Acknowledge: A reply message used to indicate that a
command or trigger message was received.
Actuator: An actuator is a transducer
that accepts a data sample or samples and converts them into an action. The
action may be completely contained within the TIM or may change something
outside of the TIM.
Address:
A character or group of characters that identifies a register, a particular
part of storage, or some other data source or destination.
AddressGroup: A collection of
TransducerChannels that respond to a single address.
Alias: An alias is an alternate
designation for an object. Throughout this standard, it is a number used in
place of the eighty-bit UUID when addressing a TIM.
Buffer: An intermediate data storage
location used to compensate for the difference in rate of flow of data or time
of occurrence of events when transmitting information from one device to another.
Controller: A device, possibly an NCAP,
which acts as the master to control all of the devices on a transducer network.
Calibration: The process used to
determine the information that must reside in the Calibration TEDS to support
correction.
CommunicationsChannel:
For the purposes of this standard, a CommunicationsChannel shall be defined as
a communications path between the NCAP and the TIM. A CommunicationsChannel may
be used for data communications and other functions as well as controlling the
operation of a TIM. All TIMs and NCAPs must have at least one
CommunicationsChannel.
ControlGroup: ControlGroups are
manufacturer specifications that define the inherent relationships between the
TransducerChannels of a multi-channel TIM. This ControlGrouping information is
not normally used by the TIM itself. This information is used to identify
TransducerChannels that are used to control some characteristic of another
TransducerChannel. For example, a ControlGroup could be used to identify an
actuator that is used to set the threshold of an analog event sensor.
Logical CommunicationsChannel: The term “logical
CommunicationsChannel “ is used to denote a CommunicationsChannel when the
logical properties are what are under consideration rather than the physical
properties. If the term CommunicationsChannel is used without the modifier, the
logical CommunicationsChannel is what is under consideration.
Physical CommunicationsChannel: The term “physical
CommunicationsChannel “ is used to denote a ComunicationsChannel when the
physical properties are what are under consideration.
Correction: The evaluation of a multinomial function
using information from the calibration TEDS together with data from one or more
transducers.
Data conversion: Data conversion is the
translation of data from one numeric form into another (e.g. converting a
scaled integer to a floating point number during correction).
Data model: The data model is the numeric format in
which the TIM shall output or accept data.
Data-set: The collection of samples acquired by a sensor (or applied by an
actuator) in response to a trigger command.
Data
sheet: A set of information on a device
that defines the parameters of operation and conditions of usage (usually
produced by the device's manufacturer).
Data structure: A group of digital data
fields organized in some logical order for some specific purpose. A
two-dimensional paper version of a data structure is an empty
fill-in-the-blanks form or an empty tabular chart with organized column and row
headings. A data structure is the template by which data is stored in computer
memory.
Digital interface: A communications media and
a protocol for transferring information by binary means only.
Electronic data sheet: A data sheet stored in some form of electrically
readable memory (as opposed to a piece of paper).
Embedded transducer: A device that behaves as a
transducer from the point of view of the controller even though nothing outside
of the TIM is sensed or changed. Embedded transducers are useful for setting or
reading operating parameters of other transducers.
Enumeration: The assignment of a numeric value to a
specific meaning within the context of a specific data field. Binary numbers
are usually expressed in decimal terms for human convenience. Not all possible
numeric values need have a specific meaning. Values without meaning are
declared to be unused or reserved for future use. Enumeration is the process of
declaring the encoding of human interpretable information in a manner
convenient for digital electronic machine storage and interchange. Any
subclause that defines a TEDS data field to be enumerated shall contain a table
that defines the meaning of the data field for each numbic value possible. The
meanings encoded in each data field shall be specific and unique to that data
field and only that data field. The value becomes meaningless if not associated
with the data field and its defining table.
Event sensor: An event sensor is a sensor that detects a
change of state in the physical world. The fact that a change of state has
occurred and/or instant in time of the change of state, not the state value, is
the “measurement.”
Hot swap: The act of connecting or disconnecting a TIM from
a transducer interface medium without first turning off the power that is
supplied to the TIM over the medum.
