Glossary
Industrial communication, IIoT, industrial AI and OT security glossary
Definitions of the terms of industrial communication — fieldbuses, industrial Ethernet, time-sensitive networking and industrial wireless — of semantic interoperability with OPC UA information models and the Asset Administration Shell, of IIoT, industrial data and AI engineering and governance, and of OT cybersecurity and security engineering according to IEC 62443. Every entry shows the German term and explains what the concept means for integration, security and technical documentation.
Industrial communication
5G (fifth-generation mobile network)
3GPPGerman: 5G (5. Mobilfunkgeneration)
In industrial communication, 5G is the fifth generation of cellular mobile communication specified by 3GPP. Besides higher data rates, it defines service classes for ultra-reliable low-latency communication and massive machine-type communication that make it relevant for factory and plant networks.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesAcyclic communication
German: Azyklische Kommunikation
In industrial communication, acyclic communication is the exchange of data only when requested or triggered, outside the fixed update cycle of the process data. It typically carries parameters, diagnostics, identification data and alarms.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesAS-Interface (AS-i)
IEC 62026-2German: AS-Interface (AS-i)
In industrial communication, AS-Interface (AS-i) is a fieldbus for connecting simple binary and analog sensors and actuators to a controller over a two-wire cable that carries both data and power. It is standardized in IEC 62026-2.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesBaud rate
German: Baudrate
In data communication, the baud rate is the number of symbols transmitted per second on a communication channel. In simple serial links where each symbol carries one bit, it equals the bit rate, which is why the terms are often used interchangeably in automation.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesBionic Learning Network
German: Bionic Learning Network
In industrial automation, the Bionic Learning Network is Festo's research and innovation network with universities, institutes and development companies that studies principles from nature and transfers them into technology demonstrators for automation.
Industrial communication · Vendor product
Definition and examplesBus topology
German: Bustopologie
In industrial communication, a bus topology is a network structure in which all nodes are connected to one shared transmission line. Only one node can transmit at a time, so access is controlled by the protocol, for example by master polling, token passing or arbitration.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesCAN bus
ISO 11898-1German: CAN-Bus
In industrial and vehicle communication, the CAN bus (Controller Area Network) is a serial bus in which nodes send short messages identified by an identifier; bitwise arbitration on the identifier gives the message with the highest priority access without data loss. The data link layer is standardized in ISO 11898-1.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesCANopen
EN 50325-4German: CANopen
In industrial communication, CANopen is a higher-layer protocol and device profile family for the CAN bus, maintained by CAN in Automation (CiA). Each device has an object dictionary; process data are exchanged in PDOs and configuration data in SDOs.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesCC-Link
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784German: CC-Link
In industrial communication, CC-Link is an open fieldbus family managed by the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), originally developed by Mitsubishi Electric. The family includes the serial CC-Link and the Ethernet-based CC-Link IE variants and is included in the IEC 61158 and IEC 61784 fieldbus standards.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesCommunication
German: Kommunikation
In industrial automation, communication is the exchange of data between devices, controllers and software systems according to agreed protocols, from sensors and actuators at field level up to supervisory, MES and enterprise systems.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesCommunication matrix
German: Kommunikationsmatrix
In automation engineering, a communication matrix is a table that lists which data are exchanged between which systems or devices, in which direction, over which protocol and at which cycle time or trigger.
Industrial communication · Technical documentation
Definition and examplesCyclic communication
German: Zyklische Kommunikation
In industrial communication, cyclic communication is the repeated exchange of the same set of data at a fixed interval, independent of whether the values have changed. It is used for process data such as inputs, outputs, setpoints and actual values.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesData Distribution Service (DDS)
OMG DDSGerman: Data Distribution Service (DDS)
In software and industrial communication, the Data Distribution Service (DDS) is a middleware standard of the Object Management Group (OMG) for data-centric publish-subscribe communication without a central broker. Participants discover each other and exchange typed data on topics, with configurable quality-of-service policies.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesDeviceNet
IEC 62026-3German: DeviceNet
In industrial communication, DeviceNet is a fieldbus based on the CAN bus that uses the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) as its application layer. It is managed by ODVA and standardized in IEC 62026-3 and EN 50325-2.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesEtherCAT
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: EtherCAT
In industrial communication, EtherCAT is a real-time industrial Ethernet system in which a single frame passes through all devices, and each device reads and inserts its data on the fly as the frame passes. It was developed by Beckhoff, is managed by the EtherCAT Technology Group and is included in IEC 61158 and IEC 61784-2.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesEtherCAT terminal
German: EtherCAT-Klemmen
In industrial automation, an EtherCAT terminal is a modular I/O module that plugs onto a DIN rail next to an EtherCAT coupler and connects sensors and actuators to an EtherCAT network through the internal terminal bus. The term is mainly used for Beckhoff's EL terminal range.
Industrial communication · Vendor product
Definition and examplesEtherNet/IP
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: EtherNet/IP
In industrial communication, EtherNet/IP is an industrial Ethernet system that transports the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) over standard Ethernet, TCP/IP and UDP/IP. It is managed by ODVA and included in IEC 61158 and IEC 61784-2. The "IP" stands for Industrial Protocol.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesFieldbus
IEC 61158German: Feldbus
In industrial automation, a fieldbus is a digital communication system that connects field devices such as sensors, actuators, drives and remote I/O with controllers, replacing individual parallel wiring. IEC 61158 and IEC 61784 standardize many fieldbus types and profiles.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesFieldbus master
German: Feldbus-Master
In industrial communication, a fieldbus master is the node that controls data exchange on a fieldbus: it initiates communication with the connected slave devices, collects their input data and sends output data. Newer specifications often use the terms controller, main device or scanner instead.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesFieldbus slave
German: Feldbus-Slave
In industrial communication, a fieldbus slave is a device on a fieldbus that doesn't initiate cyclic data exchange itself but responds to the fieldbus master, sending its input data and receiving output data. Newer specifications often call it a device, subdevice or adapter.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesFOUNDATION Fieldbus
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-1German: FOUNDATION Fieldbus
In process automation, FOUNDATION Fieldbus is a digital fieldbus for field instruments and actuators, managed by the FieldComm Group. Its H1 variant runs over two-wire cables that can also power devices, and it allows control functions to run in function blocks inside the field devices.
Industrial communication · Standards · Process industry
Definition and examplesFrame
German: Frame
In data communication, a frame is the unit of data at the data link layer: a sequence of bits or bytes with a defined structure of header, payload and checksum that is transmitted as a whole on a network link.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesHART protocol
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-1German: HART-Protokoll
In process automation, the HART protocol (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) superimposes a digital frequency-shift-keyed signal on the 4–20 mA analog current loop, so that field instruments can be configured and diagnosed digitally while the analog signal keeps transmitting the process value. It is managed by the FieldComm Group.
Industrial communication · Standards · Process industry
Definition and examplesIndustrial Ethernet
IEC 61784-2German: Industrial Ethernet
In industrial communication, Industrial Ethernet is the use of Ethernet technology in automation, with industrial-grade components and protocols that add real-time behavior, device profiles and diagnostics. IEC 61784-2 defines real-time Ethernet profiles such as PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, POWERLINK and Sercos III.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesIndustrial firewall
IEC 62443-3-3German: Industriefirewall
In OT security, an industrial firewall is a network device that filters traffic between network zones of an industrial plant according to rules, built for industrial environments and often able to inspect industrial protocols such as Modbus, S7 or OPC UA.
Industrial communication · OT security
Definition and examplesIndustrial router
German: Industrierouter
In industrial communication, an industrial router is a ruggedized network device that forwards IP traffic between different networks, for example between a machine network and a plant network or a cellular connection, typically with functions such as NAT, VPN and basic firewalling.
Industrial communication · OT security
Definition and examplesIO-Link
IEC 61131-9German: IO-Link
In industrial automation, IO-Link is a point-to-point communication interface between an IO-Link master and a single sensor or actuator over a standard unshielded three-wire cable. It transmits process data, parameters and diagnostics and is standardized in IEC 61131-9 as SDCI.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesLine topology
German: Linientopologie
In industrial communication, a line topology is a network structure in which devices are connected one after another, each device forwarding traffic to the next, typically through an integrated two-port switch. It is common in Industrial Ethernet systems such as PROFINET and EtherCAT.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesManaged switch
German: Managed Switch
In networking, a managed switch is an Ethernet switch that can be configured and monitored, for example to set up VLANs, prioritize traffic, run redundancy protocols, disable unused ports and report diagnostics via SNMP or a web interface.
Industrial communication · OT security
Definition and examplesMatrikon OPC
German: Matrikon OPC
In industrial communication, Matrikon OPC is a product brand (now part of Honeywell) for OPC servers, clients, tunnellers and related connectivity software that connect control systems and devices through OPC Classic and OPC UA.
Industrial communication · Vendor product
Definition and examplesMedia Redundancy Protocol (MRP)
IEC 62439-2German: Medienredundanzprotokoll (MRP)
In industrial communication, the Media Redundancy Protocol (MRP) is a ring redundancy protocol for Ethernet networks standardized in IEC 62439-2. A media redundancy manager keeps one ring port blocked to avoid loops and opens it when a link or device in the ring fails.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesMesh network
German: Mesh-Netzwerk
In communication networks, a mesh network is a topology in which nodes are interconnected through multiple paths, so data can be forwarded over alternative routes when a link or node fails. In industrial wireless systems such as WirelessHART and ISA100 Wireless, field devices relay messages for each other.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesModbus
Modbus Application Protocol SpecificationGerman: Modbus
In industrial communication, Modbus is an open request-response application protocol, originally published by Modicon in 1979, in which a client reads and writes coils and registers in a server. It runs over serial lines (Modbus RTU, Modbus ASCII) and over TCP/IP (Modbus TCP) and is maintained by the Modbus Organization.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesModbus RTU
Modbus over Serial Line SpecificationGerman: Modbus RTU
In industrial communication, Modbus RTU is the binary serial transmission mode of Modbus, typically used over RS-485, in which one master polls up to 247 addressed slave devices and frames are protected by a CRC checksum.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesModbus TCP
Modbus Messaging on TCP/IP Implementation GuideGerman: Modbus TCP
In industrial communication, Modbus TCP is the variant of Modbus that transports Modbus requests and responses over TCP/IP, usually on TCP port 502. A seven-byte MBAP header precedes the Modbus function code and data, and a unit identifier addresses devices behind gateways.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examples- Working term
Modbus TCP integration
German: Modbus-TCP-Integration
In automation engineering, Modbus TCP integration is the task of connecting a device or system to a controller, SCADA or IT application over Modbus TCP, including network setup, register mapping, data type conversion, polling configuration and error handling.
