Glossary Of Terms - GE MDS iNET 900 Reference Manual

05-2806A01, Rev. J
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

AND ABBREVIATIONS
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If you are new to wireless IP/Ethernet systems, some of the terms used
in this guide may be unfamiliar. The following glossary explains many
of these terms and will prove helpful in understanding the operation of
your radio network.
Access Point (AP)—The transceiver in the network that provides syn-
chronization information to one or more associated Remote units. AP
units may be configured for either the Access Point (master) or Remote
services. (See "Network Configuration Menu" on Page 37.)
Active Scanning—See Passive Scanning
Antenna System Gain—A figure, normally expressed in dB, repre-
senting the power increase resulting from the use of a gain-type antenna.
System losses (from the feedline and coaxial connectors, for example)
are subtracted from this figure to calculate the total antenna system gain.
AP—See Access Point
Association—Condition in which the frequency hopping pattern of the
Remote is synchronized with the Access Point station and is ready to
pass traffic.
Authorization Key—Alphanumeric string (code) that is used to enable
additional capabilities in the transceiver.
Bit—The smallest unit of digital data, often represented by a one or a
zero. Eight bits (plus start, stop, and parity bits) usually comprise a byte.
Bits-per-second—See BPS.
BPDU—Bridge Protocol Data Units
BPS—Bits-per-second (bps). A measure of the information transfer rate
of digital data across a communication channel.
Byte—A string of digital data usually made up of eight data bits and
start, stop and parity bits.
CSMA/CA—Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance
CSMA/CD—Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection
Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)—A technique used to verify data
integrity. It is based on an algorithm which generates a value derived
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