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Introduction

Every knowledge area domain has its own terminology, and the same applies to software applications are no exception. While the nomenclature used on this platform follows market standards our platform uses industry-standard terms whenever possible, some specific terms related to the system may have special certain words may carry specific meanings in this context.

This glossary includes most of the terms and keywords used by our platform, as well as concepts and related technologies relevant to our context.

It is recommended to read this glossary at least once after using our platform for a few months. Reviewing the definitions and concepts, combined with your experience, will enhance your understanding of the system and improve your efficiency in creating applications.

We recommend reviewing this glossary after you've gained some experience with the platform. Revisiting these definitions will help clarify key concepts and improve your efficiency when building applications.

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Glossary (A-Z)

AlarmArea
A hierarchical grouping of AlarmGroups for structured alarm management. Can contain child AlarmAreas, useful for large systems.

AlarmGroup
A collection of AlarmItems sharing common properties. Simplifies configuration with settings like AckRequired, AutoAckTime, and Sound.

AlarmItem
A tag or expression monitored by the Alarm Module, including condition, limit, deadband, and message settings.

Name

App Domain, Application Domain

A virtual, isolated

environment

for running a .NET application

The inherent isolation of the .NET domains creates an intrinsically safe protection for the running solutions, as it prevents one process from interfering with another, allowing even two different versions of the same program to run side by side.

A more technical definition if AppDomain is the boundaries that the CLR (Common Language Runtime) provides around the objects created from the same application.

, providing process isolation.

Application, Project, Solution
"Project" applies to version 9.2 and earlier. "Solution" applies to version 10+. "Application" refers to the functional use of the configuration.

Application Modules
Modules that execute a system's internal logic and transformations, including Datasets, Reports, Scripts, and Displays.

Assembly
An executable file (.EXE or .DLL) created using managed code within the .NET framework.

Asset Tree
A hierarchical view of variables and templates reflecting equipment, recipes, setpoints, and other process data.

Audit Trail
Logs changes and events during runtime execution, useful for diagnostics and compliance.

Channels
Configuration object in the Devices Module specifying communication protocol and settings.

Client
Software interacting with the server or runtime. Includes .NET, HTML5, and Remote Clients. In scripting, "Client Domain" refers to client-local values.

Client Connection
A runtime connection to the solution from a local or remote station. Does not include engineering sessions.

CodeBehind
Custom VB.NET or C# code used for event handling, calculations, and behavior. Can also call Python classes.

Component, User Controls
Graphical controls used in displays. Includes buttons, inputs, and custom elements.

Connection Target
Defines the data source (Local Solution, TagProvider, or Remote source).

DatasetDBs
Settings in the Datasets Module for external database connections.

DatasetFile
A logical object in the Datasets Module for reading/writing ASCII, Unicode, or XML files.

DatasetQuery
A configured SQL query in the Datasets Module, with properties and methods for execution.

DatasetTable
A table mapping Tags to database columns for read/write operations.

DataTemplate (UDT)
User-defined data structure with nested variables and template references.

Designer, Solution Designer
The interface used to configure FrameworX solutions.

Display / Screen
Visual container for user interface elements.

DLL Hell
Conflicts from shared DLLs in legacy systems, addressed by .NET’s assembly isolation.

Domain, Server Domain, Client Domain
Object value scope during runtime: Server-wide vs. Client-local.

Draw
Designer module for building synoptic screens and animations.

Dynamics and Animations
Changes to graphical attributes based on tag values.

Enumerations
Maps possible tag values to states, labels, and colors.

Form, Report Form
Rich text document that can embed real-time data and symbols; exportable to PDF.

FrameworX
The core software platform and runtime environment.

FrameworX Unlimited
Licensing model with unlimited Clients, Developers, and Connections.

FX EDGE
A FrameworX deployment for edge computing scenarios.

FX MQTT Broker
Built-in MQTT broker in the FrameworX platform.

FX MQTT Simulator
Simulator for testing MQTT Clients and Sparkplug payloads.

HistorianTag
Tag configured for storage in a HistorianTable, optionally referencing external sources.

Hot Updates (Hot Reload)
Apply offline changes to the runtime without restarting execution.

Industrial Icons
Pre-built graphics suited for industrial applications.

Internal Module
Background functionality that operates without user configuration.

Modifier (Device/Points)
Parameter for DevicePoints enabling custom access for arrays, bits, and strings.

Modular Architecture
System design that splits functionality into interchangeable modules.

Module
Executable unit interfacing with the real-time database.

Namespace
Logical space where named runtime objects exist.

Objects, Runtime Objects
Entities managed and accessed in runtime via displays and scripts.