Industrial communication
Definition and examples MQTT
OASIS MQTTGerman: MQTT
In IIoT communication, MQTT is a lightweight publish-subscribe messaging protocol in which clients publish messages to topics on a broker, which forwards them to all clients that have subscribed to those topics. It is an OASIS standard; version 3.1.1 is also published as ISO/IEC 20922.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesNetwork
German: Netzwerk
In communication technology, a network is a set of nodes such as controllers, devices, computers and network components connected by links, so that they can exchange data according to common protocols.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesNetwork segmentation
IEC 62443-3-2German: Netzwerksegmentierung
In OT security, network segmentation is the division of a network into separate segments or zones with controlled communication between them, so that traffic and the spread of attacks or faults are limited. IEC 62443-3-2 describes it as partitioning a system into zones and conduits.
Industrial communication · OT security
Definition and examplesNetwork Time Protocol (NTP)
RFC 5905German: Network Time Protocol (NTP)
In networking, the Network Time Protocol (NTP) synchronizes the clocks of computers and devices over IP networks to a reference time source, typically with an accuracy in the millisecond range on local networks. Version 4 is specified in RFC 5905.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesNetwork topology
German: Netzwerktopologie
In communication networks, the network topology is the arrangement of nodes and the links between them, such as bus, line, star, ring, tree or mesh. The physical topology describes the cabling; the logical topology describes how data flow.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesNode address
German: Teilnehmeradresse
In industrial communication, a node address is the identifier that uniquely designates a device (node) on a network or bus segment, such as a PROFIBUS station address, a CANopen node ID, a Modbus slave address or an IP address.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesOPC
German: OPC
In industrial communication, OPC is the family of interoperability specifications maintained by the OPC Foundation for exchanging data between automation devices and software. The name originally stood for OLE for Process Control; today it covers OPC Classic and OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA).
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC Classic
German: OPC Classic
In industrial communication, OPC Classic is the first generation of OPC specifications, based on Microsoft COM/DCOM, comprising mainly OPC Data Access (DA), OPC Historical Data Access (HDA) and OPC Alarms & Events (A&E).
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC Classic DA, HDA and A&E
German: OPC Classic DA, HDA und A&E
In industrial communication, OPC Classic DA, HDA and A&E are the three main OPC Classic specifications: Data Access (DA) for current values with quality and timestamp, Historical Data Access (HDA) for archived data, and Alarms & Events (A&E) for alarm and event notifications.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA)
IEC 62541 / OPC 10000German: OPC UA
In industrial communication, OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) is a platform-independent, service-oriented architecture of the OPC Foundation for secure data exchange, combining transport protocols, security, services and an extensible information model. It is published as the OPC 10000 series and as IEC 62541.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC UA PubSub
OPC 10000-14German: OPC UA PubSub
In industrial communication, OPC UA PubSub is the publish-subscribe communication model of OPC UA, specified in OPC 10000-14, in which publishers send data set messages to any number of subscribers, either brokerless over UDP multicast or via a message broker such as MQTT or AMQP.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC UA over TSN
OPC 10000-14 / IEEE 802.1 (TSN)German: OPC UA über TSN
In industrial communication, OPC UA over TSN is the combination of OPC UA PubSub with Time-Sensitive Networking, aiming at deterministic, vendor-independent real-time communication between controllers and field devices over standard Ethernet.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesPacket loss
German: Paketverlust
In data communication, packet loss is the failure of one or more transmitted packets or frames to reach their destination, caused for example by interference, congestion, faulty cabling or buffer overflows. It is usually expressed as a percentage of sent packets.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesPOWERLINK
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: POWERLINK
In industrial communication, POWERLINK (Ethernet POWERLINK) is an open real-time Ethernet protocol, originally developed by B&R and maintained by the Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG). A managing node grants time slots to controlled nodes, which gives deterministic cycles on standard Ethernet hardware.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesPrecision Time Protocol (PTP)
IEEE 1588German: Precision Time Protocol (PTP)
In networking, the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is the clock synchronization protocol defined in IEEE 1588 that can synchronize clocks in a local network to sub-microsecond accuracy, using hardware timestamping and network components that compensate their own delays.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesProcess data
German: Prozessdaten
In industrial communication, process data are the time-critical values exchanged cyclically between a controller and field devices, such as input states, measured values, output commands, setpoints and actual values.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesPROFIBUS
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-1German: PROFIBUS
In industrial communication, PROFIBUS (Process Field Bus) is a fieldbus maintained by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI), with the variant PROFIBUS DP for fast cyclic exchange with decentralized peripherals over RS-485 and PROFIBUS PA for process instruments over bus-powered two-wire cables, including hazardous areas.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examples- Working term
PROFIBUS integration
German: PROFIBUS-Integration
In automation engineering, PROFIBUS integration is the task of connecting devices or subsystems to a PROFIBUS network and controller, including importing GSD files, assigning station addresses, configuring modules and parameters, and mapping the data into the control program.
Industrial communication
Definition and examples PROFINET
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: PROFINET
In industrial communication, PROFINET is an Industrial Ethernet system maintained by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) for data exchange between IO controllers and IO devices. It offers real-time communication (RT), isochronous real-time (IRT) for motion control, and standard IT services on the same network.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examples- Working term
PROFINET integration
German: PROFINET-Integration
In automation engineering, PROFINET integration is the task of connecting devices or subsystems to a PROFINET network and IO controller, including importing GSDML files, assigning device names and IP addresses, configuring modules, topology and update times, and mapping the data into the control program.
Industrial communication
Definition and examples PROFINET IRT
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: PROFINET IRT
In industrial communication, PROFINET IRT (isochronous real-time) is the PROFINET communication class that reserves time slots in each cycle for real-time frames and synchronizes the devices, using IRT-capable switches in the devices. It supports short cycle times with very low jitter for motion control.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesProximity switch
IEC 60947-5-2German: Näherungsschalter
In industrial automation, a proximity switch is a sensor that detects the presence of an object without physical contact and switches an output when the object enters its sensing range. Common types are inductive, capacitive, magnetic and ultrasonic; IEC 60947-5-2 covers proximity switches.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesQuality of service (QoS)
German: Dienstgüte (QoS)
In networking, quality of service (QoS) is the set of mechanisms that prioritize, schedule or reserve network resources for certain traffic, so that time-critical data meet their latency, jitter and loss requirements. In Ethernet, priorities are commonly carried in the IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tag. In MQTT, QoS denotes the message delivery guarantee level.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesRemote I/O
German: Dezentrale Peripherie
In industrial automation, remote I/O is input and output modules installed close to the sensors and actuators, away from the controller, and connected to it via a fieldbus or Industrial Ethernet instead of individual wires.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesRing topology
German: Ringtopologie
In communication networks, a ring topology connects each node to exactly two neighbors, so that the nodes form a closed loop. In Industrial Ethernet, rings are used with a redundancy protocol that blocks one link during normal operation and reroutes traffic when a link or node fails.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesS7 protocol
German: S7-Protokoll
In industrial communication, the S7 protocol is Siemens' proprietary communication protocol for SIMATIC S7 controllers, used for programming, diagnostics and data exchange with HMIs, SCADA and other controllers, typically over ISO-on-TCP on port 102.
Industrial communication · Vendor product · OT security
Definition and examplesSercos
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: Sercos
In industrial communication, Sercos is a real-time communication system for motion control, maintained by Sercos International. Its current version, Sercos III, runs on Ethernet hardware in a line or ring topology and provides cyclic, synchronized data exchange between motion controllers and drives.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesService data
German: Servicedaten
In industrial communication, service data are the non-time-critical data exchanged on demand with a device, such as parameters, configuration, identification, diagnostic information and firmware, as opposed to cyclic process data.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesSparkplug B
Eclipse Sparkplug specificationGerman: Sparkplug B
In IIoT communication, Sparkplug B is an open specification of the Eclipse Foundation that defines a topic namespace, a Protocol Buffers payload format and state management (birth and death certificates) for MQTT, so that industrial devices and applications interoperate over an MQTT broker.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesStar topology
German: Sterntopologie
In communication networks, a star topology connects every node by its own link to a central node, typically a switch, so that all traffic between nodes passes through the center.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesTelegram
German: Telegramm
In industrial communication, a telegram is a message with a defined structure that is transmitted as a unit between devices, consisting of addressing, control information, user data and a checksum. The term is common in fieldbus and drive documentation, especially in translations from German.
Industrial communication · Technical documentation
Definition and examplesTime-Sensitive Networking (TSN)
IEEE 802.1 (TSN)German: Zeitsensitive Vernetzung (TSN)
In networking, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a set of IEEE 802.1 standards that add deterministic behavior to standard Ethernet, including time synchronization, scheduled traffic, frame preemption, bandwidth reservation and seamless redundancy. IEC/IEEE 60802 defines a TSN profile for industrial automation.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesUnmanaged switch
German: Unmanaged Switch
In networking, an unmanaged switch is an Ethernet switch that forwards frames automatically without any configuration interface, so it offers no VLANs, no traffic prioritization settings, no redundancy protocols and no remote diagnostics.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesVPN (virtual private network)
German: VPN (Virtual Private Network)
In networking, a virtual private network (VPN) is an encrypted and authenticated connection over a shared or public network, such as the internet, that makes remote devices or networks appear as if they were connected to a private network. Common technologies are IPsec, OpenVPN and WireGuard.
