rubber duckie portable antennas) are physically considerably smaller than either a 1/2 or 1/4 wavelength antenna. The challenge with electrically small antennas is to maintain radiating efficiency. A greater challenge is to design an antenna with adequate bandwidth. Careful design using high quality materials often overcome these obstacles. Embedded Antennas: Antennas directly integrated into a system such as an access point, a terminal or a handset. In most cases, this antenna is matched to the system and cannot be used in other applications without modification. Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS): Messaging comprising simple pictures, sounds, animations, and modified text. ERP: Effective Radiated Power. Error Detection & Correction: Refers to various techniques used to detect and correct errors that may be introduced when digital data is copied, moved or transmitted to another device. Detection and correction technologies generally require that the data be expanded to include additional information, which can noticeably impact the rate at which the effective information is delivered. ESN: (Electronic Serial Number) A unique number assigned to the device by the device manufacturer. No two devices will ever have the same ESN. ETSI: European Telecommunications Standards Institute is the European counterpart to ANSI, the American Standards Institute. ETSI’s task is to pave the way for telecommunication integration in the European community as part of the single European market plan. See www.etsi.org FAC: Final Assembly Code FCC: The Federal Communications Commission, a U.S. government agency responsible directly to Congress and charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC has specific requirements for electronics that limit the amount of electronic interference they can produce when operating. FEC: Forward Error Correction or FEC is a technique used in data communications to in aid detecting and correcting transmission errors. FEC methods require that redundant information be added to help compensate for possible losses and is most often used in situations where it is impractical to retransmit information damaged in transit. Field Strength: An absolute measure in one direction of the electromagnetic wave field generated by an antenna at some distance away from the antenna. Field Tunable: Antennas identified as Field Tunable are shipped with a cut chart the installer uses to select a desired operating frequency by tuning the antenna to resonance. Cut charts should be used as guidelines and are adequately accurate for many applications. However, Radial/Larsen recommends using appropriate RF measurement devices whenever possible for more accurate tuning. FIT: Failures in Time: the FIT rate of a device is the number of failures expected in one billion hours of operation. Fixed Access: A terminal access to the network that users wired technology. Forward link: refers to the radio link from the cell to the phone. FOTA: Firmware over the air – a means by which software can be remotely updated on devices in the field.
Frequency: Rate of signal oscillation in hertz, meaning the number of times the wave form repeats itself in second (measured in Hertz (Hz) where one Hz is one cycle per second). Frequency Band: A frequency band is a continuous range of frequencies over which a signal waveform or carrier is allowed to vary. Frequency Spectrum: Spectrum available for communication. Regulatory agencies monitor the occupancy of the radio spectrum and allocate to individual/group users, enabling a large number of services to operate within specific limits of interference. FTA: Full Type Approval FTP: File Transfer Protocol – a standard protocol used to copy a file from one host to another over a TCP/IP-based network Full Duplex: Refers to a communication system or equipment capable of transmission simultaneously in two directions. G-CDR: A data traffic detail record created by the GGSN, which may subsequently be used for billing purposes. Gain: Gain is the practical value of the directivity of an antenna. It takes into account the efficiency of the complete structure. High gain is useful to focus reception on a fixed or isolated transmitter. Where misdirected reception is preferable, low gain is preferred. Gateway: Usually a device that acts as a protocol translator or which controls communications across logical boundaries within a network or between networks. GCF (GSM Certification Forum): GCF is a partnership between network operators and terminal manufacturers that has been formed with the objective of establishing an independent program to ensure global interoperability of GSM terminals. GHz (Gigahertz): A frequency measurement equal to one billion cycles per second. GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output GPRS (General Packet Radio Service): is a packet oriented mobile data service available to users of GSM. It provides theoretical data rates of up to 170kbps. Data rates of up to 40kbps are experienced in real-world networks, depending upon device capabilities, network configurations and network load. GPS (Global Position System): Based on US defense satellite system, enables tracking of people and things. Ground Plane: A system of conductors placed beneath an elevated or mobile antenna to serve as an earth ground. Note that at very high frequencies the human body can act as a ground plane. (Also see counterpoise.) GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications): GSM is a cellular network, which means that radio spectrum is separated into individual coverage areas – cells, each served by a base station. Mobile devices connect to the network using the radio channels available in the local serving cell.GSM networks operate in four different frequency ranges. Most GSM networks operate in the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz bands. Some countries in the Americas (including Canada and the United States) use the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz. GSM-AMR: GSM-AMR is an Adaptive Multi Rate (AMR) speech coder standard introduced by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for compressing the toll quality speech (8000 samples/second). This speech coder is mainly used for speech compression in the 3rd generation mobile telephony. Handoff: The process of maintaining a radio link between a cellular device and the network. The handoff occurs when the device moves out of range of one cell site and comes into range of another, relying on Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) to determine when handoff is necessary. Header: Information added by the protocol in front of the payload in the packet for its own use (addresses, packet type, sequence number, CRC…). Each protocol adds a different header, so in a typical TCP/IP packet as transmitted, we have a MAC header, an IP header and a TCP header, followed by the payload. Hiperaccess: A fixed wireless broadband access network.