Isochronous transmission: An isochronous
transmission is a communications stream transport that is uniform in time. The
delivery of the physical stream of information is recurring at regular
intervals.
Least significant bit (lsb): The lsb is the bit in the
binary notation of a number that is the coefficient of the lowest exponent
possible.
Message:
A message is information that is to be passed between devices as a single
logical entity. A message may occupy one or more packets.
Meta-TEDS: The collection of those TEDS data fields
that pertain to the whole or overall entity or those which are in common or
shared with all member entities (TransducerChannels) comprising the whole
product.
Multinomial: A multinomial is a linear sum of terms
involving powers of more than one variable. 
Network Capable Application Processor (NCAP): An NCAP is a device
between the Transducer modules and the network. The NCAP performs network
communications, TIM communications, and data conversion or other processing
functions.
Not-a-number (
Octet: A group of eight bits. (In the
Packet: A packet is information that is to be passed by the
physical layer between devices in a single transmission.
Read frame: A read frame is the process
of transferring of one block of data from a TIM to the controller.
Sample latched: The term sample latched is
used in a sensor to signal that the sample has been acquired. This may be when
a sample and hold circuit switches to the hold mode or other similar operation.
For an actuator, it signals that the sample has been moved to the output logic.
Sensor: A sensor is a transducer
that converts a physical, biological, or chemical parameter into an electrical
signal.
Setup time: The time between the
initial request for a function to be performed and when the task is actually
initiated.
Signal conditioning: Signal conditioning is the
transducer signal processing that involves operations such as amplification,
compensation, filtering, and normalization.
Smart actuator: A smart actuator is an
actuator version of a smart transducer.
Smart sensor: A smart sensor is a sensor
version of a smart transducer.
Smart transducer: A smart transducer is a
transducer that provides functions beyond those necessary for generating a
correct representation of a sensed or controlled quantity. This functionality
typically simplifies the integration of the transducer into applications in a
networked environment.
Synchronization signal: For the purposes of this
standard, a synchronization signal shall be defined as a signal transmitted by
the NCAP to provide clock or time synchronization signals to a TIM or group of
TIMs. Low cost and performance TIMs may not implement a receiver for the
synchronization signal.
Transducer: A transducer is a device
that converts energy from one domain into another. The device may either be a
sensor or an actuator.
Transducer Interface Module
(TIM): A
module that contains the TEDS, logic to implement the Transducer interface, the
transducer(s) or connection to the transducer(s) and any signal conversion or
signal conditioning.
TransducerChannel: A TransducerChannel
includes a transducer and all of the signal conditioning and conversion
components associated with that transducer.
TransducerChannel address: The concatenation of the TIM
alias and the TransducerChannel number that form the logical address of a
specific TransducerChannel. The TIM alias is the most significant portion of
the TransducerChannel address.
TransducerChannel number: An eight-bit number
assigned to an individual TransducerChannel within a TIM by the manufacturer.
TransducerChannel proxy: A device that is created to
allow a collection of TransducerChannels to be treated as a single entity. A
TransducerChannel proxy is similar to a normal TransducerChannel except that it
does not require a TransducerChannel TEDS, it cannot have a Calibration TEDS,
Transfer Function TEDS or Frequency Response TEDS. It may support other TEDS. A
TransducerChannel proxy may respond to commands.
Transducer Electronic Data
Sheet (TEDS):
An electronic data sheet describing a TransducerChannel. The structures of
multiple TEDS are described in this standard.
Transfer: The act or process of
moving information from one digital device to another.
Trigger: A signal or message that is
used to start an action.
Trigger cycle: The complete series of
activities comprising the assertion of the trigger by the controller followed
by the acknowledgment by the TIM.
VectorGroup: VectorGroups are
manufacturer specifications that define the inherent relationships between the
TransducerChannels of a multi-channel TIM. This VectorGrouping information is
not normally used by the TIM itself. This information is normally used by
controller applications to properly compose human readable displays or in
formulating other computations. For example, VectorGroupings may be used to
indicate which TransducerChannels represent the three vector axes of a
three-axis vector measurement.
Virtual TEDS: A TEDS that is stored
permanently in a location other than the TIM.
Write frame: The process that implements
the transfer of data from a controller to a TIM.