National Instruments NI-FBUS User Manual
Page 138
Glossary
NI-FBUS Configurator User Manual
G-2
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Application Programmer
Interface
A message format that an application uses to communicate with
another entity that provides services to it.
Argument
A value you pass in a function call. Sometimes referred to as a
parameter, but this documentation uses a different meaning for
parameter, which is included in this glossary.
Array
Ordered, indexed list of data elements of the same type.
Attribute
Properties of parameters.
B
Bank
The combination of one FieldPoint network module and one or more
terminal bases and I/O modules.
Basic device
A device that can communicate on the Fieldbus, but cannot become
the LAS.
Block
A logical software unit that makes up one named copy of a block and
the associated parameters its block type specifies. The values of the
parameters persist from one invocation of the block to the next. It can
be a resource block, transducer block, or function block residing
within a virtual field device.
Block tag
A character string name that uniquely identifies a block on a Fieldbus
network.
Boolean
Logical relational system having two values, each the opposite of the
other, such as true and false or zero and one.
Buffer
Temporary storage for acquired or generated data.
Bus
The group of conductors that interconnect individual circuitry in a
computer. Typically, a bus is the expansion vehicle to which I/O or
other devices are connected. Examples of PC buses are the ISA and
PCI buses.
Bus scheduler
.