HLR: The Home Location Register is a central database that contains details of each mobile user, including information on the subscriber identities (IMSI, phone number) and the services to which the user has subscribed (e.g. APNs, fixed IP address, roaming restrictions). HSPA: High Speed Packet Access (3G). HMI: Human-machine interface – the point of interaction between people and electronics. ICCID: Integrated Circuit Card ID. This is the identifier of the actual SIM card itself – i.e. an identifier for the SIM chip. It is possible to change the information contained on a SIM (including the IMSI), but the identity of the SIM itself remains the same. Idle handoff: The moment at which a device moves from one sector or cell to another while not in a call. IEEE: (Pronounced I-Triple-E) Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers. The IEEE is a non-profit, technical professional association that promotes electronic ideas and standards both in the US and Worldwide. www.ieee.org IETF: Internet Engineering Task Force. The IETF is a large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet. It is open to any interested individual. The actual technical work of the IETF is done in its working groups, which are organized by topic into several areas. Much of the work is handled via mailing list. The Internet standards-related documents are published as RFCs (Request for Comments). IF (Intermediate Frequency): To increase sensitivity and selectivity, super heterodyne radio receivers first convert the input frequency to a fixed frequency and then apply the internal processing to that fixed frequency. The intermediate frequency is the frequency used for this internal signal processing. IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity): A unique identification number associated with each GSM device. In effect, a serial number that aids in tracking a particular device and is useful in fraud prevention. The IMEI is assigned by the manufacturer. Impedance: A measurement used to maximize power transmission between antenna and receiver or transmitter. IMSI: International Mobile Subscriber Identity. This is a unique identifier that defines a subscriber in the wireless world, including the country and mobile network to which the subscriber belongs. It has the format MCC-MNC-MSIN. MCC = Mobile Country Code (e.g. 310 for USA); MNC = Mobile Network Code (e.g. 410 for AT&T), MSIN = sequential serial number. All signaling and messaging in GSM and UMTS networks uses the IMSI as the primary identifier of a subscriber. The IMSI is one of the pieces of information stored on a SIM card. Industry Canada (IC): Regulatory body in Canada. Purpose: Verification of RF emissions – not causing harmful interference to other wireless users, electrical equipment and people. For operation in the Canada, the integration (or end device) is required to meet appropriate regulatory requirements Industry Canada Radio Standards Specification RSS-129, RSS-133 and RSS-102, as well as Interference-Causing Equipment Standard ICES-003. www.ic.gc.ca Integrated Device: Any device that embeds a modem. ITU: International Telecommunication Union. The ITU is the most important telecommunications standards setting body in the world. In actual fact, it has no power to set standards. But if its members agree on a standard, it effectively becomes a world standard. The ITU presently consists of three major sectors that were established in 1992: 1) the Radio communication Sector (ITU-R), the telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D), and the Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). The ITU took over the work formerly done by the CCITT (Comite Consultatif Internationale Consultative Committee). The scope of the ITU’s work is much broader than just telegraphy and telephony. It also includes IP voice, telematics, data, new services, systems and networks. Kbps: Kilobits per second – A speed measurement for the transmitting of data (see bps). KHz: A unit of measurement for frequency equal to 1000 Hertz. LAN: A Local Area Network, or LAN, consists of a group of inter-connected computer terminals or nodes, often co-located and managed from a single point as a single network, such as an organization or business might deploy for sharing and managing information internally. Layer: Usually refers to the OSI specification dividing any communicating system into 7 layers, each having a different functionality. Layer 1 is the physical layer (radio), layer 2 is the link layer, and IP could be assimilated as layer 3 (network layer). TCP is considered layer 4, the transport layer. LBS (Location-Based Services): Services or applications that center on a user’s location in a mobile environment. Location-based services utilize location-sensitive technology, such as Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) or network-based solutions, to deliver services or applications to a wireless device such as a mobile phone. These