- 5G: The fifth generation of cellular networks, designed to provide faster data rates, lower latency, and improved capacity compared to previous generations.
- Ad hoc network: A type of wireless network that does not rely on fixed infrastructure and allows devices to communicate directly with each other.
- Air Interface: The physical layer or link between wireless devices and the wireless infrastructure.
- Amplitude modulation (AM): A method of modulating a radio-frequency carrier wave by varying its amplitude in accordance with the amplitude of the modulating signal, typically an audio signal.
- Amplitude-frequency modulation (AFM): A method of modulating a radio-frequency carrier wave by varying both the amplitude and frequency of the carrier wave in accordance with the modulating signal.
- Amplitude-shift keying (ASK): A method of digital modulation in which the amplitude of a carrier wave is varied to represent binary data.
- Analog signal: A continuous signal that varies in amplitude or frequency.
- Angle modulation: A method of modulating a radio-frequency carrier wave by varying the phase or frequency of the carrier wave in accordance with the modulating signal.
- Authentication: The process of verifying the identity of a device or user trying to access a network or system.
- Backhaul: The communication link between a wireless access point and the core network.
- Bandwidth: The range of frequencies occupied by a signal or the capacity of a communication channel.
- Beacon: A small packet of data broadcast by a device to announce its presence and provide information about its capabilities.
- Bit Error Rate (BER): The ratio of the number of bit errors to the total number of bits transmitted, typically used as a measure of the quality of a communication system.
- Bit rate: The number of bits transmitted per second.
- Bluetooth: A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz.
- Byte: A unit of digital information consisting of 8 bits.
- Carrier wave: A wave that is modulated to carry information, such as an audio or video signal.
- Cellular network: A type of wireless network that uses a system of geographically dispersed cells, each served by a base station, to provide coverage over a large area.
- Channel capacity: The maximum amount of information that can be transmitted over a communication channel, typically measured in bits per second.
- Channel coding: The process of adding redundant information to a signal to improve its reliability in the presence of noise or other distortions.
- Channelization: The process of dividing a wireless spectrum into smaller frequency bands, each assigned to specific uses or users.
- Cloud communication: The process of sending and receiving data over the internet through cloud-based servers.
- Code: A system of symbols, letters, or words used to represent information.
- Coding: The process of converting information into a code for transmission or storage.
- Cognitive radio network: A type of wireless network that uses cognitive radio technology to improve communication performance and increase spectrum utilization.
- Cognitive radio: A type of wireless communication system that can adapt its transmission and reception parameters to the surrounding environment to improve communication performance and avoid interference.
- Compression: The process of reducing the size of a digital file by removing redundant or unnecessary information.
- Cooperative communication: A communication technique in which multiple devices work together to transmit and receive data to improve the overall performance of the network.
- Crowdsensing: The process of obtaining information from a large number of people or devices, typically using mobile devices and wireless networks.
- Crowdsourcing: The process of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid.
- Demodulation: The process of extracting the original information from a modulated carrier wave.
- Device-to-Device (D2D) communication: A type of wireless communication in which devices communicate directly with each other without the need for a central infrastructure.
- Digital Signal Processing (DSP): A method of processing signals using digital techniques, such as filtering, modulation, and demodulation.
- Digital signal: A discrete signal that can take on only a limited number of values.
- Direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS): A method of spread-spectrum communication in which a wideband signal is spread over a larger bandwidth by modulating it with a higher-frequency signal, called a spreading code.
- Encryption: The process of converting plaintext into a coded form to prevent unauthorized access or tampering.
- Error correction: Techniques used to detect and correct errors in transmitted data.
- Error correction: The process of identifying and correcting errors in a received signal.
- Error detection: The process of identifying errors in a received signal.
- Forward error correction (FEC): The process of adding redundant information to a signal at the source to allow for the detection and correction of errors at the destination.
- Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM): A method of transmitting multiple signals simultaneously over a single communication channel by dividing the channel into different frequency bands.
- Frequency Hopping: A spread-spectrum communication method in which a signal’s frequency is rapidly varied to avoid interference and increase security.
- Frequency modulation (FM): A method of modulating a radio-frequency carrier wave by varying its frequency in accordance with the modulating signal, typically an audio signal.
- Frequency Reuse: The process of using the same frequency band multiple times in a wireless network by dividing the network into cells and allocating different frequencies to each cell.
- Frequency: The number of oscillations or cycles of a wave per unit of time.
- Frequency-shift keying (FSK): A method of digital modulation in which the frequency of a carrier wave is varied to represent binary data.
