/ Glossary · 40+ terms
The vocabulary
of the practice.
A plain-English glossary of the terms our practice uses most often. Designed for architects, developers, owners and operations teams who need a working understanding without becoming an engineer themselves. Updated continuously.
/ Why this exists
A glossary written for the people who specify the systems we install.
Systems integration is a discipline of acronyms — and most of them carry a specific engineering weight that gets lost when they drift through a brochure. RT60, PoE++, cause-and-effect matrix, cause-class IS code — these are the terms a procurement document, a tender or an architect's coordination meeting will turn on, and the difference between knowing them roughly and knowing them precisely tends to be measurable in money.
We wrote this reference for the people who sit on the other side of our table — architects shaping a brief, project managers triangulating a tender response, owners reading a BOQ in good faith and operations teams inheriting a freshly handed-over building. Each entry is short, plain and sourced in the way our engineering pack would source it. If a term is missing, write to us; the page is amended in the same week.
/ Automation
Automation · 6 terms
- Automation busAutomation
- A wired protocol — KNX, DALI, Modbus, BACnet — that allows devices on a building's controls layer to communicate with a controller and with each other. Wired buses are preferred for buildings of >30 zones and for systems expected to last 15+ years.
- DALIAutomation
- Digital Addressable Lighting Interface. An IEC-standard protocol allowing each light fitting to be individually addressed and dimmed. Preferred for premium lighting where each circuit needs scene-level control and tunable-white capability.
- FibaroAutomation
- Polish Z-Wave home-automation platform. Fast to deploy, polished mobile app, well-suited to residential homes up to ~30 controllable zones. TechnoGuru specifies, supplies, installs and integrates Fibaro where the project fit is right.
- KNXAutomation
- An ISO-standard wired open-protocol building bus. Multi-vendor, scalable to thousands of devices, designed to last 20+ years. TechnoGuru's preferred bus for buildings that need vendor independence and longevity.
- RakoAutomation
- British wireless lighting and scene-control platform. Unmatched for retrofit residential lighting and shade where wired runs are not possible. TechnoGuru specifies, installs and programs Rako systems where the brief calls for that ecosystem.
- Z-WaveAutomation
- A low-power wireless mesh-network protocol used in residential automation, particularly by Fibaro and several US-market platforms. Operating in sub-GHz band, less congested than 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi/Zigbee. Best suited to residential up to ~30 zones.
See also: KNX · Z-Wave · Rako ·
See also: Z-Wave · Rako · KNX ·
See also: Automation bus · DALI ·
See also: Fibaro · KNX · DALI ·
/ AV
AV · 9 terms
- AV-over-IPAV
- Audio-visual signal distribution over a standard IP network rather than dedicated cabling. Reduces matrix-switcher cost, allows large-scale routing, and integrates cleanly with the building's IT layer. Most premium boardrooms, video walls and houses of worship are now AV-over-IP.
- CEDIAAV
- Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association. International body certifying residential AV and home-cinema integration. TechnoGuru is CEDIA-designated and logs continuing-education hours annually.
- EASEAV
- Enhanced Acoustic Simulator for Engineers. The industry-standard software for acoustic and electro-acoustic modelling of auditoria, concert halls and large rooms. Predicts SPL coverage, STI (Speech Transmission Index) and reverberation behaviour ahead of build.
- FOHAV
- Front of House. The mixing-console position in an auditorium or concert venue, typically located in the rear-centre of the audience area. The FOH engineer balances sound for the listening audience as opposed to monitor mixes for performers.
- HDBaseTAV
- An AV signal-distribution standard sending uncompressed video, audio, ethernet, controls and PoE up to 100 m on a single Cat6 cable. Workhorse format for boardrooms, classrooms and most commercial AV.
- LED P0.9AV
- Direct-view LED display with 0.9 mm pixel pitch. Pixel pitch is the distance between adjacent LEDs; closer viewers need finer pitch. Premium boardrooms typically specify P0.9 to P1.5; large lobbies P1.5 to P2.5; outdoor signage P3 to P10.