services can include finder applications that let mobile phone users locate friends or family, businesses or landmarks. They can also deliver maps, directions, or traffic reports. LIG (Lawful Interception Gateway): The lawful interception gateways provides a mechanism whereby designated security or law enforcement agencies can intercept cellular traffic, much as voice “wiretap” facilities are provided in mobile network. Legal authority to use this mechanism as well as safeguards to protect privacy will vary from country to country. Link layer: This is the part of the protocol managing the direct delivery between two devices on a specific physical layer (coaxial bus, point to point link, radio). This includes packetization and addressing. LNA: Low-noise amplifier is used to amplify week signals captured by an antenna. LTE: Long-term evolution, the trademarked project name for a high performance air interface for cellular telephony. A project of the 3GPP, it is considered 4G and expected to be widely adopted by carriers worldwide. M2M: Machine to Machine – the technology that supports wired or wireless communication between machines.
MAC (Medium Access Control): This is the part of the radio device managing the protocol and the usage of the link. The MAC decides when to transmit and when to receive, creates the packets headers and filters the received packet. MAN: Metropolitan Area Network. A regional computer or communication network spanning the area covered by an average to large city. Mashup: A web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated application. MB (Megabyte): Megabit is a term denoting approximately one million bits. Mbps: Megabits per second describe the rate of transfer of data as measured in megabits. Mesh network: a network made up of radio nodes, such as Zigbee or Z-Wave, in a mesh topology consisting of clients, routers and gateways MMI: Man-machine interface – the point of interaction between people and electronics. MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service): A type of messaging comprising a combination of text, sounds, images and video. MNO (Mobile Network Operator): An operator of a wireless network for mobile phones. Mobile Antenna: Refers to any antenna mounted on a vehicle. Includes a radiating element and a mechanism to fix the antenna to the vehicle. Mobile IP: Mobile IP is an Internet protocol designed to support host mobility allowing the host to stay connected to the Internet regardless of location. Monopole: Literally, one pole, such as a vertical radiator operated against the earth or a counterpoise. A handheld rubber duck type of antenna will most likely be a monopole. Mount: A mount is the place where a mobile antenna attaches. It is the mechanical and electrical interface between an antenna and the device. MTBF: (Mean Time Between / before Failure / Faults) The average time (usually expressed in hours) that a component works without failure. It is calculated by dividing the total number of failures into the total number of operating hours observed. The term can also mean the length of time a user may reasonably expect a device or system to work before an incapacitating fault occurs. Multi-Band: Describes the facility of certain mobile devices to operate over two or more frequency bands Multi-Mode: Describes the facility of certain devices to operate over more than one wireless technology (See dual-mode). Multipath: Refers to a common phenomenon in RF where the signal arrives multiple times at the receiver at slightly different times, often due to reflection off of other objects. Generally, RF multipath is a form of interference and degrades the signal. Multiplexer: A device that selects between a number of signals and forwards the selected input into a single line MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator): A company that, to end-users, appears to be a wireless network operator, but does not own the network infrastructure or hold licenses to radio spectrum. MySQL: An open source relational database management system. MySQL runs on both Linux and Windows servers and is commonly used in conjunction with PHP. NAA: Network Access Application Narrowband: A classification of the information capacity or bandwidth of a communication channel. Narrowband is generally taken to mean a bandwidth of 64kbit/s or less. NAT (Network Address Translation): The translation of an Internet Protocol address used within one network to a different IP address known within another network. Net mask: A system for designating hierarchies of networks and sub-networks within the Internet to simplify routing and local network administration. NFC: Near-field communications, short-range, high-frequency wireless communication technology, such as RFID, that enables exchange of data between devices within a very close range. NMEA: National Marine Electronics Association standard defining the interface between various pieces of marine electronics such as GPS.
