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Dictionary
of Remote Monitoring and Telemetry Terminology
Select the first letter of the word from the list
below to jump to appropriate section of the glossary. If the term you
are looking for starts with a digit or symbol, choose the '#' link.
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Alarm
A situation brought about when the status
of a device falls outside its acceptable limits of operation, such as
when a temperature is found to be too low or too high.
alarm dialer
Alarm High Limit
The numerical high limit of acceptable
operation for analog input devices. If the status of an analog input
device exceeds this limit, an alarm is generated.
Alarm Low Limit
The numerical low limit of acceptable
operation for analog input devices. If the status of an analog input
device falls below this limit, an alarm is generated.
Alarm Sense
Defined as either ON or OFF. When set to
ON, an alarm is generated if the device reports an ON status. When set
to OFF, an alarm is generated if the device reports an OFF status.
AMR
Automatic Meter Reading
Analog Input Device
A device which provides a numeric or
quantitative input status to the remote monitoring unit. Example: a
temperature probe.
Analog Output Device
A device which is controlled by a numeric
or quantitative output from the remote monitoring unit. Example: a
variable-speed pump.
Archive
A file copied from to a CD-R or tape
back-up for purposes of safekeeping or for historical reasons.
Automatic
Describes the state of a device when it
is under automatic control by the remote monitoring unit. Generally,
when a device is under automatic control the device is capable of being
controlled by the remote monitoring unit. The opposite of manual.
Analog Data
Data represented in continuous form, as
contrasted with digital data having discrete values.
Analog-to-Digital (A/D) Conversion Time
The length of time required to convert an
analog signal into a digital value. The theoretical maximum conversion
speed is the inverse of this value.
Analog-to-Digital (A/D) Converter
Converts an analog signal (such as a
voltage signal from a temperature sensor) into a digital signal suitable
for input to a computer.
Anti-Alias Filter
An anti-alias (or anti-aliasing) filter
passes the lower frequency components of a signal but stops higher
frequencies. Anti-alias filters are specified according to the sampling
rate of the system.
asset tracking
A utodialer
see Alarm Dialer
Baud Rate
The data transfer rate between two data
processing devices.
Binary Code
A representation of numeric values using
only the digits zero and one.
Binary Input Device
A device which provides binary (ON or
OFF) input status to the remote monitoring unit. Example: a simple
toggle switch.
Binary Output Device
A device which is controlled by a binary
(ON or OFF) output from the remote monitoring unit. Example: a horn or
lamp.
Bipolar Inputs
Bipolar inputs are designed to accept
positive or negative voltage. Example ±5 volts.
Bit (b)
One binary digit, either 0 or 1. There
are eight bits to one byte (or character); there are 1024 bytes to one
kilobyte, and 1024 kilobytes to one megabyte.
Byte (B)
Eight related bits of data. An eight-bit
binary number. Also used to denote the amount of memory required to
store one byte of data.
C ontrol
System
Counter
A user-accessible register which can be
used for event counting or frequency measurement.
Current Loop
A Current Loop (typically 4 to 20
milliamps) is a method used to transmit signals in noisy environments.
data acquisition
data
acquisition terminal
Data Analysis
The evaluation of data collected.
Data Compression
Any operation or transformation to reduce
the amount of stored or transmitted data.
data log
datalogger
Data Verification
The checking of data for correctness.
Device
An individual sensor which provides
control and/or status capability for the specific object being monitored
or controlled.
Device Name
A description up to 18 characters long
which defines a particular input or output device. Examples of device
names are Room Temperature and Pump Vibration.
Differential Inputs
For each input signal there are two
signal wires. A third connector allows the signals to be referenced to
ground. The measurement is the difference in voltage between the two
wires: any voltage common to both wires is removed.
Digital Filter
A process which employs electronic
circuits to modify or selectively transmit digital signals in a manner
analogous to that of photographic filters acting upon light.
Digital-to-Analog (D/A) Converter
Converts a digital signal into a analog
voltage or waveform.
DTMF Dual-Tone
Multiple-Frequency.
The audible tones resulting from pressing
buttons on Touch-Tone telephones.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
The total range of wavelengths or
frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, extending from the longest
radio waves to the shortest-known cosmic rays.
Electronic Noise
Noise, or random error, added to data by
the electronic components of a sensing system.
emergency
dialer
Engineering Unit
A units definition up to 5 characters in
length, such as RPM, DEG F, and PSI. Also called engineer unit.
environmental monitoring
equipment
equipment diagnostics
event
factory automation
farm
telemetry
fault detection
Full Duplex
Simultaneous two-way communication.
Gain
The factor by which a signal is
amplified, sometimes expressed in decibels (dB)
gas
gauge
groundwater
Home
Automation
Home
Automation is the ability to control specific events within a house
without direct manual intervention. Home Automation includes the ability
to control lighting, appliances, pools and almost any other electrical
item by the use of remote control, time or event driven triggers.
Home
Automation System
A home automation system id
any device with the ability to control lighting, appliances, pools or
other electrical item by the use of remote control, time or event driven
triggers.
hvac
Hysteresis
The time lag exhibited by a body in
reacting to changes in the forces affecting it.
industrial monitoring
infiltration
Input Impedance
The measured resistance and capacitance
between the input terminals of a circuit.
Input/Output (I/O)
The physical connection from a monitoring
system to external sensors and actuators.
Interrupt
A computer signal indicating that the CPU
should suspend its current task to service a designated activity.
Isolation
Two circuits are isolated when there is
no direct electrical connection between them.
Isolation Between Inputs
A transient at an input can also propagate to other equipment
connected to that input. This is prevented by providing isolation
between inputs.
