The glossary contains terms and acronyms that are used in this document.
AT command
A command used to control the modem.
AT command
Band-Pass Filter (BPF)
An electronic device or circuit that passes frequencies within a certain range and
rejects frequencies outside that range.
BPF
Cat-NB1
NB-IoT
UE category with 200 kHz UE bandwidth and a single RX antenna, specified in 3GPP Release 13.
Cat-NB2
An upgraded version of
Cat-NB1, specified in 3GPP Release 14.
Clear to Send (CTS)
In flow control, the receiving end is ready and telling the far end to start
sending.
CTS
DECT NR+
A non-cellular radio standard included as part of the 5G standards by the
ITU.
DECT NR+
Development Kit (DK)
A hardware development platform used for application development.
DK
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
A sudden discharge of electric current between two electrically charged
objects.
ESD
Fast Identity Online (FIDO)
A bundle of hardware and software modules serving as a tracing interface between
traced device(s) and user application.
FIDO
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
A satellite navigation system with global coverage. The system provides signals from
space transmitting positioning and timing data to GNSS receivers, which use this data to
determine location.
GNSS
General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO)
A digital signal pin that can be used as input, output, or both. It is uncommitted and can be controlled by the user at runtime.
GPIO
Global Positioning System (GPS)
A satellite-based radio navigation system that provides its users with accurate
location and time information over the globe.
GPS
Hardware Flow Control (HWFC)
A handshaking mechanism used to prevent an overflow of bytes in modems. It uses two dedicated pins on the RS-232 connector, Request to Send and Clear to Send.
HWFC
Integrated Circuit (IC)
A semiconductor chip consisting of fabricated transistors, resistors, and capacitors.
IC
Inter-integrated Circuit (I2C)
A multi-master, multi-slave, packet-switched, single-ended, serial computer
bus.
I2C
Low-Dropout Regulator (LDO)
A linear voltage regulator that can operate even when the supply voltage is very close
to the desired output voltage.
LDO
Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA)
In a radio receiving system, an electronic amplifier that amplifies a very low-power
signal without significantly degrading its signal-to-noise ratio.
LNA
Low-Power Wide Area (LPWA)
A wireless communication technology designed to allow long-range communication at a
low bit rate.
LPWA
Long-Term Evolution (LTE)
A wireless broadband communication standard for mobile devices and data terminals, based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA technologies.
LTE
LTE-M
An open standard that is most suitable for medium throughput applications requiring
low power, low latency, and/or mobility, like asset tracking, wearables, medical, POS, and
home security applications. Also known as Cat-M1.
Mass Storage Device (MSD)
Any storage device that makes it possible to store and port large amounts of data in a
permanent and machine-readable fashion.
MSD
nRF Cloud
Nordic Semiconductor's platform for connecting IoT devices to the cloud, viewing and
analyzing device message data, prototyping ideas that use Nordic Semiconductor chips, and
more. It includes a public REST API that can be used for building IoT solutions. See
nRF Cloud portal (nrfcloud.com).
Operational Amplifier (op-amp)
A high-gain voltage amplifier that has a differential input and, usually, a single
output.
op-amp
Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
A board that connects electronic components.
PCB
Receive Data (RXD)
A signal line in a serial interface that receives data from another device.
RXD
Request to Send (RTS)
In flow control, the transmitting end is ready and requesting the far end for a
permission to transfer data.
RTS
SAW filter
A high-performing filter using Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology. This technology
employs piezoelectric transducers, which, when excited, produce waves that are used to
filter out desired frequencies.
Serial Wire Debug (SWD)
A standard two-wire interface for programming and debugging Arm® CPUs.
SWD
Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW)
An acoustic wave traveling along the surface of a material exhibiting elasticity, with
an amplitude that typically decays exponentially with depth into the substrate.
SAW
System in Package (SiP)
Several integrated circuits, often from different technologies, enclosed in a single module that performs as a system or subsystem.
SiP
System on Chip (SoC)
A microchip that integrates all the necessary electronic circuits and components of a
computer or other electronic systems on a single integrated circuit.
SoC
Microwave coaxial connector with switch (SWF)
A small, RF surface-mount switch connector series for wireless
applications.
SWF
Serial Wire Output (SWO)
A data line for tracing and logging.
SWO
Transmit Data (TXD)
A signal line in a serial interface that transmits data to another device.
TXD
Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART)
A hardware device for asynchronous serial communication between devices.
UART
User Equipment (UE)
Any device used by an end-user to communicate. The UE consists of the Mobile Equipment
(ME) and the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC).
UE
U.FL
An ultra-small surface-mount coaxial connector designed for high-frequency performance.
U.FL
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
An industry standard that establishes specifications for cables and connectors and
protocols for connection, communication, and power supply between computers, peripheral devices,
and other computers.
USB