Industrial communication · OT security
Definition and examplesWireless communication
German: Drahtlose Kommunikation
In industrial automation, wireless communication is data exchange over radio or optical links instead of cables, used for mobile or rotating equipment, hard-to-wire locations and sensor networks. Technologies include Wi-Fi, 5G, Bluetooth, WirelessHART, ISA100 Wireless and proprietary radio systems.
Industrial communication
Definition and examplesPROFINET IO controller
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: PROFINET-IO-Controller
In PROFINET, an IO controller is the device, usually a PLC, that establishes application relations with the configured IO devices, assigns their IP addresses by device name, sends them output data and receives their input data cyclically.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesPROFINET IO device
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: PROFINET-IO-Device
In PROFINET, an IO device is a field device, such as remote I/O, a drive or a valve terminal, that is assigned to an IO controller and exchanges the input and output data of its modules and submodules with that controller cyclically.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesGSDML file
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: GSDML-Datei
In PROFINET, a GSDML file is the XML device description, written in the General Station Description Markup Language defined by PROFIBUS & PROFINET International, that tells engineering tools which modules, submodules, I/O data, parameters, diagnostics and communication features an IO device has.
Industrial communication · Standards · Technical documentation
Definition and examplesPROFINET conformance class
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: PROFINET-Konformitätsklasse
In PROFINET, a conformance class is one of the defined feature sets CC-A, CC-B, CC-C and CC-D that state which functions a device or network supports: CC-A basic real-time (RT) communication, CC-B additional network diagnostics and topology information, CC-C isochronous real-time (IRT) with bandwidth reservation, and CC-D PROFINET over Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN).
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesEtherCAT state machine
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: EtherCAT-Zustandsmaschine
In EtherCAT, the EtherCAT state machine is the communication state model of every subdevice, controlled by the main device, with the states Init, Pre-Operational, Safe-Operational and Operational, plus the optional Bootstrap state for firmware updates.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesEtherCAT Slave Information (ESI)
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: ESI-Datei
In EtherCAT, the EtherCAT Slave Information (ESI) is the XML device description, specified by the EtherCAT Technology Group, that tells configuration tools a subdevice's identity, supported mailbox protocols, process data objects, object dictionary, sync manager settings and distributed clock modes.
Industrial communication · Standards · Technical documentation
Definition and examplesCANopen over EtherCAT (CoE)
IEC 61158 / IEC 61784-2German: CANopen over EtherCAT (CoE)
In EtherCAT, CANopen over EtherCAT (CoE) is the mailbox protocol that carries the CANopen application layer, with its object dictionary, SDO parameter access, PDO mapping and device profiles such as CiA 402 for drives, over EtherCAT.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesSafety over EtherCAT (FSoE)
IEC 61784-3-12German: Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE)
In industrial communication, Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE, FailSafe over EtherCAT) is the functional safety communication protocol specified in IEC 61784-3-12, in which an FSoE main instance and FSoE subdevices exchange safety data in safety frames over EtherCAT or another channel according to the black channel principle.
Industrial communication · Functional safety · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC UA server
IEC 62541-4 / OPC 10000-4German: OPC-UA-Server
In OPC UA, a server is an application that exposes an address space of nodes and provides the OPC UA services with which clients browse and read that information, write values, call methods and subscribe to data changes and events.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC UA client
IEC 62541-4 / OPC 10000-4German: OPC-UA-Client
In OPC UA, a client is an application that connects to an OPC UA server, opens a secure channel and a session, and uses the server's services to browse its address space, read and write values, call methods and subscribe to data changes and events.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC UA address space
IEC 62541-3 / OPC 10000-3German: OPC-UA-Adressraum
In OPC UA, the address space is the set of nodes that a server makes visible to clients, where each node belongs to one of eight node classes (Object, Variable, Method, ObjectType, VariableType, ReferenceType, DataType, View), is identified by a NodeId within a namespace, and is linked to other nodes by typed references.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC UA security policy
IEC 62541-2 / OPC 10000-2German: OPC-UA-Sicherheitsrichtlinie
In OPC UA, a security policy is the named set of cryptographic algorithms and key lengths that an endpoint uses to sign and encrypt messages, and it is combined with a message security mode of None, Sign or SignAndEncrypt and with X.509 application instance certificates to protect the communication between client and server.
Industrial communication · OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC UA FX
OPC 10000-80 / OPC 10000-81German: OPC UA FX
In industrial communication, OPC UA FX (Field eXchange, UAFX) is the family of OPC Foundation specifications from the Field Level Communications initiative that extends OPC UA to vendor-independent communication between controllers and, in later parts, with field devices, based on OPC UA PubSub, client-server and optionally Time-Sensitive Networking.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesMQTT broker
OASIS MQTTGerman: MQTT-Broker
In MQTT, a broker (called the Server in the OASIS specification) is the central application that accepts client connections, receives published messages, matches their topics against the clients' subscriptions and forwards the messages, and that keeps retained messages, will messages and session state.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesMQTT topic
OASIS MQTTGerman: MQTT-Topic
In MQTT, a topic is the UTF-8 string, organized in levels separated by slashes, to which a client publishes a message and against which the broker matches subscriptions, where subscribers may use the wildcards + for exactly one level and # for all remaining levels.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesRetained message (MQTT)
OASIS MQTTGerman: Retained Message (MQTT)
In MQTT, a retained message is a message published with the retain flag set, which the broker stores as the last known value of its topic and delivers immediately to every client that subscribes to a matching topic later.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesLast will and testament (MQTT)
OASIS MQTTGerman: Last Will (MQTT)
In MQTT, the last will and testament is a will message that a client registers with the broker when it connects and that the broker publishes on the client's behalf to a defined topic if the connection ends without a normal disconnect, for example after a network failure or a missed keep-alive.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examplesPersistent session (MQTT)
OASIS MQTTGerman: Persistente Sitzung (MQTT)
In MQTT, a persistent session is session state that the broker keeps for a client identifier beyond a single connection, including its subscriptions and the QoS 1 and QoS 2 messages it has not yet received, requested with Clean Session = 0 in MQTT 3.1.1 or with Clean Start = 0 and a session expiry interval in MQTT 5.0.
Industrial communication · Standards
Definition and examples
Industrial wireless and positioning
5G campus network
German: 5G-Campusnetz
In industrial communication, a 5G campus network is a 5G mobile network limited to a defined site, such as a factory, port or campus, that serves the site's devices and is operated by the site owner, a mobile network operator or a service provider, either fully separate from or partly shared with a public network.
Industrial wireless
Definition and examplesBluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
Bluetooth Core SpecificationGerman: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
In wireless communication, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is the low-power variant of Bluetooth, introduced with Bluetooth 4.0 and specified by the Bluetooth SIG, designed for short-range exchange of small amounts of data by battery-powered devices, as well as for beacons and indoor positioning.
Industrial wireless · Standards
Definition and examplesIndoor positioning
German: Innenraumpositionierung
In industrial automation and logistics, indoor positioning is the determination of the location of people, vehicles, tools or goods inside buildings, where satellite navigation doesn't work, using technologies such as ultra-wideband, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, 5G, optical or magnetic methods.
Industrial wireless
Definition and examplesIndustrial wireless network
German: Industrielles Funknetz
In industrial communication, an industrial wireless network is a radio network designed or configured for automation requirements such as reliability, deterministic behavior, fast roaming, robustness against interference and harsh environments. Examples are industrial WLAN, WirelessHART, ISA100 Wireless and private 5G networks.
Industrial wireless
Definition and examplesISA100 Wireless
ANSI/ISA-100.11a / IEC 62734German: ISA100 Wireless
In process automation, ISA100 Wireless is a wireless communication standard for industrial field instruments, published as ANSI/ISA-100.11a and as IEC 62734. It is based on IEEE 802.15.4 radios in the 2.4 GHz band, supports mesh and star topologies and uses IP-based networking (6LoWPAN).
Industrial wireless · Standards · Process industry
Definition and examplesNear-field communication (NFC)
ISO/IEC 18092German: Nahfeldkommunikation (NFC)
In wireless communication, near-field communication (NFC) is a short-range radio technology at 13.56 MHz with a typical range of a few centimeters, used for identification, contactless data exchange and device configuration. ISO/IEC 18092 specifies the NFC interface and protocol.
Industrial wireless · Standards
Definition and examplesPrivate 5G network
German: Privates 5G-Netz
In industrial communication, a private 5G network is a 5G network reserved for the exclusive use of one organization, such as a manufacturer or port operator, rather than the general public. 3GPP calls it a non-public network (NPN); it can be standalone or share infrastructure with a public network.
Industrial wireless
Definition and examplesTime-of-flight ranging
German: Laufzeitmessung
In wireless positioning, time-of-flight ranging is the determination of the distance between two devices from the propagation time of a radio signal between them. With several distance measurements to known reference points, a position can be calculated.
Industrial wireless
Definition and examplesUltra-wideband (UWB)
IEEE 802.15.4German: Ultrabreitband (UWB)
In wireless communication, ultra-wideband (UWB) is a radio technology that transmits very short pulses over a bandwidth of 500 MHz or more at low power, which allows precise time-of-flight ranging and indoor positioning. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard, including its 802.15.4z amendment, specifies UWB physical layers.
Industrial wireless · Standards
Definition and examplesWi-Fi 6
IEEE 802.11axGerman: Wi-Fi 6
In wireless communication, Wi-Fi 6 is the Wi-Fi Alliance name for WLAN devices based on IEEE 802.11ax, operating in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. It introduces OFDMA, uplink and downlink multi-user MIMO and target wake time, which improve efficiency with many devices and reduce power consumption.
