Glossary

ADSL

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is a broadband technology from the xDSL family allowing for high-speed data transmission via an ordinary telephone network. ADSL can support a number of applications, including sound, video and data. Asymmetric transmission means that there are different speeds for downstream (direction towards the user – i.e. download) and for upstream (direction towards the operator – i.e. upload). Ordinary ADSL support speeds of up to approximately 9 Mbit/s.

 

 

Baseband

Baseband is a general term for part of the physical components of a wireless communication product. Typically, this would include the control circuitry (microprocessor), the power supply, amplifiers, etc.

 

 

Bit/s (bps)

Just as the speed of a car is measured in kilometres or miles per hour, so the speed of data transfer is measured as bits per second, abbreviated to bit/s or bps. 1 kbit/s = 1,024 bit/s; 1 Mbit/s = 1,048,976 bit/s.

The data transmission speed of a GSM mobile telephone is 9,6 kbit/s, GPRS up to 171.2 kbit/s, and UMTS up to 2 Mbit/s.
 

 

Bluetooth™

This is a global technology standard that can easily create a wireless connection at distances of between 10 and 100 metres, and thus replace cables.

Bluetooth™ is mainly used for mobile telephones, so the user can, for example, speak through a mobile telephone via a wireless Bluetooth™ headset. Bluetooth™ can be used for a number of other applications, such as exchanging business cards between two mobile telephones or as a wireless modem.

 

 

CAT-iq™

CAT-iq™ is an abbreviation of Cordless Advanced Technology – Internet and Quality. The CAT-iq™ standard supports new and existing consumer products within wireless communication. CAT-iq™ is based on the already existing DECT technology and connects broadband and telephony.

 

 

The cellular market

The cellular market is a term used to cover all mobile telephony technologies and consists mainly of mobile telephone customers and subscribers, manufacturers and operators.

 

 

Cordless Skype Phone

The world's first cordless 2-in-1 Skype Internet phone.

 

 

DCT2.4 GHz/WDCT

DCT 2.4 GHz (Digital Cordless Telecommunication) or WDCT (World Digital Cordless Telecommunication) is a licence-free technology that makes it possible to speak wirelessly via an ordinary telephone connection. Unlike DECT, DCT 2.4 GHz complies with the requirements of the North American market.

 

 

DECT

DECT is a technology that makes it possible to talk wirelessly via an ordinary telephone connection at a range of up to 300 metres. This was originally a European standard, but it has subsequently also been adopted in a number of non-European countries (see also US-DECT).

 

 

DECT Ultra Low Energy

DECT Ultra Low Energy (ULE) is a low power version of DECT which enables devices to operate multiple years on standard AAA batteries. DECT ULE is an add-on to DECT and CAT-iq and targets applications like smart metering and home automation.

 

 

DPRS

DPRS stands for DECT Packet Radio Service. It is a wireless technology that can transmit and receive data based on DECT technology. DPRS allows the user to send and receive e-mails on a laptop PC wirelessly. The range is 50–300 metres, and the speed is up to 552 kbit/s, hence providing sufficient bandwidth for most ADSL connections. DPRS is in many ways similar to GPRS which is used on the GSM network for packet linked data.

 

 

EDGE

EDGE (Enhanced Data Global Evolution) is an extension of GSM. EDGE gives the mobile telephone user access to increased bandwidth and multimedia services, such as video clips. From the point of view of the operator, the advantage of EDGE is that this technology allows the existing GSM infrastructure to be expanded to EDGE, achieving data transfer speeds almost as high as those of UMTS without the need to buy a UMTS licence or build a completely new infrastructure.

 

 

ESD/EMC

ESD is an abbreviation of Electrostatic Discharge. A discharge of static electricity can be damaging for most integrated circuits.

EMC is an abbreviation for Electro Magnetic Compatibility and is a joint term for undesired generating, spread and reception of electromagnetic energy. Or in other words: The ability of applications to work together without disturbing each other.

 

 

GPS

GPS (Global Positioning System) is a system for determining the location of a car or a person with an accuracy of between 10 and 100 metres. This location can be displayed on a map in a car, or on the display of a mobile telephone. GPS is owned by the American Ministry of Defense and operates via 21 satellites that orbit the Earth. 

