Telecommunications terms starting with O

263 terms

  1. operating system platform Synonym platform.
  2. operating time The time interval between the instant of occurrence of a specified input condition to a system and the instant of completion of a specified operation. 2.
  3. Operation The manner in which a window unit opens, closes, locks, or functions; e.g., casement, double-hung, etc.
  4. operational data security Protection of data from either accidental or unauthorized intentional modification, destruction, or disclosure during input, processing, storage…
  5. operational documentation the information produced by the developer of a Target of Evaluation to specify and explain how customers should use it [ITSEC].
  6. operational environment 1. The set of procedures, methods, tools and standards used during system operation [CESG]. See also: Development Environment. 2.
  7. operational key Key intended for use over-the-air for protection of operational information or for the production or secure electrical transmission of key streams.
  8. operational load The total power requirements for communications facilities.
  9. operational service period A period during which a telecommunications service remains in an operational state.
  10. operational service state During any performance measurement period, a telecommunications service condition that existed when the calculated values of specified performance…
  11. operations The term denoting the general classifications of services rendered to the public for which separate tariffs are filed, namely exchange, state toll and…
  12. operations code Code composed largely of words and phrases suitable for general communications use. [INFOSEC-99]
  13. operations security [The] process denying to potential adversaries information about capabilities and/or intentions by identifying, controlling and protecting generally…
  14. operations security (OPSEC) [The] Process denying information to potential adversaries about capabilities and/or intentions by identifying, controlling, and protecting unclassified…
  15. operations system A system that performs operations system functions (OSFs), that is, supports the processing of information related to operations, administration…
  16. operator service access point (OSAP) The functional entity that provides access to an operator service from an exchange in the network.
  17. operator service provider The company accepting the billing information, initiating the validation process, and recording the details of the call. [T1.230-1992]
  18. Operator Service Provider (OSP) A common carrier that provides services from public phones, including payphones and those in hotels/motels.
  19. operator services A set of services including toll and assistance, listing services and intercept, associated with the originating connection network capability. [After T1.
  20. operator system A stored program electronic system associated with one or more toll switching systems which provides centralized traffic service position functions for…
  21. operator trunks A general term, ordinarily applied to trunks between manually operated switchboard positions and local dial central offices in the same wire center.
  22. OPSEC Operations Security.
  23. optical amplifier See fiber amplifier, optical repeater.
  24. optical attenuator In optical communications, a device used to reduce the power level of an optical signal.
  25. optical axis Of a refractive or reflective optical element, the straight line that is coincident with the axis of symmetry of the surfaces.
  26. optical beamsplitter See beamsplitter.
  27. optical cable See fiber optic cable.
  28. optical cable assembly See cable assembly.
  29. optical carrier level 1 (OC-1) The optical signal that results from an optical conversion of an synchronous transport signal 1 (STS-1 signal).
  30. optical cavity A region bounded by two or more mirrors that are aligned to provide multiple reflections of lightwaves.
  31. optical character reader (OCR) A device used for optical character recognition.
  32. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) The automatic recognition and interpretation of text.
  33. optical conductor Deprecated synonym for optical fiber.
  34. optical connector A demountable device for attaching a cabled or uncabled optical fiber to another, or to an active device such as a transmitter.
  35. optical coupler See directional coupler, star coupler, T-coupler.
  36. optical density (OD) For a given wavelength, an expression of the transmittance of an optical element.
  37. optical detector A transducer that generates an output signal when irradiated with optical energy.
  38. optical disk A digital data storage technology that uses optical media to store information.
  39. optical dispersion See dispersion.
  40. optical fiber A filament of transparent dielectric material, usually glass or plastic, and usually circular in cross section, that guides light.
  41. optical fiber cable See fiber optic cable.
  42. optical fiber coating See primary coating.
  43. optical fiber jacket See sheath.
  44. optical fiber link See fiber optic link.
  45. optical fiber nuclear hardening Design allowances made to prevent or ameliorate the effects of gamma or high-energy neutron radiation or bombardment, that causes some optical fibers to…
  46. optical fiber transfer function See transfer function.
  47. optical fiber waveguide See optical fiber.
  48. optical fiber, conductive See OFC.
  49. optical fiber, conductive, plenum See OFCP.
  50. optical fiber, conductive, riser See OFCR.
  51. optical fiber, nonconductive See OFN.
  52. optical fiber, nonconductive, plenum See OFNP.
  53. optical fiber, nonconductive, riser See OFNR.
  54. optical filter In the optical regime, an element that selectively transmits or blocks a range of wavelengths, polarizations, etc., or selectively displaces a beam, e.g.
  55. optical heterodyning See optical mixing.
