Glossary - Siemens SIMOCODE pro Manual

Glossary

ATEX
French abbreviation for "atmosphère explosible" (explosive atmosphere). ATEX is used as a
synonym for the two European Community directives covering explosion protection, i.e. the
ATEX product directive 94/9/EC and the ATEX workplace directive 1999/92/EC.
Cascade input
Safe, 1-channel input of a safety relay, e.g. DM-F Local and DM-F PROFIsafe. Internally,
this input is evaluated like a sensor signal. If no voltage is present, the safety relay trips the
enabling circuits (outputs) in a safety-related way.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Central processing unit of the programmable controller or the automation system comprised
of an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), memory, and operating system. The user program is stored
and processed in the CPU.
Circuit breaker
In contrast to switch disconnectors, circuit breakers do not simply switch normal operational
currents and low overload currents; they are also capable of disconnecting high overload
currents and very high short-circuit currents. As overcurrent protective devices with a very
high switching capacity (80 kA to 160 kA), they can switch equipment or plant components
both during normal operation and – for a limited time period – in the event of a fault, e.g. a
short-circuit. They additionally allow the equipment to be automatically restarted after the
fault has been rectified.
Configurator
Software program for designing customized products.
Contactor
Electromagnetically operated low-voltage switch with only one position of rest; it cannot be
manually operated. Contactors can energize, carry, and deenergize currents in a circuit
under normal operating conditions, including operational overload. The contact system
consists of main and auxiliary contacts (NC, NO). Depending on the size of the contactor,
the main contacts can switch several hundred amps while the auxiliary contacts are only
rated for control currents of a few amps.
SIMOCODE pro - Fail-Safe Digital Modules
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