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	INTERCONNECTION GLOSSARY Download a printable version of the Interconnection Glossary. We'd like to hear from you! Email us with any additions, updates or changes  you would like to see made to the glossary. Select from the following:
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I

I	In-Phase
I/O	Input/Output
IAB	Internet Architecture Board
IABS	Integrated Access Billing System
IAD	Integrated Access Device
IANA	Internet Assigned Number Authority
IC	Integrated Circuit; Interconnected
ICA	International Communications Association
ICAP	Interactive Communicating Application
ICANN	Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
ICD	Internet Corporation Device
ICMP	Internet Control Message Protocol
ICO	Intermediate Circular Orbit
ICO RTT	ICO
ICP	IMA Control Protocol
ICW	Internet Call Waiting
IDC	Insulation Displacement Connection
iDEN®	Integrated Digital Enhanced Network
IDF	Intermediate Distribution Frame
IDFT	Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform
IDLC	Integrated Digital Network
IDN	Intergraded Digital Network
IDSL	Intergraded Services Digital Subscriber Line
IDT	Intergraded Digital Terminal
IEC	Interexchange Carrier
IEC Miles	Interexchange Carrier Miles
IEEE	Institute of Electronics Engineers
IEEE 1394	FireWire (or Firewire) standard
IEEE 802	IEEE committee to develop LAN standards
IEEE 802.3	Ethernet standards
IETF	Internet Engineering Task Force
IF	Intermediate Frequency
iFCP	Internet Fibre Channel Protocol
IFFT	Inverse Fast Fourier Transform
IGMP	Internet Group Management Protocol
IGP	Interior Gateway Protocol
IIS	Internet Information Server
ILEC	Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier
ILMI	Integrated Local Management Interface
IM	Instant Messaging
IMA	Inverse Multiplexing of ATM
IMAP	Internet Message Access Protocol
IMAP4	Internet Messaging Access Protocol
IMC	Internet Mail Consortium
IME	Interfacing Management Entity
IMEI	International Mobile Equipment Identifier
i-Mode	I-Mode means “information mode,” but phonically, “eye mode” is a play on the Japanese word for anywhere
IMS	IP Multimedia Subsystem
IMSI	International Mobile Station Identity
IMT	Inter-Machine Trunk
IMT-2000	International Mobile Telecommunications 2000
IMTC	International Multimedia Telecommunications Consortium
IMT-CDMA Multi-carrier	See cdma2000® 1XRTT
IMT-CDMA Multicarrier 3X	See MC-3X
IMT-DS	International Mobile Telecommunications, Direct Spread
IMT-MC	International Mobile Telecommunications, Multi-Carrier
IMTS	Improved Mobile Telephone Service
IMT-SC	International Mobile Telecommunications Single Carrier. (Also called UWC-136 and widely known as EDGE.)
IMT-TC	International Mobile Telecommunications Time Code
IMX	Intelligent Multiservice Switch
IN	Intelligent Network
INAP	Intelligent Network Application Protocol
Inmarsat	International Maritime Satellite System
INP	Interim Number Portability
InterNIC	Internet Network Information Center
INTUF	International Telecommunications Users Group
IOS	Internetworking Operating System
IOT	Inter-Office Trunk
IP	Interexchange Plant; Internet Protocol
IP PBX	Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange
IP SAN	Internet Protocol Storage Area Network
IPBX	See IP PBX
IPC IPCC	Interprocess Communication
Ipsec	Internet Protocol Security
IPTV	Internet Protocol Television (TV-over-IP)
IPv6	Internet Protocol version 6
IPX	Internet Packet Exchange
IPXCP	IPX Control Protocol
IR	Infrared
IRC	International Record Carrier; Internet Relay Chat
IrDA	Infrared Data Association
Iridium Mobile	Satellite phone/pager network launched November 1998
IRTF	Internet Research Task Force
IS	Interim Standard
IS-136	Interim Standard-136. (Also known as NADC (North America Digital Cellular.)
IS-95	Officially known as TIA/EIA IS-95 (Telecommunications Industry Association / Electronic Industries Association Interim Standard – 95)
IS-95A	Now known officially as TIS/EIA/IS-95A
ISA	Industry Standard Architecture
ISAPI	Internet Server Application Program Interface
ISC	International Softswitch Consortium
ISDN	Integrated Services Digital Consortium
ISI	Inter-Symbol Interference
ISIS	Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System
ISMA	Internet Streaming Media Alliance
ISO	International Organization for Standardization; International Standards Organization
ISO 7776	ISO’s High-Level Data Link Control Procedures X.25
ISO 8280	ISO’s X.25 Packet Level Protocol for DTE
ISO 9001	ISO’s rigorous international quality standard covering a company’s R&D, design, production, installation, and service procedures.
ISOC	Internet Society
ISP	Internet Service Provider
ISS	Internet Security Scanner
ISTEL92	See ETIS
ISUP	ISDN User Part
ISV	Independent Software Vendor
IT	Information Technology
ITAC	International Telework Association and Council
ITC	Independent Telephone Company
ITG	IP Telephony Gateway
ITMC	International Test and Maintenance Centers
ITSP	Internet Telephony Service Provider
ITU	International Telecommunication Union
ITU-T	International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunications Standardization Sector
IVM	Instant Voice Messaging
IVR	Interactive Voice Response
IWF	Interworking Function
IXC	See IEC; Inter-Exchange Carrier
Icicle	Non-preferred term for Solder Projection.
Ignition Terminal	Solderless terminal for use on automotive ignition work.
Immersion Plating (Galvanic Displacement)	The chemical deposition of a thin metallic coating over certain base metals by a partial displacement of the base metal.
