JAOMAD Glossary C:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Intro
C—In thermometry, degrees centigrade (scientific notation, degrees Celsius); also: Thermocouple type for Tungsten 5% Rhenium vs. Tungsten 26% Rhenium; also: formerly meant "Conductivity"(electrical) when used in first alpha character position of ISA instrument function tag, still means "Control" if in succeeding position [see ANSI/ISA S5.1-1984 (R1992)]; also: full name of programming language designed for UNIX® operating system (and successor of language named B), known for compactness, memory conservation, and power, allows bit mapping and strong typing; also: symbol for patchboard or matrix board connection; also: c(lowercase) in math is abbreviation "centi-" for 10-2 (=0.01).
C+, C++—AT&T® extensions to C program language to provide object-oriented features (objects, services, data abstraction, inheritance, sets); introduced by Bjarne Stroustruo of Bell labs in the early 1980s.
C.S.—Carbon Steel.
C/J—Cold Junction, the reference junction of thermocouple, see definition.
C/S—Client /Server communication model; see definition.
C2C—Consumer-to-consumer; type of e-commerce approach using electronic interaction between consumers (generally to do business), e.g. sale of second hand goods.
CAAA—Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 in U.S. which expand EPA enforcement powers and place restrictions on air toxins, ozone-depleting chemicals, stationary and mobile emissions sources, and substances implicated in global warming and acid rain formation.
CAA—Clean Air Act; U.S. federal law calling for air pollutant emissions standards for motor vehicles and stationary sources first passed in 1970, reauthorized in 1977 & 1990.
Cable—Assembly of conductors that has some degree of flexibility; conductors are insulated from each other and enclosed in common sheath; most commonly used for data highway systems are coaxial and twinaxial (shielded twisted pair), but fiber optic and multiconductor are also available.
Cache Memory—High speed, buffer type memory filled at medium speed from main memory and temporarily stored locally so that information can be retrieved quickly by some application(s) to improve throughput.
CACSD—Computer Aided Control System Design; package which couples tremendous numerical capabilities with graphical analysis techniques of desktop computers to produce complete, easy-to-use computer software for designing and simulating control systems.
CAD—Computer Aided Design, use of high resolution graphics in wide range of design activities, allowing quick evaluation and modification; also: Computer Aided Drafting.
CADD—Computer Aided Drafting and Design.
CADET—Can't Add Doesn't Even Try; name given to first (non-arithmetic) PLCs in 1969 by Richard E. Morley and coworkers at Modicon®. J
CAE—Computer Aided Engineering, analysis of design for basic error checking, or to optimize manufacturability, also: Common Applications Environment.
CAF—Cathotic Annodic Filaments.
CAGR—Compound Annual Growth Rate.
CAI—Computer Assisted Instruction.
CAID—Computer Aided Industrial Design.
Ca—In context of intrinsic safety, maximum allowed capacitance from barrier protecting a hazardous area in an intrinsically safe installation; see Intrinsically Safe.
CAL—CAN Application Layer; see CAN.
CAL—Computer Augmented Learning; also: CAN Application Layer; Controller Area Network which is used as a base for various (initially proprietary) control digital communication systems.
Calibration Cycle—Calibration of device with increasing signal, and decreasing signal (both upscale and downscale directions).
Calibration—Test during which known process values are applied to device or system and corresponding output readings are recorded under specified conditions to determine correlation to actual values.
CALM—Collaborative Asset Lifecycle Management; see definition.
Calorie—Quantity of thermal energy required to raise one gram of water 1°C at 15°C.
CALS—Computer aided Acquisition and Logistic Support standard.
CAM—Computer Aided Manufacturing, the use of computer technology to generate data to control part or all of manufacturing process; also: Content Addressable Memory; also: Common Access Method.
CAMAC—Computer Automated Measurement And Control; instrumentation interface standard developed in 1970s by users European nuclear physics community which was promoted for industrial process control.
Camera Tube—Device contained in television camera that acts as optical-electrical transducer to convert optical image of scene to be transmitted as electrical video signals; two basic types are image orthicon and vidicon tubes from which many others have been developed.
Campaign—Limited run of product through process; can last from days to months in duration, typically in chemical industry; control strategy and physical process changes may accompany campaign.
CAN—Controller Area Network; developed by Intel® and Robert Bosch Gmbh for real-time automotive industry needs; primarily European, it provides data link for J1939 used with off-road construction, agricultural, and other vehicles; often used on top of EIA 485, more recently on ISO DIS 11898; Allen Bradley with 20 other companies in 1994 promoting DeviceNet™ on top of CAN; Honeywell MICROSWITCH® using SDS on top; also: CANcel, character in digital communication indicating that data preceding it is in error and should be ignored.
CANENA— (Council for Harmonization of Electrotechnical Standards of the Nations of the Americas); organization facilitating development of trinational North American Standards - UL, CSA, ANCE.
Canned Configurable Software—Computer software designed for specific function based on general principles and applied to many applications in order to achieve desired capability of computer system, that is, process control systems, spread sheets, historical data collection systems, statistical process control systems, etc.
CAP—Certified Automation Professional; see definition.
Cap Height—In typographical composition of screen displays and printing, height of capital letter measured from baseline to top.
Capabilities File—In FOUNDATION Fieldbus technology, describes the communication objects in a fieldbus device; configuration device can use Device Description (DD) Files and Capabilities Files to configure fieldbus system without having fieldbus devices online.
Capacitor Start/Capacitor Run Motor—An ac motor used for hard starting loads; features high capacitor for starting both motor and low capacitor for running the motor, startup and running windings are always energized, centrifugal switch changes connection between high and low capacitors.
