Time

From DictionGloss

An epoch, i.e., the designation of an instant on a selected time scale, astronomical or atomic. It is used in the sense of time of day.

On a time scale, the interval between two events, or the duration of an event. An apparently irreversible continuum of ordered events.

time ambiguity - A situation in which more than one different time or time measurement can be obtained under the stated conditions.

time-assignment speech interpolation - An analog technique used on certain long transmission links to increase voice-transmission capacity.

time block - An arbitrary grouping of several consecutive hours of a day, usually for a particular season, during which it is assumed that propagation data are statistically homogeneous.

time code - A code used for the transmission and identification of time signals.

time code ambiguity - The shortest interval between successive repetitions of the same time code value.

time code resolution - The interval between two successive time code states.

time constant - The interval required for a system or circuit to change a specified fraction from one state or condition to another.

time diversity - Transmission in which signals representing the same information are sent over the same channel at different times.

time-division multiple access - A communications technique that uses a common channel (multipoint or broadcast) for communications among multiple users by allocating unique time slots to different users.

time-division multiplexing - Digital multiplexing in which two or more apparently simultaneous channels are derived from a given frequency spectrum, i.e., bit stream, by interleaving pulses representing bits from different channels.

time-division switching - Switching of time-division multiplexed (TDM) channels by shifting bits between time slots in a TDM frame.

time-domain reflectometer - An electronic instrument used to characterize and locate faults in metallic cables (e.g., twisted pair, coax).

time-gated direct-sequence spread spectrum - Direct-sequence spread spectrum where the transmitter is on only for a short fraction of a time interval. The on-time can be periodic or random within a time interval.

time guard band - A time interval left vacant on a channel to provide a margin of safety against intersymbol interference in the time domain between sequential operations, such as detection, integration, differentiation, transmission, encoding, decoding, or switching.

time instability - The fluctuation of the time interval error caused by the instability of a real clock.

time interval error - The time difference between a real clock and an ideal uniform time scale, after a time interval following perfect synchronization between the clock and the scale.

time jitter - Short-term variation or instability in the duration of a specified time interval.

time marker - A reference signal, often repeated periodically, enabling the correlation of specific events with a time scale, such as for establishing synchronization.

time of occurrence - The date of an event, i.e., the instant an event occurs, with reference to a specified time scale.

time-out - A network parameter related to an enforced event designed to occur at the conclusion of a predetermined elapsed time. A specified period of time that will be allowed to elapse in a system before a specified event is to take place, unless another specified event occurs first; in either case, the period is terminated when either event takes place.

time scale - A time measuring system defined to relate the passage of temporal events since a selected epoch.

time scale factor - A multiplier used to transform the real time of occurrence of an event or a problem into system time, such as that of a telecommunications system or a computer.

time-sharing - The interleaving of two or more independent processes on one functional unit. Pertaining to the interleaved use of computer time that enables two or more users to execute programs concurrently.

time slot - Period of time during which certain activities are governed by specific regulations. A time interval that can be recognized and uniquely defined.

time standard - A stable device that emits signals at equal intervals such that their count may be used as a clock.

time tick - A time mark output of a clock system.

timing recovery - The derivation of a timing signal from a received signal.

timing signal - The output of a clock. A signal used to synchronize interconnected equipment.

timing tracking accuracy - A measure of the ability of a timing synchronization system to minimize the clock difference between a master clock and any slaved clock.