Help for wireless terms
By CNETAsia staff
05/07/2004
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/digitalliving/tips/0,3800004921,20099001,00.htm
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1G |
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First-generation wireless; analog cell
phones. |
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2.5G |
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Second-generation (2G)
wireless, plus faster data services. |
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3G |
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Third-generation wireless:
digital plus high-speed data and global roaming; known as IMT
2000 by the ITU and implemented in Europe as UMTS and in North
America as CDMA2000; goals are high-quality multimedia and advanced
global roaming (in-house, cellular, satellite). |
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802.11 |
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IEEE standards for wireless
LANs with specs for 1mbps, 2mbps, 11mbps, and 24mbps. |
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access
point |
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Base station that plugs
into Ethernet hub or server; like a cellular phone system cell,
users can roam between access points. |
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AMPS |
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Advanced Mobile Phone
Service; the standard for analog cellular telephones; uses a
frequency-modulated transmission and frequency spacing to separate
user transmission; operates in the 800MHz band. |
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AMPS
modem |
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A wireless modem designed
for analog cellular phones. |
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AP |
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Access point; a base station
in a wireless LAN. Access points are typically standalone devices
that plug into an Ethernet hub or server. Like a cellular phone
system, users can roam around with their mobile devices and
be handed off from one access point to the other. |
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API |
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Application Programming
Interface. |
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ARDIS |
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Advanced National Radio
Data Service; established, nationwide packet data system from
American Mobile; provides 19.2kbps. |
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| B |
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Bluetooth |
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Wireless personal area network (PAN) standard
geared for home and office; uses 2.4GHz band at 720kbps within
30-foot range. |
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broadband
wireless |
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Wireless transmission
at high speed. Wireless transmission is slower than wireline
speeds; thus, whereas land-based broadband generally starts
at T1 rates, wireless might be considered broadband starting
at 250kbps. |
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BSS |
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Base station subsystem. |
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bytecode |
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Content encoding where
the content is typically a set of low-level opcodes and operands
for a targeted hardware (or virtual) machine. |
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| C |
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CDMA |
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Code Division Multiple Access; Qualcomm's
spread-spectrum air-interface method. It codes each conversation
and expands it 128 times, which makes it easy to decipher at
the receiving end. |
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CDMA2000 |
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3G CDMA evolution from
CDMA One supported by CDMA One operators; now known as the 1X
Multi-Carrier mode (1X MC) in an overall standard for 3G CDMA. |
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CDMA
One |
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2G CDMA (IS 95). |
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CDPD |
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Cellular Digital Packet
Data. A digital wireless transmission system that is deployed
as an enhancement to the existing analog cellular network. Based
on IBM's CelluPlan II, it provides a packet overlay onto the
AMPS network and moves data at 19.2kbps over ever changing unused
intervals in the voice channels. If all the channels are used,
the data is stored and forwarded when a channel becomes available.
CDPD was developed as a wireless extension to an IP network
and uses the four-octet (0.0.0.0) address for connections.
CDPD networks cover most of the major urban areas in the United
States and have been deployed by AT&T, Ameritech, GTE,
BellAtlantic Mobile, and other carriers. By the late 1990s,
incompatibility issues had been worked out, and roaming agreements
and interoperability between carriers is generally nationwide.
CDPD modems are available on PC Cards for laptop and handheld
computers.
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compact
HTML (cHTML) |
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Subset of HTML 2.0, HTML
3.2, and HTML 4.0 specifications designed for limited hardware
information appliances. |
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CTIA |
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Cellular Telecommunications
Industry Association |
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CVSD |
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Continuous Variable Slope
Delta Modulation |
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| D |
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dispatch radio |
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Two-way radio used for taxis, trucks,
and fleets; always on. |
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dual-mode
handset |
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Cell phone that switches
from analog to digital or from land-based to satellite or from
cordless to cellular. |
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| E |
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EDGE |
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Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution;
increased data throughput in GSM and TDMA systems to 384kbps. |
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Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS) |
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An open standard that allows pictures, sounds, animations, and formatted text to be swapped between compliant mobile phones. |
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| F |
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FCC |
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Federal Communications
Commission |
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FireWire |
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Originally developed by
Apple, this is an increasingly popular and very fast external
bus for transferring data between devices; also known as IEEE
1394 for the name of the standard it engendered. |
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| G |
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Globalstar |
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Second major LEO-based global communications system;
initially created for voice, it was launched in late 1999. |
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GPRS |
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General Packet Radio Service allows
packet rather than circuit switch connections on cellular networks. This allows
high-speed mobile access and the ability to connect only to the mobile network
when Internet access is required. |
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GPS |
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Global Positioning System. A system of
24 satellites for identifying earth locations, launched by the U.S. Department
of Defense. By triangulation of signals from three of the satellites, a
receiving unit can pinpoint its current location anywhere on earth to within a
few meters. |
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GSM |
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Global System for Mobile Communications.
