{"id":80,"date":"2009-07-12T09:15:48","date_gmt":"2009-07-12T13:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/?p=3928"},"modified":"2024-04-27T07:49:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-27T11:49:01","slug":"glossary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/glossary\/","title":{"rendered":"Glossary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Glossary of often used terms:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. 3G – 3rd Generation voice and data network that offers peak data rates of 14.0 Mbits\/s download and 5.8 Mbits\/s upload capability<\/li>\n
  2. 4G – 4th Generation voice and data network that offers peak data rates of 100 Mbits\/s download and 50 Mbits\/s upload capability<\/li>\n
  3. 5G – 5th generation data network, conspiracy theorists, many with too much time on their hands, blame for every ill and evil in the world. Data rates of 50 Mbits\/s up to 1 Gbit\/s depending on the frequency band.<\/li>\n
  4. AC – Could mean: Alternating Current; Air Conditioning, as in HVAC; or Adult Contemporary, a common format for FM stations<\/li>\n
  5. AM – Amplitude Modulation.\u00a0 Lowercase indicates before noon.<\/li>\n
  6. AOIP – Audio over IP (Internet Protocol).<\/li>\n
  7. ASRN – Antenna Structure Registration Number, required by the FCC for all towers over two hundred feet tall, with some exceptions made for proximity to airports or terrain shadowing.<\/li>\n
  8. ATA – Analog Telephone Adaptor.\u00a0 A device that when connected to an IP network, can send and receive telephone calls using a DID line.<\/li>\n
  9. AV – AudioVault automation system, manufactured by Broadcast Electronics.<\/li>\n
  10. BE – Broadcast Electronics, transmitter, and automation system manufacturer.<\/li>\n
  11. BER – Bit Error Rate, error measurement on a digital circuit, usually given in parts per million, sometimes as a percentage.<\/li>\n
  12. CAP – Common Alert Protocol, a message forwarding method used to disseminate EAS messages<\/li>\n
  13. CFR – Code of Federal Regulations.<\/li>\n
  14. CHR – Contemporary Hit Radio, aka Top 40<\/li>\n
  15. CODEC – COde DE Code, a device or software program that translates analog audio to digital data bits and back again.<\/li>\n
  16. COFDM – Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing.\u00a0 A digital modulation scheme using multiple digital sub-carriers.<\/li>\n
  17. COL – City of License.<\/li>\n
  18. DA – Directional Antenna.\u00a0 Variations: DA-1 directional antenna, 1 pattern.\u00a0 DA-2 directional antenna, 2 patterns (day\/night).\u00a0 DA-N directional antenna night time only.<\/li>\n
  19. DID – Direct Inward Dialing telephone line.\u00a0 A type of phone line was developed to allow several phone numbers to use the same pair of wires.\u00a0 Works well with VOIP service<\/li>\n
  20. DRM – could mean Digital Radio Mondiale (pronounced “mon-de-al” means “worldwide” in French) or Digital Rights Management, an encoding scheme used by record companies to prevent the theft of music from CDs.<\/li>\n
  21. DS-1 – Same as a T-1, digital telephone circuit that carries 1.44 Mbps bi-directionally.\u00a0 Can carry up to 24 DS-0, which is a normal (POTS) telephone circuit.<\/li>\n
  22. DVM – Digital Volt Meter.<\/li>\n
  23. EAS – Emergency Alert System, a mandated system for all broadcasters and cable operators that is supposed to alert the public in case of an emergency.<\/li>\n
  24. EBS – Emergency Broadcast System, the predecessor to EAS.<\/li>\n
  25. Eb\/No – The ratio of Energy per Bit (Eb) to the Spectral Noise Density (No), a measure of signal-to-noise ratio for a digital communication system.<\/li>\n
  26. EMP – Electro-Magnetic pulse.\u00a0 A strong energy pulse is generated by lightning or nuclear explosions.\u00a0 Responsible for most lightning-related equipment damage.<\/li>\n
  27. ERP – Effective Radiated Power.\u00a0 The power is transmitted from an antenna.\u00a0 Does not take into account the Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT).<\/li>\n
  28. EVM – Error Vector Magnitude.\u00a0 A measurement used in digital modulation schemes to determine distortion.<\/li>\n
  29. FAA – Federal Aviation Administration.\u00a0 An organization that is interested in broadcast towers in as much as they are hazards to aerial navigation.<\/li>\n
