Acoustic coupler

Acoustic coupler

In telecommunications, the term acoustic coupler has the following meanings:

# An interface device for coupling electrical signals by acoustical means--usually into and out of a telephone instrument.
# A terminal device used to link data terminals and radio sets with the telephone network.

The link is achieved through acoustic (sound) signals rather than through direct electrical connection.

Prior to the deregulation of telephony in many countries of the world, it was illegal to make an electrical connection to the telephone network. Also, in many households, telephones were hard-wired to wall terminals before connectors like RJ11 and BS 6312 became standardised. With the increased use of computing, acoustic couplers were used to connect modems to the telephone network. Speeds were typically 300 bits per second, achieved by modulating a carrier at 300 baud. The first such device was the ACOUSTIC DATA COUPLER 300 MODEM from 1968.

Usually, a standard telephone handset was placed into a cradle that had been engineered to fit closely (by the use of rubber seals) around the microphone and earpiece of the handset. A modem would modulate a loudspeaker in the cup attached to the handset's microphone, and sound from the loudspeaker in the telephone handset's earpiece would be picked up by a microphone in the cup attached to the earpiece. In this way signals could be passed in both directions.

Acoustic couplers were sensitive to external noise and depended on the widespread standardisation of the dimensions of telephone handsets. Direct electrical connections to telephone networks, once they were made legal, rapidly became the preferred method of attaching modems, and the use of acoustic couplers dwindled. Acoustic couplers are still used by people travelling in areas of the world where electrical connection to the telephone network is illegal or impractical.Fact|date=October 2007 Many models of TDD's (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) still have a built-in acoustic coupler, which allow more universal use with pay phones.

See also

* Federal Standard 1037C
* MIL-STD-188
* "Digitronics acoustic coupler patent", January 5, 1971


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Acoustic Coupler —   [engl.], Akustikkoppler …   Universal-Lexikon

  • acoustic coupler —    A modem that includes a pair of rubber cups that fit over the mouthpiece and earpiece of a standard telephone handset (to prevent external noise from being picked up). An acoustic coupler allows you to connect your computer to a telephone… …   Dictionary of networking

  • acoustic coupler — A cradle in which you would place the handset of a phone. This would be connected to a modem, and the modem would access the phone line through this coupler. Modern modems connect directly to the phone line …   Dictionary of telecommunications

  • acoustic coupler — Computers. a modem designed to connect a telephone handset to a computer terminal or processor. [1965 70] * * * …   Universalium

  • acoustic coupler — noun a) An interface device for coupling electrical signals by acoustical means usually into and out of a telephone instrument. b) A terminal device used to link data terminals and radio sets with the telephone network …   Wiktionary

  • Acoustic coupler — Акустический элемент связи …   Краткий толковый словарь по полиграфии

  • acoustic coupler — акустический соединитель прибор, состоящий из двух чашечек на основании, в которые вставляется микротелефонная трубка. Акустический соединитель соединяется с модемом, который посылает свои сигналы прямо на микрофон телефонной трубки, а принимает… …   Hacker's dictionary

  • acoustic coupler —    A device that converts electrical signals into audio signals, enabling data transmission over the public telephone network through a conventional handset …   IT glossary of terms, acronyms and abbreviations

  • acoustic coupler — Computers. a modem designed to connect a telephone handset to a computer terminal or processor. [1965 70] …   Useful english dictionary

  • Coupler — is a word used to describe any of a number of things: A railway coupling device; A Janney coupler; An electronic device, more properly, an acoustic coupler; A telecommunications device known as a directional coupler; A kind of laser mirror known… …   Wikipedia

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