Impedance	(1) The total opposition that a circuit offers the flow of alternating current or any other varying current at a particular frequency. (2) A measure of the electrical property of resistance, expressed in ohms. Different cable systems have different resistance levels.
Impedance Match	The condition in which the impedance of a component or circuit is equal to the internal impedance of the source, or the surge impedance of a transmission line, thereby giving maximum transfer of energy from source to load, minimum reflection, and minimum distortion.
Impregnate	To fill the voids and interstices of a material with a compound. This does not imply complete fill or complete coating of the surfaces by a hold-free film.
Inclusion	A foreign particle in the conductive layer, plating or base material.
Indentor	Part of crimping die set, it shapes the terminal barrel into the desired configuration while the nest provides the location and support for the crimping process.
Index Profile	In a graded-index optical fiber, the refractive index as a function of radius.
Inductance (L)	The property of a circuit or circuit element that opposes a change in current flow, causing current changes to lag behind voltage changes.
Induction Soldering	A method of soldering in which the solder is reflowed or supplied by preforms. If the work is moved slowly through the energy field, the induction process may be made continuous.
Infrared (IR)	The bank of electromagnetic wavelengths between the visible part of the spectrum (about 750 nm) and microwaves.
Inhibitor	A material that prevents or delays oxidation and galvanic action on a connector surface or the interface of different conductors.
Injection Laser Diode OLD)	A semiconductor device consisting of at least one P-N junction capable of emitting coherent stimulated radiation under specified conditions.
Ink	One of several conductive materials used for chip bonding, electrostatic shielding, corona shielding, making connections, repairing of printed circuits, attaching leads, adhesive work, ignition cable sheath coating and making electrode, contact and termination surfaces receptive to plating.
Input Impedance	The impedance that exists between the input terminals of an amplifier or transmission line when the source is disconnected.
Input Offset Current	Difference in the currents of two input terminals of an operational amplifier when the output is at zero.
Input/Output Connector	A mating pair of connectors used to carry signals into and out of a panel-mounted subsystem. An example is a connector pair that interconnects the individual back panels in a large array of panels.
Insert	That part that holds the contacts in their proper arrangement and electrically insulates them from each other and from the shell.
Insert Arrangement	The number, spacing and arrangement of contacts in a connector.
Insert Cavity	A defined hole in the connector insert into which the contacts are inserted.
Insert Retention	Axial load in either direction that an insert must withstand without being dislocated from its normal position in the connector shell.
Insertion Force	The effort, usually measured in ounces, required to engage mating components.
Insertion Loss	(1) The loss in load power resulting from the insertion of a component, connector, or device. (2) Total optical power loss caused by the insertion of an optical component, such as a connector.
ISO Reference Model for OSI	A standard approach to network design that introduces modularity by dividing the complex set of functions into more manageable, self-contained, functional slices. Layers include: Physical, Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application.
Insertion Tool	A small, handheld tool used to insert contacts into a connector.
Insepction Hole	A hole placed at one end of a barrel to permit visual inspection to see that the conductor has been inserted to the proper depth in the barrel prior to crimping.
Insulated Terminal	Solderless terminal with an insulated sleeve over the barrel to prevent a short circuit in certain installations.
Insulation	A material that offers high electric resistance, making it suitable for covering components, terminals and wires to prevent the possible future contact of adjacent conductors resulting in a short circuit.
Insulation Crimp	Area of a terminal, splice or contact that has been formed around the insulation of the wire.
Insulation Displacement Connector (IDC)	A mass termination connector for flat cable with contacts that displace the conductor insulation to establish simultaneous contact with all conductors.
Insulation Grip	Certain crimp-type contacts have extended cylinders at the rear designed to accept the bared wire and a small length of its insulation. When crimped, both the wire and insulation are held firmly in place.
Insulation Piercing	A crimping method in which lances pierce wire insulation, enter into the strands, and make electrical contact without stripping the wire.
Insulation Piercing Terminal	Terminal having a device that cuts through the insulation of the wire and makes contact with, or enters into, the conductor.
Insulation Resistance	The electrical resistance of the insulating material (determined under specified condition) between any pair of contacts, conductors or grounding devices in various combinations.
Insulation Support	An extension of the rear portion of the contact that gives the wire side (but not longitudinal) support. This section is not crimped, as is the insulation grip.
Insulation System	All of the insulation materials used to insulate a particular electrical or electronic product.
Interchangeable	Characteristic of connectors in which one manufacturer’s connector can be replaced by the connector of another manufacturer and provide the same function in the same panel space as the connector it is replacing.
Interconnecting Cable	The wiring between modules, units or other parts of a system.
Interconnection	Mechanically joining devices together to complete an electrical circuit.
Interface	A shared boundary; for example, the physical connection between two systems or devices, or the matching of adjacent components, circuits of equipment. The two surfaces on the contact side of both halves of a multiple-contact connector that face each other when the connector is assembled.
Interfacial Connection	A conductor that connects conductive patterns on opposite sides of a PC board or other base. May be accomplished with a plated through-hole.
Interfacial Gap	Any gap between the faces of mated connectors.
Interfacial Junction	The junction that is formed by the faces of the two mating halves of a connector. This junction can be tightly compressed or loose, depending upon the requirements of the application of the connector.
Interfacial Seal	Sealing of a 2-piece, multiple contact connector over the whole area of the interface to provide sealing around each contact.
Interlayer Connection	An electrical connection between conductive patterns in different layers of a multilayer PC.
Intermateable	Characteristic of connectors in which a connector half manufactured by one company will mate directly with a connector half manufactured by a different company.
Intraconnection	The joining of elements within devices.
Ion	A particle bearing an electrical charge that is composed of an atom or atoms. Ions are usually in solution.

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