Industrial wireless · Standards
Definition and examplesWi-Fi 6E
IEEE 802.11axGerman: Wi-Fi 6E
In wireless communication, Wi-Fi 6E is the Wi-Fi Alliance name for Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) devices that can also operate in the 6 GHz band, where it is opened for WLAN use by the regional regulator. The additional band offers more channels with less interference from older devices.
Industrial wireless · Standards
Definition and examplesWirelessHART
IEC 62591German: WirelessHART
In process automation, WirelessHART is a wireless mesh network protocol for field instruments that uses the HART application layer over IEEE 802.15.4 radios in the 2.4 GHz band with time-synchronized channel hopping. It is maintained by the FieldComm Group and standardized as IEC 62591.
Industrial wireless · Standards · Process industry
Definition and examples
Semantic interoperability and information models
Asset Administration Shell submodel (AAS submodel)
IDTA 01001 / IEC 63278-1German: Teilmodell der Verwaltungsschale
In the Asset Administration Shell, a submodel is a self-contained part of an AAS that describes one aspect of the asset, such as its nameplate, technical data, documentation or operational data, made up of submodel elements whose meaning is defined by semantic IDs. Standardized submodel templates are published by the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA).
Information models · Standards
Definition and examplesAutomationML
IEC 62714German: AutomationML
AutomationML is an XML-based, neutral data format standardized in IEC 62714 for exchanging engineering data of production systems between tools, such as plant topology, geometry, kinematics and control logic. It builds on CAEX (IEC 62424) for the plant hierarchy and references COLLADA for geometry and kinematics and PLCopen XML for logic.
Information models · Standards
Definition and examplesCanonical model
German: Kanonisches Modell
In system integration, a canonical model is a shared, application-independent data model that all connected systems map to and from, so that each system needs only one mapping to the common model instead of separate mappings to every other system.
Information models
Definition and examplesClass model
German: Klassenmodell
In modeling, a class model describes the classes of a domain or system, their attributes, operations and relationships such as inheritance, association and composition, usually shown as a UML class diagram. It defines the types from which objects are created, not the individual objects.
Information models
Definition and examplesConcept description
IDTA 01001 / IEC 61360German: Konzeptbeschreibung
In the Asset Administration Shell, a concept description is an element that defines the meaning of a property or other submodel element, for example with a preferred name, definition, unit and data type according to IEC 61360, and that is referenced through a semantic ID.
Information models · Standards
Definition and examplesDictionary (semantic)
IEC 61360German: Begriffswörterbuch
In semantic interoperability, a dictionary is a managed collection of concept definitions, such as classes, properties, units and value lists, each with a unique identifier, used to describe products and data consistently. Examples are ECLASS and the IEC Common Data Dictionary, which follows the IEC 61360 model.
Information models · Standards
Definition and examplesDigital nameplate
IEC 61406 / IDTA 02006German: Digitales Typenschild
In industrial automation, a digital nameplate is the machine-readable form of the information on a product's nameplate, such as manufacturer, type, serial number and ratings, typically accessed via an identification link (IEC 61406) in a QR code or data matrix and provided in structured form, for example as the Digital Nameplate submodel of the Asset Administration Shell.
Information models · Standards
Definition and examplesGlobally unique identifier (GUID)
ISO/IEC 9834-8 / RFC 9562German: Global eindeutiger Identifikator (GUID)
In information technology, a globally unique identifier (GUID) is a 128-bit value generated so that it is unique in practice without a central registry, usually written as 32 hexadecimal digits in five groups. GUID is the Microsoft term for what ISO/IEC 9834-8 and RFC 9562 standardize as a universally unique identifier (UUID).
Information models · Standards
Definition and examplesIdentifier
German: Identifikator
In information management, an identifier is a name, number or code that unambiguously designates an object, such as a product, asset, document, data element or concept, within a defined scope, so that it can be referenced, found and distinguished from other objects.
Information models
Definition and examplesMeta-model
German: Metamodell
In modeling, a meta-model is a model that defines the elements, relationships and rules that can be used to build models in a particular modeling language or framework. For example, the AAS metamodel defines what an AAS, a submodel and a property are, and the UML metamodel defines classes and associations.
Information models
Definition and examplesNamespace
German: Namensraum
In information technology, a namespace is a context, usually identified by a URI, within which names or identifiers are unique, so that the same name can be used in different namespaces without conflict. OPC UA, XML and RDF use namespaces to separate models from different organizations.
Information models
Definition and examplesObject model
German: Objektmodell
In modeling, an object model describes the objects (instances) of a system, their attribute values and the links between them, based on the classes or types defined for that system. The term is also used more broadly for the set of objects and interfaces a software system exposes.
Information models
Definition and examplesOntology alignment
German: Ontologieabgleich
In semantic technology, ontology alignment is the process, and its result, of identifying correspondences between the concepts, properties and relations of two or more ontologies, such as equivalence, subsumption or relatedness, so that data described with them can be linked or integrated.
Information models
Definition and examplesOntology mapping
German: Ontologieabbildung
In semantic technology, ontology mapping is the formal specification of how concepts, properties and instances of one ontology relate to or are transformed into those of another, for example as equivalence statements, SKOS mapping relations or transformation rules, so that data can be translated or queried across ontologies.
Information models
Definition and examplesOPC UA companion specification
German: OPC-UA-Companion-Spezifikation
In OPC UA, a companion specification is a standardized information model for a particular domain, device type or industry, developed by the OPC Foundation, often jointly with other organizations such as VDMA, that defines object types, variables and methods on top of the OPC UA base model. Examples are OPC UA for Machinery and OPC UA for Robotics.
Information models · Standards
Definition and examplesOPC UA NodeSet
OPC 10000-6German: OPC-UA-NodeSet
In OPC UA, a NodeSet is an XML file that describes an information model, such as object types, variable types, data types, references and instances, in the standardized UANodeSet schema defined in OPC 10000-6, so that it can be exchanged between tools and loaded into OPC UA servers and clients.
Information models · Standards
Definition and examplesSemantic ID (AAS)
IDTA 01001German: Semantische ID
In the Asset Administration Shell, a semantic ID (attribute semanticId) is a reference attached to a submodel or submodel element that points to the external definition of its meaning, such as an ECLASS or IEC Common Data Dictionary entry, a concept description or a submodel template.
Information models · Standards
Definition and examplesSemantic identifier
German: Semantischer Identifikator
In semantic interoperability, a semantic identifier is a globally unique identifier of a concept definition, such as a class, property or unit in a dictionary or ontology, typically an IRDI (as used by ECLASS and IEC 61360 dictionaries) or an IRI, that data elements reference to state their meaning unambiguously.
Information models
Definition and examplesSemantic model
German: Semantisches Modell
In information management, a semantic model is a model that represents the meaning of data explicitly, as concepts, their properties and their relationships, often with references to shared vocabularies or ontologies, so that people and machines can interpret the data consistently across systems.
Information models
Definition and examplesTaxonomy
German: Taxonomie
In information management, a taxonomy is a controlled vocabulary of concepts arranged in a hierarchy of broader and narrower terms, used to classify and find information, products or data consistently.
Information models · Technical documentation
Definition and examplesType model
German: Typmodell
In information modeling, a type model defines reusable types, such as device types, object types or data types, with their structure, properties and behavior, from which concrete instances are created. OPC UA ObjectTypes and the AAS distinction between asset type and asset instance are examples.
Information models
Definition and examplesUniform Resource Identifier (URI)
RFC 3986German: Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)
A Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is a compact string of characters that identifies a resource according to the generic syntax of RFC 3986, consisting of a scheme followed by scheme-specific parts, for example https://example.com/docs or urn:uuid:…. URLs, which also locate a resource, and URNs, which name it, are kinds of URI.
Information models · Standards
Definition and examples
IIoT, data and AI
Analytics (industrial)
German: Analytik
In industrial automation, analytics is the systematic use of machine, process and business data to describe what happened, diagnose why, predict what is likely to happen and recommend actions. It spans simple KPI dashboards as well as statistical and machine learning models.
IIoT
Definition and examplesAnomaly detection
German: Anomalieerkennung
In industrial data analytics, anomaly detection is the identification of data points, patterns or time periods that deviate significantly from expected or learned normal behavior. Methods range from fixed limits and statistical tests to unsupervised machine learning models.
IIoT · AI
Definition and examplesAsset Administration Shell (AAS)
IEC 63278-1 / IDTA 01001German: Verwaltungsschale (AAS)
In Industrie 4.0, the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) is the standardized digital representation of an asset, such as a device, machine or plant, made up of submodels that describe its properties, functions and documents in a machine-readable way. Its structure is defined by the AAS metamodel published by the Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA) and standardized in IEC 63278.
IIoT · Standards
Definition and examples- Working term
Operational data acquisition
German: Betriebsdatenerfassung (BDE)
In manufacturing, operational data acquisition is the collection of data about production orders, operations, quantities, scrap, times and personnel at the point where the work happens. It is the organizational and order-related counterpart to machine data acquisition and a common function of MES.
IIoT
Definition and examples Big data
German: Big Data
In information technology, big data refers to data sets whose volume, velocity or variety exceeds what conventional databases and tools can store and process efficiently, requiring distributed storage and processing. In industry it typically means high-frequency sensor data combined with production, quality and business data.
IIoT
Definition and examplesCloud computing
NIST SP 800-145German: Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a model for on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources, such as servers, storage, applications and services, that can be provisioned and released rapidly with minimal management effort. Service models include IaaS, PaaS and SaaS; deployment models include public, private, community and hybrid cloud.
IIoT
Definition and examplesConcept drift
German: Konzeptdrift
In machine learning, concept drift is a change over time in the relationship between a model's input data and the target it predicts, so that a mapping learned from past data no longer holds. The inputs may look unchanged while their meaning for the outcome has shifted.
IIoT · AI
Definition and examplesCondition monitoring
ISO 17359German: Zustandsüberwachung
In maintenance, condition monitoring is the acquisition and evaluation of data that indicates the state of a machine or component over time, such as vibration, temperature, oil condition or current, in order to detect degradation and faults early. ISO 17359 gives general guidelines for condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines.
