Federal Standard 1037C entitled Telecommunications: Glossary of Telecommunication Terms is a U.S. Federal Standard, issued by the General Services Administration pursuant to the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended.

This document provides Federal departments and agencies a comprehensive source of definitions of terms used in telecommunications and directly related fields by international and U.S. Government telecommunications specialists.

As a publication of the U.S. Government, prepared by an agency of the U.S. Government, it appears to be mostly available as a public domain resource, but a few items are derived from copyrighted sources: where this is the case, there is an attribution to the source.

A substantial number of non-trivial 1037C articles are now incorporated into Wikipedia; insubstantial articles, and articles which contain copyrighted material, should not be copied into Wikipedia.

Note: please do not copy any definitions from Federal Standard 1037C with attribution to non-Federal sources such as NATO, CCITT, the Radio Regulations etc. as these are derived from sources not known to be in the public domain.

Instead, please write your own definitions for these terms in your own words.

List of telecommunications terms defined in Federal Standard 1037C

ADP/AIS/MIS

automated information system (AIS) -- automatic data handling (ADH) -- automatic data processing (ADP) -- automatic data processing equipment (ADPE) -- batch processing -- clearing -- fetch protection -- FIP equipment -- hardware -- information -- information system -- machine-independent -- management information system (MIS) -- man-machine system -- online computer system -- parallel computing -- penetration -- recovery procedure -- remote access data processing -- remote batch entry -- remote batch processing -- remote job entry (RJE) -- remote operations service element protocol (ROSE) -- security filter -- security kernel -- standby -- system administration -- system analysis -- system documentation -- system integration -- system integrity -- system management -- systems design -- technical vulnerability -- trusted computing base (TCB) -- trusted computer system (TCS) -- user -- validation -- work station

Antennas

List of antenna terms

Codes/Coding

List of coding terms

Computer Graphics

List of computer graphics terms

Computer Hardware

List of computer hardware terms

Computer Programming/Languages/Software

List of computer programming terms

Control/Control Characters/Command/Error Correction/Handshaking

acknowledge character (ACK) -- ARQ -- backward channel -- backward signal -- backward supervision -- BCH code -- block check -- block parity -- call control character -- call control signal -- cancel character (CAN) -- carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) -- channel bits -- character -- character check -- character interval -- check bit -- check character -- check digit -- checksum -- clear confirmation signal -- command -- command frame -- command menu -- command protocol data unit -- common-channel signaling -- connection-in-progress signal -- control character -- control communications -- control operation -- convolutional code -- cyclic redundancy check (CRC) -- data link escape character (DLE) -- data transfer request signal -- DCE clear signal -- DCE waiting signal -- delimiter -- disabling tone -- end-of-medium character -- end-of-selection character -- end-of-text character (ETX) -- end-of-transmission-block character (ETB) -- end-of-transmission character (EOT) -- enquiry character (ENQ) -- error control -- error-correcting code -- error-correcting system -- error-detecting code -- error-detecting system -- flag -- forward error correction (FEC) -- Hagelbarger code -- Hamming code -- handshaking -- idle character -- longitudinal redundancy check (LRC) -- negative-acknowledge character (NAK) -- nontransparent mode -- overhead information -- password -- pilot -- process computer system -- process control -- process control equipment -- process control system -- ready-for-data signal -- redundancy -- redundancy check -- residual error ratio -- respond opportunity -- response -- Shannon limit -- source quench -- start signal -- substitute character (SUB) -- summation check -- synchronous idle character (SYN) -- transverse parity check -- undetected error ratio -- who-are-you character (WRU)

Distortion/Dispersion/Diffraction

amplitude distortion -- amplitude-vs.-frequency distortion -- bias distortion -- characteristic distortion -- cyclic distortion -- degree of isochronous distortion -- degree of start-stop distortion -- delay distortion -- diffraction -- dispersion -- dispersion-limited operation -- distortion -- distortion-limited operation -- end distortion -- feeder echo noise -- fortuitous distortion -- harmonic distortion -- intermodulation distortion -- intramodal distortion -- isochronous distortion -- knife-edge effect -- margin -- multimode distortion -- nonlinear distortion -- phase-frequency distortion -- quantizing distortion -- signal droop -- single-harmonic distortion -- start-stop distortion -- total harmonic distortion (THD)