Capacitor Start/Induction Run Motor—An ac motor capable of generating larger starting torques; it has capacitor dedicated to creating larger magnetic field for heavier startup requirements; This capacitor is cut out as motor reaches operating speed.
Capacitor—Component which consists of arrangement of two or more conductive surfaces separated by dielectric (insulator), designed to hold voltage for limited time; has been used as memory devices to hold values in multiplexing (hence: "hold stations").
Capacity—In computers, storage capability for quantity of information, usually given in bytes (KB, MB, GB).
CAPE—Concurrent Art to Product Environment; computer aided design tools used for (drawing) ‘concept to finished product’ efforts; also: Computer Aided Process Engineering.
CapEx—Capital Expenditure.
CAPISCE—Computer Architecture for Production Information Systems in a Competitive Environment; project funded by ESPRIT to unite three layers of manufacturing architecture (planning, execution, & control); first effort by major CIM vendors towards seamlessly integrating information from control systems to business planning systems.
CAPP—Computer Aided Process Planning; data management framework designed to assist functions of process planning.
Caps—In typographical composition of screen displays and printing, capital letters of type font.
Captive Screws—Screws used to attach removable panel covers on enclosures and designed to stay attached to panel cover when cover panel is removed.
CAR—Computer Aided Repair; data management framework designed to assist functions of repair.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome—Irritation of tendon sheath and lining involving median nerve at the human wrist location, can affect typists, computer operators, and anyone who uses hand tools.
Carrier Insertion—In digital communication, media access protocol method (ISO data link layer 2) whereby station in network monitors message stream of all messages passing through it until it detects lull in traffic, whereupon it inserts its own message while buffering and later retransmitting any additional incoming messages; also known as "ring expansion" because method "expands" ring of data by one message until original message or acknowledgment by receiving station returns back to sender.
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection—(CSMA/CD) In digital communication, media access method (ISO data link layer 2) for local area networks; IEEE 802.3-like standard by Intel®, Xerox®, and DEC® in which contention between two or more stations is resolved by detecting the simultaneous transmission and causing each to retry after waiting predetermined time, different for each station on network and usually several microseconds.
Carrier—Continuous frequency capable of being modulated or impressed with communication signal.
Carrierband—Single-channel communication technique which transmits and receives on same frequency; also: phase coherent FSK; also: group of musicians stationed on navel vessel which accommodates landing and takeoff of aircraft. J
CAS—Complex Adaptive System; in very simple terms, consists of group of independent "agents" that take in information and adjust their behavior as a result, such as with ants and termites; concept holds promise of enabling manufacturers to more effectively deal with random variables that occur unexpectedly on plant floor, throwing normal production schedules awry; see Chaos Theory.
CAS Number—Number assigned to specific Chemicals by Chemical Abstracts Service; in most cases are unique numerical identifiers, in others, this item may show “mixture” of chemicals within some product.
CASA—(Computer and Automated Systems Association [of SME]).
Cascade Control—Automatic control scheme where output of one process controller is set point input of another; sometimes used when output signal of controller provides other input parameters (ratio, bias, gain, etc.) of another.
Cascade—Method of connecting series of devices (hardware, software, or firmware) so that output of one becomes input of another.
Cascading—In communications, connection of twisted pair hubs by running twisted pair cable from one hub to another.
CASE—Common Applications Session Element, part of layer 7 for MAP 2.1; also: Computer Aided Software Engineering, use of object oriented programming and other techniques to streamline generation of programming code, as well as to access information form relational data base; also: Conformity Assessment Systems Evaluation, voluntary program for NIST to check competency of manufactures, testing groups, standards groups trade associations, or other organizations involved in quality assurance.
CASS—Calibration Accuracy Support System; also: Coarse Alignment Sub-System; also: Coding Accuracy Support System; also: Computer Assisted Search Service; also: Computer Automated Support System; also: Consolidated Automated Support System
CAT—Computer Assisted Training; also: Current Adjusting Type process control output (4-20 mA); also: Computer Aided Testing.
CATT—Controlled Avalanche Transit Time.
CATV—Community Antenna TeleVision; often referenced in relation to type of coaxial cable used for data transmission.
Cause & Effect (C&E)—Methodology, also known as a Safe Chart, that helps end users comply with many phases of process lifecycle methodology used to provide guidelines of safety requirements needed for a process.
Cavitation—Explosive effervescence caused in fluid when pressure is suddenly reduced, such as in downstream side of valves and some flowmeter designs eventually causing damage; the same process, however, results in cleaning action in ultrasonic cleaners.
CB—Certification Board; certificate issued by National Certification Board (NCB) to provide reassurance to end user that claims of product performance is verified by independent party, attesting to quality and safety of that product; differs from European CE Mark in which testing is done by manufacturer who makes that product. See also NCB.
CBC—Cipher Block Chaining; in cryptography, mode of operation that combines ciphertext of one block with plaintext of next block, eliminating need for electronic code book method.
CBC-MAC—Cipher Block Chaining-Message Authentication Code; message integrity method that uses block ciphers such as DES and AES; where each block of plaintext is encrypted with the cipher and then XOR'd with the second encrypted block, result is XOR'd with the third encrypted block and so on in series; see MAC, CBC, XOR, AES/CCMP.
CBDS—Connectionless Broadband Data Service; definition of which is emerging from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute; expected to be equivalent to and compatible with SMDS.
CBEMA—(Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association).
CBGA—Ceramic Ball Grid Array.
CBL—Computer Based Learning.
CBM—Condition-Based Maintenance; see definition.
CBSA—Component-Based Solution Assembly; production plant systems that feature flexible, adaptable systems based upon reusable, re-configurable components as an effort to preserve advantages of current legacy plant systems and products, while providing improved agility through robust real-time integration and re-configuration capabilities; more than just software, components include business processes, collaboration, solutions, and services.