Digital cell phone system used throughout Europe based on TDMA; introduced SIM
card and short messaging (SMS); GSM has a maximum data transfer rate of
9.6kbps. |
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| H |
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HDML |
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Handheld Device Markup Language;
forerunner of WML. |
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HLR |
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Home Location Register. |
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HomeRF |
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Wireless personal area network (PAN)
from HomeRF Working Group; uses 2.4GHz band at 1mbps or 2mbps within 150-foot
range. |
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HTML |
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HyperText Markup Language |
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HTML 1.0 |
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i-Mode-compatible HTML that supports all
iMode terminals. |
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HTML 2.0 |
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i-Mode-compatible HTML that supports
only the NTTDoCoMo 502i series terminals. |
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HTTP |
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HyperText Transfer Protocol |
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| I |
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iDEN |
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Integrated Digital Enhanced Network;
wireless system from Motorola that integrates voice, data, short messages, and
dispatch radio; used by Nextel and others. |
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i-Mode |
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Packet-based information service for
mobile phones from NTT DoCoMo (Japan); first to provide Web browsing from cell
phones. |
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IMT 2000 |
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International Mobile Telecommunications
2000; 3G wireless from the ITU; also known as third-generation mobile
systems. |
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IP |
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Internet Protocol; the IP part of
the TCP/IP communications protocol. IP implements the network layer
(layer 3) of the protocol, which contains a network address and is used to route
a message to a different network or subnetwork. IP accepts "packets" from the
layer 4 transport protocol (TCP or UDP), adds its own header to it, and delivers
a "datagram" to the layer 2 data link protocol. It may also break the packet
into fragments to support the maximum transmission unit (MTU) of the
network. |
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IrDA |
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Infrared Data Association; based in
Walnut Creek, California, a membership organization founded in 1993 and
dedicated to developing standards for wireless, infrared transmission systems
between computers. With IrDA ports, a laptop or PDA can exchange data with a
desktop computer or use a printer without a cable connection. Like a TV remote
control, IrDA requires line-of-sight transmission. IrDA products began to appear
in 1995. The LaserJet 5P was one of the first printers with a built-in IrDA
port.
IrDA is comprised of the IrDA Serial IR physical layer (IrDA-SIR), which
provides a half-duplex connection of up to 115.2kbps. This speed allows the use
of a low-cost UART chip; however, higher non-UART extensions for 1.15mbps and
4mbps have also been defined. IrDA uses the Infrared Link Access Protocol
(IrLAP), an adaptation of HDLC, as its data link protocol. The Infrared Link
Management Protocol (IrLMP) is also used to provide a mechanism for handshaking
and multiplexing of two or more different data streams
simultaneously. |
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IrDA port |
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A transmitter/receiver for infrared
signals. |
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Iridium |
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First LEO-based global communications
system backed by Motorola. Built primarily for voice transmissions, it was
launched in 1998 and went into Chapter 11 in 1999. |
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ISDN |
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Integrated Services Digital
Network. |
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IVR |
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Interactive Voice Response. |
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| J |
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Java |
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An object-oriented programming language developed by Sun
Microsystems that creates applications that work on multiple operating
systems. |
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JavaScript |
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Programming language used to add dynamic
behavior to HTML documents. |
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JINI |
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Based on Java, this is a Sun system for
easily connecting any type of devices, including a Net device, to a
network. |
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| L |
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LCD |
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Liquid-crystal display, such as the screen found on an
i-Mode cellular phone used for reading e-mails and accessing the
Internet. |
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LMP |
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Link Manager Protocol; responsible for
link setup between Bluetooth devices, including security issues and controlling
power modes of the Bluetooth Radio device. |
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| M |
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MDS |
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Multipoint Distribution Service; licensed spectrum in
the 2.1GHz band. |
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microbrowser |
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A Web browser specialized for a smart
phone or a PDA and optimized to run in the low-memory and small-screen
environment of a handheld device. |
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MiniSD |
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A variant of flash
memory card designed for mobile phone market. |
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MMC |
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MultiMediaCard;
a flash memory card for portable devices. |
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MMDS |
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Multipoint Multichannel Distibution
Service; licensed spectrum in the 2.5GHz to 2.6GHz band; range is 30 miles or
more. |
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MMM |
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Mobile Media Mode is an icon that
identifies Web content optimized for smart phones and handhelds. |
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| N |
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NAP |
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Network Access Point. |
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Nextel |
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Nationwide wireless operator that
acquired numerous SMR companies. |
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NTT DoCoMo |
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Wireless division of Nippon Telegraph
and Telephone; a Japanese cellular provider and chief developer of
i-Mode. |
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| O |
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OpenAir |
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Wireless LAN standard from WLIF; based
on Proxim's RangeLAN2 products. |
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| P |
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packet |
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A piece of data transmitted over a packet-switching
network such as the Internet; a packet includes not just data
but also its destination. |
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PAN |
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Personal Area Network. |
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PCN |
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Personal Communications
Network. |
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PCS |
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Personal Communications
Service; new digital cell phone systems in 2GHz range; mostly
GSM. |
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PDA |
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Personal digital assistant;
handheld computer or personal organizer device. |
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PDC |
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Personal Digital Communications;
digital cell phone system in Japan. |
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PIN |
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Personal identification
number. |
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P- Java |
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Personal Java; Java API
and specification for running Java applications on small devices. |
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Pocket
PC |
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A handheld Windows-based
computer that runs the Pocket PC operating system (formerly
Windows CE). The Pocket PC operating system (version 3.0 of
Windows CE) adds a new interface along with greater stability,
Pocket Office applications (Internet Explorer, Word, and Excel),
handwriting recognition, an e-book reader, wireless Internet
access, and longer battery life. The Pocket PC was designed
to compete more directly with the popular Palm devices. |
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Polyphonic |
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An electronic instrument
capable of playing more than one note at a time. |
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POTS |
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Plain old telephone service. |
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| R |
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RAM network |
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Earlier name for BellSouth
Network. |
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Ricochet |
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A wireless Internet service
from Metricom Incorporated, based in Los Gatos, California.
