Glossary

Nordic Thingy:91 X Hardware

The glossary contains terms and acronyms that are used in this document.

Cat-M1

LTE-M User Equipment (UE) category with a single RX antenna, specified in 3GPP Release 13.

Cat-NB1

NB-IoT User Equipment (UE) category with 200 kHz UE bandwidth and a single RX antenna, specified in 3GPP Release 13.

Cat-NB2

An upgraded version of Cat-NB1, specified in 3GPP Release 14.

DECT NR+

A non-cellular radio standard included as part of the 5G standards by the ITU.

DECT NR+

Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP)

The maximum amount of power that could be radiated from an antenna, given its antenna gain and the transmitter power of the RF system.

EIRP

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

A sudden discharge of electric current between two electrically charged objects.

ESD

Embedded SIM (eSIM)

A form of programmable Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) that is embedded directly into a device.

eSIM

Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX)

A method to conserve the battery of an IoT (Internet of Things) device by allowing it to remain inactive for extended periods.

eDRX

General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO)

A digital signal pin that can be used as input, output, or both. It is uncommitted and can be controlled by the user at runtime.

GPIO

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)

A satellite navigation system with global coverage. The system provides signals from space transmitting positioning and timing data to GNSS receivers, which use this data to determine location.

GNSS

Integrated Circuit (IC)

A semiconductor chip consisting of fabricated transistors, resistors, and capacitors.

IC

Inter-integrated Circuit (I2C)

A multi-master, multi-slave, packet-switched, single-ended, serial computer bus.

I2C

Lithium-polymer (Li-Poly)

A rechargeable battery of lithium-ion technology using a polymer electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyte.

Li-Poly

Long-Term Evolution (LTE)

A wireless broadband communication standard for mobile devices and data terminals, based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA technologies. 

LTE

Low-Dropout Regulator (LDO)

A linear voltage regulator that can operate even when the supply voltage is very close to the desired output voltage.

LDO

Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA)

In a radio receiving system, an electronic amplifier that amplifies a very low-power signal without significantly degrading its signal-to-noise ratio.

LNA

LTE-M

An open standard that is most suitable for medium throughput applications requiring low power, low latency, and/or mobility, like asset tracking, wearables, medical, POS, and home security applications. Also known as E-UTRAN (WB-S1) and Cat-M1.

Microwave coaxial connector with switch (SWF)

A small, RF surface-mount switch connector series for wireless applications.

SWF

MIPI RF Front-End Control Interface (RFFE)

A dedicated control interface for the RF front-end subsystem. MIPI Alliance

MIPI RFFE

Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT)

A narrowband technology standard with longer range, lower throughput, and better penetration in, for example, cellars and parking garages compared to LTE-M. NB-IoT is most suitable for static, low throughput applications like smart metering, smart agriculture, and smart city applications. Also known as E-UTRAN (NB-S1), Cat-NB1, and Cat-NB2.

NB-IoT

Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC)

A negative temperature coefficient refers to materials where there is a decrease in electrical resistance when their temperature is raised.

NTC

Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC)

A chip used for various functions related to power management.

PMIC

Power Saving Mode (PSM)

A feature introduced in 3GPP Release 12 to improve battery life of IoT (Internet of Things) devices by minimizing energy consumption. The device stays dormant during the PSM window.

PSM

Pulse Density Modulation (PDM)

A form of modulation used to represent an analog signal with a binary signal where the relative density of the pulses corresponds to the analog signal's amplitude.

PDM

Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

A form of modulation used to represent an analog signal with a binary signal where the switching frequency is fixed, and all the pulses corresponding to one sample are contiguous in the digital signal.

PWM

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

Synchronous serial communication interface specification used for short-distance communication.

SPI

Single-Input Single-Output (SISO)

The use of only one antenna for transmission and reception.

SISO

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

A card used in User Equipment (UE) containing data for subscriber identification.

SIM

System in Package (SiP)

Several integrated circuits, often from different technologies, enclosed in a single module that performs as a system or subsystem.

SiP

System on Chip (SoC)

A microchip that integrates all the necessary electronic circuits and components of a computer or other electronic systems on a single integrated circuit.

SoC

Two-wire Interface (TWI)

An I2C compatible serial communication protocol that enables devices to exchange data by using a two-wire bus system, allowing multiple devices to be connected and controlled by a master device.

TWI

Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART)

A hardware device for asynchronous serial communication between devices.

UART

Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC)

A new generation Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) used in User Equipment (UE) for ensuring the integrity and security of personal data.

UICC

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

An industry standard that establishes specifications for cables and connectors and protocols for connection, communication, and power supply between computers, peripheral devices, and other computers.

USB