CBT—Computer-Based Training; Individualized instruction delivered to trainees via computer application.
CCAPS—Circuit Card Assembly and Processing System.
CCD—Charged Coupled Device; charge transfer device that consists of an array of MOS capacitors designed so charges can be moved through semiconductor substrate in controlled manner (whose semiconductors are connected so that the output of one serves as the input of the next); essentially shift register, it can be used to form analog or digital serial memories, function as dynamic filter, used for imaging as in solid state camera, etc.
CCITT—(Consultive Committee for International Telephony and Telegraphy; Comité Consultatif Internationale de Télégraphie et Téléphonie); international association that sets world-wide communications standards, such as V.21, V.22, X.25, etc.; replaced by ITU-TSS (International Telegraphic Union-Telecommunications Standards Sector).
CCL—Connection Control Language; in computers linked through phone networks, file which contains list of commands modem needs to work over network to other "foreign" modems.
CCR—Concurrency, Commitment, and Recovery.
CCST—Certified Control Systems Technician; see definition.
CCT—CNMA Conformance Testing.
CDA—Compound Document Architecture; multi-media format by Digital Equipment Corp.
CD—Compact Disc, Computer Disc; for digital memory using light to detect information, popular use includes digitized music because it combines robustness with ability to be mass produced rather cheaply with very sophisticated control and detection system; size was specifically formatted by Sony® and Philips® to store Beethoven's 9th Symphony as conducted by Herbert Von Karajan with Berlin Philharmonic, resulting in standard of 72 minute capacity per disc, which stores roughly 2 KB per sector and spins at 75 sectors per second, yielding throughput of 150 KB (2K x 75) per second; also: Compatible Digital in video data handling.
CDDI—Copper Distribution Data Interface; unshielded twisted pair, shielded twisted pair, dual grade twisted pair options; see FDDI.
CDE—Common Desktop Environment.
CD-E—Compact Disc - Erasable; reusable CD-R.
CDF—Compressed Data Format; method of saving data to electronic memory expressly for exchanging data between computers.
CD-I—Compact Disc-Interactive (with video); powerful marriage of audio, limited motion video, digital data, and still graphics (publishing) by Philips®; provides up to 72 minutes of motion video and will support both digital audio and CD-ROM data storage formats.
CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access; in digital communication, media access protocol (data link layer) used in wireless technology which uses spread-spectrum technology to encode each channel with a pseudo-random digital sequence; less costly to implement, provides three to five times the calling capacity of GSM & TDMA; see FDMA, “rival” TDMA.
CDP—Compressor Discharge Pressure.
CDPD—Cellular Digital Packet Data; one of the emerging wireless digital communications technologies useful for true SCADA systems, which sends packets of data using existing cellular communications technology for a given region; developed as wireless extension to an IP network; while cost is still a constraining factor with CDPD, this technology has proven effective for regions without direct telephone or leased lines; CDPD modems are available on PC Cards for laptop and handheld computers; see also SCADA.
CD-R—Compact Disc - Replicator (Recordable); using glass substrate to create disc from which plastic replicas are made through injection molding process for volume copies; can be written to only once, but a feature called multisession recording, enables addition of data to a CD-ROM over time, allowing creation of backup CD-ROMs.
CDR—Critical Design Review; used to identify issues in final design release; compare: PDR.
CD-ROM XA—Compact Disk—Read Only Memory Extended Architecture; extension of the CD-ROM standard, but hybrid of that with CD-I and promoted by Sony® and Microsoft®: adds ADPCM audio to permit interleaving of sound and video to animation, with sound synchronization.
CD-ROM—Compact Disc-Read Only Memory, to expand computer memory; 4.75 inch laser encoded optical memory storage medium with the same constant linear velocity spiral format as compact audio discs and some video discs; some can store up to 663MB of data; also: Consumer Device, Rendered Obsolete in MonthsJ.
CD-RTOS—Compact Disc Real-Time Operating System.
CD-RW—Compact Disc - ReWritable; can be erased and rewritten in multiple sessions like floppy disks and hard drives; compare: CD-R, see also MultiRead.
CDTV—Commodore Dynamic Total Vision; consumer multimedia from Commodore®, which includes CD-ROM/CD audio player, Motorola 68000 processor, 1MB RAM and 10 key infrared remote control.
CE—(Conformité Européene); CE Mark must be applied to products placed on EU market; is mark of conformity indicating declaration (SdoC) by manufacturer or its representative in EU that product or system complies with European law (directives) regulating necessary level of protection with respect to safety, health, environment, and consumer protection, (such as electronic emission and electrical safety requirements) but not any guarantee of quality and does not replace agency listings such as FM, UL, CSA, or TÜV; tested by manufacturer of product; compare with CB role of NCB.
C&E—Cause & Effect; see definition.
CEA—Certified Environmental Auditor (U.S.); certified category listed by National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP).
CEB, CEBus—Consumer Electronics Bus; EIA draft (9/93) to integrate utilities, sensors, controls, and communications in the home; also: (Comité Electrotechnique Belge); Belgian member of IEC.
CEF—(Comité Electrotechnique Français); French member of IEC.
CEI—(Comitato Elettrotecnico Italiano); Italian member of IEC.
Cell Constant—In Conductivity measurement, ratio between conductance electrodes to area of electrode surface.
Cell Controller—Typically programmable logic controller, or interconnected cluster of them to perform operations in "cell" on manufacturing line; term is sometimes broadened to include portions of process, but with varying interpretations.
