Campbell Scientific RF300-Series DRL VHF/UHF Radio Transceivers - Manual (Page 61)

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GLOSSARY
Antenna - Device for radiating and receiving
radio signals.
Attenuation - The reduction of an electrical
signal without appreciable distortion.
Base Station - The destination for accumulated
data; where data is received via radio from one
or more field stations.
Baud Rate - A unit of data transmission speed,
normally equal to one bit per second.
Block - Group of ones and zeroes which
represent data or commands.
BNC Connector - A commonly used "twist
type" connector on radios.
Carrier Wave - A radio wave upon which the
signal is transmitted.
Coaxial Cable - An insulated RF transmission
line consisting of two conductors separated by a
dielectric.
COM Port (Communication Port) - The serial
port of the computer where communication is
intended.
Decibel - A unit of power equal to 10 times the
common logarithm of the ratio of two amounts
of signal power.
End of Link Modem - An RF modem which is
at the field station.
Field Station - The place of origin of the data,
from which the data is then transmitted by
radiotelemetry.
Forward Power - Energy that is transmitted
from a radio, through coaxial cable, and through
the antenna without being reflected back to the
radio.
Line of sight - Straight path between the
transmitting and receiving antenna when
unobstructed by the horizon.
Megahertz - Cycles per second multiplied by
1,000,000.
Middle of Link Modem - Any modem in an RF
link which is not at the base station or the
designated field station.
Modem ID Number - A communication
identification number for an RF Modem, also an
aid in specifying the RF path.
Modulation - Process by which one waveform
(carrier) is caused to vary according to another
waveform (signal).
Omnidirectional - Capable of operating in all
directions.
Radio - Device which transmits and receives
electrical signals by means of radio waves.
Radio Frequency - The number of cycles per
second with which the carrier wave travels,
usually specified in Megahertz.
Radiotelemetry - Process of transmitting data
by radio communication.
Radiotelemetry Link - A temporary
communication path within a network.
Radiotelemetry Network - A group of stations
which communicate by radio and are used to
indicate or record data.
Reflected Power - Energy that is transferred
back into the radio after it has been transmitted
by the same radio.
Remote Site - See Field Station.
Repeater - An intermediate station in an RF link
used for the sole purpose of relaying data.
RF - An abbreviation for radio frequency,
commonly used in place of radiotelemetry.
RF Modem - Device which modulates an
electrical signal on the carrier wave, and codes
all transmissions for a specific path.