Isolation to Earth or System
A high transient voltage at one input may
damage not only the input circuit, but the rest of the data acquisition
hardware, and, by propagating through the signal conditioning and A/D
circuits, eventually damage the computer system as well. You can prevent
this type of damage by isolating the input from the earth of the data
acquisition and computer hardware.
- (empty)
- (empty)
leak
level
L ogger
see Data Logger
m2m
machine
metering
Modem
Modulator Demodulator. Converts digital information to a series of tones
appropriate for the telephone network.
monitor
monitoring
Multitasking
A property of an operating system in
which several processes can be run simultaneously.
Noise
In technical terms, an undesirable electrical signal. Noise
comes from external sources such as the AC power line, motors, switching
power supplies, fluorescent lights, soldering irons, CRT displays,
computers, electrical storms and radio transmitters. and from internal
sources such as semiconductors, resistors, and capacitors.
Null Modem
An adapter that enables two data terminals (DTE) or two computers (DCE)
to be connected together.
Number of Channels
The number of sensors or signals that a
monitoring system can sample at one time.
Operating Environment
The environment in which a monitoring
system and/or its sensors operate.
overflow
performance
phone alarm
dialers
polling
pressure
preventive maintenance
Pulse Dialing
An older method of phone dialing using
breaks in DC current rather than DTMF tones to indicate the numbers
being dialed. Used by rotary telephones.
- (empty)
RTU
rtu
datalogger
Real Time
A property of a remote monitoring system
in which data is transmitted as it is acquired instead of being
accumulated and transmitted at a later time.
Remote Sensing
Remote Sensing is the ability to sense a
condition or event at a distance.
Repeatability
Uniformity of a single sensor's
characteristics over time and use.
Reproducibility
Uniformity of sensor characteristics from
sensor-to-sensor.
remote data acquisition
remote data
acquisition device
remote data collection
remote house
monitoring
remote monitoring
remote
monitoring and data aquisition
remote
monitoring of cathodic protection
Remote
Sensing
remote
sensing
remote sensor
remote tank
level monitoring
Resolution
The number of bits in which a digitized
value will be stored. This represents the number of divisions into which
the full scale range will be divided. e.g. A 0-5V range with a 10-bit
resolution will have 1024 divisions of 4.88V each.
Response Time (seconds, minutes)
Time required for a sensor's output to go
from 10% to 90% of its final-value response upon exposure to a target
gas.
RMS
Root mean square. The square root of the
sum of the squares of a set of quantities divided by the total number of
quantities. The RMS value of an AC (alternating current) always produces
a positive value proportional to the amplitude AC signal and is easily
read by a monitoring system.
RTD
Resistance Temperature Detector; a
metallic probe that measures temperature based upon its coefficient of
resistivity.
satellite
SCADA
SCADA system integrators
security
Sensor
A device that responds to a physical
stimulus (heat, light, sound, pressure, motion, flow, etc.) and produces
a corresponding electrical signal.
Sensor Degradation
The deterioration properties of a sensor
due to time and other factors.
Sensor Noise
In technical terms, an unwanted part of a
signal created by the components of the sensor itself.
Serial Data
The transmission of data as a sequence of
bits.
Settling Time
When an output voltage swings full-scale
through the range of the D/A converter, the settling time tells how long
it will take for the output to settle to its new value.
Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)
The ratio of the overall RMS signal level
to the RMS noise level, expressed in dB.
Signal Conditioning
Makes a signal suitable for input to an
analog-to-digital converter. For example, a signal may be filtered to
remove noise, or amplified to meet the range of the A/D converter.
Signal Variation
Irregularities in a signal due to
interference from internal or external sources.
Signature Analysis
Analysis of the frequency distribution
patterns of a data set.
Simultaneous Sampling
When all analog signals are read
simultaneously. This is achieved by providing each input with its own
A/D converter, and initiating sampling from a single clock. It ensures
that there is no reduction in sampling rate when more signals are
connected.
Slew Rate
The maximum rate of change of an output
signal.
Status
The value being reported by a simple
input device, or by the status point for a complex device. Binary status
is reported as ON or OFF; analog status is reported as a numeric value
followed by the appropriate engineering units.
Strain Gauge
A sensor whose resistance is a function
of the applied force.
supply chain
inventory management
supply chain management
supply chain
management
tank level
Tank level
monitoring systems
telemetry
telemetry
datalogger
telemetry for
remote tank management
telemetry
system reporting
Thermistor
An electronic component whose resistance
id a function of temperature.
Tone Dialing
A method of telephone dialing using DTMF
tones, as commonly employed by Touch-Tone telephones.
Transducer
Any device which generates an electrical
signal from real-world measurements, e.g. strain gauges, thermocouples,
RTD's etc.
Trending
The process of collecting periodic device
status information for purposes of subsequent graphic display and
analysis.
Unacknowledged alarm
Any alarm which has not been acknowledged. An unacknowledged alarm
initiates an action in a remote monitoring system, such as an alarm
dial-out sequence.
unattended
underground
usage
Unipolar Inputs
An input which will only accept positive
voltages. (Example: 0-5V).
valve
VAR
vendor managed inventory
vendor
managed inventory
VMI
VOC
Volatile Organic Compounds (e.g., butane,
xylene, toluene).
water alarm
with dialer
wellhead
wireless tank
telemetry
wireless telemetry tank monitoring
- (empty)
X-10
XMODEM
A protocol designed to facilitate the reliable transfer of data between
computing devices..
Yagi
A directional antenna used to increase the effective range between two
RF devices.
Z-Wave
- (empty)
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