Definitions - 3

broadcast address: A unique group address that specifies all stations (STAs).
BSS Max idle period: A time period during which the access point (AP) does not disassociate a station
(STA) due to nonreceipt of frames from that STA.
calibration initiator: A station (STA) that initiates a calibration sequence.
calibration responder: A station (STA) that transmits during a calibration sequence in response to a
transmission by a calibration initiator.
candidate peer mesh station (STA): A neighbor mesh STA to which a mesh peering has not been
established but meets eligibility requirements to become a peer mesh STA.
channel: An instance of communications medium use for the purpose of passing protocol data units (PDUs)
between two or more stations (STAs).
channel spacing: The difference between the center frequencies of two nonoverlapping and adjacent
channels of the radio transmitter.
cipher suite: A set of one or more algorithms, designed to provide data confidentiality, data authenticity or
integrity, and/or replay protection.
clear channel assessment (CCA) function: That logical function in the physical layer (PHY) that
determines the current state of use of the wireless medium (WM).
collocated interference: Interference that is caused by another radio or station (STA) emitting radio energy
located in the same physical device as the reporting STA, where the reported characteristics of the
interference are known a priori without interference detection, measurement, or characterization by the
reporting STA.
collocated radio: A radio capable of emitting radio-frequency energy located in the same physical device as
the reporting station (STA), where the radio’s type and some link characteristics are known without signal
detection or measurement by the reporting STA.
configuration profile: A collection of parameters identified by a profile identifier (ID) that represent a
current or available configuration of a station (STA).
contention-free period (CFP): The time period during the operation of a point coordination function (PCF)
when the right to transmit is assigned to stations (STAs) solely by a point coordinator (PC), allowing frame
exchanges to occur between members of the basic service set (BSS) without contention for the wireless
medium (WM).
contention period (CP): The time period outside of the contention-free period (CFP) in a point-coordinated
basic service set (BSS). In a BSS where there is no point coordinator (PC), this corresponds to the entire
time of operation of the BSS.
controlled access phase (CAP): A time period when the hybrid coordinator (HC) maintains control of the
medium, after gaining medium access by sensing the channel to be idle for a point coordination function
(PCF) interframe space (PIFS) duration. It might span multiple consecutive transmission opportunities
(TXOPs) and can contain polled TXOPs.
coordination function: The logical function that determines when a station (STA) operating within a basic
service set (BSS) is permitted to transmit protocol data units (PDUs) via the wireless medium (WM). The
coordination function within a BSS might have one hybrid coordination function (HCF), or it might have