Glossary

A type of synthetic rubber often blended with other synthetic rubbers to improve their dielectric properties.

A polymer that is used to coat optical fiber for harsh environment applications.

A substance made of repeating chemical units or molecules. The term is often used as a synonym for plastic, rubber, or elastomer.

A thermoplastic material that is similar to polyethylene, which is somewhat stiffer and has a higher softening point (temperature), with comparable electrical properties.

A general-purpose thermoplastic used for wire and cable insulation and jackets.

The basic service that supplies standard single-line telephones, telephone lines, and access to the public switched network; it only receives and places calls and has no added features like call waiting or call forwarding.

The process of sealing by filling with a substance to exclude moisture.

Occurs when power drops below normal levels for several seconds or longer.

The ratio between the total power delivered to a circuit, cable, or device and the power delivered by that device to a load.

Occurs when too much power is coming into a piece of equipment. See also power spike and power surge.

The ratio of power appearing at the load to the input power. Expressed in decibels.

Occurs when the power level drops below normal and rises to normal in less than one second.

Occurs when the power level rises above normal and drops back to normal for less than a second. See also power overage and power surge.

A test method for cables with multiple pairs of wire whereby the mathematical sum of pair-to-pair crosstalk from a reference wire pair is measured while all other wire pairs are carrying signals. Power-sum tests are necessary on cables that will be carrying bidirectional signals on more than two pairs. Most commonly measured on four-pair cables.

Occurs when the power level rises above normal and stays there for longer than a second. See also power overage and power spike.