ObjectValues, PropertyValue
Runtime properties of Tags and system objects.

Online Configuration
Ability to edit running systems in real time.

Parameters (Tag Configuration)
Settings that define tag behavior and data handling.

Permissions, PermissionsGroup
Access levels and user role definitions.

Plugin
Reusable component exported/imported from a solution.

Policies
Rules for login and user session handling.

Points, DevicePoint
Mapped values representing physical I/O or register addresses.

Process Modules
Modules such as Alarms, Devices, and Historian that interface with the physical process.

Process Tag
Tag that reflects real-world data via devices or other sources.

Product Family
Platform variants: FrameworX, FactoryStudio, MachineHMI, EdgeConnect.

Product Family and Model
Defines runtime licensing requirements.

Project File
In versions before v10, contains project configuration (.tproj, .trun).

Protocols
Communication rules supported by the Devices Module.

Property or Attribute
Defined value of a runtime object.

PropertyWatch
Tool for live inspection/modification of values.

Rendering Engine
Graphics rendering engine supporting WPF, HTML5, and Portable Clients.

Reports WebData
Interfaces for JSON, XML, HTML data exchange or file output.

Runtime
Phase where the solution executes in real time.

Runtime Database
The core in-memory database used during solution execution.

Runtime Startup
The initialization of the runtime, handled by TStartup.exe or TServer.exe.

RuntimeUsers
Authenticated users stored in secure databases or identity providers.

ScriptClass
Reusable code library for use in script and display logic.

ScriptExpression
Single-line code for simple runtime actions.

ScriptTask
Script block triggered by events or timers.

Smart Symbols
Reusable graphical components bound to data and templates.

Solution
A complete application configuration built using the platform.

Solution File / Solution Name
Saved configuration file (.dbsln) with the solution's name.

SolutionDB / SolutionDatabase
Database file storing the configuration of a solution.

StorageLocation
Defines where historian data is saved or retrieved.

Tag Type
Specifies the kind of data (e.g., Integer, Digital, Text).

TagProvider Connections
Enable live access to external data sources without redundant tags.

TargetPlatform
Specifies runtime host platform (Windows/.NET Framework or .NET 8/Linux).

Task (Script.Task)
A code program written in C#, VB.NET, or Python.

Time-Series
Sequentially recorded data points with timestamps.

Toggle
Switches a value between 0 and 1

Application, Project, Solution

Refers to solution or final system created using FactoryStudio. The terms Application. Project and Solution are used with close meaning, referring to the engineering configuration and files necessary to implement the an application intend to deploy in a production environment. Project is used to refer to application created with version 9.2 or older, as Solutions refer to applications created with version 10 and up.

Assembly

Refers to an executable file (.EXE or Library.DLL) created using managed code and Microsoft .NET framework. 

Component

Graphical User Controls available to create displays 

Designer, Solution Designer

Application and User Interface to configure FrameworX Solutions.

Draw

Part of the Solution Designer configuration used to draw and animate displays and synoptic screens.

DLL Hell

Term used to refer the complications on running the legacy Windows applications as there is no built-in isolation on the DLL libraries, memory and COM objects used by the applications. The .NET Framework completely eliminated that problem.

Domain, Server Domain, Client Domain

Refers to the values and location of objects at run time. Domain server objects running on the server are the objects running on the server during runtime. Values associated with this object are system-wide. Client domain means that the object is running on the client station and each machine can have different values.

Internal Module

Features and programs that implement internal system functions which run without any user configuration.
Examples are the Network Synchronization task and the Background Report Generator. Some Studio tools (e.g., ModuleInformation.exe) may display status information of those internal Modules. However, this information is required only for advanced system optimizations.

FactoryStudio

Scalable product version by I/O and Clients, simple to advanced SCADA / HMI, IIoT Edge and Gateway all built on Tatsoft’s FrameworX.

FrameworX

Our software platform. It's also used in the context to refer to the underlying technologies and components of the platform.

FrameworX Unlimited

Includes unlimited Clients, Connections and Developers. Built-in drivers, SQL, OPC UA, MQTT and more.

FX EDGE

A FrameworX Edge application

FX MQTT Broker

Our embedded Broker for testing

FX MQTT Simulator

A MQTT Client simulator (with Sparkplug) for testing, included in the product installation

Main Solution File

Refers to the SQL Studio encoded database that contains the Solution configuration. The extension .TPROJ references the current project still under development. The extension .TRUN references read-only published projects.

Modifier (Device/Points)

Auxiliary parameter to effect read and write points for a device, the treatment of Arrays, bit masks, strings, swap and other operations in which a DataType definition can not define them completely.

