Fiber/Networking Glossary Flashcards
a form of amplitude modulation that represents digital data as variations in the amplitude of a carrier wave.
ASK (amplitude shift keying)
a continuously varying signal with an unlimited number of possible values of amplitude and frequency
Analog signals
8 to 12 degree angled cut end (SM, 8°, 125 um, 2.5 mm, zirconia/plastic, ~0.3 dB/65 dB)
SC/APC (Standard Connector / angle polish connector or angled physical contact)
data transmission that allows characters to be sent at irregular intervals by preceding each character with a 0 and by ending each character with a 1
asynchronous
the difference between transmitted and received power resulting from the loss through equipment, lines, or other transmission devices. usually expressed in dB
attenuation
a circuit that automatically adjusts the gain of an amplifier so that the output signal levels stay constant despite varying input levels
AGC (automatic gain control)
a high speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network
backbone
light that is reflected back to the source and contributes to the optical fiber loss
backscattered light
number of changed states that can occur per second
Baud
smallest unit of computerized data. It is a single character of data.
b (bit(binary digit))
constrained to have two states (on and off)
binary format
a set of bits that represent a single character. This represents 8 bits.
B (byte)
a continuous wave frequency onto which information is modulated for transport
carrier frequency
the glass material surrounding the fiber core. has a lower refractive index and reflects the light back into the core
cladding
a device that scores and then breaks the optical fiber
cleaver
acrylic or plastic material applied over the cladding and core. protects the fiber and adds to its strength
coating
a clustering of beats 1.25 Mhz above the visual carriers
CSO (composite second order)
a form of interference or noise resulting from the mixing of all of the various carriers in a CATV (Community Antenna Television) network
CTB (composite triple beat)
a graphic depiction of the 4 phase states of a quadrature shift key signal
constellation diagram
the center of the fiber that carries the transmitted light
core
a steam of atomic nuclei that enters the earths atmosphere at speeds approaching that of light
cosmic rays
allows multiple wavelengths above and below a center wavelength to be carried on a single optical fiber
DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing)
a device that converts an amount of light to a power level
detector
discontinuous signal whose various states are discrete intervals apart
digital signal
device used to convert a analog signal to a digital signal
digitizer
separates and combines based on frequency
diplex filter
an analyzer setting that allows for testing modulated carriers
gated mode
one billion cycles per second
gigahertz
having or relating to a frequency below the audibility range of the human ear
infrasonic
noise caused by inherent instabilities within a laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)
RIN (relative intensity noise)
the part of the packet that contains the data being sent
payload
an alternate feed used as a backup it contains the same info as the primary configuration but is routed in a different path
redundant
the square root of the sum of the squares of the amplitude of individual components of a function, such as frequency components of a signal
RMS (root means square)
digital modulation wherein the frequency of the carrier is shifted
FSK (frequency shift keying)
cumulative effect of the return path distortions, they are added to the signal at carious locations in the HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coax) network
Funnel effect
method of joining 2 optical fibers of the same type using an electrical arc to form a precision splice
fusion splicing
an analyzer setting that allows for testing modulated carriers
gated mode
analyzer feature that allows intrusive tests to be performed in a non-intrusive manner
gated testing
a unit of measurement for AC (alternating current) or EM (electromagnetic) wave frequencies equal to 1 billion Hz (hertz).
GHz (gigahertz)
device used to combine the channels for entry onto the cable or fiber optic transmitter
head end combiner
a facility between the headend and the customer that performs many of the functions of the head end.
Hubsite
the 4 part unique numeric address that is assigned to a computer or an account as an identification tool
IP address (internet protocol)
a device that generates a light source used in optical fiber communication
LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)
LASER (Light Amplification Stimulated by Emission of Radiation) ……-inkling NCT5
fibers are contained in a plastic tube much larger than the optical fibers. fibers can move freely within the tube
Loose tube
a temporary joining of 2 optical fibers of the same type using a plastic form to hold and lock the fibers together higher splice loss than fusion splic
mechanical splice
the process of varying the amplitude, frequency, or phase of a carrier to be instep with the instantaneous value of the modulating waveform
modulation
an electrical or optical process that combines several individual signals or wavelengths into a single carrier or path
multiplexing
one billionth of a meter
nm (Nanometer)
the lowest possible power level determined by the thermal noise generated within the electrical components being tested
noise floor
in order to obtain an accurate recreation of a signal it must be sampled at a rate of at least the highest frequency
nyquists rule
an extremely thin flexible thread of pure cladding glass able to carry millions of times the information of a traditional copper wire and do it over greater distances
optical fiber
measurement based on the equivalent heating power of the light. measured in dBm
optical power
device used to test the optical power. it converts the amount of light present to a dBm level
optical power meter
found within the optical node or in the head end where information modulated onto the downstream and upstream light carriers are recovered
optical receiver
test equipment used to visually see the losses, breaks, and distance measurements in an optical link
OTDR (optical time domain reflectometer)
similar in function to a hubsite but serving fewer customers
OTN (optical transition node)
provides the means to modulate to RF carriers on to a coherent beam of light is then coupled to the fiber optic cables for routing to the systems fiber nodes or other optical receivers where carriers are recovered
Optical Transmitter
loss of service to our customers due to a fault in the delivery network
outage
an extra bit added to help check if the data being transferred is correct
parity bit
fiber based network which use passive splitters to deliver signals to multiple locations
PON (passive optical network)
a board for making optical connections consisting of sleeves used to line up 2 connectors
patch panel
the highest power level (amplitude) reached by a carrier
Peak
attached optical fiber from the device to an optical connector
pigtail
a photo diode used to detect light from an optical fiber and converts the light to an electrical source
pin diode
provision for connection to a device such as a TAP (Transmission Access Point), splitter, set top box or computer
Port
This is a digital modulation scheme that allows 2 channels of information to be transmitted at the same time on a particular frequency by changing the phase and amplitude.
QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation)
the ratio of the velocity of light of 2 mediums of optical glass
Refractive index
usually a passive device such as a splitter or directional coupler used to combine radio frequency signals from one source with those from another
RF combiner
the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum used to send and receive telecom signals over the air
RF spectrum
divides a signal into 2 equal paths
splitter
network architecture where nodes, hubs, or head ends may be connected with fiber optic cables to provide redundancy or increase services
Ring
the square root of the sum of the squares of the amplitude of individual components of a function, such as frequency components of a signal
RMS (root means square)
device used to wrap and store excess fiber in an aerial location
snowshoe
a cabinet or rack that houses the splices of the outside plant fiber to the inside headend, node or OTN fiber
Splice Panel
central data point communicating with end points of a network. all data communications must flow through the central point
Star
used in synchronous transmissions to maintain synchronization between transmitter and receiver
sync bits
condition that occurs when 2 events happen in a specific time relationship with each other and both are under control of a master clock. characters are spaced by time not start/stop bits. fewer bits=less time to transmit
synchronous
used to test for impedance mismatches (discontinuities) on coaxial cable
TDR (time domain reflectometer)
1 trillion hertz
THz (Terahertz)
modulating technique that interweaves multiple conversations based on time
TDMA (time division multiple access)
10log(average symbol power/average error power)
MER (dB) (Modulation Error Ratio)
cable loss + passive loss
total loss
known level - total loss
expected level
a laboratory instrument commonly used to display and analyze the waveform of electronic signals. In effect, the device draws a graph of the instantaneous signal voltage as a function of time.
oscilliscope
measures the magnitude of an input signal versus frequency within the full frequency range of the instrument.
Spectrum Analyzer
a device that splits the fiber optic light into several parts by a certain ratio.
Optical splitter
the process of adjusting the home signal levels via instructions from the demodulator in the head-end.
Long loop AGC (Automatic Gain Control)
0-12 Hz (sound waves below the frequencies of audible sound, and nominally includes anything under 20 Hz - http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Sound/infrasound.html)
infrasonic
a method of combining multiple signals on laser beams at various wavelengths for transmission along fiber optic cables, such that the number of channels is fewer than in DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) but more than in standard wavelength division. 1271nM-1611nM
CWDM (Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing)
This is displayed as a ratio of the number of errors to correct data bits and is given in scientific notation. Errored bits vs. total bits per second
BER (Bit Error Rate)
This functions to manage and ensure the integrity of data transmissions.
LLC (Logical Link Control)
This is at the start of each packet and it tells the receiver what to do with the packet.
PID (packet identifier)
an essential component of a local access network configuration that provides the upstream.
RPD (return path demodulator)
a mirror structure with an incorporated saturable absorber, all made in semiconductor technology. Such devices are mostly used for the generation of ultrashort pulses by passive mode locking of various types of lasers.
SAM (saturable absorber mirror)
a crystal that is used as a lasing medium for solid-state lasers.
YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet)
An instrument used to locate breaks in a fiber optic cable
VFL (Visual Fault Locator)
An extremely high output optical cable that has had an earth metal added to amplify the optical signal passing through. This particular earth metal is optimal for amplification of bands operating near 1 micrometre wavelength
YEDFA (Ytterbium Erbium Doped fiber amplifier)
a dimensionless number that describes how fast light travels through the material. It is defined as (n=c/v) where c is the speed of light in vacuum and v is the phase velocity of light in the medium
IoR (index of refraction) or Refractive Index
the total reflection of a wave incident at a sufficiently oblique angle on the interface between two media, of which the second (“external”) medium is transparent to such waves but has a higher wave velocity than the first (“internal”) medium.
TIR (total internal reflection)
computer systems used by telecommunications service providers to manage their networks (e.g., telephone networks). They support management functions such as network inventory, service provisioning, network configuration and fault management.
