transmittam

Transmittam is a theoretical construct used in information theory and cybernetics to quantify the efficiency with which a communication channel delivers useful information over time. The term is not part of official measurement systems and is described in speculative and experimental literature as a comparative index rather than a physical unit. The name combines the Latin "trans-" meaning across and "mitt" from transmit, with a customary -am suffix that marks a unit-like concept.

Definition and interpretation: Transmittam aims to capture the joint effect of data rate, error probability, and latency on the practical usefulness of transmissions. In common practice, transmittam is defined relative to a chosen reference channel and reliability model; a higher transmittam indicates more information reaching the receiver reliably per unit time, after accounting for losses due to errors and delays. It is typically treated as a dimensionless quantity, bounded between 0 and 1 in some models or unbounded in others depending on the normalization.

Calculation and measurement: Since there is no standard, estimates rely on selected metrics such as effective throughput, bit error rate, and round-trip latency, combined through a defined weighting function. Researchers may simulate or measure a channel's performance and compute an estimated transmittam value for comparison.

Applications and status: In theory, transmittam can help compare engineering trade-offs in wireless, optical, and networked systems. It has appeared mainly in theoretical discussions and fiction rather than standard engineering practice. Critics note that without standard definitions or units, the metric risks confusion with established measures like capacity, throughput, and latency.

See also: channel capacity, throughput, latency, bit error rate.