Here you will find information and explanations of important technical terms that can be useful to you in everyday life or on specific projects.
Smart Buildings
The standards for control systems.
K4X
A worldwide standard for home and building automation (lighting, blinds, heating, climate, security, and energy management).
Key Features:
- Decentralized bus standard
- Intelligent components
- Cross-manufacturer and interoperable
- Highly robust and reliable
- Open standard, high flexibility
BACnet
An open communication protocol standard primarily for controlling and monitoring HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems, but also used for lighting, access control, and fire protection in larger buildings and industrial facilities.
Key Features:
- Open standard (ASHRAE ISO)
- IP-based, but also other physical layers
- Scalable and complex, for large systems
- Object-oriented
Modbus
An industrial standard for communication between electronic devices (PLC controllers, sensors, actuators). Often found in HVAC and energy management systems.
Key Features:
- Very widely used and simple
- Serial (RTU/ASCII) and IP-based (TCP)
- Master-slave architecture
- Open standard
- Proprietary extensions possible
DALI
Digital Addressable Lighting Interface. A specific standard for lighting control (dimming, grouping, scenes, fault reporting).
Key Features:
- Specifically for lighting
- Digital addressing of each luminaire
- Bi-directional status feedback
- Enables flexible lighting controls
LonWorks
A network platform for the automation and control of devices in buildings, industry, and transport. It offers decentralized intelligence and is often found in HVAC and power distribution systems.
Key Features:
- Decentralized, distributed system
- "Neuron Chip" as the core
- Open standard
- Suitable for complex integrations
Meter-Bus
A European standard for the remote reading of consumption data from meters (heating, water, electricity, gas).
Key Features:
- Specifically for remote meter reading
- Simple wiring
- Cost-effective to implement
- Standardized (EN 13757)
EnOcean
A wireless standard for self-powered wireless sensors and switches. Ideal for battery-free applications, such as light switches, window contacts, or temperature sensors that harvest their energy from the environment (motion, light, temperature).
Key Features:
- Self-powered (Energy Harvesting)
- Batteryless wireless sensors
- Low energy consumption, high range
- Open standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3-10)
Z-Wave
A wireless standard for smart home applications. Focuses on reliable wireless communication for lighting, security, climate, and household appliances.
Key Features:
- Mesh network (increases range)
- Optimized for low power consumption
- Low latency
- Certification program for interoperability
Zigbee
An open wireless standard for low-power wireless mesh networks. Commonly used in smart home products like lighting, thermostats, and sensors. It forms the basis for many IoT applications in buildings.
Key Features:
- Mesh network (high reliability)
- Very low power consumption
- Open standard (IEEE 802.15.4-based)
- Scalable for many devices
OPC UA
Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture: A platform-independent, service-oriented standard for secure and reliable data exchange in industrial automation and between control systems and building automation.
Key Features:
- Platform-independent interoperability
- Integrated security (Auth., encryption)
- Scalable, from sensors to the cloud
- Service-oriented architecture
GSM Codes
Your gateway to the mobile phone.
QUERY YOUR OWN NUMBER
- Query your own number:
*135# ✆
CALL WAITING / HOLD / CONFERENCE
- Activate call waiting:
*43# ✆ - Deactivate call waiting:
#43# ✆ - Call waiting status query:
*#43# ✆ - End the held call during a second connection:
0 ✆ - Reject an incoming call with a busy tone:
0 ✆ - End the active call and activate the held call:
1 ✆ - End the call with the 1st caller:
11 ✆ - End the call with the 2nd caller:
12 ✆ - Switch between 2 connections:
2 ✆ - Merge two connections into a conference call:
3 ✆
CALL COMPLETION TO BUSY SUBSCRIBER (CCBS)
- Activate CCBS:
*37# ✆ - CCBS status query:
**#37# ✆
CALLER ID DISPLAY
- Query for incoming caller ID display (CLIP):
*#30# ✆ - Query for outgoing caller ID display (CLIR):
*#31# ✆ - Show number for this call:
*31# ✆ - Hide number for this call:
#31# ✆
CALL FORWARDING (CF)
- Set CF "Unconditional":
**21*number# ✆ - Set CF "No Reply" (standard 15 sec.):
**61*number# ✆ - Set CF "Unreachable":
**62*number# ✆ - Set CF "Busy":
**67*number# ✆ - Set CF time interval between 05 and 30 seconds:
**61*...*11*[05-30]# ✆ - Activate CF for telephony service:
**...*number*11# ✆ - Activate CF for fax service:
**...*number*13# ✆ - Activate CF for data service:
**...*number*20# ✆ - Activate all CF simultaneously (network/device dependent):
**002*number# ✆ - Activate all conditional CF simultaneously (network/device dependent):
**004*number# ✆ - Activate already programmed CF "Unconditional" to the last number:
*21# ✆ - Activate already programmed CF "No Reply" to the last number:
