Glossary

A computer system that behaves intelligently, similar to a human being. This capability is required by systems that process huge amounts of data in real time.

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During operation, a computer may lose power without any action on the part of the user. After a power failure, the computer usually remains switched off. It is therefore possible to set this to on by activating the AT mode or the AC or Power Failure setting in the BIOS so that the computer starts up again automatically as soon as power is restored after it has been de-energised. The AT mode setting via a jumper on the board or switch on the PC is a permanent solution, the AC or Power Failure option in the BIOS is set back to Standard → Off after a BIOS update or battery replacement (exception: Custom BIOS).

In augmented reality (AR), the real environment seen by the user is overlaid with a computer-generated image, creating a mixed view. Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment with which a user wearing a special electronic device can interact in a seemingly real way.

Autonomous driving includes advances in machine perception, computation, artificial intelligence, data analytics and communication that are transforming the driving experience and business transportation.

Big data analyses involve analyzing large volumes of data to identify patterns and trends.

Intelligent buildings (smart buildings) have technical components that can work together. For example, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, electrical systems and devices that all work together in an intelligent, networked building.

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In the PC sector, components are understood to be parts that are installed in the housing or connected to the PC from the outside. These can be internal mainboards, RAM and power supply units in the device or external converters, adapters and USB storage media. Each component requires an existing interface on or in the device that supports a specific protocol. Common protocols include USB 3.0 or PCIe 4.0.

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The Connected Services Gateway is a broadband-capable wireless gateway component that combines new and existing services under one roof.

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) or processor of a computer is responsible for processing data and most calculations in the PC. The processor clock and the number of processing cores are decisive for the processing speed. A higher processor clock rate and more processing cores make the CPU faster, but require more power and generate more waste heat. When selecting a processor, it is important to choose the right mainboard with the right mount (processor socket) and an adequate cooler.

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Data centers consist of several computers that store and transmit information to customers at other locations.

Digital signage solutions use LCD, LED and projection technology to display digital images, video streams, information and other content.

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Chipsets with programmable logic and I/O speeds in the gigabit range that allow you to create any functions and reconfigure them at any time.

The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or graphics card is primarily responsible for the calculation and display of 2- and 3-dimensional content, but can also be used for AI applications or machine learning, among other things. The graphics card can be integrated in the CPU or positioned on a dedicated expansion card. Compared to integrated GPU modules, dedicated cards are significantly faster, offer more memory and monitor outputs, but require more space, power and more powerful cooling.

An HDD (hard disk drive) stores data. In contrast to an SSD, an HDD is mechanical and rotates. A read head is moved over a disk, similar to a record player, which reads in and outputs the data. This makes the hard disk physically larger and slower than an SSD, but many times cheaper with the same storage capacity. In contrast to SSDs, HDDs are more suitable for large amounts of data that are not time-critical or need to be accessed/imported continuously, such as system backups.

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High-performance computing (HPC) refers to the pooling of computing power in a way that delivers significantly higher performance than typical desktop computers to solve complex problems in scientific, technical or business environments.

Wireless or radio solutions improve productivity as they allow data to be retrieved anywhere and at any time. As no physical components are required, data can be retrieved more quickly.

Intelligent Factories (smart factories) offer advanced manufacturing capabilities (also known as smart manufacturing) that allow the work processes in a factory to be highly automated. This enables optimized and efficient manufacturing processes.

Intelligent buildings (smart buildings) have technical components that can work together. For example, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, electrical systems and devices that all work together in an intelligent, networked building.

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Intelligent Cities (smart cities) have networked technical components. By expanding services (e.g. in the areas of transportation, water supply, waste management and energy supply), the efficiency of a city is improved.

The Internet of Things connects normal devices with the online world to give them smart features. These devices are able to send and receive data.

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M.2 is a connection in the PC to physically integrate small SSDs and WLAN or 4/5G modules with higher transfer rates than mSATA or Mini-PCIe. M.2 can transfer PCIe, SATA and USB, among others. Which transfer type is selected is determined by the key - the key refers to the arrangement of the pins at the bottom of the card. This arrangement determines the protocol and speed of transmission. A and E key (both PCIe x2 + USB) for wireless modules, B key (SATA) and M key (PCIe x2/x4) for fast SSDs.

The term "machine to machine" (also known as M2M for short) refers to direct communication between two devices. Information can be exchanged via a wired or wireless connection.