 

 

GSM

GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) is the most commonly used mobile telephone system throughout the world. It is primarily used for voice communication, and is defined as a second generation technology (2G). GSM can, however, also transfer data and enable Internet use from a laptop via a GSM mobile telephone. Short text messages can also be sent and received with a mobile telephone, using SMS (Short Message Service), and now it is also possible to send images and video clips via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).

 

 

GSM/GPRS

GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) combined with GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) is known all over the world as 2.5 generation (2.5G) GSM network. GSM/GPRS is the next step towards the 3G network. The GSM/GPRS network is suitable for supporting multimedia facilities because of the high data transmission time.

 

 

HD Voice

HD Voice stands for wideband voice, meaning sound quality with an increased band width compared to ordinary telephony audio.

 

 

IEEE 802.11

IEEE 802.11, also known as Wi-Fi, is a group of open wireless LAN/WLAN standards developed by task force 11 in the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE 802). The 802.11 family consists of a number of different wireless data standards that can be used to link several devices, typically PCs, together in a network also called a Wireless Local Area Network (W-LAN). This means that several PCs and users can share the same ADSL connection or printer. The expression 802.11x is also used to indicate corrections and adjustments to the standards, with 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n as the most well known. 802.11a operates on the licence-free 5 GHz frequency band, while 802.11b and 802.11g use the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11n can operate in both the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands.

• 802.11a is four times faster than 802.11b and offers a speed at a maximum of 54 Mbit/s over approx. 20–100 metres.
• 802.11b is the most widespread standard today and can transfer data wirelessly with a speed of a maximum of 11 Mbit/s over a distance of approx. 50–100 metres.
• 802.11g is almost as widespread as 802.11b and offers a speed of maximum 54 Mbit/s over approx. 20-100 meters.
• 802.11n is the most recent version of W-LAN and offers a speed of up to 540 Mbit/s over short distances.  

 

 

Internet telephony

Internet telephony is in short telephony via the Internet and not via the conventional telephone connections. As opposed to conventional telephony where each connection occupies the entire connection, Internet telephony enables more users to share the same connection, just as lots of cars can use the same motorway. For instance this means that several households in an apartment block can use the same broadband connection and that each individual household can cancel their ordinary telephone subscription and use Internet telephony instead. Moreover, it is possible to be on the phone free of charge or very cheap via the Internet.

 

 

IP

Internet Protocol (IP) is a method or protocol for sending data over the Internet. IP networks are package linked networks where data is divided into packages of varying sizes. Voice can also be transferred via an IP network (Voice over IP) and an application using this is called IP Telephony.

IP is also used as an abbreviation for ownership of intellectually generated properties, “Intellectual Property”. Is also abbreviated as IPR, “Intellectual Property Rights”.

 

 

LAN

A LAN or Local Area Network is constituted by as group of units (for instance routers, switches, PCs). A LAN, for instance, makes it possible to share the same Internet connection (through for instance a cable modem at the home), printers and/or servers.

 

 

M2M

The term Machine To Machine (M2M) stands for machines communicating with eachother via a network (without human intervention).

 

 

ODM

Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) is a business model involving the full design, development and manufacturing of a product according to the customer's product requirement specification. In the typical ODM model, the ODM manufacturer designs, develops and manufactures the complete product. For instance, based on detailed product requirement specifications from a customer, RTX has designed a Wireless Telephone Line Extender, including the development and handling of the manufacturing of the product.

 

 

OEM

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is a manufacturing company developing and manufacturing standardized products or modules, which are then incorporated into end products using the reseller's brand name. In this case there is a low degree of customisation of the OEM product compared to an ODM offering. When a customer purchases an OEM product often only a limited number of changes are made to the product, for example limited to branding or labelling.

 

 

PABX

Once upon a time, telephone calls had to be connected manually by the switchboard operator. Such a system was known as a PBX, or Private Branch Exchange. These days, such connections are established automatically, and so the term Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX), i.e. an automated switchboard, is used.

 

 

Pervasive computing

Pervasive computing is that almost any device, e.g. shoes, tools, homes, can be imbedded with chips to connect the device to an infinite network of other devices. The goal of pervasive computing is to create an environment where the connectivity of devices is embedded in such a way that the connectivity is unobtrusive and always available.

