Short for Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit. The CSU is a device that connects a terminal to a digital line. Typically, the two devices are packaged as a single unit. The dSU is a device that performs protective and diagnostic functions for a telecommunications line. You can think of it as a very high-powered and expensive modem. Such a device is required for both ends of a T-1 or T-3 connection, and the units at both ends must be set to the same communications standard.
