Appendix A • Glossary
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Power Panel 500 user's manual V1.40
7 Glossary
Address
An address is a character string for identifying a memory location or a memory area, where data is stored and can
be retrieved. It is also a symbol (e.g. with numerical controllers) for identifying a function unit for which subsequent
geometrical or technological data are determined by the symbol.
Algorithms
According to DIN 19226: Algorithms are a finite series of well-defined regulations. The desired output quantities
are created from permitted system input quantities. It describes how something is to be done. A procedure must
at least satisfy the following requirements to be valid as an algorithm in a mathematical context.
Discreteness:
An algorithm is made up of a finite series of steps.
Determinacy:
Under the same start conditions, it always creates the same end result.
Clearness:
The series of steps is clearly defined.
Finiteness:
It ends after a finite number of steps.
From a quantity theory perspective, an algorithm is clearly defined by a set of sizes [input, intermediate and output
sizes], a set of elementary operations and also by a regulation, which specifies when and in what sequence
certain operations should be carried out. From a functional perspective, it transfers a set of input sizes into a
set of output sizes. It can be represented in text form in a natural or artificial formal language or using graphic
representations [graph, program flow chart, structured chart, Petri Nets etc.].
ANSI
American National Standards Institute > this organization promotes and manages American industrial standards.
APC
Abbreviation for »Automation PC«
Application software
Software, which is not used for operation by the computer itself, but rather when a computer is used to process a
concrete application problem. It sets up the system software and uses this for fulfilling individual tasks. Application
software can be accommodated in standard software used by a large number of customers in a wide range of
industries. Common examples are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Paint, Matlab etc. Industrial software tailored to the
respective problems of a certain industry and individual software created for solving the particular problems of
an individual user.
ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange, used worldwide; numbers, letters, special characters and
device controller characters are represented as 7-bit binary combinations. Standard ASCII-characters cover 27
= 128 characters in total. An eighth bit is used as a so-called parity bit for error detection when transferring ASCII
files. During even parity checking, this bit is set to 0, when the number of ‘1s’ in the remaining seven bits is an
even number. Otherwise, it is set to 1. The expanded ASCII character set does not use parity checking. The
highest value bit is used here to switch from the standard character set to the expansion. This allows space for
special regional characters e.g. umlauts in the German language.
www.asciitable.com
Automation
According to Brockhaus: The application of technical means, using specific programs that (either partially or
totally) do not require human intervention to perform operations.
Automation Runtime
A uniform runtime system for all B&R automation components.
Failure
Failure according to IEC 61508: A function unit loses the ability to perform a required function. In regards to
safety-oriented systems, a distinction is made between dangerous and safe failures. This depends on whether
the status of the system failure is considered dangerous or safe. The cause of the failure may be load related or
age-related, and therefore a random failure, or related to a flaw inherent in the system. In this case, it is known
as a systematic failure.
