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Power Protection Glossary
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GLOSSARY


TERM DESCRIPTION

AC Acronym for alternating current.

Agent A unique and intricate part of the system that prepares information for the server or client. A software program or script used to perform a specific task.

Alternating Current (AC) A type of current that alternates from positive to negative at regular intervals; often called AC. It is the standard type of current used in electrical distribution systems by utility power companies. Electrical wall outlets in nearly all structures served with utility power provide AC power.

Amp The unit of measure for electrical current.

Apparent Power VA is a measure of apparent power and watts are a measure of real power.

Arc Sparking that results when current flows between two points that are not connected by a conducted specified for the application..

ARP "Address Resolution Protocol" is a protocol used with the IP protocol for mapping a 32-bit Internet Protocol address to a MAC address recognized in the local network specified in RFC 826. Once recognized, the server or computer usually returns a response containing the required address.

Arrester A concept of nonlinear impedance connected between power conductors to suppress transients larger than a selected voltage, usually used for lightning protection. Is somewhat synonymous with "suppressor".

Attenuation When a signal decreases. Measured in DB's or decibels

Backbone The backbone is commonly used to connect large networks transmitting enormous data together and usually carries the majority of the traffic Larger backbones used for the Internet are used to carry the majority of traffic throughout the world.

Bandwidth The total maximum capacity of a network or modem connection. Commonly measured in Bits Per Second (BPS). More bandwidth capacity allows for faster sending and receiving of information. Shared bandwidth may reduce speeds depending upon traffic.

Battery Produces direct current (DC) via a chemical reaction from a group of cells.

Blackout A total loss of AC power that can last a few cycles of many days.

BNC connector Defined as Bayonet Neil Concelman connector typically used with coaxial cabling

BOOTP Acronym for bootstrap protocol. Allows diskless computers to discover various network information.

Breaker Analogous to a "circuit breaker"

Broadband Providing a variety of channels and data over a single communication medium such as wire, coax or cable. Examples of this include DSL, FTTH and cable modem service.

Broadcast In general, a broadcast is used to describe a message sent to all individuals in an area. In computer networking, the broadcast address is used to distribute a signal across a network, commonly used to declare to other devices on a network that a new device has connected to the network and to give other mechanisms information about the newly connected device.

Brownout Analogous to an undervoltage. When voltage is available, however, too little to properly operate equipment.

Capacitor A discreet electrical device which utilizes two electrodes and an intervening insulator

CAT5 Category 5 is a description of network cabling that consists of four twisted pairs of copper wire. It allows faster transmission of data due to its close "Twisting".

Cell Part of a battery this is characterized by two metal plates suspended in an electrolyte which, when connected in a circuit, causes a current to flow.

Charge Voltage The required voltage that must be applied to batteries in order to maintain maximum charge.

Choke An inductor that resists the flow of current at specified frequencies as part of an filter, commonly designed to block high-frequency transients from incoming a/c power. Chokes are often part of surge suppressors..

Circuit Breaker A protectionary device that "Triggers" to a preset level of excess current flow by opening the circuit.

Clamp Voltage The maximum voltage allowed on an electrical circuit. When incoming AC voltage exceeds the clamp voltage of the suppression components, the overvoltage is diverted to ground. This may be an important consideration to the buyer of a surge suppression device as it specifies at what point the device will trigger.

Coax Acronym for coaxial cable. A communications cable made up of two concentric conductors separated by a tube of dielectric substance (usually foam or air) with the outer conductor used as a shield/ground..

Collision When data collides or when one or more computers attempt to send data at the same time to one computer, server, or other network device. When collisions are encountered the computer, server or network device will send back a request to try sending the data again.

Common Mode Voltage The measure of voltage between neutral and ground.

Converter A device that changes DC voltage to AC voltage or vice versa.

CPU An acronym that stands for Central Processing Unit. The CPU is the ("intelligence computer system, which performs functions such as logic, arithmetic, program execution.

Crossover cable A networking cable that connects two computers or networking devices together..

CSMA/CD The acronym for Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection. Defined as rules specifying how network devices respond when two devices attempt to use a data channel simultaneously and encounter a data collision. Parts of this definition are time that devices should wait when collisions occur.

Current Expressed in "amps" or amperes and is the flow of current I an electrical device or circuit..

