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Glossary

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There are currently 6 terms in this directory beginning with the letter A.
Access Network
The section of a telecom network that connects subscribers to the plant of their immediate service provider.
Active Component
A part of a photonic circuit that requires external electric power to control or modify optical signals. Examples: lasers, modulators, photodetectors
Analog Signal
A continuous signal that represents (i.e. another physical quantity (i.e. that is "analogous" to the other quantity).
Analog-To-Digital Converter
An electronic component that samples an analog signal, such as a human voice or laser light, and encodes it into a digital signal comprised of 0s and 1s.
ADC
Application-Specific Integrated Circuit
An ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) is a microchip designed for a special application, such as a particular kind of transmission protocol or a hand-held computer. You might contrast it with general integrated circuits, such as the microprocessor and the random access memory chips in your PC.
ASIC
Attenuation
The degradation of an optical signal over distance. Depending on the medium (air, optical fiber) this degradation will vary.