GLOSSERY

 

1.       Algorithms are a core part of computing, and so earn a place in the automation glossary. An algorithm is a step-by-step guide outlining how to do something. In automation software, algorithms are the precise instructions telling the computer how to do a task or manipulate data.

2.       Automation refers to making a task, workflow or process happen automatically.

3.       Automation disruption refers to the major change and upheaval the automation has, and is, causing. These changes pertain to the traditional workplace, the job market and the daily tasks we complete.

4.       Automation DP refers to the major change and upheaval the automation has, and is, causing. These changes pertain to the traditional workplace, the job market and the daily tasks we complete.

5.       Actuator is a component of a machine that is responsible for moving and controlling a mechanism or system, for example by opening a valve.

6.       Anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti-skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses.

7.       Artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of a computer to simulate human thinking and understanding.

8.       Block diagram is a diagram of a system in which the principal parts or functions are represented by blocks connected by lines that show the relationships of the blocks. They are heavily used in engineering in hardware design, electronic design, software design, and process flow diagrams.

9.       Computer program is a collection of instructions that performs a specific task when executed by a computer. Most computer devices require programs to function properly.

10.  Control theory in control systems engineering is a subfield of mathematics that deals with the control of continuously operating dynamical systems in engineered processes and machines. The objective is to develop a control model for controlling such systems using a control action in an optimum manner without delay or overshoot and ensuring control stability.

11.  Customer relationship management is a strategy for managing and monitoring all the interactions a business has with each customer. It allows companies to provide a more efficient, personalised service to their customers.

12.  Database administrators are the overseers of a business’s computer systems. They often work closely with automation software, managing the rules it follows and access it has to your databases.

13.  Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical motion, pneumatic motors use compressed air, and clockwork motors in wind-up toys use elastic energy.

14.  Electromechanics combines processes and procedures drawn from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Electromechanics focuses on the interaction of electrical and mechanical systems as a whole and how the two systems interact with each other.

15.  Electronic engineering (also called electronics and communications engineering) is an electrical engineering discipline which utilizes nonlinear and active electrical components (such as semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and integrated circuits) to design electronic circuits, devices, VLSI devices and their systems.

16.  Engineering cybernetics deals with the question of control engineering of mechatronic systems. It is used to control or regulate such a systems.

17.  Formal methods are a particular kind of mathematically based techniques for the specification, development and verification of software and hardware systems. The use of formal methods for software and hardware design is motivated by the expectation that, as in other engineering disciplines, performing appropriate mathematical analysis can contribute to the reliability and robustness of a design.

18.  Generator is a device that converts motive power (mechanical energy) into electrical power for use in an external circuit. Sources of mechanical energy include steam turbines, gas turbines, water turbines, internal combustion engines, wind turbines and even hand cranks.

19.  Heat engines, like the internal combustion engine, burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to do work.

20.  Hydraulic fluid is the medium by which power is transferred in hydraulic machinery. Common hydraulic fluids are based on mineral oil or water.

21.  Industrial robot is a robot system used for manufacturing. Industrial robots are automated, programmable and capable of movement on three or more axis.

22.  Integration relates to the ability of the automation software to communicate and work with other programs and technology. It’s most often referred to as system integration.

23.  Interdisciplinary or interdisciplinary studies involves the combining of two or more academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project).

24.  Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship or function which means that it can be graphically represented as a straight line. Examples are the relationship of voltage and current across a resistor (Ohm's law), or the mass and weight of an object. Proportionality implies linearity, but linearity does not imply proportionality.

25.  Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. Logistics is the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet requirements of customers or corporations.

26.  Machine code is a computer program written in machine language instructions that can be executed directly by a computer's central processing unit (CPU). Each instruction causes the CPU to perform a very specific task, such as a load, a store, a jump, or an ALU operation on one or more units of data in CPU registers or memory.

27.  Machine learning is a subsection of AI that focuses on allowing machines to learn new skills. A computer becomes able to solve new problems and gets better at completing given tasks. This can then be used to make automated decisions, hence ML’s inclusion in the automation glossary.

28.  Mechanical engineering is the discipline that applies engineering, physics, engineering mathematics, and materials science principles to design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems.

29.  Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the engineering of both electrical and mechanical systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, computer, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering.

30.  Motor is a machine designed to convert one form of energy into mechanical energy.

31.  Natural language processing is another branch of artificial intelligence. The goal of NLP is to make computers better at understanding people as they speak naturally.

32.  Network analysis is the process of finding the voltages across, and the currents through, all network components.

33.  Parsing is where your automation looks for and extracts information from inbound text. For example, emails, documents, messages and so on. As a handy feature of automation, parsing comes in many forms. You’ll have email parsing, document parsing, language parsing, etcetera.

34.  Product engineering refers to the process of designing and developing a device, assembly, or system such that it be produced as an item for sale through some production manufacturing process. Product engineering usually entails activity dealing with issues of cost, producibility, quality, performance, reliability, serviceability, intended lifespan and user features.

35.  Programming language is a formal language, which comprises a set of instructions that produce various kinds of output. Programming languages are used in computer programming to implement algorithms.

36.  Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering and science that includes mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering, computer science, and others. Robotics deals with the design, construction, operation, and use of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing.

37.  Robotic process automation is another big hitter in any automation glossary. Generally speaking, RPA is a fancy name for god old business process automation. It invokes the idea of a robot workforce that you pass your tasks onto as a way to describe what automation does.

38.  Rule-based logic exists at the core of most automated processes. That is, automation operates on a rule-based system. A rule-based system is one that applies human-made rules to run the desired action.

39.  Sensor is a device, module, or subsystem whose purpose is to detect events or changes in its environment and send the information to other electronics, frequently a computer processor.

40.  Sentiment analysis is a language parsing tool that analyses written text to find the sentiment (or feeling) behind it. With automation, this is a process that can happen automatically for any inbound written text. For example, emails, blogs, social media posts, live chat conversations, and online reviews.

41.  Software bots don’t have a physical presence, instead existing behind our screens. They can take several forms. For example, a chatbot, web crawler bots and rule-based automation bots.

42.  Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and engineering management that focuses on how to design and manage complex systems over their life cycles. At its core, systems engineering utilizes systems thinking principles to organize this body of knowledge. The individual outcome of such efforts, an engineered system, can be defined as a combination of components that work in synergy to collectively perform a useful function.

43.  Technology is the collection of techniques, skills, methods, and processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives, such as scientific investigation.

44.  Technology systems can refer to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines, hardware or utensils, but can also encompass broader themes, including systems, methods of organization, and techniques.

45.  Theoretical computer science (TCS) is a subset of general computer science and mathematics that focuses on more mathematical topics of computing and includes the theory of computation.

46.  Transmission is a machine in a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power.

47.  Transfer function (also known as system function or network function) of an electronic or control system component is a mathematical function which theoretically models the device's output for each possible input. In its simplest form, this function is a two-dimensional graph of an independent scalar input versus the dependent scalar output, called a transfer curve or characteristic curve.

48.  Trigger is a business event that sets off an automated workflow.

49.  Two-port network (a kind of four-terminal network or quadripole) is an electrical network (circuit) or device with two pairs of terminals to connect to external circuits. Two terminals constitute a port if the currents applied to them satisfy the essential requirement known as the port condition: the electric current entering one terminal must equal the current emerging from the other terminal on the same port.

50.  Workflows are a series of tasks or processes that take a given job from start to completion. Automation software can handle some of these tasks, or entire workflows.