Cell—In measurement, device that produces electricity by chemical means (electrolytic, voltaic, etc.); also: in manufacturing, cluster of operations to perform single function in assembly line (such as: “drill then tap set of holes, bolt on mounting bracket, attach device”).
CEM(S)—Continuous Emission Monitoring (System).
CEN—(Comité Européen de Normalisation); objective is to harmonize national standards of member countries for common standard throughout European community; (European equivalent to ISO).
CEN/CS—(Comité Européen de Normalisation/Central Secretariat).
CEN/TC—(Comité Européen de Normalisation/Technical Committee).
CENELEC, CLC—(Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique); goals similar to CEN, but focused on electrical and electronic products; (European counterpart of IEC).
Central Processing Unit (CPU)—“Brain” part of computer which contains circuits that control and perform execution of computer instructions, now typically a microprocessor dedicated to this.
Centripetal Force—Force exerted on object moving in circular path which is exerted inward toward center of rotation (opposite the centrifugal force).
CEO—Chief Executive Officer.
CEPEL—(Centro de Pesquisas de Energia Elétrica); Brazilian certification and testing laboratory for testing equipment of different vendors to some common standard.
CERCLA—Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (also known as superfund); U.S. federal law authorizing identification and remediation of unsupervised hazardous waste sites.
Certified Automation Professional (CAP)—Qualified to be responsible for the direction, design, and deployment of systems and equipment for manufacturing and control systems; sponsored by ISA --The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society.
Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST)—Qualified to calibrate, document, troubleshoot, and repair/replace instrumentation for systems that measure and control level, temperature, pressure, flow, and other process variables; sponsored by ISA --The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society.
Certified Industrial Maintenance Mechanic (CIMM)—Qualified to be responsible for preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance. They are multi-skilled individuals whose expertise is primarily mechanical in nature as opposed to instrumentation or electrical; sponsored by ISA --The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society.
Certified OPC Professional (COP)—Awarded to people who have demonstrated their proficiency with OPC technology, design, architecture and installation; supported by the OPC Foundation.
Cerenkov Radiation—Light caused by radioactive decay of elements.
CESI—Italian certification and testing laboratory for testing equipment of different vendors to some common standard.
CEU—Continuing Education Units; nationally recognized method of quantifying time spent in classroom during professional development and training activities; 10 hours of instruction equals (1) CEU and equivalent to 10 Professional Development Hours (PDHs); primary purpose is to provide permanent record of educational accomplishments of individual who has completed significant non-credit educational and career enhancement experiences; awarded only for professional development and training and are not related to academic credit; administered by American Public Works Association (APWA) [www.AWPA.net].
CF—CompactFlash; high-capacity, removable digital memory storage/transfer media which is usually rigid (non-rotational).
CFA—(CompactFlash Association); independent corporation of 10 companies to help create CompactFlash standard: Apple®, Cannon®, Eastman Kodak®, Hewlett-Packard®, Matsushita®, Polaroid®, NEC®, SanDiak®, Seagate®, & Seiko Epson®.
CFC—ChloroFluoroCarbon, consideration in EPA (U.S.) regulations; any compound containing carbon and one or more halogens, usually fluorine, chlorine, or bromine; used as refrigerant and solvent and as propellant in aerosol sprays; those containing bromine are used in fire extinguishers; CFCs have been identified as cause of depletion of Earth's protective ozone layer.
CFD—Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling software; powerful technology to solve fluid flow problems; allows user to determine fluid mechanical details of laminar, turbulent, reactive, multiphase, noni-sothermal, non-Newtonain and compressible flow systems to ensure that process, piping, valves, and vessels are all designed correctly before starting plant.
CFH—(standard) Cubic Feet per Hour
CFI—CAD Framework Initiative standard.
CFL—Compact fluorescent Lightbulb.
CFM—Cubic Feet per Minute; also: Continuous Flow Manufacturing.
CFML—ColdFusion Markup Language; see ColdFusion.
CFO—Chief Financial Officer.
CFR—Code of Federal Regulations (US).
CFNO—CFO (Chief Financial Officer) whose answer always seems to be "No" no matter how large or small the purchase request. J
CG/VDI—Computer Graphics/Virtual Device Interface.
CGA—Color Graphics Adapter (Array); video standard (for IBM® PC in 1981), offering 320 x 200 pixels with 4 colors, or 640 x 200 pixels with two colors; in text mode, up to 16 possible colors; see EGA, PGA, SVGA, UXGA, VGA, XGA; also: Continuous Gas Analyzer.
CG—Computer Graphics.
CGI Script—Common Gateway Interface Script; small program written in a language such as Perl, Tcl, C or C++ that functions as glue between HTML pages and other programs on the Web server; for example, would allow search data entered on a Web page to be sent to database management system for lookup by formatting results of that search as an HTML page and send it back to the user; resides in the server and obtains the data from the user via environment variables that the Web server makes available to it.
CGI—Computer Graphics Interface; device independent graphics language for display and printing that stemmed from Graphical Kernel System (GKS); also: Computer Generated Image; picture created in the computer; also: Common Gateway Interface, Internet web standard for methods used by servers, external programs & scripts for intercommunication.
CGM(IF)—Computer Graphics Metafile (Interchange Format); standard for archiving and transferring graphics data.
CGMP—Current Good Manufacturing Practice; regulations by FDA for finished pharmaceuticals.
CGRM—Computer Graphics Reference Model; ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 tools for computer graphics to insure that application programs and pictures are portable.
CGS—Centimeter-Gram-Second; system of fundamental units for mass, length, time; now obsolete, replaced by MKS system from which SI units are developed.
Chain Fall—Method of manually operating remote valves by mechanically using chains & sprockets.
