User Manual

Version 3.03 SPEEDLAN 9000 Series Installation and Operation User Guide
Glossary-14
Packet
A unit of data transmitted between a receiver and a sender. Each packet contains embedded information, as
well as place to go on the network (known from the IP address).
Part 15 (of FCC rules)
The section of the FCC Code of Federal Regulations defines the restrictions regarding the use of Spread
Spectrum systems.
Passive Repeater
A re-radiation device associated with a transmitting/receiving antenna system that re-directs intercepted
radio frequency energy without boosting or processing the signal.
Path Length
The distance between two ends of a wireless system.
Path Loss
The decrease in signal power experienced when a signal is transmitted between two points.
Path Profile
A drawing of the terrain (including buildings, trees, hills, lakes, etc.) along a transmission path to determine if
a given path is viable for the communication link. This is usually done with a computer.
Personal Communication Services (PCS)
A lower powered, higher frequency competitive technology to cellular.
Polarization
The direction of the amplitude of a radio wave. Polarization is usually horizontal or vertical.
Pole Height
This is the height of the antenna supporting structure.
Power Output
The power produced by a transmitter. This is measured in decibels per meter (dBm).
Processing Gain
The ability of the spread spectrum decoder to recover the received signal out of noise. It is essentially the
increase in ability to recover the signal in the presence of an interfering carrier of the same or greater level.