Dictionary of Electrical Engineering

Commonly used terms in the Electrical industry.

asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)
method of multiplexing messages onto a channel in which channel time is divided into small, fixed-length slots or cells. In ATM systems the binding of messages to slots is done dynamically, allowing dynamic bandwidth allocation. ATM is asynchronous in the sense that the recurrence of cells containing information from an individual user is not necessarily periodic.
ATM

See asynchronous transfer mode
atmosphere
a convenient measure of pressure. 1 std atm = 14.696 psia (pounds per square inch absolute).
atmospheric attenuation
decrease in the amplitude of a signal propagating through the atmosphere, due primarily to absorption and scatter.