Glossary

Avalanche photodiode, highly sensitive semiconductor electronic device that converts light to electricity.

Automatic repeat (or resend) request, protocol for error control in data transmission in Taara Lightbridge. When the receiver detects an error in a packet, it automatically requests the transmitter to resend the packet. This process is repeated until the packet is error free or the error continues beyond a predetermined number of transmissions

Decrease in signal strength along fiber optic waveguide caused by absorption and scattering, usually expressed in dB/km

Bit error rate, rate at which errors occur in the transmission of digital data

Category 6 cable, a standardized twisted-pair cable for Ethernet and other network connections that supports higher bandwidths and performance than previous categories like Cat 5 and Cat 5e

Laser safety classification for eye-safe laser that is safe to view with the unaided eye

A device used to narrow and focus diverging beams of light, launching transmitted light from a dual-clad fiber into free space and received light from free space into the same dual-clad fiber. (Collimated light has minimal divergence angle, so that when it propagates in the free space, it propagates as a “pencil beam” compared to a divergent beam that would propagate as a cone beam. A cone beam would project a large circle at the receiving end. With the finite receive aperture, a cone beam would lose a lot of the power.)

Cell on Wheels, a mobile cell site mounted on a truck or trailer that provides temporary wireless network coverage and is transportable, allowing fast and easy installation in restricted spaces

Coarse pointing mirror, which compensates for slow-rate changes like tower sway, used for the pointing, acquisition, and tracking mechanism in Taara Lightbridge

Erbium-doped fiber amplifier, optical repeater device used to boost the intensity of optical signals being carried through a fiber optic communications system

Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance and Security

Forward error correction, a method of obtaining error control in data transmission in which the transmitter sends redundant data and receiver recognizes only the portion of the data that contains no apparent errors

Thin sheet like structures on the link enclosure that allow air to pass through and prevent excessive heating on the link

Field-programmable gate array, integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturing

Fast-steering mirror. To ensure the beams stay locked, each Taara Lightbridge uses mirrors that work together, a coarse pointing mirror (CPM) to compensate for slow-rate changes like tower sway, and a fast steering mirror (FSM) to compensate for rapidly changing atmospheric or environmental factors like vibrations of the mounting structure.

Free-space optical communication, or optical communication technology that uses light propagating in free space to wirelessly transmit data for telecommunications or computer networking

The time it takes for a data packet to travel from a source to a destination and back again when sending and receiving information over a network, often measured in milliseconds

A single Taara Lightbridge link is composed of 2 Taara Lightbridge terminals on either end, spaced up to 20 km apart.

Line of sight, a clear and direct path of communication or visibility between a transmitter and receiver without any obstruction in between. Taara Lightbridge requires line of sight for communication.

Optical Phased Array, a device that electronically steers a laser beam without any moving parts by controlling the phase of light waves from multiple individual elements

Pointing, acquisition, and tracking. Imagine pointing an incredibly narrow light beam — less than 1/300th of a degree — accurately enough to hit a 5-cm target that's 10 km away. That’s how accurately two Taara Lightbridge align beams of light to create a strong and reliable connection!

Power control loop, a feedback mechanism used to regulate the output of a power supply, ensuring it delivers a consistent voltage, current, or power

Photonic integrated circuit, chips that use optical components like waveguides and lasers to manipulate and transmit information using light, enabling high-speed data transmission with lower power consumption and higher bandwidth compared to traditional electronic integrated circuits

Power-over-Ethernet, the latest standard of Power over Ethernet, officially known as IEEE 802.3bt, which delivers up to 60 watts per port

A grid-based scanning method where a sensor or beam systematically moves across a surface, collecting data point-by-point to form a complete image. It is used in displays to draw images by sweeping an electron beam horizontally across the screen, then rapidly moving it to the next line, while also slowly moving down to create a grid pattern

Received Signal Strength Indicator, or the amount of power received by a wireless communication device

Temporal and spatial variations in light intensity due to atmospheric turbulence; heated air rising from the earth or man-made devices such as heating ducts create temperature variations among different air pockets. This can cause fluctuations in signal amplitude which leads to 'image dancing' on the receiver end.

Small-form factor pluggable, a module that enables high-speed data connectivity, typically up to 10 Gbps

Simple Network Management Protocol, a standard protocol for monitoring and management of devices in a network like routers, switches, and servers. It allows network administrators to collect real-time data about performance, usage, and faults or security issues

Element management system for Taara Lightbridge, which helps installers to quickly deploy, configure, monitor, and manage Taara Lightbridge links. Download Taara Prism at the Taara Partner Portal (partner.taaraconnect.com).

A region of the electromagnetic spectrum with frequencies between microwave and infrared, used for applications like high-speed wireless optical communication

Device used to simulate atmosphere for testing purposes

Uninterruptible power supply, an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source or mains power fails.

Wireless Optical Communication, a technology that uses light in the optical spectrum to transmit data wirelessly through the air. Taara Lightbridge is a wireless optical communication system that delivers high-speed data over long range.