- Hamming distance: A measure of the similarity between two strings of binary data used in the design of error-correction codes.
- Handover: The process of transferring an ongoing communication from one network or channel to another without interruption.
- Infrared communication: A wireless communication method that uses infrared light to transmit data between devices.
- Interference: Any unwanted signal or disturbance that affects the quality of communication.
- Interleaving: The process of interspersing the bits or symbols of different data streams to improve the robustness of a communication system to errors.
- Internet of things (IoT): A network of interconnected devices that can collect and exchange data using the internet.
- Internet Protocol (IP): A set of rules and protocols used to transmit data over the internet and other networks.
- Latency: The delay between the time a signal is transmitted and the time it is received.
- Link budget: A calculation of the expected performance of a communication system based on the power levels and gains of the transmitters and receivers and the losses in the transmission media.
- Local area network (LAN): A type of computer network that covers a small area, such as a home, office, or campus.
- Mesh network: A type of wireless network in which devices communicate with each other directly or through intermediate devices to form a network without the need for a central hub.
- Mobile ad-hoc network (MANET): A ad-hoc network allows mobile devices to communicate without needing a fixed infrastructure.
- Modulation: The process of adding information to a carrier wave.
- Multiple access: The ability of multiple users or devices to share a common communication channel.
- Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO): A wireless communication technique that uses multiple transmit and receive antennas to improve communication performance and increase capacity.
- Multiplexing gain: The increase in capacity resulting from using multiplexing techniques.
- Multiplexing: The process of combining multiple signals into a single signal for transmission over a shared medium.
- Network slicing: A technique of creating multiple virtual networks on a shared physical infrastructure, each optimized for specific use cases or applications.
- Noise: Any unwanted signal or disturbance that affects the quality of communication.
- Nyquist rate: The minimum rate at which a signal must be sampled to reconstruct the original signal accurately.
- Optical fiber communication: A method of communication that uses optical fibers to transmit data over long distances at high speed and with low loss.
- Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM): A method of digital modulation in which a signal is divided into several subcarriers, each modulated with a different data stream and transmitted simultaneously on different frequencies.
- Packet switching: A method of transmitting data in which information is broken into small packets and sent independently to the destination.
- Path loss: The decrease in the power of a signal as it propagates through a medium, typically measured in decibels (dB).
- Phase modulation (PM): A method of modulating a radio-frequency carrier wave by varying the phase of the carrier wave in accordance with the modulating signal.
- Phase-shift keying (PSK): A method of digital modulation in which the phase of a carrier wave is varied to represent binary data.
- Physical layer security: A method of ensuring the security of wireless communication by manipulating the physical characteristics of the signal, such as its power, phase, and polarization.
- Physical layer: The lowest layer of the OSI model, which is responsible for transmitting the raw bit stream over a communication channel.
- Power Line Communication (PLC): A method of communication that uses the electrical power grid as a communication medium.
- Power spectral density: A measure of the power of a signal as a function of frequency, typically measured in watts per hertz (W/Hz).
- Power-line communication (PLC): A method of communication that uses the electrical power grid as a communication medium.
- Propagation: The process by which a signal spreads through a medium, such as air or a cable.
- Pulse code modulation (PCM): A method of converting an analog signal into a digital signal by sampling the signal at regular intervals and quantizing the samples to a fixed number of bits.
- Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM): A method of modulation that combines amplitude and phase modulation to represent digital data.
- Quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK): A method of digital modulation in which the phase of a carrier wave is varied in four possible states to represent two bits of data at a time.
- Quality of Experience (QoE): A measure of the overall satisfaction of a user with a communication service, taking into account factors such as reliability, speed, and ease of use.
- Quality of service (QoS): A measure of the performance of a communication system, typically characterized by parameters such as bandwidth, delay, and error rate.
- Radiofrequency (RF): The range of frequencies used for wireless communication, typically from 3 kHz to 300 GHz.
- Radio Resource Management (RRM): The management of the radio resources of a wireless network, such as spectrum, power, and antenna configuration, to improve communication performance and increase capacity.
- Rayleigh fading: A fading in wireless communication caused by multipath propagation, characterized by random variations in the amplitude and phase of a signal.
- Reed-Solomon code: A error-correction code widely used in storage and communication systems.
- Remote control (RC): A method of controlling a device from a remote location, typically using infrared or radio frequency signals.
- Ron Legarski Jr: Communications Director and General Electrician at SolveForce.com.
- Router: A device forwards data packets between networks based on destination addresses.
- Routing: The process of finding and selecting the best path for data to travel from a source to a destination in a network.
