Glossary · Automation fundamentals, platforms and components
Buffer (data)
Also known as: Data buffer
German: Puffer
In computing and automation, a buffer is a memory area that holds data temporarily while it is transferred between processes, devices or systems that work at different speeds or times.
- Automation components
In one sentence
A buffer is a memory area that temporarily holds data passing between processes or devices that work at different speeds or times.
Example
An edge gateway buffers machine data for up to 24 hours when the connection to the cloud is lost and sends it once the link is back.
How it applies
- Engineering: Buffers decouple producers and consumers, for example communication processors, trace functions and data loggers. Buffer size and overflow behavior (discard oldest, discard newest, stop) are design decisions.
- Operation: A full buffer can mean lost data or delayed values; diagnostics should report buffer fill levels and overflows.
- Documentation: Document buffer capacity, what happens on overflow and how long data can be held during an outage. This matters when buffered data feeds quality records or evidence.
Buffer vs. buffering
The buffer is the memory area; Buffering is the practice of holding data there to bridge gaps in communication or processing. In mechanical engineering, "buffer" can also mean a physical accumulation zone on a conveyor, which is a different concept.