- Line-arrayAV
- A vertical array of speaker cabinets behaving as a single source. Provides smoother SPL coverage across distance compared to point-source clusters, and is the default topology for medium-and-large auditoria, concert halls and houses of worship.
- RT60AV
- Reverberation Time at 60 dB decay. The time taken for sound energy in a room to decay by 60 dB after the source stops. Target RT60 varies by room use: 0.4–0.8 s for boardrooms, 1.0–1.6 s for concert halls, 1.8–2.4 s for cathedrals.
- STIAV
- Speech Transmission Index — a 0-1 scale measuring intelligibility of speech in a space. STI ≥ 0.5 is acceptable, ≥ 0.6 is good, ≥ 0.75 is excellent. Mandatory measurement for evacuation-PA systems under EN 54-16; designed-to target for boardrooms and lecture theatres.
/ ELV
ELV · 9 terms
- ANPRELV
- Automatic Number Plate Recognition. A camera-and-software pairing that captures a vehicle's registration plate, parses it via optical character recognition, and looks it up against an authorised-vehicle database in real time. Used at gates, parking entries and toll points; pairs naturally with UVSS for high-security vehicle screening.
- Boom barrierELV
- A high-speed motorised gate arm at vehicle entry points, typically interlocked with ANPR, UVSS and the access-control system. Speed targets (1.5-3.5 seconds full open) and MTBF (mean cycles between failure) are key procurement variables.
- Cause-and-effect matrixELV
- A written specification — typically a table or matrix — that documents what each life-safety event triggers across all connected systems. On a fire-alarm event from detector AD-031: lifts home to ground, magnetic door-holders release, PA announces affected floor, BMS shuts AHU dampers, CCTV pre-records, access-control switches to evacuation. The matrix is programmed once and tested at commissioning.
- CCTV retentionELV
- How long surveillance footage is kept before automatic overwrite. Regulated by sector and risk: 30 days for most commercial, 60 days hospitality, 90 days healthcare and government, 180 days where regulated. Retention × bitrate × camera-count drives storage sizing.
- DFMDELV
- Door-Frame Metal Detector. A walk-through scanner used at hospitality, government, and event venue entry points. Multi-zone DFMDs (typically 12–33 detection zones) localise the metallic object's height for faster handheld follow-up.
- ELVELV
- Extra-Low Voltage — every safety and security service running at less than 50 V AC: fire alarm, CCTV, access control, PA, nurse call, intercom, structured cabling, gate barriers and screening. Grouped because they share installation pathways and need to be coordinated as one cause-and-effect system.
- PAVAELV
- Public Address with Voice Alarm — an integrated PA system with EN 54-16 / IS 14735-compliant voice-evacuation capability. Mandatory under NBC 2016 for many commercial, hospitality, healthcare and educational occupancies above defined thresholds.
- UVSSELV
- Under-Vehicle Surveillance System. A flush-with-road or surface-mounted scanner that captures a high-resolution stitched image of a vehicle's underside as it passes over. Used at high-security vehicle entries; typically pairs with ANPR for plate-and-chassis difference checks.
- VMSELV
- Video Management System. The software platform that aggregates IP camera feeds, manages recording and retention, performs analytics and provides operator search. Honeywell Pro-Watch and Bosch BVMS are our reference VMS platforms across surveillance deployments.
See also: UVSS · Boom barrier ·
See also: ANPR · UVSS ·
See also: ANPR · Boom barrier ·
/ Networking
Networking · 3 terms
- Cat6ANetworking
- Augmented Category 6 structured cabling. Supports 10 Gbps over the full 100 m channel without compromise, rated for 25 years of service. Premium over Cat6 is now <10%; Cat6A is the default for any new commercial or premium-residential cabling.
- PoENetworking
- Power over Ethernet. Delivers low-voltage DC power to network devices over the same Cat-class cable that carries data. PoE+ delivers up to 30 W; PoE++ up to 90 W — sufficient for IP cameras, AP, VOIP phones, occupancy sensors and small displays.
