1.4 - Cellular Standards, Mobile Device Connectivity Flashcards
Why is it called “cellular”?
The region of coverage is divided into “cells”, at the ends of which antennas are placed.
What were the two global standards that made up “2G”? Were there their strengths and weaknesses? (Collectively)
The GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications and the CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access. They were fine at voice communication, but very poor at sending data.
What does GSM stand for? Tell me a bit about it.
Stands for Global Standard for Mobile Communications. This was an important part of 2g, and became 90% of the worldwide market.
What does SIM stand for? What does it do?
It stands for Subscriber Identity Module, which allows you to move your phone number from phone to phone.
What did the use of multiplexing allow?
Multiple people to communicate at the same time over different frequencies.
What does CDMA stand for? Tell me about it.
Code Division Multiple Access. The “Multiple Access” part means that multiple people can use the network at the same time, but the “code division” part meant that each call was given a unique call that identified the receiving handset to only focus on the signals with that code.
When was 3G introduced, and what was the benefit?
- The benefit was improved speed and data connectivity which allowed features like GPS and streaming.
What does LTE stand for, and why was it introduced?
Long Term Evolution. It is a converged standard introduced to reduce the difficulties of using both CDMA and GSM and switching between them.
What is LTE-A?
Long Term Evolution - Advanced! Basically double the speed of LTE.
When was 5G introduced?
2020.
What are the benefits of 5G?
Extremely fast. Much faster than LTE. Especially helpful for IoT devices, as bandwidth becomes less of a constraint.
What is a PRL update?
A Preferred Roaming List update. This tells the phone where the appropriate towers are for the network that it happens to be using.
What does OTA stand for?
Over the air.
What security feature is built into Bluetooth pairing?
Viewing or verifying a PIN to confirm the device.
Generally, how do you connect a device via Bluetooth?
Make sure both devices are configured for Bluetooth, then put them both into “discoverable” mode. Connect via the UI on the phone. Enter the pin. Bada bing, bada boom.