  30. FCC – Federal Communications Commission.\u00a0 The organization charged with regulating all broadcasting (and other communication) operations.<\/li>\n
  31. FM – Frequency Modulation<\/li>\n
  32. GIGO – Garbage In, Garbage Out.\u00a0 A computer programming term that defines quality and effort with the end product<\/li>\n
  33. HAAT – Height Above Average Terrain.\u00a0 The height of a location compared to the terrain that surrounds it. They are computed by taking 50 evenly spaced elevation points (above mean sea level [AMSL]) along at least 8 evenly spaced radials from the transmitter site (starting at 0 degrees [True North]). The 50 evenly spaced points are sampled in the segment between 3 to 16 km (formerly 2 to 10 miles) along each radial.<\/li>\n
  34. Hard-Line – large diameter rigid coaxial cable, comes in 20-foot (or sometimes 19 or 17-foot) sections with diameters between 7\/8 and 6 inches.<\/li>\n
  35. HD radio – digital radio scheme by Ibiquity.\u00a0 (HD does not stand for “High Definition” the same way as HDTV. \u00a0Nor does it stand for “Hybrid Digital” as some have suggested. \u00a0HD is merely two letters chosen by Ibiquity for their system, to call it “High Definition” would be misleading)<\/li>\n
  36. Heliax – Large diameter semi-rigid coaxial cable used as transmission line between transmitter and antenna.<\/li>\n
  37. HVAC – Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning<\/li>\n
  38. IBOC – In Band On Channel digital radio, also known as HD radio.<\/li>\n
  39. IFB – Information Fold Back.\u00a0 Sending programming information with mix minus back to a remote broadcast to facilitate coordination of broadcast.<\/li>\n
  40. ISDN – Inter State Digital Network, a digital phone service used in radio applications to relay broadcast quality audio between two distant points.\u00a0 Now obsolete.<\/li>\n
  41. IP – Internet Protocol<\/li>\n
  42. ISP – Internet Service Provider<\/li>\n
  43. IT – Information Technology, a fancy name for computers<\/li>\n
  44. Lossy – Generally refers to a digital compression scheme that deliberately loses data to reduce file size.\u00a0 Can also be used to describe a transmission path over less-than-ideal conditions<\/li>\n
  45. LAN – Local Area Network, a networking system usually based on Ethernet (802.x) topography<\/li>\n
  46. MATRIX – a POTS codec made by Comrex used to relay broadcast quality (?) audio for remote broadcasts.<\/li>\n
  47. Metal Whisker – Microscopic filaments of metal such as zinc, tin, and silver that grow out of coated metal surfaces.<\/li>\n
  48. MER – Modulation Error Ratio<\/li>\n
  49. Mix-Minus – a mix of audio signal less the signal you are sending the mix to.\u00a0 Prevents echo and feedback.<\/li>\n
  50. MMA – Mast Mounted Amplifier, used in the high UHF frequencies to cut down on transmission line loss.<\/li>\n
  51. NAL – Notice of Apparent Liability. \u00a0The FCC’s polite way of saying “you owe us money due to a rules infraction”<\/li>\n
  52. NEMO – Not Emanating from Main Origination, old school name for Remote Broadcast<\/li>\n
  53. NOI – Notice Of Inquiry.\u00a0 The first step in an NPRM.<\/li>\n
  54. NOTAM – NOtice To AirMen.\u00a0 A notice generated by the FAA to specific airports regarding changes to the operations near the airport.<\/li>\n
  55. NOUO – Notice of Unauthorized Operation. \u00a0Usually, a letter is sent to the address of a pirate broadcaster telling them that they are breaking the rules and might be subject to a fine if they continue.<\/li>\n
  56. NOV – Notice of Violation. \u00a0The FCC’s way of saying clean up your act, or you’ll get a fine.<\/li>\n
  57. NPRM – Notice of Proposed Rule Making.\u00a0 The method by which the FCC proposes then adopts new rules and regulations.<\/li>\n
  58. Payola – Pay-for-play scheme where somebody gets cash (or other items of value) for playing a certain song or artist.<\/li>\n
  59. Part ##.\u00a0 Refers to FCC regulations, e.g. Part 73 covers AM, FM, and TV broadcasting.\u00a0 Part 15 covers low-power license-free operations such as garage door openers and wireless ethernet routers.<\/li>\n
  60. Pink Noise – Also known as 1\/f noise, noise that has the same power in each octave.<\/li>\n