*61# ✆ - Activate already programmed CF "Unreachable" to the last number:
*62# ✆ - Activate already programmed CF "Busy" to the last number:
*67# ✆ - Activate all programmed conditional CF to the last number (device dependent):
*004# ✆ - Deactivate an already programmed CF "Unconditional":
#21# ✆ - Deactivate an already programmed CF "No Reply":
#61# ✆ - Deactivate an already programmed CF "Unreachable":
#62# ✆ - Deactivate an already programmed CF "Busy":
#67# ✆ - Deactivate all conditional CF (device dependent):
#004# ✆ - CF status query:
*#...# ✆ - Example: "Busy" status query:
*#67# ✆ - Deactivate CF "Unconditional":
##21# ✆ - Deactivate CF "No Reply":
##61# ✆ - Deactivate CF "Unreachable":
##62# ✆ - Deactivate CF "Busy":
##67# ✆ - Delete all CF simultaneously:
##002# ✆ - Delete all conditional CF simultaneously (network/device dependent):
##004# ✆
CALL BARRING
- Change password (standard password: 7777):
**03*330*old password*new password*new password*# ✆ - Activate "Bar all outgoing calls":
**33*password# ✆ - Deactivate "Bar all outgoing calls":
#33*password# ✆ - Activate "Bar all incoming calls":
*35*password# ✆ - Deactivate "Bar all incoming calls":
#35*password# ✆ - Activate "Bar all outgoing international calls":
*331*password# ✆ - Deactivate "Bar all outgoing international calls":
#331*password# ✆ - Delete all call barring settings:
#330*password# ✆ - Activate barring for fax service:
*...*password*13# ✆ - Activate barring for data service:
*...*password*20# ✆ - Call barring status query:
*#...# ✆ - Example: Status query for barring of international calls:
*#331# ✆
PIN / PUK / IMEI
- Change PIN:
**04*old PIN*new PIN*new PIN# ✆ - Unlock a blocked PIN with PUK:
**05*old PUK*new PIN*new PIN# ✆ - Change PIN2:
**042*old PIN2*new PIN2*new PIN2# ✆ - Unlock a blocked PIN2 with PUK2 or activate PIN2:
**052*old PUK2*new PIN2*new PIN2# ✆ - Display IMEI (device dependent):
*#06# ✆
USSD Codes
Your access to network services.
MULTISIM
- Determines which card should be used for SMS and MMS.
- Code to be entered on the phone that should receive and send SMS and MMS:
*222# ✆ - Code for status query "Active or Inactive":
*221# ✆
MOBILE NUMBER
- Query your own mobile number:
*135# ✆
XTRA TOP-UP
- Top up XtraCash:
*101*XtraCash number# ✆ - Direct top-up of €15:
*102*Pin2# ✆ - Direct top-up of €15:
*102*Pin2*1# ✆ - Direct top-up of €30:
*102*Pin2*2# ✆ - Direct top-up of €50:
*102*Pin2*3# ✆
XTRA ACCOUNT BALANCE QUERY
- Account balance query:
*100# ✆
XTRA ROAMING
- Activate XtraRoaming CallBack:
*111*number with intl. prefix# ✆
XTRA TALK/PLUS TIMER
- Query the minutes used in a collection period. For XtraOne with SMS-Spaß: Query the SMS balance:
*100*2# ✆
XTRA CLEVER TIMER
- Query the XtraClever credit balance:
*144# ✆
XTRA BONUS
- Query the Xtra Bonus:
*150# ✆
T-MOBILE@HOME
- Settings for customers with Single, Independent, and Business options: USSD codes for subscribers with T-Mobile@home option, valid inside and outside the T-Mobile@home area.
- Call transfer:
*70# ✆ - Query whether the subscriber is in the T-Mobile@home area:
*130# ✆ - Status query of current settings:
*130*0# ✆ - Paid forwarding to your own mobile number:
*130*1# ✆ - Free forwarding to the mailbox (pre-set):
*130*2# ✆ - Free "subscriber unreachable" announcement:
*130*3# ✆
SMS NOTIFICATION WITH WEB'N'WALK DATA OPTION
- The SMS notification can be activated or deactivated on the phone with a USSD code.
- Activation:
*145*1# ✆ - Deactivation:
*145*2# ✆ - Status query:
*145*3# ✆
WLAN Standards
The most important IEEE 802.11 specs.
Wi-Fi 4 • 802.11n
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz | 600 Mbit/sFirst version with MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple Output)
Wi-Fi 5 • 802.11ac
5 GHz | 6.9 Gbit/s"Gigabit Wi-Fi", only in the 5 GHz band, wider channels, more MIMO streams
Wi-Fi 6 • 802.11ax
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz | 9.6 Gbit/sEfficiency improvements for dense environments (OFDMA, MU-MIMO for upload), better battery life
Wi-Fi 6E • 802.11ax (Extension)
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz | 9.6 Gbit/sAn extension of Wi-Fi 6 to include the 6 GHz band for even more capacity and less interference
Wi-Fi 7 • 802.11be
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz | Up to 46 Gbit/s"Extremely High Throughput (EHT)", even higher speeds and capacities, Multi-Link Operation (MLO)
Original Standards • 802.11a/b/g
2.4 GHz(b/g), 5 GHz(a) | (11 Mbit/s(b), 54 Mbit/s(a/g)The older generations, rarely relevant for new devices