IIoT · Standards
Definition and examplesCyber-physical system (CPS)
German: Cyber-physisches System
In engineering, a cyber-physical system (CPS) is a system in which computation, networking and physical processes are tightly integrated, with embedded computers monitoring and controlling physical processes through sensors and actuators, usually in feedback loops. Automated machines, robots and smart grids are typical examples.
IIoT
Definition and examplesData analytics
German: Data Analytics
In information technology, data analytics is the process of collecting, cleaning, transforming and analyzing data to find patterns, answer questions and support decisions. It is commonly divided into descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analytics.
IIoT
Definition and examplesData governance
German: Data Governance
In information management, data governance is the framework of roles, responsibilities, policies, standards and processes that ensures data is managed as an asset: defined, owned, of known quality, protected and used in line with legal and business requirements.
IIoT
Definition and examplesData lake
German: Data Lake
In data engineering, a data lake is a central repository that stores large amounts of raw data in its original format, structured, semi-structured or unstructured, until it is needed for analysis. The schema is applied when the data is read, not when it is stored.
IIoT
Definition and examplesData lineage
German: Datenherkunft
In data management, data lineage is the documented path of data from its origin through all transformations, systems and uses to its current form. It shows where a value came from, how it was calculated and what depends on it.
IIoT
Definition and examplesData pipeline
German: Datenpipeline
In data engineering, a data pipeline is an automated sequence of steps that moves data from one or more sources to a destination, extracting, validating, transforming and loading it along the way. Pipelines can run in batches or continuously as streams.
IIoT
Definition and examplesData quality
ISO/IEC 25012German: Datenqualität
In data management, data quality is the degree to which data is fit for its intended use, assessed by characteristics such as accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, validity and uniqueness. ISO/IEC 25012 defines a data quality model; the ISO 8000 series addresses data quality for master data and data exchange.
IIoT · Standards
Definition and examplesData sovereignty
German: Datensouveränität
In data sharing, data sovereignty is the ability of a person or organization to determine how its data is used, by whom, for what purpose and under which conditions, including after the data has been shared. Industrial data spaces such as those based on the International Data Spaces (IDS) concepts, Gaia-X or Catena-X aim to enforce such usage policies technically.
IIoT
Definition and examplesData transfer
German: Datenübertragung
In automation and IT, data transfer is the movement of data from one device, system or location to another over a communication channel, such as a fieldbus, Ethernet network, wireless link or storage medium, according to a defined protocol.
IIoT
Definition and examplesData warehouse
German: Data Warehouse
In information technology, a data warehouse is a central database that integrates cleaned, structured data from several operational systems in a predefined schema optimized for reporting and analysis, usually with historical data kept over long periods.
IIoT
Definition and examplesDatabase
German: Datenbank
In information technology, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically, managed by a database management system (DBMS) that controls storage, queries, concurrent access, integrity and recovery. Common types include relational, document, key-value, graph and time-series databases.
IIoT
Definition and examplesDigital twin
ISO/IEC 30173German: Digitaler Zwilling
In industry, a digital twin is a digital representation of a physical entity, such as a product, machine, process or plant, that is linked to it and synchronized with it at a defined frequency and fidelity, so that its state can be observed, analyzed or simulated. ISO/IEC 30173 covers digital twin concepts and terminology; ISO 23247 provides a framework for manufacturing.
IIoT · Standards
Definition and examplesEdge computing
German: Edge Computing
In industrial IT, edge computing is the processing of data on or near the machine or plant where it is generated, rather than in a central data center or cloud. It reduces latency and bandwidth needs and allows functions to continue when the network connection is lost.
IIoT
Definition and examplesEdge device
German: Edge-Gerät
In industrial IT, an edge device is a hardware unit installed on or near machines that collects, processes and forwards data from the field level, typically running applications or containers and connecting OT networks to higher-level IT or cloud systems.
IIoT
Definition and examplesFeature engineering
German: Merkmalskonstruktion
In machine learning, feature engineering is the selection, transformation and creation of input variables (features) from raw data so that a model can learn the relevant patterns more effectively. In industrial data it often draws on domain knowledge, such as frequency bands of vibration signals or cycle-based statistics.
IIoT · AI
Definition and examplesFog computing
NIST SP 500-325German: Fog Computing
Fog computing is a layered computing model that places computing, storage and networking resources between edge devices and cloud data centers, for example on line or plant servers, so that data can be processed, aggregated and filtered close to its source. NIST SP 500-325 describes a conceptual model.
IIoT
Definition and examplesIndustrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
ISO/IEC 20924German: Industrielles Internet der Dinge (IIoT)
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the application of Internet of Things technologies in industry: networked sensors, machines, controllers and software that collect, exchange and analyze data to monitor, optimize and control industrial processes. IoT vocabulary is standardized in ISO/IEC 20924.
IIoT
Definition and examplesIoT gateway
German: IoT-Gateway
In IIoT, an IoT gateway is a device or software component that connects field devices and controllers to higher-level networks or cloud platforms, converting protocols (for example Modbus or PROFINET to MQTT or OPC UA), buffering data and enforcing security at the network boundary.
IIoT
Definition and examplesInternet of Things (IoT)
ISO/IEC 20924German: Internet der Dinge (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects equipped with sensors, software and communication interfaces that allow them to collect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet or other networks. IoT vocabulary is standardized in ISO/IEC 20924 and a reference architecture in ISO/IEC 30141.
IIoT
Definition and examplesMachine learning operations (MLOps)
German: Machine Learning Operations (MLOps)
In AI engineering, machine learning operations (MLOps) is the set of practices, roles and tools for reliably developing, deploying, monitoring and maintaining machine learning models in production, combining machine learning, software engineering (DevOps) and data engineering. It covers data and model versioning, automated pipelines, testing, deployment and monitoring.
IIoT · AI
Definition and examplesMaster data
ISO 8000German: Stammdaten
In data management, master data is the relatively stable core data describing the key business objects of an organization, such as materials, products, equipment, customers, suppliers and locations, which many processes and systems share. It differs from transaction data, such as orders or measurements, which refers to it.
IIoT
Definition and examplesMachine data acquisition
German: Maschinendatenerfassung (MDE)
In manufacturing, machine data acquisition is the automatic collection of data from machines and controllers, such as operating states, counts, cycle times, alarms and process values, for production monitoring, OEE calculation and maintenance. It is the machine-related counterpart to operational data acquisition.
IIoT
Definition and examplesMetadata
German: Metadaten
In information management, metadata is data that describes other data or resources, such as their meaning, origin, format, units, owner, time stamp, version or classification, so that they can be found, understood, managed and used correctly.
IIoT · Technical documentation
Definition and examplesModel deployment
German: Modellbereitstellung
In machine learning operations, model deployment is the process of making a trained and validated model available for use in its target environment, such as a cloud service, an edge device or a controller, including packaging, installation, configuration, integration and release.
IIoT · AI
Definition and examplesModel drift
German: Modelldrift
In machine learning, model drift is the decline of a deployed model's predictive performance over time because the data or conditions it encounters in operation differ from those it was trained on. It is usually caused by data drift, concept drift or both.
IIoT · AI
Definition and examplesmoneo IIoT platform
German: moneo IIoT-Plattform
moneo is an IIoT software platform from ifm electronic for collecting, visualizing and analyzing sensor and machine data, used mainly for condition monitoring and maintenance applications. It connects in particular to ifm sensors and IO-Link masters.
IIoT · Vendor product
Definition and examplesNode-RED
German: Node-RED
Node-RED is an open-source, flow-based programming tool built on Node.js in which data flows are created by wiring nodes together in a browser-based editor. Originally developed at IBM and now a project of the OpenJS Foundation, it is widely used in IIoT to connect devices, protocols and services.
IIoT · Vendor product
Definition and examplesOntology
German: Ontologie
In information science, an ontology is a formal, explicit specification of the concepts of a domain, their properties and the relationships between them, often including logical rules, so that both people and machines can interpret data consistently. Ontologies are commonly expressed in languages such as RDF Schema and OWL.
IIoT
Definition and examples- Working term
Predictive maintenance analytics (AI/ML)
German: Predictive-Maintenance-Analytik (KI/ML)
In maintenance, predictive maintenance analytics is the use of statistical and machine learning methods on condition, process and maintenance data to detect degradation, estimate remaining useful life and predict failures, so that maintenance can be planned before a failure occurs.
IIoT · AI
Definition and examples Proficloud
German: Proficloud
Proficloud is an industrial IoT cloud platform from Phoenix Contact that provides services such as device management, time-series data storage and dashboards for connected controllers and devices, in particular PLCnext-based controllers.
IIoT · Vendor product
Definition and examplesReference Architecture Model Industrie 4.0 (RAMI 4.0)
DIN SPEC 91345 / IEC PAS 63088German: Referenzarchitekturmodell Industrie 4.0 (RAMI 4.0)
The Reference Architecture Model Industrie 4.0 (RAMI 4.0) is a three-dimensional model that structures Industrie 4.0 concepts along three axes: architecture layers (from asset to business), lifecycle and value stream (type and instance), and hierarchy levels (from product and field device to connected world). It was published as DIN SPEC 91345 and IEC PAS 63088.
IIoT · Standards
Definition and examplesRemaining useful life (RUL)
ISO 13381-1German: Restnutzungsdauer (RUL)
In maintenance and prognostics, remaining useful life (RUL) is the estimated time or number of operating cycles until a component or machine is expected to reach a failure or end-of-life condition, given its current condition and expected future operation. ISO 13381-1 gives guidelines for prognostics in machine condition monitoring.
IIoT · Standards
Definition and examplesSemantic interoperability
German: Semantische Interoperabilität
In information exchange, semantic interoperability is the ability of different systems to exchange data with an unambiguous, shared meaning, so that the receiving system interprets and uses the data as the sender intended without manual translation. It builds on technical and syntactic interoperability and requires shared information models, vocabularies or semantic identifiers.