Encryption/Decryption

List of telecommunications encryption terms

Facsimile

List of fax terms

Fiber Optics

List of fiber optic terms

Filters

List of filter terms

Frequency

aircraft emergency frequency -- automatic frequency control (AFC) -- band -- bandwidth (BW) -- barrage jamming -- baseband -- calling frequency -- carrier frequency -- channel offset -- characteristic frequency -- cutoff frequency -- extremely high frequency (EHF) -- extremely low frequency (ELF) -- frequency -- guarded frequency -- heterodyne -- high frequency -- hiss -- hold-in frequency range -- image frequency -- image rejection ratio -- insertion-loss-vs.-frequency characteristic -- intermediate frequency (IF) -- intermodulation product -- lock-in frequency -- lock-in range -- lowest usable high frequency (LUF) -- low frequency (LF) -- maximum keying frequency -- maximum modulating frequency -- maximum usable frequency (MUF) -- medium frequency (MF) -- military common emergency frequency -- natural frequency -- nominal bandwidth -- normalized frequency (V) -- notch -- occupied bandwidth -- precise frequency -- preemphasis -- primary frequency -- primary frequency standard -- primary service area -- priority -- protected frequency -- pull-in frequency range -- pulse repetition rate -- pump frequency -- quartz oscillator -- radio channel -- radio frequency (rf) -- radio wave -- Rayleigh distribution -- reference frequency -- secondary frequency standard -- sideband -- single-frequency signaling (SF) -- single-tone interference -- slewing -- spectral density -- spectrum signature -- spread spectrum -- spurious emission -- standard test tone -- standard time and frequency signal service (STFS) -- stereophonic sound subcarrier -- stopband -- syntonization -- threshold frequency -- transition frequency -- ultra high frequency (UHF) -- ultra low frequency (ULF) -- very high frequency (VHF) -- very low frequency (VLF) -- virtual carrier frequency -- voice frequency (VF) -- wideband

Frequency Allocation/Assignment

allocation (of a frequency band) -- allotment (of a radio frequency or radio frequency channel) -- assigned frequency -- assigned frequency band -- assignment (of a radio frequency or radio frequency channel) -- authorized bandwidth -- authorized frequency -- C band -- frequency assignment -- frequency assignment authority

Gain

absolute gain -- antenna gain -- antenna gain-to-noise-temperature (G/T) -- automatic gain control (AGC) -- directive gain -- diversity gain -- equal gain combiner -- fade margin -- gain -- gain medium -- height gain -- insertion gain -- loop gain -- net gain -- process gain -- signal processing gain -- singing margin -- singing point

Interfacing

cell relay -- data station -- data transmission circuit -- demarcation point (demarc) -- dial mode -- DTE clear signal -- EIA interface -- framed interface -- gateway -- interchange circuit -- interexchange carrier (IXC) -- interface -- interface functionality -- interface message processor (IMP) -- interface payload -- interface standard -- medium interface point (MIP) -- net radio interface (NRI) -- network interface -- network interface device (NID) -- network termination 1 (NT1) -- network termination 2 (NT2) -- optical interface -- point of interface (POI) -- point of presence (POP) -- POSIX -- primary rate interface (PRI) -- protocol translator -- R interface -- router -- service -- service access point (SAP) -- service data unit (SDU) -- S interface -- terminal adapter -- T-interface -- transparent interface -- T reference point -- U interface -- V reference point

Interference

adjacent-channel interference -- anti-interference -- blanketing -- co-channel interference -- common-mode interference -- common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) -- compatibility -- conducted interference -- differential mode interference -- electromagnetic interference (EMI) -- eye pattern -- far-end crosstalk -- FM blanketing -- harmful interference -- interaction crosstalk -- interference -- interference emission -- interference filter -- intersymbol interference -- jamming margin -- jamming to signal ratio (J/S) -- limits of interference -- optical interface -- permissible interference -- phase interference fading -- precipitation static (p-static) -- reradiation -- single-frequency interference -- single-tone interference -- sunspot -- white area

Internet

Archie -- directed broadcast address -- Domain Name System (DNS) -- Gopher -- ICMP -- The Internet -- Internet Protocol (IP) -- Internet protocol spoofing (IP) -- lynx -- Mosaic -- SLIP -- TCP -- TCP/IP -- TCP/IP Suite -- Terminal Access Controller (TAC) -- User Datagram Protocol (UDP) -- web browser -- World Wide Web (WWW)

Loss/Attenuation

absorption -- absorption band -- absorption coefficient -- absorption index -- absorption loss -- angular misalignment loss -- antenna dissipative loss -- area loss -- attenuation -- attenuation coefficient -- attenuation constant -- attenuation-limited operation -- attenuator -- bridging loss -- cloud attenuation -- coupling loss -- cutoff attenuator -- differential mode attenuation -- flat fading -- free-space loss -- gap loss -- gap-loss attenuator -- insertion loss -- insertion-loss-vs.-frequency characteristic -- lateral offset loss -- loss -- lossy medium -- macrobend loss -- modal loss -- net loss -- net loss variation -- numerical aperture loss -- path loss -- precipitation attenuation -- preemphasis -- proration -- reflection loss -- return loss -- scattering loss -- selective fading -- shadow loss -- splice loss -- transmission loss -- via net loss (VNL)

