Glossary

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There are currently 16 terms in this directory beginning with the letter S.
Scalability
The capability of a system to increase or decrease in performance and cost in response to changes in its environment and demands.

Self Tuning
An algorithm that allows a WDM optical transceiver to tune itself without the manual input of a technician. It makes the process of network installation and management much easier.

Semiconductor Optical Amplifier
An optical amplifier built on a semiconductor chip and that can be integrated with other optical components on the same chip. Must be produced on an active material such as InP (so they can't be made in silicon)
SOA

SFP+
The evolution of the SFP transceiver module that can support 10Gbps channels (compared to the original SFP which supports 1G)

SFP28
The SFP transceiver module version that can support speeds of 25Gbps.

Signal Conditioning
The manipulation of a signal in a way that prepares it for the next stage of processing.

Signal to Noise Ratio
A key metric of communication systems that compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise.

Silicon Photonics
Photonics applications and devices that use silicon material as an optical medium.

SiPh has the advantage of being compatible with many existing electronics manufacturing systems
but the disadvantage of lacking native laser and amplifier components. These active components must be made from a different optical material."
SiPh

Small Form-Factor Pluggable
A compact pluggable transceiver module that can be connected to networking hardware (switches, routers)
SFP

Smart Pluggable
A pluggable transceiver that can adapt to different network configurations and conditions in real-time, thanks to embedded intelligence and adaptive features

Software Defined Network
The networking paradigm that decouples the control layer from networking hardware and centralizes it in a hub (usually in the cloud). This means that the central office can manage all the hardware or virtualize network functions in servers. This makes network management much easier.
SDN

Spectral Bands
The different "colors" of the electromagnetic spectrum. The most common band for optical communications is the C-band (1530-1565nm) but there also other bands such as the L-band (1565-1625), the S-band (1460-1530nm) and the O-band (1260-1360nm).

Speed of Light
The speed of light in a vacuum (represented by c) is a fundamental physical constant and the "speed limit" of the universe. However, if light travels in a medium (such as air or fiber), the speed of light will decrease.

SWaP
Acronym for "Size, Weight, and Power". These are key parameters to be minimized in most technology applications.

System Integrators
Companies that buy telecommunications equipment and use it to build and manage telecom infrastructure and systems. They provide the full system and management solution for network carriers.