Mini PCIe (Mini PCI Express) describes a connection in the PC which allows SSDs or expansion cards to be integrated into the system. Mini PCIe transmits PCI Express at a single speed and can also transmit SATA and USB signals. Mini PCIe is standardised and always has the same physical connector, but there are two different lengths for SSDs or modules, usually referred to as full size or half size.

mSATA (mini SATA) describes a connection in the PC which allows SSDs to be integrated into the system. The design is identical to mini PCIe and the transfer is the same as for SATA. Although mSATA SSDs physically fit into mini PCIe slots, not every mini PCIe slot is equipped with a SATA signal. The manual of the respective mainboard will indicate this specifically.

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A network is a group of computers that are connected to each other.

NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is a fast protocol that SSDs use to transfer data to the computer. It enables higher transfer rates than the previously common SATA protocol. Not every computer has this protocol or the M.2 interface required for it, and not every operating system or backup solution is compatible with it: in this case, cheaper SATA SSDs can usually be used.

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Until a few years ago, PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) was the most common connection for plug-in cards in PCs, which has been gradually replaced by PCIe since the early 2000s and has not been further developed since then. PCI, for its part, followed ISA and enabled higher transfer rates and was generally technically more modern and easier to manage. Today, it is mainly classic measuring cards that still use this connection.

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PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) describes an interface in the PC and a protocol for transferring data. PCIe replaces PCI and is continuously versioned. Each new version is usually twice as fast in data transfer as the previous one, which makes the use of fast graphics cards and SSDs possible in the first place. The length of the PCIe slots is usually specified as 1x, 4x, 8x or 16x. The transfer speed results from this number and the PCIe version (currently 5.0).

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Ignition refers to the ignition process when starting an engine, usually in a car. An ignition module ensures that as soon as the ignition is switched on, the computer in which an ignition module is installed also starts. The same applies to switching off the engine: the ignition module signals to the computer that it should shut down. A time limit for this can usually be set in seconds, minutes or hours, as well as a setting option for 12V or 24V operation.

Virtual infrastructure is used for cloud and SDI solutions (software-defined infrastructure). Cloud environments usually comprise data centres, while SID is a virtual infrastructure based solely on software.

Profinet and Profibus is an open standard in the field of fieldbuses for the purpose of device control and process automation. Profibus is usually addressed via a serial interface, while Profinet is realised via a LAN connection. Both systems are generally suitable for real-time. Profinet is the more modern standard and should be seen as the successor system.

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Profinet and Profibus is an open standard in the field of fieldbuses for the purpose of device control and process automation. Profibus is usually addressed via a serial interface, while Profinet is realised via a LAN connection. Both systems are generally suitable for real-time. Profinet is the more modern standard and should be seen as the successor system.

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Plug-in server cards or modules with predefined interfaces to support accelerated workloads, available through the ecosystem or customised.

A protocol is a transmission method used to transfer data from one device to another. Among other things, the protocol specifies the maximum speed. Many devices can only handle one protocol (graphics cards with PCIe), others can handle several (m.2 with SATA, USB, PCIe). Examples of protocols are FTP (File Transfer Protocol) for downloading data from the Internet, PCIe between graphics card and CPU or SATA between HDD and chipset. The interface and the protocol often have the same name in the PC.

The processor (CPU, Central Processing Unit) of a computer is responsible for processing data and most calculations in the PC. The processor clock and the number of processing cores are decisive for the processing speed. A higher processor clock rate and more processing cores make the CPU faster, but require more power and generate more waste heat. When selecting a processor, it is important to choose the right mainboard with the right mount (processor socket) and an adequate cooler.

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RAM (Random Access Memory) or the working memory of a computer is responsible for fast access to data by the processor. Data that is to be processed at the moment is first loaded into RAM from an SSD, HDD or other memory. This is many times faster than other memories, but when the computer is switched off, data that is only in the RAM but not on the hard drive is lost. The memory function of a programme loads the contents of the RAM onto the hard drive.

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A real-time or real-time-capable system is a device that is technically and software-wise capable of executing applications in real time. A distinction must be made between hard and soft real-time. In hard real-time systems, all instructions must be executed precisely and without any delay (fixed value); in soft real-time there is a certain amount of leeway (from to). A CPU with the lowest possible jitter, a real-time-capable operating system or a real-time extension and real-time-capable connections are technically necessary on the PC.

