Sierra Wireless Corporate Glossary
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Sierra Wireless Corporate Glossary 2130891 Rev 3 Preface Important Due to the nature of wireless communications, transmission and reception of data Notice can never be guaranteed. Data may be delayed, corrupted (i.e., have errors) or be totally lost. Although significant delays or losses of data are rare when wireless devices such as the Sierra Wireless modem are used in a normal manner with a well-constructed network, the Sierra Wireless modem should not be used in situations where failure to transmit or receive data could result in damage of any kind to the user or any other party, including but not limited to personal injury, death, or loss of property. Sierra Wireless accepts no responsibility for damages of any kind resulting from delays or errors in data transmitted or received using the Sierra Wireless modem, or for failure of the Sierra Wireless modem to transmit or receive such data. Safety and Do not operate the Sierra Wireless modem in areas where blasting is in progress, Hazards where explosive atmospheres may be present, near medical equipment, near life support equipment, or any equipment which may be susceptible to any form of radio interference. In such areas, the Sierra Wireless modem MUST BE POWERED OFF. The Sierra Wireless modem can transmit signals that could interfere with this equipment. Do not operate the Sierra Wireless modem in any aircraft, whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight. In aircraft, the Sierra Wireless modem MUST BE POWERED OFF. When operating, the Sierra Wireless modem can transmit signals that could interfere with various onboard systems. Note: Some airlines may permit the use of cellular phones while the aircraft is on the ground and the door is open. Sierra Wireless modems may be used at this time. The driver or operator of any vehicle should not operate the Sierra Wireless modem while in control of a vehicle. Doing so will detract from the driver or operator's control and operation of that vehicle. In some states and provinces, operating such communications devices while in control of a vehicle is an offence. Limitation of The information in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not Liability represent a commitment on the part of Sierra Wireless. SIERRA WIRELESS AND ITS AFFILIATES SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ANY AND ALL DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, GENERAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUE OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS OR REVENUE ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE ANY SIERRA WIRELESS PRODUCT, EVEN IF SIERRA WIRELESS AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR THEY ARE FORESEEABLE OR FOR CLAIMS BY ANY THIRD PARTY. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall Sierra Wireless and/or its affiliates aggregate liability arising under or in connection with the Sierra Wireless product, regardless of the number of events, occurrences, or claims giving rise to liability, be in excess of the price paid by the purchaser for the Sierra Wireless product. Rev 3 Mar.11 3 Sierra Wireless Corporate Glossary Patents This product may contain technology developed by or for Sierra Wireless Inc. This product includes technology licensed from QUALCOMM® 3G. This product is manufactured or sold by Sierra Wireless Inc. or its affiliates under one or more patents licensed from InterDigital Group. Copyright © 2011 Sierra Wireless. All rights reserved. Trademarks AirCard® and Watcher® are registered trademarks of Sierra Wireless. Sierra Wireless , AirPrime, AirLink, AirVantage and the Sierra Wireless logo are trademarks of Sierra Wireless. Windows® and Windows Vista® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh® and Mac OS® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. QUALCOMM® is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. Used under license. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Contact Information Sales Desk: Phone: 1-604-232-1488 Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time E-mail: [email protected] Post: Sierra Wireless 13811 Wireless Way Richmond, BC Canada V6V 3A4 Fax: 1-604-231-1109 Web: www.sierrawireless.com Consult our website for up-to-date product descriptions, documentation, application notes, firmware upgrades, troubleshooting tips, and press releases: www.sierrawireless.com 4 2130891 Preface Revision History Revision Release Changes number date 1.0 July 2007 This document has received a new part number (previously 2110032). Substantial changes have been made since the previous version to remove references to dated technology, and to incorporate new and upcoming telecommunications developments. 2.0 Feb. 2010 Applied new template. 3 March 2011 Updated patent information. Rev 3 Mar.11 5 Sierra Wireless Corporate Glossary 6 2130891 Numerics 1X First version of 3G CDMA wireless technology that permits data rates of up to 153 kbps downlink and uplink on a single CDMA channel. Also known as CDMA2000. 