810-005, Rev. E
DSMS Telecommunications Link
Design Handbook

901
Handbook Glossary 
Effective November 30, 2000 

Document Owner:              Approved by:

-----------------------      -----------------------
S.D. Slobin        Date      A.J. Freiley       Date
Antenna System Engineer      Antenna Product Domain Service
                             System Development Engineer

Released by:
[Signature on file in TMOD Library]
----------------------------------
TMOD Document Release Date


Change Log
Rev           Issue Date               Affected Paragraphs       Change Summary
Initial       1/15/2001                All                       All



Note to Readers 
There are two sets of document histories in the 810-005 document, and these
histories are reflected in the header at the top of the page. First, the entire document is
periodically released as a revision when major changes affect a majority of the modules. For
example, this module is part of 810-005, Revision E. Second, the individual modules also
change, starting as an initial issue that has no revision letter. When a module is changed, a
change letter is appended to the module number on the second line of the header and a summary
of the changes is entered in the module's change log.
This module supersedes Appendix A in 810-005, Rev. D. 

Contents 
Paragraph                                                                                             Page
1 Introduction.......................................................................................... 3
1.1 Purpose ............................................................................................ 3
1.2 Scope .............................................................................................. 3
1.3 Revisions .......................................................................................... 4
1.4 Definitions......................................................................................... 4
1.4.1 Terms ............................................................................................ 4
1.4.2 Abbreviations..................................................................................... 4
1.4.3 Acronyms.......................................................................................... 4
1.5 Controlling Documents .............................................................................. 4
2 Glossary of Abbreviations and Terms................................................................... 5


1 Introduction 

1.1 Purpose 
The purpose of this document is to present a useful glossary of commonly used terms, abbreviations, and 
acronyms that are current and applicable to the Deep Space Network (DSN) and the Telecommunications and 
Mission Operations Directorate (TMOD) of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

1.2 Scope 

This scope of this document is limited to providing terms, abbreviations, and acronyms that are used 
within Document 810-005 and especially those that may be different from usage in other organizations. 
Terms, abbreviations, and acronyms are included in this document if they meet any of the following 
criteria: 
- used within the DSN or TMOD but with a meaning that may be unique to the DSN or TMOD, 
- used within 810-005 in place of equivalent terms, abbreviations, and acronyms that may be used elsewhere, or 
- commonly used in the field of telecommunications engineering but not necessarily known to all users of 810-005. 

1.3 Revisions 
This glossary will be periodically revised with changes, improvements, or additions. Usually, these revisions
will be coincident with the publication of new or revised 810-005 modules that contain new or revised 
terminology. 

1.4 Definitions 
The following paragraphs define the types of items that appear in this glossary and give general rules for their 
formation. 

1.4.1 Terms 
A term is any word or expression that has a precise meaning in a particular field, in this case, 
telecommunications engineering. 

1.4.2 Abbreviations 
An abbreviation is a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase. In a strict sense, the letters are 
individually pronounced (for example, rpm or DSN) or the reader might visualize and pronounce the complete 
form of the word (for example, "assembly" for "assy" or "telemetry" for "TLM"). 

1.4.3 Acronyms 
An acronym is a pronounceable abbreviation formed by one of two methods: 
(1) combining the first syllables of the key words (for example, Caltech or FORTRAN) or
(2) combining the first letter and other letters, as required, from the name or key words of an organization, 
    project, or piece of equipment (for example, AMMOS or LAN). 

1.5 Controlling Documents 
The terms, abbreviations, and acronyms contained in this document are intended to be consistant with those 
defined in JPL internal publication, DSMS Requirements and Design -- DSMS Terms and Abbreviations; DSMS 
Document 820-062 which serves as the controlling document for this module.


Abbreviations and Terms

Abbreviation or Term          Definition

A
 
A-D                           analog-to-digital
A/S                           anti-spoofing mode of operation (Global Positioning System) 
                              in which the encrypted, or Y-code, is unavailable to civilian users of the system 
AFC                           automatic frequency control
AGC                           automatic gain control
alidade                       The rotating but non-tilting portion of the DSN azimuth-
                              elevation antennas.
AM                            amplitude modulation
AMP                           amplifier
AMMOS                         Advanced Multimission Operations System 
ARC                           ambiguity resolving code 
ASM                           attached synchronization marker 
atm                           atmospheric
az                            azimuth 
AZ-EL                         azimuth-elevation 