Challenge/response—Authentication method used to verify legitimacy of users logging onto network; upon log-on, server uses account information to send "challenge" number back to user who then enters that number into credit-card sized token card that generates a response which is sent back to server; such systems have also been implemented entirely in software without need to carry token card.
Change Control—In process validations, formal system by which qualified representatives of appropriate disciplines review proposed or actual changes that might affect validated status; intent is to determine need for action that would ensure and document that system is maintained in validated state.
Channel—In communications, specified frequency band or particular path used in reception or transmission of electrical signals; also: in data processing, route along which information may travel or be stored within computer; also: in control systems physical input/output terminations, one input or output that can be analog or discrete.
Chaos Theory—Science that deals with the underlying order of the seemingly random nature of the universe; No-one truly knows what chaos is, much less how to define it; arguably some say it is bounded, continuously unstable aperiodic fluctuations displaying sensitive dependence to initial conditions; others say there is no such thing as "Chaos Theory", except in the popular media or sources of that nature; see CAS.
Character Generation—Production of typographic images using font master data generated to screens or output devices.
Character String—Connected sequence of characters.
Characteristic Impedance—Impedance termination of an (approximately) uniform transmission line that minimizes reflections from the end of that line.
Character-oriented—Describing communications protocol or transmission procedure that carries control information encoded in fields of one or more bytes; also: someone attracted to unusual people. J
Character—Standard 8 bit unit representing symbol, letter, number, or punctuation mark -- generally, but not always means same as byte; letter, digit, or other symbol that is used as the representation of data.
Chatter—Rapid cycling ON and OFF of device, such as relay in control process, due to insufficient bandwidth in controller.
Check Box—Small square box which appears on video screen display, usually within a dialog box, which is used for selecting choice of options within some application.
Checksum—Summation of digits or bits according to an arbitrary set of rules used primarily for checking integrity of data; can detect single bit errors and some multiple bit errors.
Chemical Vapor Deposition—Semiconductor fabrication process in which material is deposited on substrate by means of reactive chemicals in vapor phase, on occasion at low pressure (well below atmospheric pressure) or plasma-enhanced (in presence of plasma discharge).
CHI—Computer Human Interface; see HMI.
Chip—Small piece of single crystal of semiconductor material containing [die (unpackaged semiconductor device) cut from a silicon wafer] either single component or device, or integrated circuit incorporating semiconductor circuit elements such as resistors, diodes, transistors, and/or capacitors.
Choked Flow—Fluid flow condition through valve that, with constant upstream state, cannot be further increased by lowering downstream pressure.
Choke—Inductor used to present relatively high impedance to alternating current.
Chopper—Device that creates alternating current by periodically interrupting or reversing continuous source of direct current.
CHP—Cooling, Heating & Power system.
Chromel®—Chromium nickel alloy used in positive leg of type K and type E thermocouples; registered trademark of Hoskins Manufacturing Company.
CI—Computer Integration.
Ci—In context of intrinsic safety, maximum unprotected capacitance permitted in a hazardous area in an intrinsically safe installation; see Intrinsically Safe.
CIAC—(Computer Incident Advisory Capability); established in 1989, this U.S. Department of Energy group provides computer security services (such as computer virus alerts to their employees and contractors.
CIE—(Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage); international standards group for color and illumination, the first to specify color in terms of human perception rather than just listing ingredients needed to make particular device produce given color; also: Computer Integrated Enterprise.
CIEE—Computer Integrated Extended Enterprise.
CIF—Control In Field; sometimes called TrDC (Truly Distributed Control), but usually considered controllers out on fieldbus within sensors and/or final elements.
CIGS—Copper Indium Gallium Di-Selenide; compound semiconductor used in more efficient solar cells.
CIM-AF—Computer Integrated Manufacturing Application Framework; framework ("protocol" is to restrictive) based upon distributed object-oriented technology to allow control computers to communicate with equipment in plant, ideally to implement Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES).
CIM—Computer Integrated Manufacturing; application of computer and communications technology to automation and integration of manufacturing processes; usually encompasses complete material value-adding chain from order entry to delivery of product; BMP model functions involved in set of six layers, colloquially termed “CIM model;” this model is based on ISO/TR 10314 -1, Industrial Automation - Shop Floor Production - Reference model for standardization and methodology to identify requirements.
CIME—Computer Integrated Manufacture and Engineering.
CIMM—Certified Industrial Maintenance Mechanic; see definition.
CIP—Clean-In-Place, typically in food/pharmaceutical processing vessels where parts are not removable.
CIR—Committed Information Rate; in network communications, traffic measurement which is average bandwidth that is provided over given time sample; often mistaken as amount of bandwidth that carrier is guaranteeing.
Circuit Switching—Method of communications where an electrical connection between calling and called stations is established on demand for exclusive use of the circuit until connection is released; see also Message Switching and Packet Switching.
Circuit—Completed communications path through two or more points, finishing where it started; frequently passing through combination of several electrical devices and conductors that, when connected together, can perform specific function; these devices may be discrete components or combined in single integrated circuit (IC).
Circuit-level Gateway—In computer based networks, security protection system designed to prevent unauthorized access through firewall technology which applies security mechanisms when TCP or UDP connection is established, and when connection has been made, packets can flow between hosts without further checking; see Firewall Technology.
CISC—Complex Instruction Set Computing; developed by Intel® to provide greatest number of independently functioning units by using them to perform tasks in parallel so processor makes most out of each tick of clock; compare with RISC.
CIS—Contact Image Sensor; technology that allows digitalizing images using document scanner.
CJC—Cold Junction Compensation, see definition.
CJR—Cold Junction Reference, see Cold Junction.
Cladding Mode—In fiber optics, mode confined to cladding; light ray that propagates in cladding.
