Glossary

Terms the user guide uses. In the web version, hover over, focus or tap a dotted term in the text to see its meaning. The developer glossary (dev/glossary.md) has the protocol and hardware terms.

DMR

Term	Meaning
All call	DMR talkgroup 16777215, heard by every radio on the slot.
AMBE+2 (AMBE)	DVSI's voice codec used by DMR. Not part of RadioFoundry. Taken from each radio's stock firmware. More
Call alert	A DMR page that makes another radio ring.
Color code (CC)	A number from 0 to 15 a DMR channel uses. Radios only hear calls with their color code.
Confirmed data	DMR packet data the receiving radio acknowledges. What didn't arrive is sent again.
DMR	Digital Mobile Radio, the ETSI digital radio standard (TS 102 361).
Hang time	How long after a call a repeater or radio keeps the call's talkgroup ready for a reply.
PI header (PI headers, PI)	A DMR header that announces encryption with a changing key. RadioFoundry never plays such calls.
Private call	A DMR call to one radio.
Radio check	A DMR request another radio answers automatically, to show it is on and in range.
SMS	Short message service: text messages. On DMR, short data carries them.
Talker alias	A short text, usually a callsign and name, sent along with DMR voice.
Talkgroup (TG, TGs)	A DMR group number. Everyone listening to it hears calls to it.
Timeslot (TS, TS1, TS2)	One of the two time slots of a DMR channel, TS1 and TS2.

RF and hardware

Term	Meaning
AM	Amplitude modulation: speech varies the carrier's strength. Airband uses it.
ANI	Automatic number identification: the caller's ID sent as tones in an analog call.
Bandwidth	The width of an FM channel: 12.5 kHz (narrow) or 25 kHz (wide).
CTCSS	Continuous tone coded squelch system: a sub-audible tone on FM that opens the squelch only for the right signal.
DCS	Digital coded squelch: a sub-audible digital code on FM that opens the squelch only for the right signal.
DFU	Device Firmware Upgrade: the USB protocol of the radio's bootloader.
DTMF	Dual tone multi frequency: the touch tones a keypad sends, in the audio.
Dual watch	Listening on two channels, A and B, and talking on the selected one. With one receiver the radio alternates between them.
FM	Frequency modulation: the analog voice mode. Speech moves the carrier's frequency.
GPS	Global positioning system: the satellite receiver that gives the radio its position.
LCD	Liquid crystal display: the radio's screen.
LED	Light-emitting diode: the radio's status light.
NMEA	The text format GPS receivers use to report position and time.
RF	Radio frequency: the signal in the air, as opposed to audio or data inside the radio.
RSSI	Received signal strength indicator: how strong the received signal is, in dBm.
RX	Receive.
SFR	Single frequency repeater. It repeats a call from one timeslot on the other timeslot of the same frequency. In MMDVM SFR the hotspot repeats, turned on by its host. In standalone SFR a channel repeats on its own (not built yet). More
Split duplex	Transmitting on one frequency and receiving on another at the same time. Repeaters do, and so does the duplex hotspot setup. More
Squelch	The level a received signal must exceed before the radio plays it.
TOT	Transmit timeout: the longest transmission the radio allows.
TX	Transmit.
UHF	Ultra high frequency: 300 MHz to 3 GHz. The amateur 70 cm band is UHF.
USB	Universal Serial Bus. The radio uses it for the debug link, the network mode and firmware updates.
VFO	Variable frequency oscillator: tuning any frequency by hand instead of a stored channel.
VHF	Very high frequency: 30 to 300 MHz. The amateur 2 m band is VHF.
VOX	Voice-operated transmit.

Vendor terms

Term	Meaning
ARS	Automatic Registration Service: a radio tells a presence server it is on the air.
Basic privacy (Basic Privacy, Enhanced privacy, Enhanced Privacy)	A fixed voice scrambling from Motorola and Anytone radios. Not encryption.
Control station	A radio a dispatch program on a computer uses to reach the fleet over the air.
CPS	Customer programming software: the program that writes the codeplug. RadioFoundry uses qdmr. More
LRRP (LIP)	Location Request and Response Protocol: a dispatcher asks a radio for its position. Motorola's position format; the standard has LIP.
MOTOTRBO	Motorola's DMR product line. Its extensions (ARS, TMS, LRRP, Capacity Plus) are not in the ETSI standard.
TMS	Text message service: Motorola's text message format on DMR. The standard's own short data uses other formats.
TYT	A Chinese maker of DMR radios.

Amateur and network

Term	Meaning
APRS	Automatic Packet Reporting System: positions and short messages shared between amateur stations. More
BrandMeister	A worldwide amateur DMR network of linked servers and talkgroups.
DMR ID (RadioID, DMR IDs)	The number that identifies your radio on DMR. Amateur IDs come from RadioID.net.
Hotspot	A small DMR modem that connects radios nearby to a DMR network over the internet. More
iGate	A station that passes APRS packets between the air and the APRS-IS internet network.
KISS	A simple protocol between a computer's APRS program and a radio modem (TNC).
mDNS	Multicast DNS: finding a device on a local network by a `.local` name. More
MMDVM	Multi-Mode Digital Voice Modem: the modem protocol MMDVMHost speaks. More
rigctld	Hamlib's network rig control protocol, used by loggers and SDR programs.
SNMP	Simple Network Management Protocol: reading a device's state over the network. More
TFTP	Trivial File Transfer Protocol: a minimal way to copy files to and from a device. More

RadioFoundry and firmware

Term	Meaning
Codeplug	The radio's programming: channels, zones, contacts, talkgroup lists, DMR ID. More
Contact	A person in the codeplug: name and DMR ID.
CSV	Comma separated values: a table as plain text, as programming software exports it.
Digital monitor	Playing every talkgroup on the timeslot (promiscuous mode; "hear all" in older RadioFoundry builds).
ID	Identifier: a number or name that picks out one thing.
Listen list (RX group list)	The talkgroups a channel listens to. The codeplug calls it the RX group list.
Monitor	Opening the squelch (FM) or hearing all talkgroups (DMR) while a key is held.
OK	The key that selects or confirms.
One-shot	A talk target used for one call and its reply window.
PC	Personal computer.
PTT	Push to talk: the key that transmits.
qdmr	A free, open source codeplug editor for DMR radios. More
RadioFoundry	RadioFoundry, this firmware.
Recent	RadioFoundry's list of stations heard and calls made.
Reply window	The time after a call during which PTT answers it.
Stock firmware	The firmware a radio shipped with, before RadioFoundry. Each RadioFoundry radio takes its voice codec from it.
Talk target	Where PTT goes: a talkgroup, a person or all call.
Temporary change	A change that lasts until the channel changes or you press Back on Home. Hold OK to keep it.
UI	User interface: the screen, keys and menus.
YAML	A text file format. qdmr stores its codeplug as YAML.
Zone	A named list of channels.

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