Instruction manual
Glossar
140 025-9416
Term Definition
ASCII Character
A letter, number, or symbol belonging to the American Standard
Character set. The standard includes 256 characters, each identified by
a three-digit decimal number (000-255).
Audio
Identifies anything that is “heard,” either by the human ear or by some
equipment. In the Model 640, audio can indicate incoming trunk data
(voice, DTMF, or serial) or outgoing station data (voice, serial, digital,
or analog).
Autoformatting
A feature that defines the way numeric display messages are printed in
the pager display window. Autoformatting inserts spaces and hyphens
for numbers greater than 6 digits in length. Formatted pages are
usually easier for the subscriber to decipher.
Batching
The way in which the paging terminal radio station groups pages for
transmission. Each batch contains pages of like format and priority.
Batching organization uses airtime efficiently and allows pagers with
the same preamble to use battery saver mode.
Battery Saver
A circuit used in some pagers to extend battery life. Battery saver
essentially allows the pager to use minimal battery power to monitor
airwaves for a “wake up” signal (preamble), before going into a fully
operational mode.
Baud Rate
The communications speed (in bits per second) of a modem or serial
computer interface.
Blick
An older analog pager format that is similar to Multitone in function-
ality. The Blick format supports tone and numeric display pages. The
Blick capcode is a 5-digit number.
Boot Sequence
The cycle the paging terminal goes through upon power-up to load
and initialize all software, hardware, and database operations. The
sequence lasts around 1½ minutes for the Model 640.
Breakthrough
The highest paging priority assignment where the page is immediately
cut-through on the air for live voice. Breakthrough pages should be
used only in emergency situations as they severely hamper paging
efficiency.
Bridging Clips
An electrical conductor used to connect signal leads on the opposing
sides of a punchdown block. Some clips are fused to alleviate equip-
ment damage in circuit overload conditions.
Broadcast
A transmission delivery to at least 2 radio stations simultaneously. A
broadcast is usually received over a bus-type local network or
satellite.
Buffer
A temporary storage area for holding pages or other data. Most buffers
operate generally on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis like a fast-food
drive-through line.