Terms, Definitions and Abbreviations

Terms and Definitions

Please note: the definitions of terms are only valid in a certain context. This glossary applies only within the context of this document.

If available, definitions were taken from IEC 63278-1 Edition 1.0 2023-12 or IEC 61360-1 Edition 4.0 2017-07.

attribute

data element of a property, a relation, or a class in information technology

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023; ISO/IEC Guide 77-2; ISO/IEC 27460; IEC 61360]

Asset Administration Shell (AAS)

standardized digital representation of an asset

Note 1 to entry: Asset Administration Shell and Administration Shell are used synonymously.

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023, note added]

class

description of a set of objects that share the same attributes, operations, methods, relationships, and semantics

[SOURCE: IEC TR 62390:2005-01, 3.1.4]

coded value

value that can be looked up in a dictionary and can be translated

[SOURCE: ECLASS [1]]

identifier (ID)

identity information that unambiguously distinguishes one entity from another one in a given domain

Note 1 to entry: there are specific identifiers, e.g. UUID Universal unique identifier, IEC 15418 (GS1).

[SOURCE: Glossary Industrie 4.0]

minimum value

lower bound of a range of values in which the said value is meaningful

EXAMPLE 1: lowest value specified of a quantity, established for a specified set of operating conditions at which a component, device, equipment, or system can operate and perform according to specified requirements.

Note 1 to entry: additional information about the nature of the value can be obtained from the definition of the Property information object to which the value belongs.

[SOURCE: IEC 61360-1:2017]

maximum value

upper bound of a range of values in which the said value is meaningful

EXAMPLE 1: highest value specified of a quantity, established for a specified set of operating conditions at which a component, device, equipment, or system can operate and perform according to specified requirements.

Note 1 to entry: additional information about the nature of the value can be obtained from the definition of the Property information object to which the value belongs.

[SOURCE: IEC 61360-1:2017]

nominal value

value of a quantity used to designate or identify an item with its value, and not necessarily corresponding to the real value of the property

Note 1 to entry: additional information about the nature of the value can be obtained from the definition of the Property information object to which the value belongs.

[SOURCE: IEC 61360-1:2017]

non-quantitative property

property that identifies or describes an object by means of codes, abbreviations, names, references or descriptions

EXAMPLE 1: typical information content of non-quantitative properties is items such as codes, abbreviations, names, references, or descriptions.

[SOURCE: IEC 61360-2:201 7– based on IEC 61360-2:2012, 3.28, modified – "data element type" is replaced by "property" in the term and definition.]

property

defined characteristic suitable for the description and differentiation of products or components

Note 1 to entry: the concept of type and instance applies to properties.

Note 2 to entry: this definition applies to properties as described in IEC 61360/ ISO 13584-42.

Note 3 to entry: the property types are defined in dictionaries (like IEC component data dictionary or ECLASS), they do not have a value. The property type is also called data element type in some standards.

Note 4 to entry: the property instances have a value and are provided by the manufacturers. A property instance is also called property-value pair in certain standards.

Note 5 to entry: properties include nominal value, actual value, runtime variables, measurement values, etc.

Note 6 to entry: a property describes one characteristic of a given object.

Note 7 to entry: a property can have attributes such as code, version, and revision.

Note 8 to entry: the specification of a property can include predefined choices of values.

[SOURCE: according to ISO/IEC Guide 77-2] as well as [SOURCE: according to Glossary Industrie 4.0]

quantitative property

property with a numerical value representing a physical quantity, a quantity of information or a count of objects

[SOURCE: IEC 61360-1:2017 – based on IEC 61360-2:2012, 3.40, modified – "data element type" is replaced by "property"]

Submodel

representation of an aspect of an asset

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023]

SubmodelElement

element of a Submodel

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023]

Abbreviations Used in Document

Abbreviation Description

AAS

Asset Administration Shell

AASX

Package file format for the Asset Administration Shell

API

Application Programming Interface

BLOB

Binary Large Object

CDD

Common Data Dictionary

GUID

Globally unique identifier

ID

Identifier

IDTA

Industrial Digital Twin Association

IEC

International Electrotechnical Commission

IRDI

International Registration Data Identifier

IRI

Internationalized Resource Identifier

ISO

International Organization for Standardization

JSON

JavaScript Object Notation

MIME

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions

PDF

Portable Document Format

RDF

Resource Description Framework

RFC

Request for Comment

UML

Unified Modelling Language

URI

Uniform Resource Identifier

URL

Uniform Resource Locator

URN

Uniform Resource Name

UTC

Universal Time Coordinated

VDE

Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik e.V.

VDI

Verein Deutscher Ingenieure e.V.

VDMA

Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.V.

W3C

World Wide Web Consortium

XML

eXtensible Markup Language

ZIP

archive file format that supports lossless data compression

ZVEI

Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie e. V.
1. In IEC61360:2017, this refers to a "term" of a value list