asterisk users - Apr 2013 - Gateway?

This is going to sound like a dumb-ass question:

The device that allows you to bridge Asterisk (or any other PBX) into the
pstn.. What is that called? So, I guess, not a SIP trunk, but the device
that actually IS the SIP trunk.

Am I making sense?

Thanks
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL:
<http://lists.digium.com/pipermail/asterisk-users/attachments/20130429/5eba090f/attachment.htm>

Here are your answers:

1st question: Anything that makes sense.
2nd question: Maybe

Please, explain your setup.

jg

On Monday 29 April 2013, James Wystead wrote:
> This is going to sound like a dumb-ass question:
> 
> The device that allows you to bridge Asterisk (or any other PBX) into the
> pstn.. What is that called?
Usually it is an expansion card that plugs into a PCI or PCI express slot on 
the motherboard; so most people would just call it an analogue telephony card  
(such as a TDM410P, for instance)  or an ISDN card  (such as a TE410P).  One 
that connects to the mobile networks would be called a GSM card.

Analogue telephony cards are further subdivided into two flavours; FXO  (which 
connects to an exchange line)  and FXS  (which connects to a telephone, and 
provides the necessary line bias and ringing voltages).  Usually a single card 
will provide for multiple lines, by fitting either FXO or FXS modules as 
required.

-- 
AJS

Answers come *after* questions.