Glossary

Digital Loopback: A technique used for testing the circuitry of a communications device. Can be initiated locally, or remotely (via a telecommunications device). The tested device decodes and encodes a received test message, then echoes the message back. The results are compared with the original message to determine if corruption occurred en route.

Digital PBX: A Private Branch Exchange that operates internally on digital signals. See also “Exchange”.

Digital Service, level 0 (DS0): The world-wide standard speed

(64 Kbps) for digital voice conversation using PCM (pulse coded modulation).

Digital Service, level 1 (DS1): The 1.544M bps voice standard (derived from an older Bell System standard) for digitized voice transmission in North America. The 1.544M bps consists of 24 digitally-encoded 64 Kbps voice channels (north America) and 2.048M bps (30 channels) elsewhere.

Digital Signal: A discrete or discontinuous signal (e.g., a sequence of voltage pulses). Digital devices, such as terminals and computers, transmit data as a series of electrical pulses which have discrete jumps rather than gradual changes.

Digital Signaling Rates (DSn): A hierarchical system for transmission rates, where “DS0” is 64 Kbps (equivalent to ISDN B channel), and DS1 is 1.5 Mbps (equivalent to ISDN PRI).

Digital Transmission: A method of electronic information transmission common between computers and other digital devices. Analog signals are waveforms: a combination of many possible voltages. A computer’s digital signal may be only “high” or “low” at any given time. Therefore, digital signals may be “cleaned up” (noise and distortion removed) and amplified during transmission.

Digitize: To convert an analog signal to a digital signal.

DIP switch (pronounced “dip switch”): A set of tiny toggle switches, built into a DIP (dual in-line package), used for setting configurable parameters on a PCB (printed circuit board).

Downstream: The direction of data flow from the host or away from the host. A downstream port is the port on a hub electrically farthest from the host that generates downstream data traffic from the hub. Downstream ports receive upstream data traffic.

Driver: When referring to hardware, an I/O pad that drives an external load. When referring to software, a program responsible for interfacing to a hardware device; that is, a device driver.

Drop and Insert: The process where a portion of information carried in a transmission system is demodulated (“Dropped”) at an intermediate point and different information is included (“Inserted”) for subsequent transmission.

DTE (Data Terminal Equipment): A term used to include any device in a network which generates, stores or displays user information. DTE is a telecommunications term which usually refers to PCs, terminals, printers, etc.

DTMF (Dual-Tone MultiFrequency): A generic push-button concept made popular by AT&T TouchTone.

DWORD: Double word. A data element that is 2 words, 4 bytes, or 32 bits in size.

Dynamic Insertion and Removal: the ability to attach and remove devices while the host is in operation.

E

E&M: A telephony trunking system used for either switch-to- switch, or switch-to-network, or computer/telephone system-to- switch connection.

EIA: The Electronics Industries Association is a trade organization in Washington, DC that sets standards for use of its member companies. (See RS-232, RS-422, RS530.)

Encapsulation: A technique used by network-layer protocols in which a layer adds header information to the protocol data unit from the preceding layer. Also used in “enveloping” one protocol inside another for transmission. For example, IP inside IPX. End User: The user of a host.

Endpoint: See Device Endpoint.

Endpoint Address: The combination of a Device Address and an Endpoint Number on a Universal Serial Bus device.

Endpoint Number: A unique pipe endpoint on a Universal Serial Bus device.

Ethernet: A 10-megabit baseband local area network that allows multiple stations to access the transmission medium at will without prior coordination, avoids contention by using carrier sense and deference, and resolves contention by using collision detection and transmission. Ethernet uses carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD).

Excess Zeros: A T1 error condition that is logged when more than 15 consecutive 0s or fewer than one 1 bit in 16 bits occurs. Exchange: A unit (public or private) that can consist of one or more central offices established to serve a specified area. An exchange typically has a single rate of charges (tariffs) that has previously been approved by a regulatory group.

Exchange Area: A geographical area with a single uniform set of charges (tariffs), approved by a regulatory group, for telephone services. Calls between any two points within an exchange area are local calls. See also “Digital PBX”, “PBX”.

Exchange Termination (ET): The carrier’s local exchange switch. Contrast with “Loop Termination - LT”.

Explicit Congestion Management: The method used in frame relay to notify the terminal equipment that the network is overly busy. The use of FECN and BECN is called explicit congestion management. Some end-to-end protocols use FECN or BECN, but usually not both options together. With this method, a congestion condition is identified and fixed before it becomes critical. Contrast with “implicit congesion”.

Extended Super Frame (ESF): One of two popular formats for framing bits on a T1 line. ESF framing has a 24-frame super- frame, where robbed bit signaling is inserted in the LSB (bit 8 of the DS-0 byte) of frames 6, 12, 18 and 24. ESF has more T1 error measurement capabilities than D4 framing. Both ESF and B8ZS are typically offered to provide clear channel service.

F

Failed Seconds: A test parameter where the circuit is unavailable for one full second.

Failed Signal: A T1 test parameter logged when there are more than 9 SES (Severely Errored Seconds).

Fax (facsimile): Refers to the bit-mapped rendition of a graphics- oriented document (fax) or to the electronic transmission of the image over telephone lines (faxing). Fax transmission differs from data transmission in that the former is a bit-mapped approximation of a graphical document and, therefore, cannot be accurately interpreted according to any character code.

Firmware: A category of memory chips that hold their content without electrical power, they include ROM, PROM, EPROM and EEPROM technologies. Firmware becomes “hard software” when holding program code.

Foreground: The application program currently running on and in control of the PC screen and keyboard. The area of the screen that occupies the active window. Compare with “background”.

Fractional T1 (FT1): A digital data transmission rate between 56 Kbps (DS0 rate) and 1.544M bps (the full T1 rate - in North America). FT1 is typically provided on 4-wire (two copper pairs) UTP. Often used for video conferencing, imaging and LAN interconnection due to its low cost and relatively high speed. FT1 rates are offered in 64 Kbps multiples, usually up to 768 Kbps.

Multi-Tech Systems, Inc. MT5634ZPX User Guide

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