1xEV-DO Rev. 0 An upgrade to 1X that increases downlink speeds up to 2.4 Mbps. 1xEV-DO Rev. A An upgrade to 1xEV-DO Rev. 0 that supports IP packets, increases downlink speeds up to 3.1 Mbps, and increases uplink up to 1.8 Mbps. 3G Third Generation Wireless—The generic term for the next generation of mobile communications networks. As defined by the ITU, the major improvements over 2G technologies such as 1X and GPRS are increased network capacity and data transfer rates. See also 1xEV-DO Rev. 0, 1xEV-DO Rev. A, EDGE, and HSPA. 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project—A collaboration agreement that was established in 1998 by standards bodies in Europe, Japan, China, North America, and South Korea. 3GPP was tasked to create a globally applicable 3G mobile phone system that would fit into the International Telecommunication Union’s International Mobile Telecommunications-2000, or IMT-2000, project. 3GPP specifications are based on evolved GSM specifications, now generally known as the UMTS system. 3GPP LTE 3GPP Long Term Evolution—A 3GPP project to improve UMTS for future requirements by improving efficiency, services, and the use of technology, as well as lowering costs. Its intent is to result in release 8 of the UMTS standard. 4G Fourth Generation—Further standards for improvements on 3G that are being developed by the ITU. Though not yet complete, one goal is data transfer speeds of 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) while stationary. 802.11 Family of wireless local area network (wireless LAN) standards more commonly known as Wi-Fi, developed by working group 11 of the IEEE. Numerous standards have been developed by this group, denoted by letters, beginning with “a”, after “802.11”. As of 2007, the most widely-utilized standards are 802.11b and 802.11g. In general, subsequent standards provide for faster downlink and uplink speeds, as well as greater range. For more information, consult www.ieee.org. Rev 3 Mar.11 7 Sierra Wireless Corporate Glossary A activation The process of setting up an account so that you can connect to the wireless network. ACK A signal sent to acknowledge the reception of a packet. Contrast with NAK. AGC Automatic Gain Control—A mechanism to automatically adjust a microphone or speaker based on input levels. AirCard® PC Card™ made by Sierra Wireless, offering data services over the cellular phone infrastructure. ANSI American National Standards Institute—Consult www.ansi.org. AP Access Point—See hotspot. API Application Program Interface—A language that enables communication between computer programs, in particular between application programs and control programs. ASCII American (National) Standard Code for Information Interchange—An 8-bit data code used by most computers and many telemetry devices. ASIC Application-Specific Integrated Circuit—A computer chip designed specifically for a particular circuit board or piece of electronic equipment. It is intended for sale to only one company and is typically developed to meet that company’s design objectives for a particular application. asynchronous A method of transmitting information that involves sending data one character at a time. The sending computer puts a start bit at the beginning of each character transmitted and at least one stop bit at the end. Contrast with synchronous. AT command Attention command—A set of modem commands, preceded by “AT,” originally developed by Hayes, Inc. for their modems. The structure, but not the specific commands, which vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer, is a de facto modem industry standard. ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode—A method of broadband switching. A multiplexing format, carrying voice, fax, LAN and data traffic, supporting speeds up to 2.2 GB/sec; a standard for high-speed, packet-switched networks. B bandwidth The data transmission capacity of a line or connection. The value is expressed in bits per second; its frequency range is measured in Hz. 8 2130891 The range of frequencies, expressed in bits per second, that can pass over a given data transmission channel within a network. The amount of bandwidth determines the rate at which information can be sent through a channel. The greater the bandwidth, the more information that can be sent in a given amount of time. base station A station in the Domestic Public Cellular Radio Telecommunications Service that provides the means for mobile stations (for example, phones and radio modems) to access network services using radio. A cell, a sector within a cell, a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), an Interworking Function (IWF), or another part of the cellular system located at a cellular radio tower. baud A measure of the number of signal-state changes per second; for example, voltage or frequency changes. It is sometimes, but not always, the same as the number of bits per second. BLER BLock Error Rate—A measure of the percentage of data blocks that could not be fully corrected by the Forward Error Correction (FEC) scheme.