IIoT
Definition and examplesSmart factory
German: Smart Factory
In manufacturing, a smart factory is a production facility in which machines, systems, products and people are digitally connected, so that data is used continuously to monitor, adapt and optimize production. The term is closely associated with Industrie 4.0 and describes a goal rather than a defined standard.
IIoT
Definition and examplesTime-series database
German: Zeitreihendatenbank
In data management, a time-series database is a database optimized for storing and querying values indexed by time, such as sensor readings, machine states and events, with efficient compression, high write rates, retention policies and time-based aggregation functions.
IIoT
Definition and examplesTraining data
German: Trainingsdaten
In machine learning, training data is the data set from which a model learns its parameters, typically consisting of input examples and, for supervised learning, the associated labels or target values. It is kept separate from validation and test data, which are used to tune and evaluate the model.
IIoT · AI
Definition and examples
AI engineering and governance
AI governance
ISO/IEC 38507German: KI-Governance
In organizations, AI governance is the system of roles, policies, processes and controls by which the development, procurement, use and monitoring of AI systems is directed and overseen, so that AI is used effectively, responsibly and in line with legal requirements. ISO/IEC 38507 addresses the governance implications of AI for governing bodies.
Industrial AI · AI · Standards
Definition and examplesAI management system (AIMS)
ISO/IEC 42001German: KI-Managementsystem
An AI management system (AIMS) is the set of interrelated policies, objectives, processes and controls an organization establishes to develop, provide or use AI systems responsibly, including risk and impact assessment, lifecycle controls and continual improvement. ISO/IEC 42001 specifies requirements for such a system and allows certification.
Industrial AI · AI · Standards
Definition and examplesAI system lifecycle
ISO/IEC 22989 / ISO/IEC 5338German: Lebenszyklus eines KI-Systems
The AI system lifecycle is the sequence of stages an AI system passes through from inception to retirement: typically design and development (including data acquisition and model training), verification and validation, deployment, operation and monitoring, re-evaluation and retirement. ISO/IEC 22989 describes such a lifecycle model and ISO/IEC 5338 defines the corresponding processes.
Industrial AI · AI · Standards
Definition and examplesAI-enabled control system
German: KI-gestütztes Steuerungssystem
In automation, an AI-enabled control system is a control system in which one or more functions, such as setpoint optimization, parameter tuning, anomaly handling or decision-making, use machine learning or other AI techniques, alongside or within conventional control logic.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesData drift
German: Datendrift
In machine learning, data drift is a change over time in the statistical distribution of a model's input data compared with the data the model was trained on, for example because of new products, sensors, operating modes or environmental conditions.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesEdge AI
German: Edge AI
In industrial AI, edge AI is the execution of AI models, mainly inference, on edge devices close to the machine or process rather than in the cloud, to reduce latency, bandwidth and dependence on network connections and to keep data on site.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesEmbedded AI
German: Eingebettete KI
In industrial AI, embedded AI is the integration of AI models directly into a device's firmware or hardware, such as a smart sensor, camera, drive or controller, running on microcontrollers, digital signal processors or dedicated AI accelerators with limited memory and power.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesExplainability (AI)
ISO/IEC 22989German: Erklärbarkeit
In AI, explainability is the property of an AI system to express the important factors influencing its results in a way that humans can understand. Explanations can be global (how the model works in general) or local (why a particular output was produced).
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesFederated learning
German: Föderiertes Lernen
In machine learning, federated learning is a training approach in which a shared model is trained across several sites or devices that keep their data locally; only model updates, not raw data, are sent to a coordinating server and combined into a global model.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesHuman-in-the-loop (industrial AI)
German: Mensch in der Schleife
In industrial AI and automation, human-in-the-loop is an operating mode in which the system's recommendations or actions take effect only after a person reviews and approves them, so that a human makes or confirms each decision.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesHuman-on-the-loop
German: Menschliche Überwachung der Automatisierung
In industrial AI and automation, human-on-the-loop is an operating mode in which the system makes and executes decisions autonomously while a person monitors its behavior and can intervene, override or stop it when necessary.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesHuman-out-of-the-loop
German: Vollständig automatisierte Entscheidung
In industrial AI and automation, human-out-of-the-loop is an operating mode in which the system makes and executes decisions without human involvement in individual decisions; people only define the system's goals and limits and review its performance afterwards.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesIndustrial AI
German: Industrielle künstliche Intelligenz
Industrial AI is the application of artificial intelligence methods, mainly machine learning, to industrial products, machines and processes, such as quality inspection, predictive maintenance, process optimization, robotics and engineering support, under the reliability, safety and lifetime requirements of industrial environments.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesInterpretability (AI)
German: Interpretierbarkeit
In AI, interpretability is the degree to which a human can understand how a model arrives at its outputs from its structure and parameters, for example following the rules of a decision tree or the coefficients of a linear model.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesModel monitoring
German: Modellüberwachung
In machine learning operations, model monitoring is the continuous observation of a deployed model's inputs, outputs, performance and technical health in operation, in order to detect drift, errors and degradation and to trigger investigation, retraining or rollback.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesModel validation
German: Modellvalidierung
In machine learning, model validation is the evaluation of a trained model against defined acceptance criteria with data not used for training, to confirm that it is fit for its intended purpose under the intended operating conditions. It includes performance metrics, robustness checks and review of known limitations.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesModel versioning
German: Modellversionierung
In machine learning operations, model versioning is the practice of uniquely identifying and storing each version of a model together with the code, data, configuration and validation results that produced it, so that any deployed model can be traced, reproduced, compared and rolled back.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesSynthetic data
German: Synthetische Daten
In machine learning, synthetic data is artificially generated data, created by simulation, rendering, rule-based generation or generative models, that imitates properties of real data and is used to train, test or validate models when real data is scarce, expensive, confidential or lacks rare cases.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examplesTraining-serving skew
German: Abweichung zwischen Training und Betrieb
In machine learning operations, training-serving skew is a difference between the data or processing a model sees during training and what it receives in operation, for example because features are computed differently, sensors are scaled differently or preprocessing code differs, leading to worse performance than validated.
Industrial AI · AI
Definition and examples
OT cybersecurity
Access control
IEC 62443-3-3German: Zugriffskontrolle
In industrial cybersecurity, access control is the set of technical and organizational measures that limit which users, devices and software processes can reach, read, change or operate an asset. It combines authentication (who is this?) with authorization (what may they do?) and records what was done.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesAsset inventory
IEC 62443-2-1German: Asset-Inventar
In OT cybersecurity, an asset inventory is a maintained record of the hardware, software, firmware and network components of an industrial automation and control system, with attributes such as location, owner, version, network address and criticality. It is the basis for risk assessment, patching and vulnerability management.
OT security
Definition and examplesAsset owner
IEC 62443German: Asset Owner
In IEC 62443, the asset owner is the organization that is accountable and responsible for an industrial automation and control system and operates it, typically the plant operator. It defines the security requirements, runs the security program and is responsible for the system in operation.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesBackup and recovery
German: Datensicherung und Wiederherstellung
In industrial automation, backup and recovery is the practice of creating protected copies of control programs, configurations, recipes and system images and of restoring a system from them after failure, corruption or a cyberattack. It covers what is backed up, how often, where copies are stored and how restores are tested.
OT security
Definition and examples- Working term
Backup restore
German: Backup und Wiederherstellung
In industrial automation, a backup restore is the act of loading a previously saved backup of a program, configuration or system image back onto a device or system to return it to a known state. A restore test proves that the backup is complete and usable.
OT security
Definition and examples Business continuity
ISO 22301German: Geschäftskontinuität
In management systems, business continuity is the capability of an organization to continue delivering products and services at acceptable predefined levels during and after a disruption. Business continuity management plans for disruptions such as cyberattacks, equipment failures or supply outages.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesCertificate authority (CA)
ITU-T X.509German: Zertifizierungsstelle (CA)
In public key infrastructure, a certificate authority (CA) is a trusted entity that issues, signs and revokes digital certificates binding a public key to an identity such as a device, user or server. Relying parties trust a certificate if it chains up to a CA they trust.
OT security
Definition and examplesCode signing
German: Codesignierung
In software security, code signing is the use of a digital signature, created with a private key, to let recipients verify that software, firmware or an update comes from the stated publisher and has not been altered since it was signed.
OT security
Definition and examplesCommon Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
German: Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) is a public program that assigns unique identifiers such as CVE-2024-12345 to publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities, so that vendors, operators and tools can refer to the same vulnerability unambiguously. Identifiers are assigned by CVE Numbering Authorities.
OT security
Definition and examplesCommon Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS)
FIRST CVSSGerman: Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS)
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is an open framework maintained by FIRST for rating the severity of software vulnerabilities on a scale from 0.0 to 10.0, based on metrics such as attack vector, complexity, required privileges and impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesCybersecurity
German: Cybersicherheit
Cybersecurity is the protection of networks, computer systems, software and data against unauthorized access, manipulation, disruption and theft. In industrial automation it focuses on keeping control systems available, correct and trustworthy, so that attacks cannot disturb production or compromise safety functions.
OT security
Definition and examplesData security
German: Datensicherheit
In information security, data security is the protection of data against unauthorized access, alteration, loss and destruction, at rest, in transit and in use. It covers measures such as access control, encryption, integrity checks and backups.
OT security
Definition and examplesDefense in depth
German: Tiefenverteidigung
In cybersecurity, defense in depth is the strategy of protecting a system with several independent layers of security measures, so that the failure or bypass of one layer does not leave the system unprotected. In OT it combines physical, network, host, application and organizational measures.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesDemilitarized zone (DMZ) for OT
German: Demilitarisierte Zone (DMZ) für OT
In OT network security, a demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a separate network segment between two networks of different trust, typically between the enterprise IT network and the production network, in which shared services are placed so that no direct traffic has to pass between the two.
