Network Warrior

Telecom Glossary

ACD

ACD stands for Automatic Call Distributor. An ACD is usually found in a call center, where calls may come in from anywhere, and need to be directed to the next available operator, or queued until one is available.

Add/Drop

The term Add/Drop is used in telecom to describe the capability of peeling off channels from a circuit and routing them elsewhere. An Add/Drop CSU/DSU has the ability to separate ranges of channels to discrete data ports, thus allowing a T1 to be split into two partial T1s. One could be used for voice, and the other for data, or both could be used for either function and routed differently. You can make an Add/Drop device function like a non-Add/Drop device simply by assigning all of the channels to a single data port. However, Add/Drop functionality adds cost to devices, so it should only be considered if the added functionality is required.

Analog and digital

Would you like to have some fun? Ask someone in the computer field to define the word "analog." You might be surprised at some of the answers you receive.

Analog means, literally, the same. When one item is analogous to another, it is the same as the other item. In the telecom and data worlds, "analog" refers to a signal that is continuous in amplitude and time.

An analog signal is not composed of discrete values: any small fluctuation of the signal is important. Radio waves are analog, as are power waves. Sound is also analog. When you speak, you create waves of air that hit people's eardrums. ...