Rice Lake Weigh Modules/Mount Assemblies - Manual (Page 77)

G-1
GLOSSARY
A
A/D (Analog to Digital)
Conversion of continuously varying (analog)
voltage levels to discrete binary-numbered
(digital) values (e.g., a load cell output can be
fed through an A/D convertor to produce a
continuous stream of digitized information and
sent to a digital indicator).
ACCUMULATOR
A circuit or register device in a computer that
receives, totals and stores numbers.
ACCURACY
Precision in the measurement of quantities and
in the statement of physical characteristics.
Accuracy is expressed in terms of error as a
percentage of the specified value (e.g., 10 volts
± 1%), as a percentage of a range (e.g., 2% of
full scale), or as parts (e.g., 100 parts per
million).
AMBIENT CONDITIONS
The conditions (humidity, pressure, tempera-
ture, etc.) of the medium surrounding the load
cell.
AMPERE
Unit of electrical current intensity. One ampere
of current is 6.24 x 10
18 electrons passing a
point in one second; often shortened to “amp”.
ANALOG
Anything that corresponds, point for point or
value for value, to an otherwise unrelated
quantity; data represented by continuous values
rather than in discrete steps.
ANGULAR LOAD, CONCENTRIC
(Common Center)
A load applied concentric with the primary axis
at the point of application, and at some angle
with respect to the primary axis.
ANGULAR LOAD, ECCENTRIC
(Off Center)
A load applied eccentric with the primary axis
at the point of application and at some angle
with respect to the primary axis.
APERTURE
The total range (in percentage) of full scale
capacity over which a digital weight indicator’s
“Automatic Zero Maintenance” (AZM) and
“Push-button Auto Zero” (PAZ) functions will
operate; Handbook 44 maximum is +2% of full
scale.
APPROVED
Acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction
over the area for in which a system or
equipment will be used.
ASCII (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange)
Pronounced “askee.” A seven-bit plus parity
code established by the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) to achieve
compatibility between data services.
ASSOCIATED APPARATUS
Apparatus in which the circuits are not
necessarily intrinsically safe themselves, but
may affect the energy in the intrinsically safe
circuits and are relied upon to maintain
intrinsic safety. An associated apparatus has
identified intrinsically safe connections for
intrinsically safe apparatus and may also have
connections for non-intrinsically safe
apparatus.
ASYNCHRONOUS TRANSMISSION
Data transmission in which time intervals
between transmitted characters may be of
unequal length. Transmission is controlled by
start bits at the beginning of each character
and stop bits at the end of each character.
AUTHORITY HAVING
JURISDICTION
Where public safety is primary, the “Authority
Having Jurisdiction” may be a federal, state,
local or other regional institution, department
or individual. Some examples are a fire chief,
fire marshal, chief of a fire protection bureau,
labor department, health department, building
official, electrical inspector or other having
statutory authority. For insurance purposes, an
insurance inspection department rating bureau
or other insurance company representative may
be the “Authority Having Jurisdiction”.
AIT (Auto Ignition Temperature)
The minimum temperature required for a
substance to initiate or cause self-sustained
combustion independently of the heating or
heated equipment. Also referred to as ignition
temperature.
AZM (Automatic Zero Maintenance)
An electronic means of providing “true zero” at
all times on a digital scale. AZM compensates
for such conditions as indicator or load cell
drift or debris on a scale platform by electroni-
cally tracking out minor variations around
zero; also called “zero tracking”.
AVERAGE PIECE WEIGHT (APW)
On a counting scale, the amount of weight
divided by the number of samples which
comprised that weight. APW is used by the
counting scale to count pieces during normal
operation.
AXIAL LOAD
A load applied along a line concentric with the
primary axis.
B
BAUD
A unit of communications processing speed in
digital data communications systems. The
speed in baud is the number of discrete
conditions of signal events per second. If each
signal event represents only one bit condition,
baud rate equals bits per second (BPS).
BCD (Binary Coded Decimal)
A data coding system in which four binary bits
represent the decimal numbers 0 through 9.
The BCD equivalent of the decimal number 187
is 0001 1000 0111.
BEAM
The indicating device of a lever scale.
BEZEL
A holder designed to receive and position the
edges of a lens, meter, window or display.
BIDIRECTIONAL
Data flow in either direction on a wire between
pieces of equipment. Each equipment item can
both receive and transmit data.
BIT
The smallest unit of information in a binary
system, consisting of a “0” or a “1” (formed
from Binary Digit).
BLACKOUT
A sudden loss of AC line power usually as a
result of an overload or other power failure.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
National Conference on Weights and Measures
body of officials that sets NTEP policy and has
final say in disputes.
BRIDGE CIRCUIT
A network of four “leg” components connected
so that the input signal may be applied across
two branches in parallel and the output signal
taken between two points, one on each side of
the parallel branches. At some ratio of the
resultant four arms of the circuit, the output
points are at the same potential, and the output
voltage is zero. The bridge then is said to be
balanced or set to null.
BROWNOUT
A deliberate lowering of line voltage by a power
company to reduce load demands.
GLOSSARY