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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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M

M13	Multiplexer13 (combines 28 DS-1 signals into a signal DS=3 signal).
MAC	Media Access Control; Moves, Adds and Changes
MAE	Metropolitan Area Ethernet
MAHO	Mobile Assisted Handoff
MAN	Metropolitan Area Network
MAP	Mobile Application Part
MARS	Mulitcast Address Resolution Server
MASER	Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
MAU	Media Access Unit; Multistation Access Unit
MB	Megabyte
MBone	Mulitcast Backbone (Also Multicast Internet)
Mbps	Megabites per second
MRB	Master Boot Record
MBS	Maximum Burst Size
MC-1X	See cdma2000® 1XRTT
MC-3X	See CDMA3xRTT
MCC	Maintenance Control Circuit
MCC	Mobile Country Code
MC-CDMA	Multi-Carrier Code Division Multiple Access
MCM	Multi-Carrier Modulation
mCommerce	Mobile Commerce
Mcps	Mega Chips per Second
MCR	Minimum Cell Rate
MCU	Multipoint Conferencing Unit
MDA	Mobile Data Association
MDG	Main Distribution Frame
MDSL	Multi-rate Digital Subscriber Line
MDU	Multiple Dwelling Unit
Mega	One million, or 1,000,000
Megaco	MEdia GAteway COntrol. (H.248)
MEMS	Micro-Electromechanical Systems
MEO	Medium Earth Orbit
MERS	Most Economical Route Selection
MeT	Mobile Electronic Transactions Limited
MexE	Mobile Station Application Execution Environment
MFC Library	Microsoft Foundation Class Library
MFJ	Modified Final Judgement
MFRA	MPLS and Frame Relay Alliance
MG	Master Group; Media Gateway
MGC	Media Gateway Controller
MGCP	Media Gateway Control Protocol
MH	Mobile Host
MHz	Megahertz
MIB	Management Information Base
Micro	One millionth
MIDP	Mobile Information Device Profile
MII	Media Independent Interface
.mil	“Military;” one of the top-level Internet domain names
Milli	One-thousandth
MIME	Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions
MIN	Mobile Identifications Numbers
MIPS	Million Instructions Per Second
ML-PPP	Multilink PPP
MM	Mulitmedia Message
MMDS	Mulitchannel Multipoint Distributed Service
MMI	Man-Machine Interface
MMM	Mobile Media Mode
MMS	Multimedia Messaging Service
MMSE	Multimedia Messaging Service Environment
MMTA	MultiMedia Telecommunications Association
MNP	Microcom Networking Protocol
MOD	Movies on Demand
MODEM	Modulator/Demodulator
MOS	Mean Opinion Score
MP	Mulitplexing
MPE	Multi-Pulse Excited
MPEG	Motion Picture Experts Group
MPLS	Multi-Protocol Label Switching
MPoA	Multi-Protocol Over ATM
MPT	Multipoint-to-Point Tunneling
MRD	Manual Ring Down
MS	Mobile Station
MSA	Metropolitan Serving Area; Metropolitan Statistical Area
MSB	Most Significant Bit
MSC	Mobile Switching Center
MS-CDMA	Muliband Synchronous DS-CDMA
MS-DOS	Microsoft Disk Operating System
MSG	Multiservice Switching Forum
MSIR	Microsoft Internet Explorer
MSK	Minimum Shift Keying
MSO	Multi-Service Operator
MSS	Mobile Satellite System; Mobile Service Station
MT	Mobile Terminal
MTA	Major Trading Area
MTBF	Mean Time Between Failures
MTP	Message Transfer Part
MTS	Message Telephone/Toll Service
MTSO	Mobile Telephone Switching Office
MTTR	Mean Time To Repair
MTU	Maintenance Termination Unit; Multiple Tenant Unit
MU	Message Unit
MULTOS	Multiple Operating System
MUSICAM	Masking-pattern-adapted Universal Subband Intergrated Coding And Multiplexing
MUX	Multiplexer
MVL	Multiple Virtial Lines
MTM	Abbreviation for “Multiple Termination Module.”
Macrobending	In an optical fiber, all macroscopic deviations of the axis from a straight line.
MAP	Abbreviation for Manufacturing Automation Protocol, a token-passing bus LAN designed for factory environments.
Mask	A material applied to enable selective etching, plating, or the application of solder to a PC board.
Mass Termination	Method of termination in which terminals that pierce flat cable insulation without stripping to cold flow mate with conductors and form a metal-to-metal joint.
Mate	To join two connector halves in a normal engaging mode.
Material Dispersion	Light impulse broadening caused by various wavelengths of light traveling at different velocities through a fiber.
Mating Face	Synonymous with Interface.