  61. Plugola – Similar to payola, only cash (or other items of value) is paid for mentions of a product or event on the air.<\/li>\n
  62. PM – Preventative Maintenance.\u00a0 Lowercase indicates afternoon.<\/li>\n
  63. POS – Piece of Shit<\/li>\n
  64. POTS – Plain Old Telephone Service, a regular dial tone telephone line.<\/li>\n
  65. PPM – Arbitron’s<\/del> Nielson’s Portable People Meter method of rating data collection<\/li>\n
  66. PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network; the dial tone phone system, aka POTS<\/li>\n
  67. Remote – Any broadcast not originating from the studio, AKA live on location.\u00a0 Old times would call this “NEMO” which stands for Not Emanating from Main Origination”<\/li>\n
  68. QoS – Quality of Service; in an IP network, QoS determines which packets have priority.\u00a0 Normally assigned to AOIP or VOIP packets<\/li>\n
  69. RFI – Radio Frequency Interference.\u00a0 Reception of radio signals on things that are not supposed to receive them, such as telephones and answering machines.\u00a0 Most noted nearer to high power installations.<\/li>\n
  70. RPU – Remote Pickup Unit, AKA Marti, a transmitter used for remote broadcasts.<\/li>\n
  71. SAS – Sierra Automated Systems, a manufacturer of audio routers, switchers, and consoles<\/li>\n
  72. STA – Special Temporary Authority. \u00a0Granted by the FCC in some circumstances to allow stations to operate at variance from authorized facilities or current regulations.<\/li>\n
  73. STL – Studio to Transmitter site link, often via 950 MHz radio, sometimes by T-1 circuit.<\/li>\n
  74. SWR – Standing Wave Ratio. \u00a0The Ratio of reflected power to forward power in a transmission line or antenna system is usually measured in units of power. \u00a01:1 is a perfect match.<\/li>\n
  75. T-1 – digital telephone circuit is also known as a DS-1.\u00a0 Carries 1.44 Mbps bidirectionally, generally going out of use.<\/li>\n
  76. TDR – Time Domain Reflectometer.\u00a0 Cable testing tool finds bad spots in coax and other cables.<\/li>\n
  77. TELCO – Telephone Company<\/li>\n
  78. TPO – Transmitter Power Output<\/li>\n
  79. TSL – Transmitter to studio link, often via 450 MHz radio path or T-1, carries telemetry data from transmitter, off-air monitor, and other misc utility audio.\u00a0 Could also mean “Time Spent Listening” when used in a programming context.<\/li>\n
  80. VOIP – Voice over IP telephony<\/li>\n
  81. VSWR – Voltage Standing Wave Ratio, the ratio of forward vs. reflected RF voltages in an antenna system. \u00a0Like SWR, 1:1 indicates a perfect match.<\/li>\n
  82. VPN – Virtual Private Network, a method for creating a WAN via the internet using specialized routing equipment that generates encrypted “tunnels” through the public data network.<\/li>\n
  83. Voice Tracking – A method of pre-recording DJ breaks into an automation system.\u00a0 Makes it sound like there is someone live in the studio when there is not.<\/li>\n
  84. WAN – Wide Area Network, a method of linking LANs in separate locations to create one larger network, often linking facilities within the same company. \u00a0Linking can occur by private, leased data circuits (T-1 or frame relay) or via public networks (internet) via VPN routers.<\/li>\n
  85. WLAN – 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network.<\/li>\n
  86. WiFi – Same as WLAN.<\/li>\n
  87. White Noise – flat, full-spectrum audio, especially useful in equalizing a circuit or room (room aka studio or performance venue)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Glossary of often used terms: 3G – 3rd Generation voice and data network that offers peak data rates of 14.0 Mbits\/s download and 5.8 Mbits\/s upload capability 4G – 4th Generation voice and data network that offers peak data rates of 100 Mbits\/s download and 50 Mbits\/s upload capability 5G – 5th generation data network, … Continue reading Glossary<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-80","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/80","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/80\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12843,"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/80\/revisions\/12843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}