It uses appoximately 100 small "microcell" radio transceivers
attached to utility poles within a 20-square-mile cell. Each
cell has one wired access point, which is a T1, frame-relay
connection to the Internet. Each microcell bounces digital signals
from the mobile devices to other microcells and eventually to
its wired access point. The transceivers in this MicroCellular
Data Network (MCDN) employ 162 frequency-hopping channels in
the 902MHz to 928MHz band from user to microcell. The 2.4GHz
band is used in the rest of the system, and licensed spectrum
in the 2.3GHz band is used for its high-speed service. Rocochet
modems attach to laptops and other handhelds via the serial
port.
Ricochet 1 provides 28.8kbps service with access primarily
to stationary users, while Ricochet 2, introduced in 2000,
offers 128kbps for the commuter in transit. First deployed
in Washington D.C., Seattle, and Silicon Valley, coverage
in more than 40 urban areas is expected by 2002.
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RS-MMC |
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Reduced Size MultiMediaCard. |
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SD
card |
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SecureDigital card;
a highly secure stamp-sized flash memory card. |
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Series
40 |
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Symbian OS platform
for mass market Java technology-enabled mobile devices. |
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Series
60 |
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Symbian OS platform
for smart phones with Java technology capability. |
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Series
80 |
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Symbian OS platform
for enterprise devices. |
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short
messaging |
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Sending small text messages
to cell phones; GSM pioneered Short Message Service (SMS), now
used in all digital cell phones. |
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SIM |
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Subscriber Identity Module. |
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SIM card |
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Smart card that gives
GSM phone its user identity; lets phones be easily rented or
borrowed. |
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SM |
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Short Message. |
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SMS |
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Short Messaging Service;
GSM coined the phrase, but similar text messaging is used in
most digital cell phone systems. |
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SMTP |
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Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. |
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Symphony |
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Wireless LAN geared for
the home from Proxim. |
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Symbian |
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Symbian owns and
develops the Symbian operating system that is optimized.
for mobile terminals, such as communicators and smart
phones. |
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| T |
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TCP/IP |
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Transmission control protocol/Internet protocol. A
communications protocol developed under contract from the U.S. Department of
Defense to network dissimilar systems. Invented by Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn,
this de facto Unix standard is the protocol of the Internet and has become the
global standard for communications.
TCP provides transport functions, which ensures that the total amount of
bytes sent is received correctly at the other end. UDP is an alternate transport
that does not guarantee delivery. It is widely used for real-time voice and
video transmissions where erroneous packets are not retransmitted.
IP provides the routing mechanism. TCP/IP is a routable protocol, which means
that all messages contain not only the address of the destination station, but
the address of a destination network. This allows TCP/IP messages to be sent to
multiple networks within an organization or around the world, hence its use in
the worldwide Internet. Every client and server in a TCP/IP network requires an
IP address, which is either permanently assigned or dynamically assigned at
startup. |
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TDD |
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Time Division Duplex. |
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TDMA |
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Time Division Multiple Access; air
interface for digital cell phones that interleaves data in time slots and
provides multiple access to a small number of wireless frequencies. It is a
component of GSM. |
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terminal |
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Device providing the user with user
agent capabilities; also, a mobile terminal or a mobile station. |
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TransFlash |
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Formerly
known as T-Flash, the TransFlash is currently
the world's smallest removable flash memory storage
format. |
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two-way paging |
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The ability to receive and send data to
the Internet by way of the paging network; also often called interactive
paging. |
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| U |
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UI |
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User interface. |
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UMTS |
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Universal Mobile Telecommunications
System; a new-generation technology for rapidly moving data and multimedia over
wireless devices.