Cladding—In fiber optics, outer layer that surrounds fiber core and has lower index of refraction.
Clamp Time—in power lines, how fast surge protector responds to block power surge.
Clamping Voltage—Pre-defined "sustained" voltage held by clamp circuit at some desired level.
CLAN—Carrierband LAN; also Community Local Area Network; also Cordless Local Area Network; also Control Local Area Network; also Cluster Local Area Network; also Core Local Area Network; also Corporate Local Area Network; also Customer Local Area Network; also Classified Local Area Network; also Cableless Local Area Network; also Connectionless Local Area Network
Classic IBM®—Term that usually refers to original PC-XT or AT bus architecture.
Class—In Object Oriented Programming (OOP), definition of objects according to their common characteristics; describes type of object, a template for objects with similar behavior.
CLB—Configuration-Logic Block; also: Career Limiting Behavior, see CLM. J
Clearance, Barrel of Proximity—Clearance described by imaginary barrel around electrical power line termination facility measured from sides, top, bottom, front and back of terminating surface to a grounded surface or other termination facility, including studs or bolts when in place.
Clearance, Radial—Clearance required around termination facility of electrical power line measured from sides, top, and bottom of termination surface area; see Clearance, Barrel of Proximity.
Clear GIF—Small graphic image (also known as "PIXEL tags" or "beacons"), typically used in connection with cookies, that is placed on a web site or in an email message; can monitor certain user behavior, such as usage of that web site, whether user opened an email message, or whether user clicked on a URL in an email message.
Client/Server Model—Approach to computer processing where functions of application are shared between multiple computers on same network; distributes computing load among several computers on network on which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server.
Client—One of usually several devices on computer network being supplied by another processor acting as server of data, memory, or function(s); client software requests & receives these from server software.
Clipboard—Storage area for holding data (text, bitmap, graphic object, etc.) of video-based computer system where some content from a screen window (application) is copied to be “pasted” into another application.
Clip—In video development, (as noun) piece of video footage.
CLM—Career Limiting Move; used among microserfs to describe ill-advised activity; trashing your boss while he or she is within earshot is a serious CLM. J
CLNP—ConnectionLess Network Protocol.
CLNS—ConnectionLess Network Service.
Clock—In computer intercommunications, shorthand term for source(s) of timing signals used in synchronous transmission; more generally the source(s)of timing signals sequencing electronic events.
Closed Loop Control—In process control, any system in which part of output is fed back to input to effect regulatory action, and in which controlled quantity is measured and compared with standard representing desired value or performance; any deviation from this standard is fed back into control system in such a way to reduce deviation; usually called feedback control.
Closeness in Control—Total variation from desired setpoint of system; expressed as "closeness of control is ±2°C" or system bandwidth of 4°C; also referred to as amplitude of deviation.
CLS—ConnectionLess Server.
Cluster—Collection of terminals or other devices at one location.
CLUT—Color Look-Up Table; used by video display station to define its color palette to use 8-bit or lower digital image file.
Clutter—Unwanted signals caused by noise (EMI, RFI); also: unwanted images on video screen, such as shapes and messages that become unrecognizable due to zooming.
CLV—Constant Linear Velocity of rotation as found with Compact Disks; formatted LV-ROM.
CM—Condition Monitoring; role of a control system to watch health of transmitters & end elements.
CM&C—Cell Monitoring & Control.
CMAC—Cerebellar Model Articulation Control; technique in neural networks.
CMC— Copper Moly Copper.
CMEX—Continuous Media Extensions to X-windows.
CMIP—Common Management Information Protocol (ISO network management standard).
CMIS—Common Management Information Services (ISO network management standard).
CML—Current Mode Logic.
CMM—Color Matching Method; scheme for determining best color approximations in color management system; also: Collaborative Manufacturing Management.
CMMS—Computer Maintenance Management System; see definition.
CMN—Common Mode Noise, see definition.
CMOS—Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor; uses very low power, less heat to dissipate.
CMR(R)—Common Mode Rejection (Ratio); (measure of) ability of device to cast off power line interference.
CMS—Cable Management System; also: Cost Management System.
CMUT—Capacitive Microfabricated Ultrasound Transducer.
CMV—Common Mode Voltage, see Common Mode Noise.
CMYK—Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK; model or color space to convey color information; combining differing amounts of these subtractive secondary colors produce all the colors in color space; used by most printers, it works by starting with all light waves (white paper) and then subtracting quantities of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black wavelengths with pigments, (theoretically, maximum of CMY produce black, but inks are not pure so usually result is muddy brown, hence addition of black); compare with RGB.
CNC—Computer Numerical Control; allows control of motion in accurate and programmable manner through use of dedicated computer within numerical control unit, with capability of local data input such that machine tools are freed from need for hardwired controllers, see Numeric Control & INC.
CNEC—(Comité Nacional Español de la CEI); member of IEC.
CNMA—Communications Network for Manufacturing Applications; "sibling" of MAP in Europe which includes IEEE802.3 and X.25 in set of reference standards.
Coax—Coaxial cable; popular transmission medium which is formed from two or more coaxial cylindrical conductors insulated from each other; outermost conductor is usually grounded and encased in either wire mesh or extruded metal sheathing; frequently used for television and radio signals as well as digital signals because its design is less likely to cause or be affected by external fields; many varieties are available depending upon shielding needed and voltages/frequencies to be accommodated.
COB—Chip On Board.
COBOL—COmmon Business Oriented Language; computer language developed by the Department of Defense and fine tuned by Capt. Grace Hopper, USN; one of the most widely implemented, it is primarily known for business applications; highly structured but wordy, it is English-like and intrinsically self documenting.