  56. optical interconnection In an integrated circuit or electronic module, the use of opto-electronic devices to make or facilitate connections, in lieu of a direct connection…
  57. optical interface In a fiber optic communications link, a point at which an optical signal is passed from one equipment or medium to another without conversion to an…
  58. optical isolator A device that uses a short optical transmission path to accomplish electrical isolation between elements of a circuit.
  59. optical junction Any physical interface in a fiber optic system. Note: Source to fiber, fiber to fiber, fiber to detector, beam to prism (or lens), fiber to lens, lens to…
  60. optical line code Sequences of optical pulses suitably structured to permit information transfer over an optical link.
  61. optical line pair 1. In optical measurements or specifications, a pair of usually straight contiguous stripes of equal width and having a defined degree of contrast, and…
  62. optical link An optical transmission channel, including any repeaters or regenerative repeaters, designed to connect two electronic or opto-electronic communications…
  63. optical mixing Optical beating, i.e., the mixing, i.e., heterodyning, of two lightwaves (incoming signal and local oscillator) in a nonlinear device to produce a beat…
  64. optical modulator Any device used to modify any characteristic of an optical signal (lightwave) for the purpose of conveying information.
  65. optical multiplexing See wavelength-division multiplexing.
  66. optical network unit (ONU) A network element that is part of a fiber-in-the-loop system interfacing the customer analog access cables and the fiber facilities. [T1.508-1998]
  67. optical path length In a medium of constant refractive index, n, the product of the geometric distance and the refractive index. 2.
  68. optical path power penalty The extra optical power required to account for degradations due to reflections, intersymbol interference, and mode partition noise. [T1.646-1995]
  69. optical power See radiant power.
  70. optical power budget In a fiber-optic communication link, the allocation of available optical power (launched into a given fiber by a given source) among various…
  71. optical power margin In an optical communications link, the difference between (a) the optical power that is launched by a given transmitter into the fiber, less transmission…
  72. optical receiver A device that detects an optical signal, converts it to an electrical signal, and processes the electrical signal as required for further use.
  73. optical regenerator See optical repeater.
  74. optical repeater In an optical communication system, an optoelectronic device or module that receives an optical signal, amplifies it (or, in the case of a digital signal…
  75. optical return loss (ORL) The ratio (in dB) of optical power arriving at the interface (P1) to the optical power reflected back from the same interface (P2). [T1.106-1988]
  76. optical section The part of the physical plant consisting of the fiber-optic cabling and connectors interconnected to provide the transport function between two adjacent…
  77. optical source In optical communications, a device that converts an electrical signal into an optical signal.
  78. optical spectrum By custom and practice, the electromagnetic spectrum between the wavelengths of the vacuum ultraviolet at 0.001 m and the far infrared at 100 m.
  79. optical splitter See directional coupler.
  80. optical switch A switch that enables signals in optical fibers or integrated optical circuits (IOCs) to be selectively switched from one circuit to another.
  81. optical system power margin See power margin.
  82. optical thickness The product of the physical thickness of an isotropic optical element and its refractive index. 2.
  83. optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) An opto-electronic instrument used to characterize an optical fiber. Note 1: An OTDR injects a series of optical pulses into the fiber under test.
  84. optical transmittance See transmittance.
  85. optical transmitter A device that accepts an electrical signal as its input, processes this signal, and uses it to modulate an opto-electronic device, such as an LED or an…
  86. optical waveguide Any structure having the ability to guide optical energy. Note: Optical waveguides may be (a) thin-film deposits used in integrated optical circuits…
  87. optically active material A material that rotates the plane of polarization of light that passes through it.
  88. optimum traffic frequency Synonym FOT.
  89. optimum transmission frequency Synonym FOT.
  90. optimum working frequency Synonym FOT.
  91. opto-electronic Pertaining to any device that functions as an electrical-to-optical or optical-to-electrical transducer, or an instrument that uses such a device in its…
  92. optoelectronic See opto-electronic.
  93. optoisolator Synonym optical isolator.
  94. OPX Abbreviation for off-premises extension.
  95. orange book Nickname name for the United States Department of Defense "Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria", DOD 5200.28-STD [CESG]. Also known as "TCSEC"
  96. orbit The path, relative to a specified frame of reference, described by the center of mass of a satellite or other object in space subjected primarily to…
  97. orbit determination The process of describing the past, present, or predicted position of a satellite in terms of orbital parameters. [JP 1-02]
  98. order of diversity The number of independently fading propagation paths or frequencies, or both, used in diversity reception.
  99. orderwire circuit A voice or data circuit used by technical control and maintenance personnel for coordination and control actions relative to activation, deactivation…
  100. orderwire multiplex A multiplex carrier set specifically designed for the purpose of carrying orderwire traffic, as opposed to one designed for carrying mission traffic.