Cycles per second Describes the frequency of alternating current. Hertz is the measure of cycles per second.

Direct Current (DC) Acronym for direct current produced in batteries.

Decibel (dB) The standard unit of expressing the loss or gain of electrical power in a circuit.

DHCP Acronym for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Acts as a protocol used to assign an IP address to a device connected to a network that does not require a static IP address.

Dip A short duration brownout condition often seen as a "flickering" condition. Quite often the starting and stopping of inductive loads causes this condition.

Direct Current (DC) A type of electricity that has no frequency and is usually caused by a chemical reaction.

Disk duplexing Disk duplexing is a process a writing information to the hard drive; generally coped to multiple hard drives on different disk controllers..

Distortion Any degradation or deviation of the normal AC sine wave.

DNS Acronym for Domain Name System. A server that helps identify domain names.

Domain Generally Microsoft operating system related that is characterized by a group of network resources assigned to a group of users. Often used to divide geographical areas of a corporation or departments contained within. Also, used to specify an internet page.

Domain name A unique Identifying set of letters given to a system of computers. An example of this would be Microsoft,com

Double Conversion UPS The most commonly deployed online topology.

Dropout Voltage The point at which at which a device fails to operate properly and/or safely because of a low voltage condition.

Efficiency The amount of energy lost in the form of heat during DC to AC conversion. Devices are often specified by their % efficiency.

Electrical Interference [EMI, RFI] Describes four types of electrical interference: Electromagnetic Interference, Radio Frequency Interference, Electromagnetic Pulse, and Electrostatic Discharge. These signals can cause egress into other types of electronic equipment and electrical signals.

EMI Electromagnetic Interference which is one of the four types of unwanted electrical interference.

Energy Absorption .Measured in joules and often refers to the capacity or amount of electrical energy a device can absorb.

Ethernet Ethernet is the most widely used local-area network (LAN) protocol originally and is characterized as being fast and reliable.

Ethernet Adapter A device or card that utilizes the Ethernet protocol and connects a perpheral computer to a network.

Ethernet II Also known as 802.3, Ethernet II, is modified version f the original Ethernet.

Ethernet SNAP "Ethernet SubNetwork Access Protocol".

External LAN adapter An "add-on" or expansion card or device used to connect a computer to a network.

Fast Ethernet Fast Ethernet is faster than regular Ethernet. It is a communications protocol that allows computers on a LAN to transmit information with one another at rates of 100 BPS instead of the traditional 10 BPS. Fast Ethernet leverages Category 5 twisted-pair wiring..

Feedback Output circuit energy that is fed from its output back to its input that can often be disruptive in nature.

Fiber-optic A type of communications cabling that is made of glass and allows lightwaves to be transmitted and received.

File server A network computer that's main purpose is to provide users on a network file access..

Filter An electronic component that blocks the passage of predefined frequencies while allowing other frequencies to pass. Filters are often components of more complex devices

Firewall A device and/or architecture utilizing software and/or hardware that limits outside network access to a computer or network. Firewalls are one defense mechanism preventing unauthorized access or "hacking" into a network.

Formulas Process that produces numerical results .Values that can be calculated by formulas are Amps, VA, Watts, etc.

Frequency Cycles per second in an AC circuit and measured in Hz.

FTP Acronym for File Transfer Protocol. An efficient way to transfer files between computers or over the internet.

Fuse A device installed within a circuit or product that automatically self-destructs when the current passing through exceeds its rated value.

Gateway An address used as a point of entry into another network. Routers commonly have gateway addresses.

Generator A device that provides power generation from a motor that drives electrical generation. Generator systems do not have the ability to start quickly enough to provided "uninterrupted" power during a power outage: therefore, the commonly are deployed in conjunction with a UPS.

Gigabit Ethernet Another Ethernet technology capable of transferring 1000 milli bits per second. The technology is often called 1000Base-T.

Ground A connection created by conductors an electrical circuit and the earth.

Ground Loop Multiple ground references in an electrical system that can interfere with the normal operation of the system

Ground Rod A metal rod driven into the ground usually at the entrance of a structure. Quite often ground rods are specified by local ordinances

Hardwire Protectors Products that do not have a plug and require installation by a qualified technician according to NEC codes.

Harmonic A frequency that is direct multiple of its base frequency. For example, 100 Hz is the second harmonic of 50 Hz.