COC, CoC—Chip On a Chip; 3-D cube of chips, using bare chips mounted one over the other with spacers in between; as this technology matures, it is expected that up to 100 chips can be used in one cube; also: Computer On a Chip; single chip that contains processor, RAM, ROM, clock and I/O control unit; hundreds of millions of them are used each year for a myriad of applications from automobiles to toys; also called "Microcontroller" or "MCU;" compare with SoC.
COD—Chemical Oxygen Demand; consideration in EPA (U.S.) regulations; also: Consumed Oxygen Demand.
Code Width—Smallest voltage an A/D converter can detect; fuction of resolution, gain, and range.
CODEC—COmpression/DECompression algorithm; any of several unique methods for emulating data from digital video (compression) and then redisplaying it with data substituted or assumed from the original (decompression); term originated during 1950s for digitizing voice signals for transmission over analog telephone lines and trunks using PCM; disk drive industry uses similar term ENDEC.
CODIL—COntrol DIagram Language; process oriented language and system offered by (former) Leeds and Northrup Company.
Coefficient—Constant which is to be multiplied by variable; in digital signal processing (DSP), values of coefficients in filter determine band pass band and stop band characteristics.
COFF—Common Object File Format; file format within UNIX®.
COG—Chemical,Oil, & Gas (marketplace).
COIN—COS OSI Information Network; allows co-existence of OSI and TCP/IP protocols.
Cold Backup—Backing up database that is not in active use as in controller which turned off until needed; compare Hot Backup, Warm Backup.
Cold Junction (C/J)—Reference junction of thermocouple which is held at stable, known temperature, allowing a comparison with measured junction to determine that unknown temperature (Hot Junction).
Cold Junction Compensation (CJC)—Referencing of thermocouple voltage outputs to ambient temperature in Thermocouple measuring circuit.
ColdFusion—In computer programming, application development tool from Allaire Corporation, for writing Web pages that interact with databases; instead of writing tedious CGI and Perl scripts, operations are coded in the ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) which uses HTML-like tags embedded in the Web pages; ColdFusion engine, interfaces with a Windows-based Web server, interprets the codes, accesses the database and delivers the results as HTML pages for the Web browser.
Collaborative Asset Lifecycle Management (CALM)—Comprehensive vision for capital asset management that addresses all classes of capital assets, all lifecycle stages, and all stakeholder needs. CALM exploits recognized Best Practices in capital asset management.
Collaborative Production Management (CPM)—Manages execution of manufacturing schedule in the plant; applications formed around information collection and management.
Collision Domain—In digital communications, single CSMA/CD network which may consist of two or more Medium-Access Control (MAC) sublayers; MAC sublayers separated by repeater are within same collision domain; MAC sublayers separated by bridge are within different collision domains; splitting hub or repeater into separate or multiple collision domains is often incorrectly referred to as "segmentation."
Collision—In digital communications, term used when electrical signals from two network devices in CSMA/CD media access system run into each other, triggering retransmission by each, but at different times so second collision is unlikely.
Color Depth—In video development, refers to number of bits of data used to define the pixels' color (8 bits = 256 colors, 16bits = 65,535 colors, 24bits = 16.7 million colors).
Color Mapping—In digital graphics display, assigning colors to presented image, referencing color palette.
Colorimeter—Instrument for measuring color in the way the eye sees color.
COM—COMmunication, usually means serial communications port; also: Component Object Model, in computing, binary component developed by Microsoft®, used in several objects (programs) which may be combined to produce specified results; connection mechanism and protocol used to link different applications in Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) environment; allows development independent, interoperable software objects; de facto object standard by Microsoft® competing with CORBA; also: COMmon signal, usually instrument signal electrical ground separate from equipment ground (earth).
COM(M)S—Customer Oriented Manufacturing (Management) System; software package which promotes closer communication among various departments of a manufacturer and customers and suppliers; envisioned by Advanced Manufacturing Research (AMR) as linked through Manufacturing Execution System to plant controls; counterpart to ERP by GartnerGroup
Common Carrier—Private data communications utility company that furnishes communications services to general public; originated in transportation industry, expanding movement of goods and passengers to include signals.
Common Mode Noise—Voltage (common-mode voltage, or CMV) present on all conductors with respect to ground; due to number of common mode noise sources present in some industrial environments, plant floor communications systems are highly susceptible to common mode noise related problems.
Common Mode Range—Input range of an electrical device over which circuit can tolerate common mode signal.
Common Mode Rejection Ratio—Ability of instrument to reject interference from common voltage at its input terminals with relation to ground (vs. Normal Mode); usually expressed in decibels (dB).
Common Mode Signal—Mathematical average voltage, relative to device’s electrical ground, of the signal(s) from another device (differential output).
Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)—Approach to creating open object-oriented system architectures; specifies interoperability of Object Request Brokers (ORBs); this emerging object oriented programming standard is being presented by Object Management Group (OMG); competes with de facto object standard COM by Microsoft®.
Communication Stack—Layers of protocol which provide communication between physical layer and user layer; also: in FOUNDATION Fieldbus technology, device communications software which provides encoding and decoding of User Layer messages, deterministic control of message transmission, and message transfer.
Communication—In microprocessing, transmission and reception of data among processing equipment and related peripherals.
Communications Server—Device on LAN, usually dedicated computer, that provides network users with communications programs, links telephone lines and multiplexing facilities with which to transmit data into and out of the network.
Compaction—See compression.
CompactPCI—Connection standard for industrial grade Personal Computer Interfaces to readily allow modular architectures yet rugged enough to greatly reduce ground bounce, improve noise immunity and reduce noise emissions.
Comparator—Circuit which compares two inputs and produces output which is function of result of that comparison, such as differential amplifier.