Module

A program that accesses the database in real time (RtDB) and can be composed of one or more Assemblies.

Namespace

An address space. All objects created with a Namespace have unique names. "Address space" can also be understood as a form of tier objects. All process variables are grouped in the tag namespace; all reports grouped in the namespace report. The name of an object should be unique within the namespace to which the object belongs.

Object Type (RunObj type)

Determines the type of runtime object (display, report, script).

Objects, Runtime Objects

Runtime objects are those objects visible (through their names) to access the Solution via scripts and displays, such as Tags, Reports, Alarms, Displays among others. The namespaces also identify which execution module is responsible to update those values, for example the Alarm Module will start and will update the values of the runtime objects associated with the alarms.

ObjectValues, PropertyValue

Runtime objects (e.g.: Tags, deviceNodes, etc.) can have one or more properties defined. The TAG and the property value, for example, MIN, MAX, description, among other properties.

PropertyWatch

Diagnostic utility to check and modify the values of the objects at runtime.

Parameters(Tag Configuration)

Definition of the parameters of behavior and values processing for Tags.

Plug-in

Sub-set of a FrameworX Solution. Plugins are created using the Solution-Export command, selecting which parts and objects from the Solution will be exported. The Plugins can be imported or used by other solutions.

Product Family

Specify the many options in our product line. It includes:

FrameworX: Our Unlimited version, unlimited Clients, I/O and development, server based with all the tools you need

FactoryStudio: Scalable, by the number of I/O & clients

EdgeHMI: Scalable by I/O, more affordable

EdgeGateway: Embedded device communications and processing at the edge or as flexible secure gateway

This Product Family reflects in the software licenses.

Solution

A configuration set Studio sketches of displays, reports, scripts and user notes created and edited with a single entity.

SolutionDB / SolutionDatabase

SolutionDB (or Solution database) is a database that contains configuration information. Matches files with the extension <Solution>.dbsln (current type, for example) or <Solution>_ version.Teng (type released, for example).

Property or Attribute

Property (value) associated with a Tag or object.

Real time database, RunDB, Runtime Database, RtDB

The real time database created when the Solution is running. All objects running accessible (such as Tags, Displays, Reports) are objects on the Runtime Database, also called Real-Time Database or RtDB.

Runtime

A Solution with modules loaded and running.

Runtime Startup

Operation that is the Solution at run time. This operation can be performed from the program TStartup.exe in the current version of FactoryStudio, or TServer.exe in the published version of the Solution.

Tag

A process variable. Name of a Namespace that includes all the variables created by the user in a Solution configuration.

Tag Type

Defines the type of objects in the Tag Namespace: Digital, analog, text. These Tags are a class of compounds or properties accessed directly such as minimum, maximum, Value, quality. Each property is internally created as ValueType.

Task (Script.Task)

Task program written in VB.NET (or C #) that runs on the server or client during the runtime of a solution. The execution will be on the server or client, depending on the configuration of the domain property in the script.

Time-Series

Time-Series data is a collection of data, usually a list, or a set, or a stream of data, often with one entry following after the other in time, so a "series" of data readings over some consecutive time period.

A single time-series data point is usually represented as a data value, such as a temperature reading (e.g. 56) and the time at which that reading was done (a.k.a. the "time-stamp" or "timestamp"). E.g.: 4/18/2024 9:45:30.015 AM

It is helpful for analysis if the timestamps from various systems use the same "clock" and "time zone", so often people use UTC time (Universal Coordinated Time) as the "common" time zone. This helps avoid the potential confusion and extra work to "align" the data from various time zones.

TManager

The program that performs the configuration of a solution.

Toggle

.

Trust, Partial Trust, Full Trust

Execution permissions: full vs limited system access.

shared data model for organizing, publishing, and consuming system data.

User
Any individual accessing the application via design or runtime interfaces.

Refers to the tagging system; Tags can be Private, Public or Protected. In another context, the graphical objects in a display can have a visibility dynamic property to appear or not when the screen is running.

The Tag Visibility can be Public, Protected or Private

Public: The value of the Tag during the execution of the Runtime is available for access to external Programs via TCP / IP or OPC Server. Also, the value of Tag is necessarily global or shared in all the client stations (Server Domain).

Protected: Read-only.

Private: A Tag set to "Private" can not be accessed by external applications (OPC Server, TCP / IP) and will run in Client or Server machines according to the application configuration with the following characteristics:

Tags used only in modules called by the client (such as displays and Reports) run in the scope of the client, or may have different values on each client machine (Client Domain);

Tags used in server modules, such as Devices and Alarms have a unique value in the system (Server Domain).

Defines external visibility for tags: Public, Protected, or Private.

XBAP

.