- Satellite communication: A wireless communication method that uses satellites in orbit around the Earth to relay signals between devices on the ground.
- Signal: A time-varying electrical or electromagnetic quantity that carries information.
- Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR): The ratio of the power of a signal to the power of the noise, typically measured in decibels (dB).
- Smart antenna: A type of antenna that can adapt its radiation pattern to improve communication performance and reduce interference.
- Smart Grid: A modernized version of the electrical power grid that uses advanced communication and control technologies to improve the power system’s efficiency, reliability, and security.
- Smart spectrum management: A method of managing the use of the wireless spectrum by dynamically allocating and reallocating frequencies to different users and applications based on their needs and the current state of the network.
- Software-Defined Networking (SDN): A method of managing computer networks using software rather than specialized hardware to control data flow, configure devices, and make decisions about network behavior.
- Software-defined radio (SDR): A wireless communication system that can be programmed to adapt to different communication standards and protocols.
- Space-Division Multiple Access (SDMA): A method of multiple access that uses the spatial dimensions of a wireless signal to separate different users and increase capacity.
- Spectral efficiency: The amount of information that can be transmitted over a given bandwidth, typically measured in bits per second per hertz (bps/Hz).
- Spread-spectrum multiple access (SSMA): A method of multiple access that uses spread-spectrum techniques to allow multiple users to share a common communication channel.
- Spread-spectrum time-division multiple access (S-TDMA): A multiple access method that uses spread-spectrum techniques and time-division multiplexing to allow multiple users to share a common communication channel.
- Spread-spectrum: A method of transmitting a signal over a wide frequency range to reduce interference and increase security.
- Synchronization: The process of aligning the timing of two or more signals to allow for proper communication.
- Time Division Multiplexing (TDM): A method of transmitting multiple signals simultaneously over a single communication channel by dividing the channel into different time slots.
- Time-division duplex (TDD): A wireless communication method with the same frequency band for uplink and downlink transmission but at different times.
- Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM): A method of multiplexing multiple signals into a single signal by dividing the signal into time slots and allocating each slot to a different signal.
- Transmission control protocol (TCP): A transport-layer protocol used to establish reliable, error-free connections between devices on a computer network.
- Transmission line: A medium used to transmit electrical energy, such as a wire or cable.
- Transmission media: The physical medium, such as a cable or wireless link, over which a signal is transmitted.
- Transmission power control: The process of adjusting a wireless signal’s power to optimize the trade-off between communication range and power consumption.
- Transmission power: The power of a signal at the point of transmission, typically measured in watts (W).
- Transmission: The process of sending a signal over a communication channel.
- Ultra-low-power wireless communication: A wireless communication method that uses very low power levels, typically on the order of a few microwatts, to transmit data over short distances.
- Ultra-narrowband (UNB): A wireless communication method that uses very narrow bandwidths, typically on the order of a few hertz, to transmit data at low power and low data rates.
- Ultra-wideband (UWB): A wireless communication method that uses very wide bandwidths, typically on the order of several gigahertz, to transmit data at low power and data rates.
- User Datagram Protocol (UDP): A transport-layer protocol used to establish unreliable, low-overhead connections between devices on a computer network.
- Virtual private network (VPN): A secure connection between two devices or networks, typically over the internet, that allows for the exchange of data as if they were on a private network.
- Virtual reality (VR): A technology that uses computer-generated simulations of environments and experiences to create immersive experiences.
- Voice over IP (VoIP): A method of transmitting voice communications over the internet or other IP-based networks.
- Wavelength: The distance between two consecutive wave points with the same phase.
- Wavelength-division multiple access (WDMA): A method of multiple access that uses wavelength-division multiplexing to allow multiple users to share a common communication channel.
- Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM): A method of multiplexing multiple signals onto a single optical fiber using different light wavelengths to carry each signal.
- Wireless local area network (WLAN): A type of wireless communication network that covers a small area, such as a home, office, or campus.
- Wireless sensor network (WSN): A type of wireless network that consists of many small, low-power devices that can sense and collect data from the environment and transmit it to a central location for processing and analysis.
- Wireless wide area network (WWAN): A type of wireless communication network that covers a large area, such as a city or region.
- Zigbee: A wireless communications protocol based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, designed for low-power and low-data-rate communications.
- Zigbee: A wireless communications protocol based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, designed for low-power and low-data-rate communications.
- Z-Wave: A wireless communications protocol for home automation and other low-power, low-data-rate applications.
- Z-Wave: A wireless communications protocol for home automation and other low-power, low-data-rate applications.