Handbook

Redbox User Handbook No 1
139
12
GLOSSARY
GLOSSARY
Racks Room Often called the Master Control Room (MCR) or Central Apparatus Room
(CAR), the racks room is an engineering area containing studio routing
to transmitter equipment. Outside sources, phone-in equipment, o-air
and transmitter status monitoring and logging equipment (or the
transmitter itself !) are stored here with limited access.
RDS Radio Data System.
Reverb An echo (in very basic terms).
RF Radio Frequency.
RJ-45 A connection standard used in computer networking.
S/PDIF Sony/Phillips Digital Interface. Domestic digital audio interface standard
using phono connectors or optically using bre-optic connectors.
SPL Sound Pressure Level.
TA Trac Announcement (ag) - a means of signalling to a radio with FM
RDS indicating that trac/travel news is being broadcast.
T/B Talk-back (and reverse talk-back). This is the ability for two or more
studios to communicate with each other o-air.
TBU See Telephone Balance Unit
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. Computer
interconnection methodology used on the internet and LANs.
Telephone Telephone hybrids provide the interface between professional audio
Balance equipment and the public telephone network. They provide protection
Unit (TBU) for your equipment and the public telephone lines, allowing for varying
or Hybrid line signals and line conditions. Automatically cancelling out the
unwanted signal they also facilitate two-way communication down a
single telephone line. In most European countries, including the UK, the
TBU must be approved for connection to telephone company lines. Sonifex
TBU’s carry British Telecom and pan European approval.
THD The Total Harmonic Distortion is the percentage presence of signals
outside the measured reference frequency.
TMC (RDS) Trac Message Channel.
TP Trac Programme (ag) - a means of indicating to an RDS radio that a
station will carry trac announcements.
U A height measurement for rack-mount equipment:
1U = 1.75 inches
2U = 3.5 inches
3U = 5.25 inches
4U = 7 inches
UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply. A device which maintains power to
equipment when the electricity supply fails.
VHF Very High Frequency - frequencies between 30MHz and 300MHz.
VP Vertical Polarisation i.e. of FM radio transmission.
VSWR Voltage Standing Wave Radio
VU Voltage units
WAP Wireless Application Protocol - a system for delivering mini-web pages to
mobile phones from the Internet.
X21 A data communications protocol used in synchronous connections.
XLR Professional, robust lockable audio connector - sometimes known as a
‘Cannon’ after one of the earlier manufacturers.