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VGA  640 x 480
WVGA  800 x 480
SVGA  800 x 600
WSVGA  1.024 x 600
XGA  1.024 x 768
WXGA  1.280 x 800
SXGA  1.280 x 1.024
WXGA1.366 x 768
WXGA+  1.440 x 900
Full HD   1.920 x 1.080
UHD/4K   3.840 x 2.160
UHD+/5K   5.120 x 2.880
Full UHD/8K  7.680 x 4.320

>> Resolution Standards on Wikipedia

The RS-232/422/485 (serial) interface describes one of the oldest forms of data transmission, which predates the PC. This classic serial interface can be seen as the forerunner of USB, via which peripherals were connected then as they are today. This interface is still commonly used in the automation sector, but over time it has been replaced by faster and more easily configurable LAN interfaces.

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SATA (Serial AT Attachment) describes both a protocol that transfers data from storage media to the computer and the interface via which the data is transferred. SATA is the common standard for hard drives and SSDs and is essentially compatible with all computers and operating systems of the last 20 years. This goes hand in hand with the favourable purchase price of SATA storage media, but also an age-related limited transfer rate.

The RS-232/422/485 (serial) interface describes one of the oldest forms of data transmission, which predates the PC. This classic serial interface can be seen as the forerunner of USB, via which peripherals were connected then as they are today. This interface is still commonly used in the automation sector, but over time it has been replaced by faster and more easily configurable LAN interfaces.

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Smart buildings have technical components that can work together. For example, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, electrical systems and devices that all work together in an intelligent, networked building.

>> Our Building Automation product selection

Smart cities have networked technical components. By expanding services (e.g. in the areas of transportation, water supply, waste management and energy supply), the efficiency of a city is improved.

Smart factories offer advanced manufacturing capabilities (also known as smart manufacturing) that allow the work processes in a factory to be highly automated. This enables optimized and efficient manufacturing processes.

A smart home has modern automation systems that provide complex monitoring and control options for the building's functions.

Companies with fewer than 500 employees are usually referred to as small enterprises (SMEs).

Virtual infrastructure is used for cloud and SDI solutions (software-defined infrastructure). Cloud environments usually comprise data centres, while SID is a virtual infrastructure based solely on software.

A SSD (Solid State Drive/Disk) stores data. In contrast to the classic HDD (hard disc drive), there is no mechanical movement in the SSD, so an SSD makes no noise during operation, causes no vibrations and delivers shorter access times. SSDs generally transfer data much faster than HDDs, but are significantly more expensive per terabyte of storage space and, like HDDs, are subject to wear and tear. SSDs are generally much smaller physically and therefore enable the construction of very compact devices.

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A thin client is a low-cost computer solution that is used in a client/server environment. The main function is to process information entered via the keyboard and output via the screen. Most (or all) application programmes and data are retrieved from a central server via a network.

The TPM (Trusted Platform Module) is a hardware chip on the mainboard that is intended to provide more security in the PC. Some programmes require this chip, e.g. Windows 11 can no longer be installed without a TPM module (or a software-based TPM solution, e.g. PTT from Intel). Not every TPM module can be physically used on every mainboard; please refer to the manufacturer's instructions in the manual. TPM is versioned, the current version is V2.0.

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a connection and protocol for integrating hardware into systems. This is usually memory or peripheral devices such as mice, printers, etc. USB is being developed further, the current version is 3. USB devices support plug and play, so they can usually be put into operation immediately after being plugged in or with little installation effort. Older connections such as RS-232 or LPT often require configuration; this is not necessary with USB, which also has a higher data transfer rate.

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Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment with which a user wearing a special electronic device can interact in a seemingly real way. In augmented reality (AR), the real environment seen by the user is overlaid with a computer-generated image, creating a mixed view.

Wearables are technical gadgets that are often worn on the body and connected to the internet. Sensors connected to a wearable record data and transmit it to the user. Popular wearables include fitness trackers, smartwatches and smart jewellery.

WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) is the wireless counterpart to the wired network. This allows data to be exchanged wirelessly, but over a shorter distance than via cable and with less installation effort. WLAN can be password-protected or hidden. The transmission speeds are generally lower than via a cable, depending primarily on the distance and walls between the router and receiver.

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