TIA's Glossary of Telecommunication Terms
0-9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
phase
1. Of a periodic, varying phenomenon, e.g., an electrical signal or electromagnetic wave, any distinguishable instantaneous state of the phenomenon, referred to a fixed reference or another periodic varying phenomenon. (188) Note 1: Phase, i.e., phase time (frequently abbreviated simply to "phase" in colloquial usage), can be specified or expressed by time of occurrence relative to a specified reference. Note 2: The phase of a periodic phenomenon can also be expressed or specified by angular measure, with one period usually encompassing 360° (2
radians). Note 3: Phase may be represented (a) in polar coordinates by M 
, where M is the magnitude and is the phase angle, and (b) in Cartesian coordinates, i.e. , an Argand diagram, as (a + jb ), where a is a real component and b is an imaginary component such that tan = (b /a ), where is the phase angle, and the magnitude, M , is (a 2 + b 2)½ 2. A distinguishable state of a phenomenon. (188) 3. That period of time during which a specified function occurs in a sequential list of functions. (188)