Skip to main content

Glossary

We have introduced a lot of new terms and that is by design. We think for something as critical as AMB's nothing should be assumed or taken for-granted. We think these new terms are accurate and will encourage people to look into the docs/code and discourage assumptions.

Here is a quick run-down of some of the terms that you will come across the entire documentation:

  • Socket: Socket is the core contract deployed on all networks that are supported. All core modules and functions exist within Socket
  • Plug/Plugs: Plugs are smart contract applications that connect with Socket to send and receive cross-chain messages via the IPlug interface. Plugs are generally adapter contracts that connect your main Smart contract to the messaging infrastructure.
  • Message: Message is the payload you want to transmit along with relevant meta-data like destination chainSlug etc.
  • Packet: Packets are a collection of messages sent from one chain to another. The validity of messages in a packet is verified on the destination chain based on the logic prescribed in the configured switchboard. Read more.
  • Sealed Packet: As soon as the transmitter seals the packet on the source-chain with their signature it's called "SealedPacket". Read more about how transmitters work here.
  • Capacitor: Capacitor is responsible for storing messages in the form of a Packet. The packet is released when the transmitter calls the sealPacket method on the capacitor. Capacitors allow for native batching of payloads for better gas-performance. Read more.
  • Switchboard: Switchboards are the authentication/verification modules that allow developers to have custom verification for their payloads/messages. They can be permissionlessly built and deployed by the community. Read more
  • Transmitter: Transmitters are the entities responsible for transmission of Packet across layers, their activity is completely on-chain and managed by TransmitManager. Read more
  • ChainSlug: ChainSlug is a unique identifier for a particular network or Socket deployment. It's different than Chain ID or Network ID used on EVM networks. You can find the assigned ChainSlugs in the deployments section