Definition

1. Noun:
   • A high-speed digital communication technology: Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a networking standard designed for the high-speed transfer of multiple types of data, including voice, video, and computer data, over a single network.

Usage

• Primary Use: As a proper noun referring to a specific telecommunications standard. It is often abbreviated as ATM.
• Context: Used in technical discussions about networking, telecommunications, and data transmission infrastructure.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The backbone of the early internet relied heavily on asynchronous transfer mode for data routing.
  • To ensure quality of service for video conferencing, the network was upgraded to support asynchronous transfer mode.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Specification: In technical documentation, ATM is described as a cell-switching and multiplexing technology that uses fixed-length packets (cells) for efficient, predictable data transfer.
  • The asynchronous transfer mode protocol uses 53-byte cells, 5 bytes for header and 48 bytes for payload.

Variants and Related Words

• ATM: The universal abbreviation for Asynchronous Transfer Mode.
  • The contract specified an ATM network connection for the new data center.
• Cell Relay: A synonym sometimes used to describe the underlying switching method of ATM.

Synonyms

• Broadband ISDN (B-ISDN): The broader integrated services digital network framework for which ATM was originally developed as the core technology.

Related Phrases

• ATM Network: A network implemented using ATM technology.
  • The university's ATM network connected all campus buildings.
• ATM Switch: A network device that forwards ATM cells.
  • Traffic was routed through a core ATM switch.

Noun

1. a means of digital communications that is capable of very high speeds; suitable for transmission of images or voice or video as well as data
   • ATM is used for both LAN and WAN