 

 

RF

Radio Frequency (RF) is a term for the part of the electromagnetic spectrum used to transfer wireless information (for instance between a mobile telephone and an antenna mast).

 

 

Repeater

A repeater is a unit which transmits the data it receives. A repeater is primarily used to extend the coverage area for a wireless technology (for instance, a DECT repeater can extend the DECT telephone’ coverage area).

 

 

SIP

Session Initial Protocol (SIP) is a protocol which enables telephone conversations via the Internet, among other things. Via a SIP based softphone it is possible to make calls free of charge to other SIP users as well as to ordinary telephone numbers and mobiles all over the world at a low rate.

 

 

Skype™

Skype™ is a program allowing telephone conversations via the Internet. Calls to other Skype™ users are free as well as calls to regular telephone and mobile telephone numbers all over the world are at a low rate (via SkypeOut and SkypeIn).

 

 

Softphone

A softphone is a program allowing telephone conversations via the Internet. One of the best known softphones is Skype™. Calls to other softphone users are therefore free of charge as well as it is typically possible to make calls to ordinary telephone and mobile phone numbers all over the world at a low rate.

 

 

Software

Software is the general term for the part of the system which makes a piece of hardware do certain things (for instance it is software that controls the micro processor in the washing machine – it is a limited program and it is written for a specific application).

 

 

TLE

TLE is the abbreviation of Telephone Line Extender which is a wireless telephone line extender. A TLE can facilitate the use of "Pay-Per-View" functions and proceed the use of other interactive services available for users of digital satellite receivers and set-top boxes.

 

 

Turnkey design

Turnkey design refers to a finished product ready to produce. As the word implies, the customer only needs to "turn a key" to start the product and RTX handles the entire product development process from specifications to finished product.

 

 

UMTS

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third generation (3G) standard with a data capacity of up to 2 Mbit/s. UMTS is a successor to GSM, one of the world’s most popular mobile telephony standard.

In various countries, several mobile operators have paid substantial amounts for UMTS licences. These operators hope that UMTS will enable them to launch a range of new interactive multimedia-based services, such as video conferencing, video on demand, and online route directions.

 

 

US-DECT (DECT 6.0)

US-DECT or DECT 6.0 is the American counterpart of the European DECT system. It operates in the 1.9 GHz DECT band.

 

 

USB

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a communications link between a PC and other devices such as modems, scanners and printers. The advantage of USB is that it makes the devices virtually self-configuring, as USB is integrated into virtually all PC centric devices today.

 

 

VDSL

VDSL (Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line) is a technique allowing for broadband linkage to the Internet via the ordinary telephone network. VDSL can offer speeds of approximately 100 Mbit/s and is a technology in the xDSL family just as ADSL.

 

 

VoIP

VoIP or “Voice over Internet Protocol” is a method or protocol employed to transfer speech via the Internet.

 

 

W-LAN

A Wireless Local Area Network (W-LAN) is a wireless LAN allowing several mobile users to connect to the same network of the company or at home (and thereby share the same resources on the network- for instance a printer).

The different W-LAN standards are mainly specified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), cf. "IEEE 802.11". The technology was primarily developed as replacement of the wired network and is also primarily intended for data transmission – just like the IP protocol. 

 

 

W-PAN

Wireless Personal Area Network (W-PAN) is a network surrounding a person, and is used for wireless connection of products to each other. An example is a mobile telephone linked wirelessly to a headset. A personal network typically has a range of up to ten metres. Bluetooth is an example of a W-PAN technology.

 

 

W-WAN

Wireless Wide Area Network (W-WAN) is a wireless network that covers a large area. Typically, W-WAN is used to describe a mobile telephony network where the user is on one end and the antenna mast on the other.

 

 

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is an abbreviation of Wireless-Fidelity and covers the same term as W-LAN. The name is typically used in connection with the official Wi-Fi logo and indicates that the product is interoperable with other products which are also Wi-Fi certified.

 

 

Wireless IP Network

Wireless IP Network (formerly designated WLL or Wireless in the Local Loop) is the term for the connection between a household and the ordinary telephone network of the phone company. When using a Wireless IP Network a wireless link is used instead of the traditional copper wiring.