OT security
Definition and examplesDisaster recovery
German: Notfallwiederherstellung
In business continuity management, disaster recovery is the planned set of procedures and resources for restoring systems, data and infrastructure after a major disruption, such as a fire, flood or cyberattack, within defined recovery time and recovery point objectives.
OT security
Definition and examplesFirewall
German: Firewall
In network security, a firewall is a device or software that controls traffic between network segments according to a rule set, allowing or blocking connections based on criteria such as addresses, ports, protocols and, for industrial firewalls, the content of industrial protocol messages.
OT security
Definition and examplesFoundational requirement
IEC 62443-3-3German: Grundlegende Anforderung
In IEC 62443, a foundational requirement (FR) is one of seven top-level groups into which system and component security requirements are organized: identification and authentication control, use control, system integrity, data confidentiality, restricted data flow, timely response to events, and resource availability.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesHardening
German: Härtung
In cybersecurity, hardening is the reduction of the attack surface of a device, operating system, application or network by removing or disabling everything not needed and by configuring the remaining functions securely. It applies to single components as well as to whole systems.
OT security
Definition and examplesIncident reporting (reporting obligations)
German: Incident Reporting (Meldepflichten)
In cybersecurity regulation, incident reporting is the obligation of an organization to notify authorities, CSIRTs or affected parties of significant security incidents or actively exploited vulnerabilities within set deadlines. In the EU, such obligations follow for example from the NIS 2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act.
OT security
Definition and examplesIncident response
German: Reaktion auf Sicherheitsvorfälle
In cybersecurity, incident response is the organized process of preparing for, detecting, analyzing, containing, eradicating and recovering from security incidents, followed by lessons learned. In OT, it must also keep people, the process and the environment safe while systems are isolated or shut down.
OT security
Definition and examplesIndustrial automation and control system (IACS)
IEC 62443German: Industrielles Automatisierungs- und Steuerungssystem (IACS)
In IEC 62443, an industrial automation and control system (IACS) is the collection of personnel, hardware, software and policies involved in the operation of an industrial process that can affect or influence its safe, secure and reliable operation. It includes controllers, HMIs, networks, engineering tools and the people and procedures around them.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesIndustrial control system (ICS)
German: Industrielles Steuerungssystem (ICS)
In industrial automation, an industrial control system (ICS) is a general term for the control systems and associated instrumentation used to operate and automate industrial processes, including PLCs, distributed control systems (DCS), SCADA systems, HMIs and safety instrumented systems.
OT security
Definition and examplesIndustrial demilitarized zone (IDMZ)
German: Industrielle demilitarisierte Zone (IDMZ)
In OT network architecture, the industrial demilitarized zone (IDMZ) is the buffer network between the enterprise zone and the manufacturing or industrial zone. All data exchange between the two passes through services in the IDMZ, and no direct connection from enterprise to plant control networks is allowed.
OT security
Definition and examplesIntrusion detection system (IDS) for OT
German: Intrusion Detection System (IDS) für OT
In OT cybersecurity, an intrusion detection system (IDS) monitors network traffic or host activity of industrial control systems for signs of attacks, policy violations or anomalies and raises alerts, without blocking traffic itself. OT variants understand industrial protocols and learn the normal communication patterns of a plant.
OT security
Definition and examplesInformation security management system (ISMS)
ISO/IEC 27001German: Informationssicherheitsmanagementsystem (ISMS)
In information security, an information security management system (ISMS) is the set of policies, processes, responsibilities and controls an organization uses to establish, implement, maintain and continually improve information security based on risk. ISO/IEC 27001 specifies the requirements for an ISMS.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesKR CYBERTECH (KUKA)
German: KR CYBERTECH
KR CYBERTECH is a product family of KUKA articulated industrial robots in the low payload range, designed for tasks such as handling, machine tending and arc welding. Despite the name, it is a robot series, not a cybersecurity product.
OT security · Vendor product
Definition and examplesMultifactor authentication (MFA)
German: Mehrfaktor-Authentifizierung (MFA)
In access control, multifactor authentication (MFA) is authentication that requires two or more independent factors from different categories: something the user knows (password, PIN), something the user has (token, smart card, phone) or something the user is (biometric characteristic).
OT security
Definition and examplesNetwork intrusion detection system (NIDS)
German: Netzwerk-Intrusion-Detection-System (NIDS)
In network security, a network intrusion detection system (NIDS) is an intrusion detection system that analyzes traffic on network segments, from mirror ports or taps, to detect known attack signatures, protocol misuse and anomalous communication.
OT security
Definition and examplesNetwork security
German: Netzwerksicherheit
In cybersecurity, network security is the protection of networks and the data flowing through them against unauthorized access, misuse, manipulation and disruption, using measures such as segmentation, firewalls, secure protocols, access control for devices and monitoring.
OT security
Definition and examplesNIS 2 Directive
Directive (EU) 2022/2555German: NIS-2-Richtlinie
The NIS 2 Directive, Directive (EU) 2022/2555, is EU legislation on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity. It requires essential and important entities in listed sectors, including parts of manufacturing, to take cybersecurity risk-management measures and to report significant incidents, and it makes management bodies accountable.
OT security
Definition and examplesNIS 2 transposition
German: NIS-2-Richtlinie (nationale Umsetzung)
In EU law, NIS 2 transposition is the adoption of national laws by which each member state implements the NIS 2 Directive, defining in detail which entities are covered, the competent authorities, registration and reporting procedures, and penalties. Member states had to transpose the directive by October 17, 2024.
OT security
Definition and examplesOperational technology (OT)
German: Operational Technology (OT)
Operational technology (OT) is the hardware and software that monitors or controls physical devices, processes and events, such as PLCs, DCS, SCADA systems, drives, robots, safety controllers and building automation. It interacts with the physical world, which makes availability and safety primary concerns.
OT security
Definition and examplesOT security
German: OT-Security
OT security is the cybersecurity of operational technology: the protection of industrial control systems, their networks, software and data against attacks and misuse, with priority on availability, integrity and the safety of people, plant and environment.
OT security
Definition and examplesOT security specialist
German: OT-Security-Spezialist
An OT security specialist is a professional who plans, implements and maintains cybersecurity measures for industrial control systems, combining knowledge of automation technology, industrial networks and processes with information security methods such as risk assessment, segmentation and incident response.
OT security
Definition and examplesPKI in OT
German: PKI (Public-Key-Infrastruktur) in der OT
In OT cybersecurity, PKI in OT is the use of a public key infrastructure to issue, distribute, renew and revoke certificates for industrial devices, controllers, servers and engineering tools, adapted to long device lifecycles, limited connectivity and the need for uninterrupted operation.
OT security
Definition and examplesPrinciple of least privilege
German: Prinzip der minimalen Rechte (Least Privilege)
In information security, the principle of least privilege is the design rule that every user, program and process should operate with the minimum set of privileges necessary to perform its function, for no longer than necessary, so that errors and compromises cause as little damage as possible.
OT security
Definition and examplesProduct supplier
IEC 62443German: Produktlieferant
In IEC 62443, the product supplier is the organization that manufactures and supports a hardware or software product, such as a controller, network device, embedded device or software application, used in industrial automation and control systems. IEC 62443-4-1 and IEC 62443-4-2 address its development process and product requirements.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesPublic key infrastructure (PKI)
ITU-T X.509German: Public-Key-Infrastruktur (PKI)
In cryptography, a public key infrastructure (PKI) is the set of roles, policies, procedures and systems needed to create, manage, distribute, store and revoke digital certificates that bind public keys to identities. It includes certificate authorities, registration processes, certificate repositories and revocation services.
OT security
Definition and examplesSecurity risk assessment
IEC 62443-3-2German: Risikobeurteilung (Security Risk Assessment)
In OT cybersecurity, a security risk assessment is the systematic identification of threats and vulnerabilities of an industrial automation and control system, the estimation of the likelihood and consequences of their exploitation, and the derivation of zones, conduits and target security levels. IEC 62443-3-2 describes the process.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesRole-based access control (RBAC)
ANSI/INCITS 359German: Rollenbasierte Zugriffskontrolle (RBAC)
In access control, role-based access control (RBAC) is a model in which permissions are assigned to roles, such as operator, maintenance technician or engineer, and users receive permissions only by being assigned to one or more roles.
OT security
Definition and examples- Working term
Safety-security convergence
IEC TR 63069German: Safety-Security-Konvergenz
In industrial automation, safety-security convergence is the coordinated engineering and management of functional safety and cybersecurity, recognizing that cyberattacks can defeat safety functions and that security measures can affect safety, so that both are analyzed, designed and maintained together without weakening either.
OT security · Functional safety
Definition and examples Secure boot
German: Sicherer Systemstart
In embedded and computer security, secure boot is a mechanism that verifies the digital signature of each piece of boot software, such as bootloader, firmware and operating system, before executing it, starting from a hardware root of trust, so that a device only runs software from an authorized publisher.
OT security
Definition and examplesSecure remote access
German: Sicherer Fernzugriff
In OT cybersecurity, secure remote access is remote access to industrial systems that is controlled by design: authenticated with strong credentials, authorized per person and task, routed through defined conduits such as a jump server or remote access gateway, time-limited, logged and, where needed, approved by the operator on site.
OT security
Definition and examplesSecurity (IT and OT)
German: Sicherheit
In information and operational technology, security is the condition of systems, data and processes being protected against intentional or unintentional compromise of their confidentiality, integrity and availability, and the measures that achieve it. It is distinct from safety, which is freedom from unacceptable risk of harm.
OT security
Definition and examplesSecurity development lifecycle (SDL)
IEC 62443-4-1German: Security Development Lifecycle (SDL)
In product development, a security development lifecycle (SDL) is a defined process that integrates security activities into every phase of developing and maintaining a product, from security requirements and threat modeling through secure design and implementation, testing, vulnerability handling and security updates. IEC 62443-4-1 specifies such a process for industrial automation products.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesSecurity incident
German: Sicherheitsvorfall
In cybersecurity, a security incident is an event that actually or potentially compromises the availability, integrity or confidentiality of systems, data or services, or violates security policies. NIS 2 defines an incident as an event compromising the availability, authenticity, integrity or confidentiality of data or services of network and information systems.
