Short for
Data Access Arrangement, part of a
modem’s system for
interfacing with a telephone network. The DAA provides the analog circuits that electrically isolate the modem from the phone line, separating the modem from the telephone line’s higher voltage. The
FCC requires this feature of any device that connects to the
PSTN, including
fax machines and
set-top boxes, and most manufacturers build modems around an FCC-approved DAA design.