Harmonic Distortion Distortion of the normal sine wave form by excessive harmonic content.

Hertz (Hz) Cycles per second of an AC wave form..

Hops Describes the number or amount of connection between the source and destination. This can be captured by the traceroute command.

Host Computer Has multiple computers or network devices connected to it, may execute the majority of the workload and may have several client computers attached to it.

Hot Swappable Battery Is a concept that describes the ability for a device utilizing batteries, such as a UPS, to allow battery replacement without the necessary "powering down" of the device.

Hub Allows multiple computers to be connected together.

Hz Acronym for Hz.

IGBT Acronym for Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor. a semiconductor device that operates like a bipolar transistor, but has a field effect type gate. It becomes conductive when a gate-emitter voltage is applied. No current needs to be injected. When gate-emitter voltage is very low the device switches off.

IIS "Internet Information Server". A Microsoft based web server that runs on Windows NT / Windows 2000 platforms.

Impedance Is the total opposition to AC current flow within a circuit. The measure of this opposition is "Ohms"

Inductive Load Electrical load that is characterizes by a lagging current wave form. Electric motors quite often are inductive loads as they require a great deal of current upon start-up. Some inductive loads such as electric motors have a large startup current requirement. See Inrush Current.

Inductor Inductors utilize a coiled conductor often designed and used to block high frequency spikes.

Inrush Current The initial surge of a current into a device or load before attaining normal operating conditions. Typically required of highly inductive loads, such as motors and air conditioners.

Inverter A standalone device or part of a UPS that converts DC power to AC power.

IP Acronym for Internet Protocol. Defined as an address of a computer or networking device on a TCP/IP network. Allows data to reach its desired location.

IPX/SPX Acronym for Internet Packet eXchange\Sequential Packet exchange. A Novell LAN protocol allowing exchanges of information between, applications, clients and peripherals.

Isolated Filter Bank A unique feature of the Isobar surge protector that prevents noise created by equipment plugged into one bank of an Isobar from affecting a device plugged into a separate bank on the same Isobar.

Isolation Transformer A specialized transformer used to reduce or eliminate noise from the input to the load; creating a dedicated or isolated ground circuit.

Joule Is defined as the measure of electrical energy. Quite often refers to a surge suppressors or UPS ability to absorb energy.

KVA " kilovolt amperes". This is a unit of measure of apparent or reactive powering an AC circuit.

kW "kilowatt" (a unit of measure of real power).

LAN Acronym for Local-Area Network. Networking equipment within close proximity capable of communicating, sharing resources and information with each other.

Line Conditioner Any device with a primary function to condition the quality of commercial power received by a load. This may include increasing voltage, decreasing voltage, stabilizing frequency, etc

Line Interactive UPS A switching UPS technology usually providing Automatic Voltage Requlation (AVR) and instead of switching to batteries during a brownout or overvoltage, switches taps on the transformer. Thus, providing the benefit of not utilizing the batteries as much as standby technologies.

Linear Load Te opposite of inductive load. An electrical load, which, in steady state operation, presents a constant load impedance to the power source and do not require extreme in rush currents.

Load The summation of electrical devices utilizing input AC power from the utility grid or another power source.

MAC Acronym for Medium Access Control. A unique hexadecimal address given to each networking device to properly identify it.

Mail server A mail server's main purpose is to archive email messages for client computers on a network Users can request that mail be delivered to the client computer for viewing.

MIB Acronym for Management Information Base. A MIB provides definitions and parameters of objects that can be monitored by a computer or network management system.

MOV "Metal Oxide Varistor". Is a component utilized in surge suppression devices that absorbs energy from overvoltages: however, will degrade over time due to a "pitting effect".

MTBF Acronym that stands for Mean Time Between Failure. Is a measure of product or component reliability defined as the probable length of time that a component taken from a particular batch will survive if operated under the same conditions as a sample from that particular batch.

NAT Acronym for Network Address Translation. An Internet standard that enables a LAN to use one or more IP addresses for internal traffic and a second for external..

NetBEUI "NETBios Enhanced User Interface" An enhancement of the NetBIOS protocol allowing a computer to communicate with other computers utilizing the same protocol.

NetBIOS "Network Basic Input/Output System", allows software applications commonly used on IBM compatible computers to communicate with network hardware with the net effect of allowing data to be transmitted precisely and efficiently over a network.