- Wi-Fi 7Networking
- IEEE 802.11be. The current generation of Wi-Fi as of 2026, adding 6 GHz band, MLO multi-link operation and 320 MHz channels. Real-world capacity gains over Wi-Fi 6E in dense rooms (boardrooms, classrooms, lobbies). Default for new premium deployments.
/ BMS
BMS · 7 terms
- BACnetBMS
- Building Automation and Control Networks — an ISO-standard data-communication protocol for building-management systems. Most modern HVAC, lighting and BMS controllers speak BACnet natively, allowing multi-vendor integration.
- BESSBMS
- Battery Energy Storage System. Lithium-ion (typically LFP) battery banks paired with online UPS or stand-alone inverters, used for peak-shave, demand-response, ride-through and tariff-arbitrage. Above ~20 kVA, lithium has displaced VRLA as the default choice.
- BMSBMS
- Building Management System. The supervisory control layer that orchestrates HVAC, lighting, energy, life-safety and access-control into one operating picture. Sets chiller schedules, adjusts AHU dampers based on CO₂, dims lighting on daylight harvesting, and surfaces deviations as alarms.
- Honeywell BMSBMS
- Our default BMS for premium commercial and hospitality buildings, integrating HVAC, lighting, energy and life-safety into a single operating picture. The right answer for buildings that need a documented, well-supported BMS framework.
- Online UPSBMS
- A double-conversion uninterruptible power supply that continuously rectifies AC to DC and inverts back to clean AC, isolating the load from grid disturbances. Default choice for mission-critical IT, fire-pump rooms and life-safety equipment.
- UPSBMS
- Uninterruptible Power Supply. Generic term for any device that provides backup electrical power; in our practice always refers to online double-conversion UPS unless explicitly noted otherwise.
- VRFBMS
- Variable Refrigerant Flow — a HVAC architecture where multiple indoor units share a single outdoor compressor with refrigerant volume modulated electronically. Default for premium commercial and hospitality cooling because of zone-level control and energy efficiency.
See also: UPS · Online UPS ·
See also: UPS · BESS ·
See also: Online UPS · BESS ·
/ AMC
AMC · 2 terms
- AMCAMC
- Annual Maintenance Contract. A documented support programme covering preventive maintenance schedules, response and resolution targets, spares pool, firmware-and-config baselines, and lifecycle planning for installed systems. TechnoGuru AMCs run typically at 6–12% of original installed value annually.
- TurnkeyAMC
- A single-contract delivery model where one accountable contractor takes on design, procurement, installation, commissioning, training and handover for the entire integrated systems stack. Distinguished from item-by-item procurement by accountability for the seams between disciplines.
/ Compliance
Compliance · 6 terms
- GeMCompliance
- Government e-Marketplace. India's online procurement platform for Central and State Government buyers. TechnoGuru is an active GeM-empanelled vendor for systems-integration services.
- IECCompliance
- Import Export Code. A 10-character identifier issued by India's Director General of Foreign Trade, mandatory for any import or export of goods or services. TechnoGuru holds an active IEC and handles cross-border procurement under it.
- IS codeCompliance
- Indian Standards — the technical specifications published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). For systems-integration work the most-cited are IS 2189 (fire alarm), IS 14735 (PA voice-evacuation) and the various IS codes referenced under NBC 2016.
- MSME / UdyamCompliance
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises registration under India's MSME Development Act 2006, recently replaced by the Udyam Registration framework. TechnoGuru is an MSME-registered enterprise eligible for procurement preferences and statutory MSME provisions.
- NBC 2016Compliance
- National Building Code of India, 2016. The umbrella code covering fire and life-safety, structural design, building services and accessibility. TechnoGuru's ELV designs cite NBC requirements line-by-line in the engineering pack.
- Shop drawingCompliance
- A drawing produced by the integrator showing the actual fabrication, installation and routing of a system as it will be built — distinct from the architect's design drawing. Cabling pathways, panel layouts, rack elevations, conduit routes, mounting details. The document a site engineer builds against.
The terms, in the field.
BMS dashboards, Wi-Fi heat-maps and structured cabling are not abstractions — they are the daily tools of the practice. The glossary attempts to keep both halves visible.
