Lucent Technologies 6.1 manual Terminology

MERLIN LEGENDCommunications System Release 6.1	Issue 1
System Planning 555-661-112	August 1998

5Data Communications

Terminology		Page 5-3
Terminology	5

The following terms are used in this chapter:

■Data Station. A hardware configuration used to send and receive data (and sometimes voice signals, depending on the equipment). The configuration includes data terminal equipment (DTE) for input and output of data, and data communications equipment (DCE) to enable the transmission of data over digital or analog telephone lines and trunks. There are two types of data stations:

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—Modem Data Station. Connects to the control unit through an analog extension jack or a T/R jack and requires a modem. Analog data stations can support analog data and analog voice, analog data only, or analog data and MLX voice.

—ISDN Terminal Adapter Data Station. Connects to the control unit through an MLX extension jack and requires an ISDN terminal adapter (such as the Ascend Pipeline 25PX or 50). ISDN terminal adapter data stations can support ISDN terminal adapter data and MLX voice or ISDN terminal adapter data only.

Data Terminal Equipment (DTE). Data station equipment, for example, a PC, host computer, or LAN workstation, from which data is input and/or output. DTE, which can also be referred to as a data terminal, uses data communications equipment (DCE) to transmit and receive the digital signals it requires.

Data Communications Equipment (DCE). Data station equipment that enables the transmission of data over digital or analog telephone lines and trunks. DTE requires DCE as follows:

—Modem. A type of data communications equipment that converts the DTE’s outgoing digital signals into analog signals for transmission over regular (analog) telephone company lines. Another modem at the receiving data station converts the analog signals back into digital signals for reception by the DTE (for example, a PC). An analog data station uses a modem as its DCE.

—ISDN Terminal Adapter. A type of data communications equipment that transmits digital signals over digital telephone company facilities, for example, PRI. A digital data station uses an ISDN terminal adapter (such as the Ascend Pipeline 25PX or 50) as its DCE.

■Data Terminal. Data station equipment (for example, a PC, host computer, LAN workstation, Group IV fax machine, or a group video conferencing installation) from which data is input and/or output. A data terminal uses data communications equipment (DCE) to transmit and receive the digital signals it requires.