OSS (Operations support system)
the leading trade association representing the global ICT (information and communications technology) industry through standards development, policy initiatives, business opportunities, market intelligence and networking events
TIA (Telecommunication Industries Association)
a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.
EIA (Electronic Industries Alliance)
the physical fiber and optical devices that distribute signals to users in a telecommunications network.
ODN (Optical distribution network)
This sublayer is the layer that controls the hardware responsible for interaction with the wired, optical or wireless transmission medium.
MAC (Medium Access Control)
a retronym for voice-grade telephone service employing analog signal transmission over copper loops.
POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service or Plain Ordinary Telephone Service)
specifies the order in which intra- and inter-frames are arranged.
GOP (Group of Pictures)
these cable systems use a “community antenna” to receive broadcast signals (often from communications satellites), which they then retransmit via cables to homes and establishments in the local area subscribing to the service.
CATV (Community Antenna Television)
the speed at which an electromagnetic wave propagates through a medium such as coaxial cable, expressed as a percentage of the free space value of the speed of light.
VOP (Velocity Of Propagation)
a measure of how much the modulation signal affects the light output, and is measured in %.
OMI (Optical Modulation Index)
a variant of differential pulse-code modulation that varies the size of the quantization step, to allow further reduction of the required data bandwidth for a given signal-to-noise ratio.
ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation)
a method of spacing and transmitting television channels on a cable television system to prevent interference. The channels are spaced at 6-MHz intervals.
HRC (Harmonically Related Carrier)
an error-detecting code commonly used in digital networks and storage devices to detect accidental changes to raw data.
CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check)
an interconnection system between a microprocessor and attached devices in which expansion slots are spaced closely for high speed operation.
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for issues that concern information and communication technologies.
ITU (International Telecommunications Union)
This is a test of the maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched before ultimately failing under pressure.
Tensile Strength
This rating tells the user where the wire can and cannot be used in regards to the environment.
Temperature Rating
a type of network cable shielding where each individual pair of wires in a four-pair network cable has its own aluminum shield.
STP (Shielded Twisted Pair)
This is a cord of strong yarn that is used to split the outer jacket of a cable, allowing access to the insulated conductors inside.
Rip Cord
the most common jacket material used in cabling.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
This is an external layer of insulation that covers and protects everything that make-up any particular cable assembly.
Jacket
this specification is used to measure the diameter of solid and round electrical conducted wire.
AWG (American Wire Gauge)
takes one data input and a number of selection inputs, and they have several outputs. They forward the data input to one of the outputs depending on the values of the selection inputs.
DEMUX (Demultiplexer)
the world’s largest association of technical professionals focused on the educational and technical advancement of electrical and electronic engineering, telecommunications, computer engineering and allied disciplines.
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers)
An example of multiple access where several transmitters can send information simultaneously over a single communication channel. To avoid undue interference, it uses spread spectrum technology and a special coding scheme (where each transmitter is assigned a code).
CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)
a range of radio frequencies which are allocated for local communication by private individuals, especially by handheld or vehicle radio.
CB (Citizens Band)
Point to multipoint to the premises (FTTP (Fiber to the Premises)) or FTTH (Fiber to the Home) architecture in which single optical fiber is used to serve multiple premises or users.
EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) or GE-PON (Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network)
a way of preventing excessive RF drive to the PA stages of your transmitter.
ALC (Automatic Level Control)
allows multiple users to send data through a single communication channel, such as a coaxial cable or microwave beam, by dividing the bandwidth of the channel into separate non-overlapping frequency sub-channels and allocating each sub-channel to a separate user.
FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access)
an optical fiber tip of an optical fiber temperature sensor is equipped with a crystal made of this material.
GaAs (Gallium Arsenide)
encodes data by varying the amplitude of a single carrier frequency . Portions of one of the redundant sidebands are removed to form a vestige of the sideband.
VSB (Vestigial Sideband) or VSB-AM (Vestigial Sideband Amplitude Modulation)
the average time required to fix a failed component or device and return it to production status.
MTTR (Mean Time To Repair)
These types of silicones can aggressively adhere to and readily release from most surfaces. They are also good for sealing, filling spaces between surfaces and gasketing.
RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing)
a modulation technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave.
AM (Amplitude Modulation)
Newer/upgraded version of QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) that supports both VOD (Video On Demand) and SDV (Switched Digital Video)
EQAM (Edge Quadrature Amplitude Modulation)
the power ratio of a signal to a carrier signal, expressed in decibels.
dBc (Decibel Relative To Carrier)
a GNSS (global navigation satellite system) that provides geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.
GPS (Global Positioning Satellite)
a non-profit professional association for the advancement of technology, standards and workforce education related to cable telecommunications engineering.
SCTE (Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers)
a measurement of the harmonic distortion present in a signal and is defined as the ratio of the sum of the powers of all harmonic components to the power of the fundamental frequency.
THD (Total Harmonic Distortion)
