RF Terms Glossary
 

2G - second generation of wireless communications systems
3G - third generation
A/D - analog-to-digital
AC - alternating current
ACPR - adjacent-channel power ratio
ADC - analog-to-digital converter
AGC - automatic gain control
AMPS - advanced mobile phone system
ASIC - application-specific integrated circuit
ASK - amplifier shift keying
ASP - application service provider
ATM - asynchronous transfer mode
AWGN - additive white gaussian noise
BER - bit error rate
BPSK - binary phase shift keying
CCRR - co-channel rejection ratio
CDMA - code-division multiple access
CDPD - cellular digital packet data
CMOS - complementary metal-oxide semiconductor
CMRR - common-mode rejection ratio
CPU - central processing unit system
CW - continuous wave
DC - direct current
dBc - dB relative to the carrier power
DCS - distributed communications system or digital cellular system
DDS - direct digital synthesis
DECT - digital european cordless telephone
DSP - digital signal processor
DUT - device under test
EEPROM - electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
EMC - electromagnetic compatibility
EMI - electromagnetic interference
ESD - electrostatic discharge
ETSI - european telecommunications standards institute
FCC - federal communications commission
FDD - frequency division duplex
FEC - forward error corrections
FER - frame error rate
FET - field-effect transistor
FHSS - frequency-hopping, spread spectrum
FIFO - first-in, first-out
FIR - finite impulse response
FM - frequency modulation
FSK - frequency shift keying
GaAs - gallium arsenide
GaN - gallium nitride
GFSK - gaussian filtered frequency shift keying
GHz - gigahertz
GMSK - gaussian minimum shift keying
GPIB - general-purpose interface bus
GPRS - general packet radio service
GPS - global positioning system
GSM - global system for mobile communications
HBT - heterojunction bipolar transistor
HEMT - high electron mobility transistor
Hz - Hertz
HSCSD - high-speed circuit-switched data
HTTP - hypertext transfer protocol
I and Q - in-phase and quadrature
I/O - input/output
IC - integrated circuit
IF - intermediate frequency
IM - intermodulation
IMD - intermodulation distortion
InGaP - indium gallium phosphide
InP - indium phosphide
IP - internet protocol
IR - infrared
ISM - industrial, scientific, and medical
kB - kilobyte
LDMOS - laterally diffused metal oxide silicon
LMDS - local multipoint distribution service
LNA - low-noise amplifier
LO - local oscillator
LOS - line of sight
LPF - low-pass filter
LSI - large scale integration
LTCC - low-temperature co-fired ceramic
MDS - multipoint distribution systems
MHZ - megahertz
MMDS - multichannel multipoint distribution service
MMIC - monolithic microwave integrated circuit
MOSFET - metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor
MS/s - million of samples per second
NTC - negative temperature coefficient
OEM - original equipment manufacturer
OXCO - oven controlled crystal oscillator
PA - power amplifier
PAE - power added efficiency
PAR - peak-to-average ratio
PCB - printed circuit board
PCM - pulse-code modulation
PCN - personal communications network
PCS - personal communications system
PDA - personal digital assistant
PDC - pacific digital cellular
PECL - positive emitter-coupled logic
PHEMT - pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor
PLL - phase-locked loop
PSK - phase shift keying
QAM - quadrature amplitude modulation
QASK - quadrature amplitude shift keying
QPSK - quadrature phase shift keying
RFI - radio frequency interference
RFIC - radio frequency integrated circuit
RISC - reduced instruction set computing
ROM - read-only memory
SDH - synchronous digital hierarchy
SCM - signal code modulation
SiGe - silicon-germanium
SMR - specialized mobile radio
SMS - short messaging service
SMT - surface-mount technology or surface-mount toroidal
SNR - signal-to-noise ratio
SOIC - small-outline integrated circuit
SONET - synchronous optical network
SPDT - single-pole double-throw
SSB - single side band
SSPA - solid state power amplifiers
TCP - transmission control protocol
TDD - time division duplex
TDMA - time-division multiple access
TETRA - trans european trunked radio
TTL - transistor - transistor logic
TXCO - temperature-compensated crystal oscillator
UART - universal asynchronous receiver transmitter
UHF - ultra high frequency
UMTS - universal mobile telecommunications service
PVCO - voltage-controlled oscillator
VCXO - voltage-controlled crystal oscillator
VOFDM - vector orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
VSAT - very small aperture terminal (satellite service)
VSB - vestigial side band
VSWR - voltage standing wave ratio
WAP - wireless application protocol
W-CDMA - wideband code-division multiple access
WLAN - wireless local area network