B 

B2MCD                         Block II Maximum Likelihood Convolutional Decoder 
B3MCD                         Block III Maximum Likelihood Convolutional Decoder 
B/W                           bandwidth
BER                           bit error rate 
BET_L                         lock bit error tolerance 
BET_S                         search bit error tolerance 
Boltzmann constant            -198.6 dBW/(Hz * K)         
BPSK                          binary phase shift keying 
BVR                           Block V Receiver (part of DTT Subsystem) 
BWG                           Beam Waveguide (antenna or subnet)  


C
  
c                             speed of light, 299,792.5 km/s  
Category A                    missions within 2 million km of Earth  
Category B                    missions at distances greater than 2 million km from Earth  
C/A                           Coarse Acquisition (GPS code)  
CCSDS                         Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems  
CCW                           counter-clockwise  
CD                            cumulative distribution  
CDSCC                         Canberra (Australia) Deep Space Communications Complex  
CONSCAN                       conical scanning  
CPA                           Command Processor Assembly  
cryo                          cryogenic  
CSS                           Channel-Select Synthesizer  
CV                            connection vector  
CW                            clockwise  


D  

D/C                           downconverter  
D/L                           downlink  
dB                            decibel(s)  
dBc                           decibel(s) with respect to carrier  
dBi                           decibel(s) with respect to isotropic  
dBm                           decibel(s) with respect to one milliwatt  
DCC                           Downlink Channel Controller  
DCPC                          DTT Controller Processing Cabinet  
DDC                           Digital Downconverter  
dec                           declination  
deg                           degree(s)  
DIG                           digitizer (assembly)  
DLT                           digital linear tape  
DMC                           DSS Monitor and Control  
DMD                           DSS Media Calibration Subsystem  
DN, dn                        down  
DRVID                         differenced range versus integrated Doppler  
DSCC                          Deep Space Communications Complex  
DSN                           Deep Space Network  
DSMS                          Deep Space Mission System  
DSS                           Deep Space Station  
DSS 14                        70-m antenna at Goldstone DSCC  
DSS 15                        34-m HEF antenna at Goldstone DSCC  
DSS 16                        26-m antenna at Goldstone DSCC  
DSS 23                        11-m antenna at Goldstone DSCC  
DSS 24                        34-m BWG antenna at Goldstone DSCC  
DSS 25                        34-m BWG antenna at Goldstone DSCC  
DSS 26                        34-m BWG antenna at Goldstone DSCC  
DSS 27                        34-m HSB antenna at Goldstone DSCC  
DSS 33                        11-m antenna at Canberra DSCC  
DSS 34                        34-m BWG antenna at Canberra DSCC  
DSS 43                        34-m HEF antenna at Canberra DSCC  
DSS 45                        34-m HEF antenna at Canberra DSCC  
DSS 46                        26-m antenna at Canberra DSCC  
DSS 63                        34-m HEF antenna at Madrid DSCC  
DSS 65                        34-m HEF antenna at Madrid DSCC  
DSS 66                        26-m antenna at Madrid DSCC  
DSS 53                        11-m antenna at Madrid DSCC  
DSS 54                        34-m BWG antenna at Madrid DSCC  
DTF                           Development and Test Facility  
DTK                           DSS Tracking (Subsystem)  
DTT                           Downlink Telemetry and Tracking (Subsystem)  


E  

EIRP                          effective isotropic radiated power  
el, EL, elev                  elevation  
EOP                           Earth Orientation Parameters (of the International Earth Rotation Service [IERS])  
F  
F/O                           fiber optic  
FCD                           feedback concatenated decoding  
FER                           frame error rate  
FET                           field-effect transistor  
FFT                           fast Fourier transform  
FM                            frequency modulation  
FOM                           figure of merit  
FSK                           frequency-shift keyed  
FTP                           file transfer protocol  
FTS                           Frequency and Timing Subsystem 

 
G  

G/T                           (antenna) gain divided by (operating system) temperature  
GCF                           Ground Communications Facility  
GDSCC                         Goldstone (California) Deep Space Communications Complex  
GPS                           Global Positioning System  
GRA                           GPS Receiver/Processor Assembly  
GSFC                          Goddard Space Flight Center  


H  

H/P                           high power  
HA                            hour angle  
HEF                           high efficiency (antenna)    
HEMT                          high-electron-mobility (field-effect) transistor  
HPBW                          half-power beamwidth  
HRM                           high-rate (radio loss) model  
HSB                           High (angular-tracking) Speed Beam Waveguide (antenna)  