Network Networks leverage software and hardware and allow information and peripherals to be shared efficiently, precisely and economically. Networks allow easy user- to-user communication locally and remotely, and allow multiple users to share one or more devices either in close or distant proximity.

Neutral A single conductor of a three phase wye system. Its purpose in a single-phase 120 volt system is to carry the entire current and in a three phase system to carry the unbalanced current.

NIC Acronym for Network Interface Card which is also analogous to network adapter. Defined as a printed circuit board that allows a computer to "talk" to a network..

Noise Unwanted electrical signals that enter into a circuit via "egress". Noise can produce negative effects in the circuits of the control systems in which they occur.

Nominal Voltage The nominal value or required voltage of a circuit.

Nonlinear Load An electrical load which draws variable current or has variable impedance. Ex. Motors, AC, etc.

Normal Mode Voltage A voltage summation that appears between or among active circuit conductors. A 120VAC system should yield 120VAC between hot an neutral.

Off Line UPS Analogous to a Standby UPS. A UPS that causes a brief interruption in the output while switching..

Online Double Conversion UPS An online UPS design topology that is characterized by a pure sine wave output and no switching time. 100% of the power is converted to DC and 100% of the power is converted back to AC.

Orderly Shutdown Sequential shutdown procedure used on a computer system to prevent damage to the system or unwanted actions by any of the system's units. For example, a computer typically requires an orderly shutdown to preserve data integrity.

Outage A utility failure characterized by a long-term loss of AC to customers and/or the utility grid

Overvoltage An overvoltage refers to a voltage having a value of at least 10% above the nominal voltage for any lasting period of time. This occurrence may last a few seconds,days or indefinitely..

Packet A predefined group of data sent from one computer to another computer over a network. Packets define information such as its source, destination, size, and necessary parameters that aid in packet routing a delivery.

Peak Voltage The highest peak-to-peak voltage present on the waveform. The value is often much higher than the nominal voltage.

Phase Time deviation between two or more events tied to the same frequency.

Ping Abbreviation for Packet InterNet Groper. Users often use this to check for network errors. This utility is often used to verify if a network data packet is capable of being distributed to an address without errors or issues.

Plug-in protectors Refers to surge protection equipment with a plug and receptacles that allow users without knowledge of electrical wiring to install and properly protect connected equipment.

Point of Use Point of use power protection equipment are usually placed near equipment, rather than on branch circuits or utility power entrances. UPS and "strip" style surge protectors can be used to protect point of use applications.

POP3 Acronym for Post Office Protocol. A commonly used protocol used to receive e-mail on many e-mail clients.

Power Factor (True) The differential of active power (watts) to apparent power (VA) expressed as a ratio.. Power factor is the spread between VA and wattage.

Pseudo Sine Wave Analogous to Pulse Width Modulated Sine Wave.

Pulse Width Modulation The process of modulating a pulse train by varying the pulse width proportionately to the modulating signal when a UPS is in battery mode. Causes more THD than a true sine wave

PWM Sine Wave An alternate AC wave form that provides several rectangular steps that mimics the energy supply of a sine wave. Today, UPS, depending upon price, offer pure sine wave or PMW sine wave.

Redundancy Duplicating devices to the extent that if one were to fail there would be another unit to transparently replace the failed unit.

Response Time The time it takes for a surge suppressor to respond to a surge.

RFI Acronym for Radio Frequency Interference. Defined as a type of unwanted electrical interference.

Ripple The small amount of a/c source residue that appears on the output of a d/c power supply. Engineers try to limit the amount of ripple current.

RJ-45 A telephone connector with a capacity of up to eight wires. Used to connect Ethernet and Token Ring type devices.

RMS Acronym for Root-Mean-Square. Often used to measure and compare voltages. A mathematical formula used to calculate values of time-variant waveforms. 120V nominal voltage levels are RMS levels. See peak voltages.

Rolling Blackouts A predefined, scheduled elimination of power to a certain area of the electrical grid by the utility provider

Sag Analogous to an undervoltage.

Shield Provides a protective barrier on communication cables to electrostatic or electromagnetic fields that can present egress.

Shunt A shunt diverts an overvoltage to ground.

Sine Wave The most common type of AC waveform. This type of wave form is provided by the utility grid.

Single Phase Power Characterized by a single AC waveform. Long-haul utility transmission power lines provide 3-phase power.