NMO: Perhaps the most prolific of all mobile antenna mounts is the NMO. It enables one mount, inserted in a drilled hole in the vehicle body, to be used over the lifetime of the vehicle with many screw-on antennas. Noise: Any unwanted signal which may include background noise, interference, or transmissions from nodes not belonging to the network. NTIA: National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The US federal government’s spectrum management authority. Omnidirectional: An antenna providing a 360-degree transmission pattern. This type of antenna is used when coverage in all directions is required. OSI (Open Systems Interconnection): OSI is a standard description or “reference model” for how messages should be transmitted between any two points in a telecommunication network. Its purpose is to guide product implementers so that their products will consistently work with other products. OTSL (One Time Subsidy Lock): A password that allows a user to configure parameters that are normally not accessible. The OTSL is in effect for only one session. OTA: Testing the performance of an antenna receiving and transmitting data or voice Over The Air. Packet: When a quantity of data is to be transmitted over a network, it is sometimes divided into groupings of sequential bits called packets. At the destination, the original information is reconstructed from the individual packets. Packet Switching: A generic term for data communications techniques that move data from place to place in a network on an individual packet basis rather than by allocating a dedicated link. Packets can be routed independently so as to maximize network capacity and to take advantage of routing alternatives to work around network bottlenecks or outages. A method of transmitting messages through a communication network, in which long messages are subdivided into short packets and routes to its final destination. PAN (Personal Area Networks): A Personal Area Network typically covers the few meters surrounding a user’s workspace and provides the ability to synchronize computers, transfers files and gain access to local peripherals like printers and a range of pocket hardware. A technology like Bluetooth may enable wireless PAN. Parabolic Antenna: An antenna consisting of a parabolic reflector and a radiating or receiving element at or near its focus. A parabolic antenna is very directive and includes a preliminary source and a parabolic reflector to focus the energy. PFFR: Predicted Fundamental Failure Rate Physical layer: The part of the device interacting with the medium. For a wireless LAN, the physical layer is the radio. Pico Cell: A very small cell in a mobile network used to boost capacity inside buildings. Planar Array: An antenna in which all of the elements, both active and parasitic, are in one plane. PLL (Phase Locked Loop): Circuit technology (or a circuit using that technology) in which the circuit is operated at an arbitrary frequency by forming a loop circuit that synchronizes the frequency phase. Point-to-Multipoint: A communications channel running from one point to several other points. Point-to-Point: A communications channel running from one point to another. Polarization: The sense of the wave radiated by an antenna. This can be horizontal, vertical, elliptical or circular (left or right hand circularity) depending on the design and application. Port number: TCP and UDP provide an address mechanism, the port number, for identifying different applications communicating from the same IP address. Thus an active web browser and an independently active mail program operating from the same IP location would typically use different port numbers so that packets are correctly delivered to specific applications. POS (Point-of-Sale) Terminal: a device that accepts credit/debit card payments. Printed Antenna: All antennas made by means of a printed circuit process. PRL: Stands for Preferred Roaming List, and it is used by the device to locate different cell systems. Protocol: Formal set of rules governing the format, timing, sequencing, and error control for data exchanges between two or more communications nodes. Note that many protocols may be required and regularly used on network. Proxy: In an enterprise that uses the Internet, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary between a workstation user and the Internet so that the enterprise can ensure security, administrative control, and caching service. PTCRB (PCS Type Certification Review Board): the purpose of the PTCRB is to provide the framework within which GSM Mobile Equipment (ME) Type Certification can take place for members of the PTCRB. This includes determining the test specifications and methods to implement Type Certification for GSM Mobile Equipment. The goal of the PTCRB is if one carrier approves a Mobile Station (MS) then this MS is allowed to roam on all networks wherever they have roaming agreements in the GSMNA (GSM North America). QoS (Quality of Service): A measure of how reliable a carrier’s service is. Usually expressed in terms of availability and measured, as how often available, by .99999 or five nines, which is the top level of reliability. R&TTE or RTTE (Radio & Telecommunications