Compatible—Can coexist with rules of recognized standard, but may not be compliant (see compliant); for example, specification-compatible device will operate on standard communication system and communicate with other devices on that system made by same vendor, will not interfere with devices made by other vendors on that same system, but will not necessarily be able to communicate with those other devices; [Webster definition: existing together in harmony].
Compensated Range—Range of values within which all tolerances specified for zero, sensitivity, etc. are applicable.
Compensating Loop—In thermal measurements using Resistance temperature Detector (RTD), the lead wire resistance compensation for this type of element where an extra length of wire is run from instrument to RTD and back to instrument, with no connection through RTD.
Compensation—Addition of specific materials, devices, or values to counteract some known error.
Compiler—Computer program that translates high-level language statements (Interpreted program) into some form (typically machine code, or some other lower level language) that can directly activate the computer hardware; compiled programs run very significantly faster than interpreted programs.
Compliant Voltage—Defined by some instrument vendors as minium voltage that must appear across transmitter for it to function properly; some others may refer to this as "lift-off voltage."
Compliant—Conforms exactly with rules of recognized standard (vs. compatible); for example, specification-compliant device will operate on standard communication system and communicate with all other devices on that system made by any other vendor who is similarly compliant; [Webster definition: submissive].
Component-Based Solution Assembly (CBSA)—plant systems that feature flexible, adaptable systems based upon reusable, re-configurable components as an effort to preserve advantages of current legacy plant systems and products, while providing improved agility through robust real-time integration and re-configuration capabilities; more than just software, components include business processes, collaboration, solutions, and services.
Component Object Model—Underlying Microsoft computer software architecture that allows applications to be readily integrated.
Component RGB Video—In video development, red, green, blue, and luminance signals are processed as separate signals (or components), thus achieving higher quality; generally found in professional grade equipment; see Composite Video.
Component Software—Object oriented computer software approach in which stand-alone objects, or components, can readily interact in “container environment” without custom program development.
Composite Link—Line or circuit connecting pair of multiplexors or concentrators; also: circuit carrying multiplexed data.
Composite Video—In video development, video signal that combines chrominance (colors red-green-blue) and luminance (brightness of black, white, and gray) information into one signal relayed on single waveform or over single wire; used by most consumer grade products.
Compound—In Object Oriented Programming (OOP), consisting of combination of elementary objects.
Compression—Any of several techniques used to reduce number of bits required to represent information in storage or transmission of digital data (saving memory or bandwidth), in which original form of the information can be reconstructed; also: called compaction; see Asymmetrical, Delta Save, JPEG, MPEG, Symmetrical.
Computer Graphics—General term identifying pictures or diagrams, as different from letters and numbers, on computer video screen or hard copy device.
Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)—Application of computer and communications technology to automation and integration of manufacturing processes; usually encompasses complete material value-adding chain from order entry to delivery of product; BMP model functions involved in set of six layers, colloquially termed “CIM model;” this model is based on ISO/TR 10314 -1, Industrial Automation - Shop Floor Production - Reference model for standardization and methodology to identify requirements.
Computer Legend—Designed as instrument of torture, first computer was invented by Roger "Duffy" Billingsly, a British scientist, who in plot to overthrow Adolf Hitler, Duffy disguised himself as a German ally and offered his invention as a gift to the surly dictator. The plot worked. On April 8, 1945, Adolf became so enraged at the "Incompatible File Format" error message that he shot himself. The war ended soon after Hitler's death, and Duffy began working for IBM. J
Computer Telephony—Broad term for the many combinations of (PC) computer and telephone for new and unique applications.
Computer Viruses, Worms, & Trojan Horses—virus is unauthorized program that replicates itself, attaches itself to other programs, and spreads onto various data storage media (floppy disks, magnetic tapes, random access memory, etc.) and/or across a network; symptoms of infection include much slower computer response time, inexplicable loss of files, changed modification dates for files, increased file sizes, and total computer failure; larger systems do not generally suffer from viruses, but they do suffer from worms and Trojan Horses; worms absorb memory & slow performance much like viruses, but do not attach themselves to other programs and generally do not destroy data, software, or other system resources, whereas Trojan Horses are unauthorized programs hidden within authorized programs which also can be designed to give access to a specific “cracker;” see Cracking.
Computer(ized) Maintenance Management System (CMMS)—General classification of computer programs designed to assist in managing maintenance of process plants and other facilities; provides history and future work scheduling of assets, including tracking preventative maintenance schedules for these assets; sophisticated systems keep inventory of spare parts on-line with work orders, with inventory control, automatic purchasing, receiving, physical counting, along with providing personnel with information for appropriate decisions based on costs and operating efficiencies; see Preventative Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance, and Total Productive Maintenance concepts; see also Enterprise Asset Management (EAM).
Computer-Based Training (CBT)—Individualized instruction delivered to trainees via computer application
Computer—Device capable of solving problems or manipulating data by accepting data, performing prescribed operations (mathematical or logical) on the data, and supplying results of these operations; Initial use of the term was as job title for those women at the Philadelphia arsenal in the 1930’s who computed the gunpowder loads needed in artiliary for various projectiles at various ranges & trajectories, which was the first purpose for developing the Eniac computer, see ENIAC; although first “computing machine” is credited to Charles Babbage, see also Computer Legend.
Computerized Composition—All-inclusive term for use of computers to automatically perform functions of hyphenation, justification, and page formatting.
Computing Device—In instrumentation, device or function that performs one or more calculations or logic operations, or both, and transmits one or more resultant output signals; sometimes called Computing Relay; see Relay.
Concatenate—To link together in chain, such as macros in software program, or message frames in digital communication, or terms in mathematical equation, etc.