Modems

AT Commands -- modem -- modem patch -- narrowband modem -- wideband modem

Modulation

absorption modulation -- adaptive differential pulse-code modulation (ADPCM) -- amplitude modulation (AM) -- angle modulation -- bandwidth (BW) -- baseband -- baseband modulation -- binary modulation -- bit-by-bit asynchronous operation -- carrier shift -- center frequency -- chip rate -- chirping -- code-division multiple access (CDMA) -- coherent differential phase-shift keying (CDPSK) -- conditioned diphase modulation -- continuously variable slope delta modulation (CVSD) -- Costas loop -- cross modulation -- delta modulation (DM) -- delta-sigma modulation -- demand assignment multiple access (DAMA) -- demodulation -- differential modulation -- differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) -- differential pulse-code modulation (DPCM) -- digital frequency modulation -- digital modulation -- digital phase modulation -- direct-sequence modulation -- disparity -- double modulation -- electro-optic modulator -- exalted-carrier reception -- fixed-reference modulation -- frequency modulation (FM) -- frequency-shift keying (FSK) -- full modulation -- incremental phase modulation (IPM) -- indirect control -- intensity modulation (IM) -- isochronous demodulation -- isochronous modulation -- keying -- load capacity -- low-level modulation -- maximum modulating frequency -- mechanically induced modulation -- modulation -- multicarrier modulation (MCM) -- overmodulation -- percentage modulation -- phase deviation -- phase modulation (PM) -- phase-shift keying (PSK) -- preemphasis improvement -- preemphasis network -- pseudorandom noise -- pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) -- pulse-code modulation (PCM) -- pulse-duration modulation (PDM) -- pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) -- pulse-position modulation (PPM) -- quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) -- quadrature modulation -- quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) -- quantization -- quasi-analog transmission -- radio -- reduced carrier single-sideband emission -- reduced carrier transmission -- signal transition -- significant condition -- single-sideband emission (SSB) -- single-sideband equipment reference level (SSB) -- single-sideband suppressed carrier transmission (SSB-SC) -- start-stop margin -- start-stop modulation -- stereophonic crosstalk -- sub-band adaptive differential pulse code modulation (SB-ADPCM) -- subcarrier -- supergroup distribution frame (SGDF) -- suppressed carrier transmission -- thin-film optical modulator -- unbalanced modulator -- vestigial sideband transmission (VSB) -- white facsimile transmission

Multiplexing

asynchronous time-division multiplexing (ATDM) -- asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) -- carrier system -- cell relay -- channel bank -- common-channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) -- demultiplexing -- D-4 -- digital multiplexer -- digital multiplex hierarchy -- digital signal (DS) -- digroup -- drop and insert -- erect position -- fractional T1 -- frame -- framing -- group -- group distribution frame (GDF) -- heterogeneous multiplexing -- homogeneous multiplexing -- inverse multiplexer -- inverted position -- labeled multiplexing -- master frequency generator -- multicarrier modulation (MCM) -- multichannel -- multiframe -- multiplex aggregate bit rate -- multiplex baseband -- multiplexer-demultiplexer (muldem) -- multiplexer (MUX) -- multiplex hierarchy -- multiplexing (MUXing) -- multiplex link encryption -- orthogonal multiplex -- precombining -- pregroup combining -- quadruple diversity -- space-division multiplexing -- statistical multiplexing -- statistical time-division multiplexing -- supergroup distribution frame (SGDF) -- synchronous TDM -- synchronous transfer mode -- system loading -- T-carrier -- thin-film optical multiplexer -- time-division multiple access (TDMA) -- time-division multiplexing (TDM) -- transmultiplexer -- trunk group multiplexer (TGM) -- two-pilot regulation -- wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM)

Networks and networking

List of telecommunication network terms

NS/EP

assignment -- communications survivability -- interoperability -- National Communications System (NCS) -- National Coordinating Center for Telecommunications (NCC) -- NS/EP telecommunications -- priority level -- priority level assignment -- private NS/EP telecommunications services -- provisioning -- public switched NS/EP telecommunications services -- service identification -- Telecommunications Service Priority service (TSP) -- Telecommunications Service Priority system (TSP)

Organizations

administration -- AFNOR -- American National Standards Institute (ANSI) -- Bell Operating Company (BOC) -- BSI -- Canadian Standards Association (CSA) -- CCIR -- CCITT -- CEN -- CENELEC -- common carrier -- Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) -- ETSI -- FCC -- International Telecommunication Union (ITU) -- ISO -- Joint Telecommunications Resources Board (JTRB) -- National Command Authorities (NCA) -- National Communications System (NCS) -- National Coordinating Center for Telecommunications (NCC) -- public utilities commission (PUC) -- Radio Regulations Board (formerly IFRB) -- recognized operatin