User Manual Part 2
Lynx.GX Installation and Management 
dBm 
Used to define signal strength in wires and cables at radio and 
audio frequencies. The symbol is an abbreviation for "decibels 
relative to one milliwatt," where one milliwatt (1 mW) equals 
1/1000 of a watt (0.001 W or 10
-3
 W). 
elevation 
See azimuth. 
ERP 
Effective Radiated Power. The product of the power supplied to 
the antenna and its gain relative to a half-wave dipole in a given 
direction. 
DC 
Direct Current 
fade margin   
Difference between the actual received signal level and the 
radio’s threshold. 
DCE 
Distributed Computing Environment. An industry-standard 
software technology for setting up and managing computing and 
data exchange in a system of distributed computers. 
FCC 
Federal Communications Commission. 
demux 
De-multiplexer 
FEC  Forward Error Correction. 
Forward Error Correction is a coding scheme used to improve 
the performance of digital signal transmission. It utilizes a 
mechanism for correcting bits that may otherwise be received 
incorrectly. 
diffraction 
The apparent bending of light waves around obstacles in its 
path. 
digital 
Electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data 
in terms of two states: positive and non-positive. 
Fresnel Zone   
Parabolic areas around the visual line-of-sight that define the 
even and odd reflection points where multipath signals will either 
be constructive or destructive to the radio waves. Based on the 
frequency of the signal, the Fresnel zones help define the proper 
antenna heights to establish ideal path clearance for optimum 
signal reception. 
diplexer 
Combines signals so only one coaxial wire needs to be run. 
dipole antenna   
A straight electrical conductor measuring ½ wavelength from end 
to end and connected at the center to a radio-frequency feed 
line. 
FTP 
File Transfer Protocol. A standard Internet protocol; the simplest 
way to exchange files between computers on the Internet. 
direct current   
DC (Direct current) is the unidirectional flow or movement of 
electric charge carriers, usually electron. 
gain 
A ratio, expressed in decibels, of the action of an antenna 
increasing the strength of a signal. 
DTE 
Data Terminal Equipment. In computer data transmission, the 
RS-232C interface that a computer uses to exchange data with a 
modem or other serial device. 
GPS 
Global Positioning System. Lets you ascertain your location 
anywhere on earth. 
HD 
High Density. 
duplex 
Duplex communication means that both ends of the 
communication can send and receive signals. Full duplex 
communication is where this happens simultaneously. Half 
duplex is also bidirectional communication, but signals only flow 
in one direction at a time. 
heatsink 
A device that is attached to a microprocessor chip to keep it from 
overheating by absorbing its heat and dissipating it into the air. 
Most heatsinks are aluminum and have "fins" that extend from 
the base. 
DVM 
Digital Volt Meter. 
hertz 
The unit for expressing frequency, ( f ). One hertz equals one 
cycle per second. 
E1 
E1 (or E-1) is a European digital transmission format devised by 
the ITU-TS and given the name by the Conference of European 
Postal and Telecommunication Administration (CEPT). It is the 
equivalent of the North American T-carrier system format. 
HTTP 
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The set of rules for exchanging 
files (text, graphic images, sound, video, and other multimedia 
files) on the World Wide Web. 
The E1 signal format carries data at a rate of 2.048 million bits 
per second and can carry 32 channels of 64 Kbps each. E1 
carries at a somewhat higher data rate than T-1 (which carries 
1.544 million bits per second) because, unlike T-1, it does not do 
bit-robbing and all eight bits per channel are used to code the 
signal. E1 and T-1 can be interconnected for international use. 
HyperTerminal 
A program that you can use to connect to other computers, 
Internet telnet sites, bulletin board systems (BBSs), online 
services, and host computers, using either your modem or your 
network card. 
EIA 
Electronic Industries Association. Comprises individual 
organizations that together have agreed on certain data 
transmission standards such as EIA/TIA-232 (formerly known as 
RS-232). 
IDU 
Indoor Unit. 
IF 
Intermediate Frequency. 
IP 
Internet Protocol. The method or protocol by which data is sent 
from one computer to another on the Internet. Each computer 
(known as a host) on the Internet has at least one IP address 
that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet. 
EIRP 
Effective Isotropic Radiated Power. The product of the power 
supplied to the antenna and the antenna gain in a given direction 
relative to an isotropic antenna. 
Acronyms / Glossary  104   