OT security
Definition and examplesSecurity information and event management (SIEM)
German: Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
In cybersecurity, security information and event management (SIEM) is a system that collects, normalizes, stores and correlates log and event data from many sources, such as firewalls, servers, controllers and intrusion detection systems, to detect security incidents, support investigations and provide audit evidence.
OT security
Definition and examplesTarget security level (SL-T)
IEC 62443-3-2German: Security Level
In IEC 62443, the target security level (SL-T) is the security level that the asset owner determines, as a result of the security risk assessment, to be required for a zone or conduit. It is compared with the capability security level (SL-C) of the chosen components and the achieved security level (SL-A) of the implemented system.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesSecurity level (SL)
IEC 62443-3-3German: Security Level (SL)
In IEC 62443, a security level (SL) is a measure from 0 to 4 of the confidence that a zone, conduit or component is free of vulnerabilities and functions as intended, defined by the kind of attacker it can resist: SL 1 protects against casual or coincidental violation, SL 4 against sophisticated attacks with extended resources and high motivation.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesSecurity operations center (SOC)
German: Security Operations Center (SOC)
In cybersecurity, a security operations center (SOC) is a team, with its processes and tools, that continuously monitors an organization's systems for security events, analyzes alerts, coordinates incident response and supports vulnerability management. An OT SOC or a SOC with OT expertise covers industrial control systems.
OT security
Definition and examplesSoftware bill of materials (SBOM)
German: Software-Stückliste (SBOM)
In software supply chain security, a software bill of materials (SBOM) is a formal, machine-readable inventory of the software components, libraries and their versions and suppliers contained in a software or firmware product, including dependency relationships. Common formats are SPDX and CycloneDX.
OT security
Definition and examplesSupply chain security
German: Lieferkettensicherheit
In cybersecurity, supply chain security is the management of risks that arise from suppliers, service providers and third-party components, including compromised software or hardware, insecure development practices, malicious updates and insecure remote access by service partners.
OT security
Definition and examplesSystem hardening
German: Systemhärtung
In cybersecurity, system hardening is the application of hardening measures to a complete system, such as an industrial PC with its operating system, runtime and applications or an entire control system, by removing unneeded software and services, restricting interfaces and accounts and enforcing secure configuration settings.
OT security
Definition and examplesSystem integrator
IEC 62443-2-4German: Systemintegrator
In industrial automation and IEC 62443, the system integrator is the organization that designs, builds, configures and commissions an automation solution for a specific site by combining products from one or more suppliers, and often supports it afterward. IEC 62443-2-4 specifies security capability requirements for such service providers.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesThreat modeling
IEC 62443-4-1German: Bedrohungsmodellierung
In security engineering, threat modeling is the structured analysis of a system's architecture, data flows, trust boundaries and entry points to identify potential threats, the assets they target and the countermeasures needed. IEC 62443-4-1 requires a threat model for industrial automation products.
OT security
Definition and examplesTRBS 1115 Part 1 (cybersecurity for safety-related I&C equipment)
TRBS 1115 Teil 1German: TRBS 1115 Teil 1 – Cybersicherheit für sicherheitsrelevante MSR-Einrichtungen
TRBS 1115 Part 1 is a German Technical Rule for Operational Safety under the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV) that addresses cybersecurity for safety-related measurement, control and regulation (I&C) equipment. It guides employers on considering cyber threats in the risk assessment of work equipment and on protective measures for such equipment.
OT security · Functional safety · Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV) · Presumption effect (technical rules)
Definition and examplesVulnerability management
German: Schwachstellenmanagement
In cybersecurity, vulnerability management is the continuous process of identifying, assessing, prioritizing, treating and verifying vulnerabilities in systems and products. For asset owners it covers installed assets; for product suppliers it includes handling reported vulnerabilities and delivering fixes.
OT security
Definition and examplesZero trust architecture (ZTA)
NIST SP 800-207German: Zero-Trust-Architektur
In cybersecurity, a zero trust architecture (ZTA) is an enterprise security design in which no user, device or network location is trusted implicitly; every access request to a resource is authenticated, authorized and evaluated per session based on identity, device state and policy. NIST SP 800-207 describes its principles and components.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesZone and conduit model
IEC 62443-3-2German: Zonen-und-Conduits-Modell
In IEC 62443, the zone and conduit model is the method of partitioning an industrial automation and control system into security zones, groups of assets with common security requirements, and conduits, the controlled communication paths between them, so that each zone and conduit can be assigned a target security level and appropriate countermeasures.
OT security · Standards
Definition and examples
OT security engineering
Application allowlisting
NIST SP 800-167German: Anwendungsfreigabeliste
In endpoint security, application allowlisting is a control that permits only explicitly approved applications, scripts and libraries to run on a system and blocks everything else. It suits OT hosts such as HMIs and engineering stations, whose software rarely changes.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesBastion host
German: Bastion Host
In network security, a bastion host is a specially hardened computer placed at a network boundary, typically in a DMZ, that is deliberately exposed to a less trusted network and serves as a controlled point through which access to a protected network is granted.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesCoordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD)
ISO/IEC 29147German: Koordinierte Schwachstellenoffenlegung (CVD)
In product security, coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD) is the process in which a vulnerability reporter, the affected manufacturer and, where needed, coordinators such as CSIRTs work together so that a vulnerability is fixed or mitigated before details are published, and users are informed through an advisory.
Security engineering · OT security · Standards
Definition and examplesData diode
German: Datendiode
In network security, a data diode is a hardware device that physically allows data to flow in only one direction between two networks, typically from a more trusted network such as a control network to a less trusted one, so that no data or commands can be sent back.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesJump server
German: Sprungserver
In network security, a jump server is a hardened, monitored system in a controlled network segment through which administrators, engineers or service technicians must connect before accessing systems in a protected zone, so that no direct connections to the protected systems are needed.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesNetwork access control (NAC)
IEEE 802.1XGerman: Netzwerkzugangskontrolle (NAC)
In network security, network access control (NAC) is the set of mechanisms that authenticate devices, and optionally users, before they are allowed onto a network, and that assign or restrict their network access according to policy. Port-based NAC is standardized in IEEE 802.1X.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesPassword vault
German: Passworttresor
In access management, a password vault is an encrypted, access-controlled repository that stores passwords, keys and other credentials, releases them only to authorized users or systems, and logs their use. It is often part of a privileged access management solution.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesPrivileged access management (PAM)
German: Verwaltung privilegierter Zugriffe (PAM)
In access management, privileged access management (PAM) is the set of processes and tools that control, monitor and audit the use of accounts with elevated rights, such as administrator, engineering and service accounts, including credential vaulting, just-in-time access, session recording and approval workflows.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesRemote access server
German: Fernzugriffsserver
In network security, a remote access server is a system that accepts and terminates connections from remote users or sites, typically through VPN or a remote access protocol, authenticates them and forwards permitted traffic into the internal network according to policy.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesSecure firmware update
German: Sichere Firmwareaktualisierung
In embedded security, a secure firmware update is the process of installing new firmware on a device such that only authentic, unaltered and authorized firmware is accepted, typically by verifying a digital signature, protecting against downgrades to vulnerable versions and preserving a working state if the update fails.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesSecure update
German: Sichere Aktualisierung
In product security, a secure update is the end-to-end process of delivering software, firmware or configuration updates so that their authenticity, integrity and authorization are ensured from the manufacturer's build to installation on the device, and so that the update can be verified, documented and, if needed, reversed.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesSecurity advisory
German: Sicherheitshinweis
In product security, a security advisory is a document published by a manufacturer or coordinator that informs users about a vulnerability in specific products and versions, its severity and impact, and the available fixes, mitigations and workarounds. Machine-readable advisories can use the Common Security Advisory Framework (CSAF).
Security engineering · OT security · Technical documentation
Definition and examplesSecurity monitoring
German: Sicherheitsüberwachung
In cybersecurity, security monitoring is the continuous collection and analysis of logs, network traffic and system states to detect attacks, policy violations and anomalies in time to respond. In OT, it covers industrial networks, controllers, HMIs and remote access paths.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesSigned update
German: Signierte Aktualisierung
In product security, a signed update is a software, firmware or configuration package that carries the manufacturer's digital signature, allowing the device or installer to verify its origin and integrity before installation and to reject packages that have been altered or come from an unauthorized source.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesThreat intelligence
German: Bedrohungsinformationen
In cybersecurity, threat intelligence is evidence-based information about threat actors, their capabilities, targets, tactics, techniques and indicators of compromise, collected and analyzed to support security decisions such as prioritizing vulnerabilities, tuning detection and preparing incident response.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesUnidirectional gateway
German: Unidirektionales Gateway
In OT network security, a unidirectional gateway is a combination of data diode hardware, which physically permits data flow in one direction only, and software on both sides that replicates servers or emulates protocols, so that industrial data such as historian values or alarms can be sent out of a protected network without any path back in.
Security engineering · OT security
Definition and examplesVulnerability disclosure
ISO/IEC 29147German: Schwachstellenoffenlegung
In product security, vulnerability disclosure is the process of receiving reports about potential vulnerabilities in products or services and publishing information about confirmed vulnerabilities, their impact and their remediation to users. ISO/IEC 29147 gives requirements and recommendations for vendors.
Security engineering · OT security · Standards
Definition and examples
Definitions follow the cited standards and specifications. Where a source is a copyrighted publication, such as an ISO, IEC or EN standard, the definition is a close paraphrase, not a verbatim quotation, so as not to infringe copyright. We recommend reading the original publication. The sections “How it applies” are editorial commentary by AI TechDoc Blog and are not part of any standard.