SMTP "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol" The most common e-mail protocol on the Internet. SMTP is TCP/IP protocol that defines the message format and the message transfer agent, which acts to store and forward the mail.

SNMP Acronym for Simple Network Management Protocol. The most commonly used network monitoring and control protocol. Data is passed via SNMP agents, to the workstation used to manage the network.

Spike An extreme rise in voltage ( up to thousands of volts) for a very short period of time (less than 1ms).

SPS Acronym for Standby Power Supply or Switching Power supply.

Square Wave A type of AC waveform. Different than sine wave or PWM and often less desirable.

Standby UPS A UPS that passes line power straight through to the output when conditions are stable, but switches to battery power when line voltage decreases slightly. This topology provides limited filtering and protection, although is the least expensive.

STP Acronym for Shielded Twisted Pair. A telephone wire that is wrapped in a metal outer sheath designed to eliminate external interference.

Subnet mask A technique of filtering of filtering messages into a defined segment (subnet) utilized by IP protocol separated into a binary pattern in the client machine.

Suppressor A surge protection device that protects connected equipment by diverting excess energy away from equipment and out to the electrical grounding system.

Surge A short term, high intensity voltage increase that exceeds limits for multiple cycles or more.

Swell Analogous to overvoltage..

Switch A cross connecting device for computers or LAN segments. Switches provide superior features to hubs.

Switching Power Supply Acts as a power converter to a PC or networking device. Converts the incoming AC power to an acceptable DC voltage so the PC or networking device can operate. Switching Power Supplies can withstand short duration power losses due to the way they convert and utilize power.

Tap Switching A procedure of switching coils within an autotransformer to maintain an acceptable output voltage. Line interactive topology often utilizes tap switching.

TCP/IP Acronym for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TCP/IP is two separate protocols that are used together. Simply stated, IP standard dictates how packets of information are sent out over networks.TCP checks packets for errors and submits request for re-transmissions if necessary; thus, ensuring reliability of data transmission across the internet.

Telnet A terminal emulation protocol. This protocol is very commonly used on the Internet, and TCP/IP-based networks allowing at a computer to access a remote device and run a program.

Three-Phase Power The most common type of power to industrial and large commercial buildings. Electrical power supplied on three separate conductors with a phase difference of 120 degrees between any two of the conductors.. At the building entrance or panel, the three phases may be split into three single-phase legs.

Torroidal Chokes A filter of a surge suppressor that contains a circular ferrite core wrapped with wire windings that exist to continuously filter and attenuate high frequency signals present via the incoming power.

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) Expressed as a ratio. Distortion of the normal sine wave form by excessive harmonic content.

Traceroute A utility that reports the path and IP addresses from the client machine to the remote host.

Transfer Time The switching time it takes to switch from AC line power to DC battery power. This may impact the load.

Transformer A device used to change the voltage or provide isolation. Typically made of copper and/or aluminum wiring.

Transient High frequency, short term rise in voltage.

TVSS Acronym for Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor. Another term for surge suppressor taken from the UL designation for this type of product.

Undervoltage When used to describe a specific type of long duration low voltage variation, refers to a measured voltage having a value at least 10% below the nominal voltage for a period of time greater than one minute. Undervoltages frequently occur during air conditioning season due to peak power demands and may last only minutes or several hours, days or months in duration. See Rolling Blackout.

UPS An acronym for uninterruptible power supply. A device that provides continuous, acceptable power to its connected loads. Common topologies of UPS are standby, line interactive and on-line.

User Replaceable Battery A product feature that allows the user to replace the battery without the need for third party help.

UTP Cable Defined as Unshielded Twisted Pair cable, A commonly used cable deployed in computer networking that consists of two unshielded wires twisted around each other.

VA Abbreviation for Volt Amps. The unit of measurement of apparent power. Wattage is either equal or less than VA.

Volt A unit of measure for voltage. Voltage is electrical pressure that forces current to flow in a conductor..

Voltage Regulator A device that is designed to provide a constant output voltage regardless of input power fluctuations.

Volt-ampere (VA) The unit of measurement of apparent power.

WAP Acronym for Wireless Application Protocol, Defined as specifications for a set of communication protocols related to wireless devices.

Watt A unit of measure for true power..

Waveform The type output of an AC source.

 

 

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