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. For a more extensive list, please refer to Part 1 of the document series.

If available, definitions were taken from IEC 63278-1 Edition 1.0 2023-12.

access control

protection of system resources against unauthorized access; a process by which use of system resources is regulated according to a security policy and is permitted by only authorized entities (users, programs, processes, or other systems) according to that policy

[SOURCE: IEC TS 62443-1-1]

application

software functional element specific to the solution of a problem in industrial-process measurement and control

Note 1 to entry: an application can be distributed among resources and may communicate with other applications.

[SOURCE: IEC TR 62390:2005-01, 3.1.2]

asset

entity owned by or under the custodial duties of an organization, which has either a perceived or actual value to the organization

Note 1 to entry: an asset can be single entity, a collection of entities, an assembly of entities or a composition of entities.

EXAMPLE 1: examples for physical entities are equipment, raw material, parts components and pieces, supplies, consumables, physical products, and waste.

EXAMPLE 2: software is an example of a digital asset.

EXAMPLE 3: a software license is an example of an intangible asset.

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023, editorial changes]

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]

digital representation

information and services representing an entity from a given viewpoint

EXAMPLE 1: examples of information are properties (e.g. maximum temperature), actual parameters (e.g. actual velocity), events (e.g. notification of status change), schematics (electrical), and visualization information (2D and 3D drawings).

EXAMPLE 2: examples of services are asset services (for example providing the history of the configuration data or providing the actual velocity) and asset related services (for example providing a simulation).

EXAMPLE 3: examples of viewpoints are mechanical, electrical, or commercial characteristics.

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023, editorial changes]

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]

Submodel

representation of an aspect of an asset

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023]

SubmodelElement

element of a Submodel

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023]

Submodel template

template for the representation of an aspect of an asset

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023]

Submodel template element

element of a Submodel template

[SOURCE: IEC 63278-1:2023]

Abbreviations

Note: not all abbreviations are used in this document. The list of abbreviations is identical in the different parts of the document series "Specification of the Asset Administration Shell".[1]

Abbreviation Description

AAS

Asset Administration Shell

AASX

Package file format for the Asset Administration Shell

AML

AutomationML

API

Application Programming Interface

BITKOM

Bundesverband Informationswirtschaft, Telekommunikation und neue Medien e. V.

BLOB

Binary Large Object

CDD

Common Data Dictionary

GUID

Globally unique identifier

I4.0

Industrie 4.0

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

OPC

Open Packaging Conventions (ECMA-376, ISO/IEC 29500-2)

OPC UA

OPC Unified Architecture

PDF

Portable Document Format

RAMI4.0

Reference Architecture Model Industrie 4.0

RDF

Resource Description Framework

REST

Representational State Transfer

RFC

Request for Comment

UML

Unified Modeling 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. There might be smaller differences in the different parts with respect to which abbreviations are listed.