Glossary of Terms

Glossary Of Terms
AD592	The AD592 is a temperature transducer that provides an output current proportional to absolute temperature
Amp	Ampere: The international base unit of electrical current that represents the rate flow of electric charges through a conductor. Symbolized by "A." 1 amp is equal to the steady current produced by 1 volt applied across a resistance of 1 ohm.
Analogue	A continuously varying action or movement that takes time to change from one position to another. A good example of this is a simple sine wave -
Analogue Inputs	An input that can accept an analogue signal at a pre-defined maximum/minimum level.
ASCII	ASCII — American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The standard code consisting of 7-bit coded characters (8 bits including parity check) used to exchange information between data processing systems, data communication systems, and associated equipment. The ASCII set contains control characters and graphic characters
Attachment	An attachment is a computer file which is sent in conjunction with an e-mail message.
CSV	CSV (Comma Separated Values) also known as a comma-separated list is a file type that stores tabular data. The format is very old, dating back to the days of mainframe computing. For this reason, CSV files are common on all computer platforms.
Data Logging	In computerised data logging, a computer program may automatically record events in a certain scope in order to provide an audit trail that can be used to diagnose problems.
Data Transfer Protocols	A defined rule set for transfer of data
Digital	A system of data or image values in the form of discrete, non continuous codes, such as binary. When data is in a digital format, it can be processed, stored (recorded), and reproduced easily while maintaining its original integrity.
Digital Inputs	An input type that can only accept a digital signal (1's or 0's), used where an input has an on or off defined state.
Digital Outputs	An output type that will give a digital representation of on or off (1 or 0) used widely for triggering alarms or relays.
Digital States	An digital electrical signal possesses two distinct states (on/off, positive/negative); typically represented by "0" or "1".
DIN Rail	A DIN rail or top-hat rail is a standardized 35 mm wide metal rail with hat-shaped cross section. It is widely used, especially in Europe, for mounting circuit breakers and industrial control equipment inside equipment racks.
E-mail	Electronic Mail
Ethernet	A network protocol that uses MAC addresses to exchange data between computers. Using ARP, with TCP/IP support, Ethernet devices can be connected to the Internet.
Excel	Spreadsheet application by Microsoft Corporation
Export	An ability to send data to another program/file type
Frequency Measurement	The number of times a particular event happens per a given time. In electronics this is the number of complete cycles per second of an electronic signal, expressed in Hertz (Hz).
FTP	File Transfer Protocol. A protocol used to transfer files over a TCP/IP network (Internet, UNIX, etc.). For example, after developing the HTML pages for a Web site on a local machine, they are typically uploaded to the Web server using FTP and stored there for access via the internet.
GPRS	General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a mobile data service available to users of GSM and IS-136 mobile phones. GPRS data transfer is typically charged per megabyte of transferred data. Data communication via traditional circuit switching is billed per minute of connection time, independently of whether the user actually has transferred data or been in an idle state. GPRS can be utilized for services such as WAP access, SMS and MMS, but also for Internet communication services such as email and web access.
GSM	The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. GSM service is used by over 2 billion people across more than 212 countries and territories. The ubiquity of the GSM standard makes international roaming very common between mobile phone operators, enabling subscribers to use their phones in many parts of the world.
GSM Network Router	GSM Network Routers or Cellular routers (sometimes known as 3G Routers) are routers that provide shared Internet access by incorporating a GSM data modem as a WAN interface.
Hayes Compatible Modem	Most dialup modems follow to a large extent the specifications of the Hayes Command Set, a specific programming language originally developed for the Hayes Smartmodem 300 modem. The modem initialization string consists of a series of commands. It prepares the modem for communications, setting such features as dialling mode (tone or pulse), waits, detection of the busy signal and many other settings.
iLOG	Data Logger available in 3 formats GSM, LAN or EDM
Import	The ability to take in data from another source
Internal Memory	Data storage medium that is built in to a device
Internet	The Internet is the worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP). It is a "network of networks" that consists of millions of smaller domestic, academic, business, and government networks, which together carry various information and services, such as electronic mail, online chat, file transfer, and the interlinked Web pages and other documents of the World Wide Web.
LAN	Local Area Network. A local area network is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building).
Local Network	See LAN
mA	abbreviation of milli Amp
Memory	The medium used to store the data received by a device.
milli Amp	Milli Ampere. Or 1000th of an ampere.
Modem	A device that puts information on a carrier signal and transmits it over a (phone) network. The same device receives such signals and demodulates, or separates the information from the carrier. A modem connects computers with other communication devices through ordinary phone lines.
PSTN	The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is the network of the world's public circuit-switched telephone networks, in much the same way that the Internet is the network of the world's public IP-based packet-switched networks. Originally a network of fixed-line analogue telephone systems, the PSTN is now almost entirely digital, and now includes mobile as well as fixed telephones.
PT100	A common type of RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector)
Relay	A device that acts like a switch and is controlled by a current. The relay switch contacts and then controls another circuit to pass a signal. Most relays are either solid state or electromagnetic.
RTD	Resistance thermometers, also called resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), are temperature sensors that exploit the predictable change in electrical resistance of some materials with changing temperature. As they are almost invariably made of platinum, they are often called platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs). They are slowly replacing the use of thermocouples in many industrial applications below 600 °C.
Serial Data	A way to transfer information by breaking the characters of a word into bits, which are then transmitted sequentially along a single line. Compare to parallel, which uses more than one line.
Serial Port	An input/output connection on the computer that allows it to communicate with other devices in a serial fashion — data bits flowing on a single pair of wires. The serial port is used with RS-232 protocol.
SMS	Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile phones, other mobile devices (e.g. a Pocket PC, or occasionally even desktop computers) and some fixed phones, that permits the sending of short messages between mobile phones, other handheld devices and even landline telephones.
TCP/IP	Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The communication protocol of the Internet. Computers and devices with direct access to the Internet are provided with a copy of the TCP/IP program to allow them to send and receive information in an understandable form.
Telemetry	Telemetry is a technology that allows the remote measurement and reporting of information of interest to the system designer or operator.
Text Message	A more commonly used term for SMS
Upload	Uploading and downloading are related terms used to describe the transfer of electronic data between two computers or similar systems. To upload refers to the sending of data from one location to another.
V	Abbreviation of Volt
Volt	The electrical potential difference or electromotive force that will cause current of 1 ampere to flow through the resistance of 1 ohm. Symbolized by "V."
Web Server	A computer that is responsible for accepting HTTP requests from clients, which are known as Web browsers, and serving them HTTP responses along with optional data contents, which usually are Web pages such as HTML documents and linked objects (images, etc.).
XLS	The common file format associated with Microsoft Excel