I  
I/F                           interface  
IDC                           IF to Digital Converter  
IERS                          International Earth Rotation Service  
IF                            intermediate frequency  
ITRF                          IERS Terrestrial Reference Frame  
ITU                           International Telecommunications Union  

J-K  
JPL                           Jet Propulsion Laboratory  

L  
L/P                           low power  
LCP                           left (-hand) circular polarization  
LNA                           low noise amplifier  
LRM                           low-rate (radio loss) model  
LSB                           least significant bit  


M  

M AP                          maximum a posteriori probability  
MASER                         microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation  
max                           maximum  
M B                           medium bandwidth  
MCD                           Maximum Likelihood Convolutional Decoder  
M DA                          Metric Data Assembly  
MDSCC                         Madrid (Spain) Deep Space Communications Complex  
MED                           minimum error detection 
MFR                           Multi-function Receiver 
MGC                           manual gain control 
min                           minimum 
MOCC                          Mission Operations Control Center 
mod                           modulation 
MRT                           major range tone 


N 

NA; N/A                       not applicable 
NASA                          National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
NAV                           Navigation (Subsystem) 
NB                            narrowband, narrow bandwidth 
NCO                           numerically controlled oscillator 
NMC                           Network Monitor and Control (Subsystem) 
NOAA                          National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
NOCC                          Network Operations Control Center 
NRZ                           non-return to zero 
NRZ-L                         non-return to zero, level 
NRZ-M                         non-return to zero, mark 
NRZ-S                         non-return to zero, space 
NSP                           Network Simplification Plan 
NTIA                          National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
NTK                           NOCC Tracking (Subsystem) 


O
 
OQPSK                         offset quadriphase-shift keying 
OVLBI                         Orbiting Very-long Baseline Interferometry 

P 
PCG                           Phase Calibration Generator (part of FTS) 
PCM                           pulse-code modulation  
PDF                           probability density function  
                              portable document format (type or extension of computer file)  
PDRVID                        pseudo-DRVID  
PLL                           phase-locked loop  
P M                           phase modulation  
PN                            pseudo-random noise  
POCC                          Project Operations Control Center  
PSK                           phase-shift keyed  
PTS                           Precision Telemetry Simulator  


Q  

QPSK                          quadriphase-shift keying  


R  

R/T                           real-time  
RCP                           right circular polarization  
rev                           revision  
RF                            radio frequency  
RH                            relative humidity  
RID                           RF to IF Downconverter  
RMDC                          Radio-Metric Data Conditioner  
RMS; rms                      root-mean-square  
RNG                           range  
RNS                           Reliable Network Service  
RRP                           Receiver Ranging Processor  
RS                            Reed-Solomon (code), radio science  
RSR                           Radio Science Receiver  
rss, RSS                      root-sum-square  
RTLT                          round-trip light time  
RU                            range unit  


S 

S/C                           spacecraft 
SCA                           Subsystem Control and Monitor Assembly 
SEP                           Sun-Earth-Probe (angle)
SFU                           solar flux units (one SFU = 1 x 10^-22 W/m^2/Hz) 
SNR                           signal-to-noise ratio 
SPC                           Signal Processing Center 
SPD                           S-Band Polarization Dipled (feedcone)
SRA                           Sequential Ranging Assembly 
stowed                        With respect to an antenna, aimed near zenith for protection 
                              from the wind. 
sub, subcarr                  subcarrier 
SYM                           symbol 
SYS                           system 


T 

TBD                           to be determined 
TDDS                          Tracking and Data Delivery System 
TDRSS                         Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System 
TEC                           total vertical electron content 
TLM                           telemetry 
TMOD                          Traking and Mission Operations Directorate 
T_OP                          T sub OP (operating system temperature) 
TXR                           transmitter or Transmitter Subsystem 


U 

U/L                           uplink 
ULNA                          ultra low-noise amplifier 
UPA                           Uplink Processor Assembly 
URA                           Uplink Ranging Assembly 
USO                           Ultra-Stable Oscillator  
UTC                           Universal Time, Coordinated


V                             vacuum  
VCO                           voltage controlled oscillator  
VLBI                          very-long baseline interferometry  


W 
 
W/B, WB                       wideband  
WD                            waveform distortion  


X  

X-EL                          cross-elevation  
XMIT                          transmit  
XRO                           X-band receive only (feedcone)  
XTR                           X-band transmit-receive (feedcone) 

 
Y  

yr                            year  


Z  

ZDD                           Zero-delay Device  
ZEN                           zenith