Matrix	One of the two component materials that make up a composite. The other is commonly referred to as the reinforcement. It can be a metal, resin or ceramic material. It holds the reinforcements together to enable the transfer of stresses and loads to the reinforcements.
MBit/Sec	Megabits per second, a measure of network bandwidth.
Melamine	Thermosetting resin made from melamine and formaldehyde, from the amino plastics group, that is a self-extinguishing polyamid. High-grade melamine is used in the molding of terminal blocks.
Meniscugraph Test	A solderability test system in which the specimen is connected to the equipment through a strain gauge that is capable of recording surface tension of the molten solder as the specimen is immersed.
Meridional Ray	A ray that passes through the optical axis of an optical fiber (in contrast with a skew ray, which does not).
Metal	A substance that exhibits the following characteristics: High electrical and thermal conductivity, great opacity and high reflectivity for light, malleability and ductility.
Metal-to-Metal Bottoming	In cylindrical bayonet connectors, metal-to-metal bottoming is the situation in which the shell surface of the receptacle bottoms (contacts) the inside rear portion of the mating plug. This is achieved by means of an adjustable ring on the collar of the plug.
Metallization	A film pattern (single or multilayer) of conductive material deposited on a substrate to interconnect electronic components, or the metal film on the bonding area of a substrate that becomes a part of the bond and performs both an electrical and a mechanical function.
Metered Solder Cup	This term is used when the cylindrical portion of the contact (to which the wire is inserted) is partially filled with a specific amount of solder before assembly of the conductor.
Microbend Loss	A form of increase attenuation caused by having the fiber curved around a restrictive radius of curvature, or microbends caused by minute distortions in the fiber imposed by externally induced perturbations.
Microsectioning	The preparation of a specimen for the microscopic examination of a material, usually by cutting out a cross-section, followed by encapsulation, polishing, etching, staining, etc.
Migration	The movement of some metals notably silver, from one location to another. It is felt that this results from a plating action in the pressure of moisture and an electrical potential.
Minimum Annular Ring	The minimum width of metal, at the narrowest point, between the edge of the hole and the outer edge of the terminal area.
Minor Defect	A defect that is not likely to reduce the usability of the unit for its intended purpose. It may be a departure from established standards having no significant bearing on the effective use or operation of the unit.
Mismatch, Connector Impedance	Terminal or connector having a different impedance than that for which the circuit or cable is designed.
Mode Filter	A device to remove high order modes to simulate equilibrium mode distribution in a short length of optical fiber. (See also Equilibrium Mode Distribution.)
Modular	A connector that can be assembled according to the requirements of a particular application. Modular connectors contain similar or identical sections that are fitted together to provide the required connector size and type.
Module	A subassembly in a packaging scheme displaying regularity and separable repetition. (See Connector Module.)
Modulus of Elasticity	The ratio of unidirectional stress to the corresponding strain (slope of the line) in the linear stress-strain region below the proportional limit. For materials with no linear range, a secant line from the origin to a specified point on the stress-strain curve or a line tangent to the curve at a specified point may be used.
Molded Plug	A connector molded on either end of a cord or cable.
Monomer	A small molecule that is capable of reacting with similar or other molecules to form large chainlike molecules called polymers.
Motherboard	A printed board used for interconnecting arrays of plug-in electronic modules.
Mouth	Cable entrance of a connector barrel. (See Belled Mouth.)
Multi-Channel Cable	An optical cable having more than one fiber.
Multilayer Printed Circuits	Electric circuits made on thin copper-clad laminates, stacked together with intermediate prepreg sheets and bonded together with heat and pressure. Subsequent drilling and electroplating through the layers result in a 3-dimensional circuit.
Multimode Fiber	(1) A fiber capable of propagating more than one mode of a given wavelength. (2) A fiber that supports propagation of more than one mode of a given wavelength. This cable causes the light signal to propagate incoherently, causing dispersion effects that limit the bandwidth and distance of communication.
Multiple-Conductor Cable	A combination of two or more conductors cabled together and insulated from one another and from sheath or armor where used.
Multiple Termination Module (MTM)	A heat-activated solder termination device with a heat-shrinkable dielectric for the ganged termination of flat conductor cable. This technique insulates and environmentally seals the terminations.
Multiplexing	(1) A combination of information signals from several channels merged into one single optical channel for transmission. (2) Sending several signals over a single line and separating them at the other end. This is done by varying the physical characteristics (frequency, amplitude or phase) of the signals to prevent them from interfering with each other. It is also possible to separate them in time—a process referred to as time-division-multiplexing. (3) The process of dividing a transmission facility into two or more channels.
Mutual Capacitance	Capacitance between two conductors when all other conductors are connected together and regarded as an ignored ground.

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