Installation manual

O
Off-Hook When the handset is lifted from its cradle,
it’s off-hook. The term originated when the early hand-
sets were actually suspended from a metal hook on the
phone. In modern phones, when the handset is
removed from its hook or cradle, it completes the elec-
trical loop, thus signaling the central office to provide
dial tone.
On-Hook When the phone handset is resting in its
cradle. The phone is not connected to any particular
line. Only the bell is active—i.e., it will ring if a call
comes in. Opposite of Off-Hook.
Open (Fault) Means that the circuit is not complete or
the cable/fiber is broken.
Ohm A unit of electrical resistance. The higher the
value, the greater the resistance.
Outlet A telecommunications outlet is a single-piece
cable termination assembly (typically on the floor or in
the wall), containing one or more modular telecom
jacks. Such jacks might be RJs, coaxial terminators,
fiberoptic couplers, etc. See also Device and
Equipment.
P
Part 68 Requirements Specifications established by
the FCC as the minimum acceptable protection com-
munications equipment must provide the telephone
network.
Patching A means of connecting circuits via cords
and connectors that can be easily disconnected and
reconnected at another point. May be accomplished
by using modular cords connected between jack fields
or by patch cord assemblies that plug onto connecting
blocks.
PBX Private Branch Exchange. A small, privately-
owned version of the phone company’s larger tele-
phone central switching office.
Performance Compare with Compliance. A device
can exhibit performance characteristics without being
compliant to an industry standard.
Plenum An interior air duct through which cables can
be housed.
Plug A male component of a plug/jack connector sys-
tem. In premises wiring, a plug provides the means for
a user to connect communications equipment to the
communications outlet.
Point-to-point Transmission An uninterrupted con-
nection between two pieces of equipment.
Polarity Which side of an electrical circuit is the pos-
itive? Which is the negative? Polarity is the term
describing which is which.
POTS Plain Old Telephone Service. The basic service
supplying standard single line telephones, telephone
lines and access to the public switched network. Just
receive and place calls. No added features like Call
Waiting or Call Forwarding.
Power Sum A test method for four pair cable whereby
the mathematical Sum of pair-to-pair crosstalk from
three pairs to one pair is measured.
Pre-Configured Structured Cabling Panels Leviton
hardware that combine various distribution modules
onto single-installation panels.
Premises Telephony term for the space occupied by
a customer or authorized/joint user in a building(s) on
continuous or contiguous property (except railroad
rights of way, etc.) not separated by a public road or
highway.
Premises Wiring System The entire wiring system on
the user’s premises, especially the supporting wiring
that connects the communications outlets to the net-
work interface jack.
Punch Tool A spring-loaded tool for cutting and con-
necting wire in a jack or module
R
RBOC Regional Bell Operating Company. Seven
RBOCs exist, each of which owns two or more Bell
Operating Companies (BOCs). The RBOCs were
carved out of the old AT&T/Bell System during the
divestiture of the Bell operating companies from AT&T
in 1984.
RCDD The RCDD (Registered Communications
Distribution Designer) title is a professional rating
granted by BICSI (the Building Industry Consulting
Service International). RCDDs have demonstrated a
superior level of knowledge of the telecommunications
wiring industry and associated disciplines.
Return Loss A measure of the similarity of the imped-
ance of a transmission line and the impedance at its
terminations. It is a ratio, expressed in decibels, of the
power of the outgoing signal to the power of the signal
reflected back.
Ring As in Tip and Ring. One of the two wires need-
ed to set up a telephone connection. See Tip.
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APPENDIX A
Glossary
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© Copyright 2001 Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.