Glossary
© 2013 Harmonic Inc.
370
Ellipse 3000 r.3.0, Rev. B
API
Application Programming Interface. A term applied to software libraries, functions, and tools
for building software applications.
ARAP
Advanced Resource Allocation Protocol.
ARM and ARM-4
A card for the MN20 multiplexer. Provides a DVB-ASI interface for the MN20 remultiplexer. It
accepts up to four independent
MPTS
s in either the DVB-ASI or
M2S
protocol. Harmonic
redesigned the ARM module resulting in the ARM-4 module, which has the same
functionality as the ARM module.
ARP
Address Resolution Protocol. Used for communications between network devices. See
ASI
Asynchronous Serial Interface. A DVB-defined electrical interface for carrying MPEG-2
transport streams at a defined transmission rate within a 270 Mbps carrier.
ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode. A high-bandwidth, low-delay switching and multiplexing
technology for delivering high-speed data, including digital video and audio.
ATSC
Advanced Television Systems Committee. Establishes standards for digital terrestrial
television system in the US and other countries.
B
balanced audio
Audio that is transmitted differentially, that is, sending the positive and negative signals of an
audio waveform so that the audio arrives undistorted because noise is cancelled out.
See
also
.
bandwidth
The maximum amount of data that a transmission device (cable, fiber-optics link, satellite
feed, and so on) is capable of carrying.
bandwidth allocation
The process of assigning portions of the total bandwidth on the basis of the requirements of
the program material. A channel that requires a high-quality picture, for example, a live
sports broadcast, might be allocated a high bandwidth. A channel that can be transmitted
with a lower-quality picture, for example, a VCR-quality movie, might be assigned a lower
bandwidth.
