Just in case . . .
3.18
Glossary
This glossary contains terms and words you may encounter when discussing or
reading about fax machines and fax communication. Please use these definitions
for reference only. Of course, all information is subject to change without notice.
A4, B4, A3
Standard stationery sizes defined by the International Standards Organization, an
agency of the United Nations. See also Paper sizes.
Autodialing
Enables users to store pre-programmed telephone numbers in the unit’s memory.
Storage capability varies from unit to unit.
Automatic fallback
The ability of a fax machine, when communicating with another fax w h ich is
communicating at a slower rate, to slow do w n (“f all b ack ”) to th e ot her u nit’s
speed.
Automatic reduction
Many Muratec fax machines will automatically reduce documen ts b ein g
transmitted to accommodate the effective printing wid th o f th e r eceiving unit. This
allows, for example, a fax machine with a 10″ scanning width to send an image 10″
wide to a unit with an 8.5″ print width; the receiving fax machine will receive a
reduced-size printout of the complete image.
Bit
The smallest unit of information in a computer. Contraction of the term binary
digit. Some Muratec fax machines, which are themselves computers “d ed icated ” to
telecommunications, allow users to change bits of in fo r matio n to p r ovide or cancel
features through software settings.
Bits per second — See bps.
Black density
Also called black coverage. The amount of non-white area on a page. For example,
most regular office correspondence has a black density under 10%, due to the
presence of margins, spaces between words, spaces between lines and paragraphs
and even spaces within letters (such as e and o). However, drawings and
photographs have a much higher black density, sometimes approaching 100%. The
higher a page’s black density, the more slowly a fax machine can send it.
bps
Bits per second. Used to express the speed of transmission of data. Because fax
transmission treats a document as a graphic image rather than as a series of
alphabetic and numeric characters, bps does not correspond to the number of
characters transmitted per second.
Byte
A group of digital elements, usually sent as eight bits to the byte.
Call reserve
Also called call request. An ITU-T standard fax feature which allows a user to
request voice communication prior to, during or after transmission.
Call waiting service
An optional telephone company service that identifies when another party is
calling while one is already on the phone. Call-waiting signals often cause
interruption of fax transmission or reception.
CCITT — See ITU-T.
CCD, CIS
Charged coupled device, contact image sensor. Two type of scanning mechanisms
used in some Muratec fax machines. The CCD “reads” fluorescent light bouncing
off a document. The CIS uses a flat bar of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Compatibility
The term “compatible” describes the ability of separate things to fu n ction to g ether.
Your Muratec fax machine featur es ITU-T Group 3 compatibility, the modern
standard for world-wide fax communication.
Confidential transmission — See SecureMail.
Confirmation report — See RCR and TCR.
Copy mode
Lets one use a fax machine as a convenience copier.
Cover page (automatic)
A small, user-created message; can be the first p ag e o f every transmission.
Database polling — See Polling.
Data compression
Used in digital fax machines to speed transmission . S ee also Digital fax, MH, and
MSE, SMSE.