Specifications

Encapsulation
Encapsulating data is a technique used by layered protocols in which
a low level protocol accepts a message from a higher level protocol,
then places it in the data portion of the lower-level frame. The
logistics of encapsulation require that packets traveling over a
physical network contain a sequence of headers.
Equalizer
A device that compensates for distortion due to signal attenuation
and propagation time with respect to frequency. It reduces the
effects of amplitude, frequency and/or phase distortion.
Ethernet
A local area network (LAN) technology which has extended into the
wide area networks. Ethernet operates at many speeds, including
data rates of 10 Mbps (Ethernet), 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet), 1,000
Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet), 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, and 100 Gbps.
Flow Control
A congestion control mechanism that results in an ATM system
implementing flow control.
Frame
A logical grouping of information sent as a link-layer unit over a
transmission medium. The terms packet, datagram, segment, and
message are also used to describe logical information groupings.
Full Duplex
A circuit or device permitting transmission in two directions (sending
and receiving) at the same time.
G.703
An ITU standard for the physical and electrical characteristics of
various digital interfaces, including those at 64 kbps and 2.048 Mbps.
Gateway
Gateways are points of entrance and exit from a communications
network. Viewed as a physical entity, a gateway is that node that
translates between two otherwise incompatible networks or network
segments. Gateways perform code and protocol conversion to
facilitate traffic between data highways of differing architecture.
Half Duplex
A circuit or device capable of transmitting in two directions, but not
at the same time.
Impedance
The combined effect of resistance, inductance and capacitance on a
transmitted signal. Impedance varies at different frequencies.
Interface
A shared boundary, defined by common physical interconnection
characteristics, signal characteristics, and meanings of exchanged
signals.
IP Address
Also known as an Internet address. A unique string of numbers that
identifies a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. The format of
an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four numbers
from 0 to 255, separated by periods (for example, 1.0.255.123).
Jitter
The deviation of a transmission signal in time or phase. It can
introduce errors and loss of synchronization in high speed
synchronous communications.
Laser
A device that transmits an extremely narrow and coherent beam of
electromagnetic energy in the visible light spectrum. Used as a light
source for fiber optic transmission (generally more expensive,
shorter lived, single mode only, for greater distances than LED).