Terminal Equipment): Regulatory agency for the European Union which governs protection requirements with respect to electromagnetic compatibility in order to protect the health (SAR) and the safety of the user. Radiation Pattern: The graphical representation of the relative field strength radiated from an antenna in a given plane, plotted against the angular distance from a given reference. Radiator: A discrete conductor radiating RF energy in an antenna system. RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service): Radius refers to a client/server technique that enables remote access servers (RAS) to communicate with a central server, the Radius server, to authenticate dial-in users and authorize their access to the requested system or service. Radome: A typically rigid dielectric cover over the radiating portion of an antenna, and nearly always separated from the radiator by an air gap. A radome (the merger of radar and dome) has the purpose of protecting the radiator from natural weather phenomena and contamination by dirt. It usually includes aerodynamic shaping to minimize wind loading. Receiver (Rx): An electronic device which enables a particular signal to be separated from others and converts the signal format into a format for video, voice or data. Registration: The process by which a device sends a packet on the paging channel that identifies it to the cell system. RF: Stands for “Radio Frequency” and is a commonly used acronym to refer to a radio link. RFID: Radio Frequency Identification. RI: Ring Indicator Roaming: 1. The ability to move between cells of the same network; 2. The ability to use a cellular device outside the providers’ home service area. Providers often set up Roaming Agreements with other providers in different geographic locations. Router: A data switch that handles connections between different networks. RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator): Provides a signal for logic circuit processing that is a function of received RF signal strength. RSSI is used both by the switch and the device. RTS: Request To Send S-UMTS: Stand for Satellite UMTS. A satellite-based system that, independently of the terrestrial mobile networks can provide some of the ground based UMTS system’s capabilities. Satellite network: Network using radio frequencies relayed by satellite. SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) filter: A filter that allows the receiving device to focus in on a very specific part of the spectrum. SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition): SCADA systems are used extensively by power, water, gas and other utility companies to monitor and manage distribution facilities. They are also used to monitor and control end user usage levels for purposes such as remote meter reading and load shedding. Sensitivity: The smallest RF signal that can produce a usable output from a receiver.
Serial Interface: An interface through which information is transmitted in or out one bit at a time. SET (Secure Electronic Transaction): SET is a system for ensuring the security of financial transactions over the Internet. SET, may authenticate both user and merchant in order to approve the transaction. Shield Effectiveness: A measurement of how well the cable’s shielding material (braid, solid tape, etc.) protects the external environment from radiation produced by the center conductor. Signal strength: Refers to the total amount of power of RF received by the receiver. This is divided into useful signal, referred to as EC/I0, and the noise floor which is useless. SIM: Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is part of a smart card ICC (Integrated Circuit Card), also known as SIM Cards, for mobile, telephony devices and mobile phones. SIM cards securely store the service-subscriber key (IMSI) used to identify a subscriber, plus a set of subscriber-specific and service provider-specific information. Most SIM cards are removable, and can allow a user to move a subscription from one device to another by moving the SIM. New SIM form factors, based on non-removable chips, are available for M2M applications requiring increased ruggedness. SIM Application Toolkit (SAT): is a set of standardized capabilities within GSM that enable the SIM to initiate actions which can be used for various value added services. Without SAT, the SIM is a slave to the device and can only operate according to the needs of the device and its application. With SAT, the SIM can initiate instructions to the device or take proactive measures of its own (e.g. display a message on the device, display or initiate an SMS). Slotted sleep: Is a power saving operation in which the device shuts down nearly all of its electronics most of the time. Smart Grid: Generic label for the application of computer intelligence and networking technology to the electricity distribution system – includes intelligent monitoring for load-balancing, efficiency and cost optimization
SMD: Surface Mount Design SMS: Short Message Service (text messaging) is the ability to send messages of up to 160 characters to or from a mobile device. In many cases SMS is used as a bearer for M2M data, especially where the data payload is small.
SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a text-based protocol for e-mail transmission
SOC: System on chip, refers to integrating all components of an electronic system into a single component. Software radio: An emerging technology, which allows network operators to simultaneously support multiple communications standards (GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, 3G etc) on a single network infrastructure without begin bound by a particular standard. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer): Protocol for managing the security of message transmissions in a network. Standard Impedance: The nominal impedance associated with the transmission line and test equipment. Synchronous mode: standard for data transmission – data is transferred without start and stop bits together with a clock signal to synchronize the receiver. This mode gives higher data throughput than asynchronous mode, but can be less secure. TAC: Type Approval Code TCB (Telecommunications Certification Body): A TCB is a non-governmental body accredited by ANSI to review applications and issue FCC Certification grants of approval for devices requiring approvals. TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) together define the basic rules for how information is transmitted across the Internet (as well as on most LANs) in packetized form. TE: Terminal Equipment Telematics: A generic term for a wireless network supporting the collection and dissemination of data. Static or fixed applications including SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition), which is used in the power utility industry for meter reading and load control. Mobile applications include vehicle tracking and positioning, on-line navigation, and emergency assistance. Traffic Channel: Is a channel which carries a call or connection. When a device wants to set up a call, it makes a request to the cell and the cell system sends back a message telling it which traffic channel to use. Transmission Line: The connecting link, which allows the radio frequency energy generated by the transceiver to be delivered to the antenna. Transmitter: An electronic device consisting of oscillator, modulator and other circuits that produce a radio electromagnetic wave signal for radiation into the atmosphere by an antenna. TRI-BAND: phone which can operate on three bands, typically a GSM device operating on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 1900 MHz. TTFF: Time to first fix – the specification detailing the time required for a GPS receiver to acquire satellite signals and navigation data to calculate a position TTS (Text-to-Speech): The flip side of speech recognition, TTS takes written words and converts them to speech. Thus, when a caller requests specific information from a voice portal, such as driving directions, TTS reads the directions to the caller. UE: User Equipment UICC: USIM Integrated Circuit Card. The UICC is the chip card used in mobile terminals in 3G telecom network Systems. The UICC is an essential component for UMTS, just as the SIM is for GSM. Extending the concept of the SIM card, the UICC contains the USIM application and also provides a platform for other IC Card applications. It ensures the integrity and security of all kinds of personal data, enabling secure support for all kinds of multi-application schemes. UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System): The almost universal standard for the 3G. Uplink: Most data-communication connections are bi-directional. The direction toward the remote user is referred to as the “downlink”. The direction away from the remote user is referred as the “uplink”. UART: Universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter – hardware that translates data between parallel and serial forms. WAAS: Wide-Area Augmentation System; an air navigation aid developed by the Federal Aviation Administration to augment GPS in order to improve accuracy, integrity and availability. WAN: Wide Area Network. A general term referring to a large network spanning a country or around the world. The Internet is a WAN. A public mobile communication system is a WAN. Whip: The vertical portion of the antenna assembly, which acts as the radiator of the radio frequency energy. WIMAX: Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access: a telecommunications protocol providing fixed and mobile internet access. IEEE 802.16x Wireless Telemetry: Wireless Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, not including traditional data or voice-centric devices. Examples of wireless telemetry applications include: asset tracking, point-of-sale, vending, arcade games, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA). WLAN: Wireless Local Area Network. A short-range computer-to-computer wireless data communications network. Most commonly Wi-Fi. WMAN: Wireless Metropolitan Area Network. A regional wireless computer or communication network spanning the area covered by an average to large city. WML: Wireless Markup Language. Wireless Markup Language is a markup language developed specifically for wireless applications. WML is based on XML. WNIC (Wireless Network Interface Card): PCMCIA or USB device added to a computer or portable device to give it wireless capabilities. Generally, not well suited to applications requiring rugged hardware. WPAN: Wireless Personal Area Network – Bluetooth Technology WTP: Wireless Transaction Protocol WWAN: Wireless Wide Area Network. WWAN uses various devices – telephone lines, satellite dishes, and radio waves – to service an area broader than can be covered by a WLAN. Zigbee: low-cost, low-power wireless standard supporting low-data-rate, long-battery-life, secure networking for monitoring and control.
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