The European implementation of the 3G wireless phone system, UMTS provides
service in the 2GHz band and offers global roaming and personalized features;
designed as an evolutionary system for GSM network operators, multimedia data
rates up to 2mbps are expected. |
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URL |
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Uniform resource locator; the address
that defines the route to a file on the Web or any other Internet facility. URLs
are typed into the browser to access Web pages, and URLs are embedded within the
pages themselves to provide the hypertext links to other pages.
The URL contains the protocol prefix, port number, domain name, subdirectory
names, and file name. Port addresses are generally defaults and are rarely
specified. To access a home page on a Web site, only the protocol and domain
name are required. |
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user |
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Person who interacts with the user agent
to view, hear, or use a resource. |
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UWC-136 |
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3G data rates for TDMA. |
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| W |
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W3C |
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World Wide Web Consortium; an
international industry consortium founded in 1994 to develop common standards
for the World Wide Web. It is hosted in the United States by the Laboratory for
Computer Science at M.I.T. |
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WAP |
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Wireless Application Protocol;
determines how wireless devices utilise internet content and other
services. |
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WAP gateway |
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Software that takes raw WML data and
compiles it for the microbrowser and vice versa. |
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WBMP |
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Wireless bitmap; image format used in
the Wireless Application Protocol. |
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WCDMA |
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Wideband CDMA; a 3G technology that
increases data transmission rates in GSM systems by using CDMA instead of TDMA.
WCDMA has become the Direct Sequence (DS) mode in the ITU's 3G specification,
which includes the 1X Multi-Carrier mode (1X MC) and 3X Multi-Carrier mode (3X
MC). 1X MC (formerly known as CDMA2000) and 3X MC comprise the 3G upgrade path
for carriers already using CDMA (CDMA One). |
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Web clipping |
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Extracting relevant information from a
Web page for display on a smart phone or a PDA. |
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Web server |
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Network host that acts as an HTTP
server; a computer that provides World Wide Web services on the Internet; it
includes the hardware, operating system, Web server software, TCP/IP protocols,
and the Web site content (Web pages). |
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Windows CE |
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A streamlined version of Windows from
Microsoft for handheld PCs (HPCs) and consumer electronics devices. It runs
Pocket versions of popular applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel as well
as many applications that are geared specifically for the smaller platform. As
of version 3.0, Windows CE was changed substantially and renamed Pocket
PC. |
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wireless modem |
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A modem and antenna that transmits and
receives over the air. Wireless modems come in several varieties, including
units for CDPD, ARDIS, Mobitex, Ricochet, 802.11, OpenAir, BellSouth Intelligent
Wireless Networks, and other proprietary products. |
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wireless
portal |
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A Web site that supports a user with a
smart phone or an alphanumeric pager. It may offer a variety of features,
including providing a springboard to other (WAP-based) wireless sites, the
ability to select content to be pushed to the user's device as well as providing
a point of entry for anyone to send the user a message. |
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WLAN |
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Wireless LAN; a local area network that
transmits over the air typically in an unlicensed frequency such as the 2.4GHz
band. A wireless LAN does not require lining up devices for line-of-sight
transmission like IrDA. Wireless access points (base stations) are connected to
an Ethernet hub or server and transmit a radio frequency over an area of several
hundred to a thousand feet and can penetrate walls and other nonmetal barriers.
Roaming users can be handed off from one access point to another like a cellular
phone system. Laptops use wireless modems that plug into an existing Ethernet
port or that are self contained on PC cards, while standalone desktops and
servers use plug-in cards (ISA, PCI, and so on). |
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WLIF |
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Wireless LAN Interoperability Forum; a
membership group that endorses products that are interoperable with major
standards; supports OpenAir and 802.11. |
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WML |
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Wireless Markup Language; a markup
language for devices using WAP. It is based on the Handheld Device Markup
Language (HDML); ordinary Web browsers cannot read WML. |
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WMLS
(WMLScript) |
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Wireless Markup Language Script; a
subset of JavaScript, used to program mobile devices. |
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WWW |
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World Wide Web. |
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| X |
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XML |
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Extensible Markup Language. An open standard for
describing data from the W3C. It is used for defining data elements on a Web
page and business-to-business documents. It uses a similar tag structure as
HTML; however, whereas HTML defines how elements are displayed, XML defines what
those elements contain. HTML uses predefined tags, but XML allows tags to be
defined by the developer of the page. Thus, virtually any data items, such as
product, sales rep, and amount due, can be identified, allowing Web pages to
function like database records. By providing a common method for identifying
data, XML supports business-to-business transactions and is expected to become
the dominant format for electronic data interchange. |
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