S7-300, CPU 31xC and CPU 31x: Installation 
Operating Instructions, Edition 08/2004, A5E00105492-05 
Glossary-1 
Glossary 
Accumulator 
Accumulators represent CPU registers, used as interim memory for load, transfer 
comparison, arithmetical and conversion operations. 
Address 
The identifier for a certain address or address or address range. Examples: Input I 12.1; 
memory Word MW 25; Data Block DB 3. 
Analog module 
Analog modules convert process values (e.g. temperature) into digital values which can be 
processed in the CPU, or they convert digital values into analog manipulated variables. 
Application 
See User program
 
An application is a program that runs directly on the MS-DOS / Windows operating system. 
Applications on the PG include, for example, the STEP 5 basic package, GRAPH 5 and 
others. 
ASIC 
ASIC is the acronym for Application Specific Integrated Circuits. 
PROFINET ASICs are components with a wide range of functions for the development of 
your own devices. They implement the requirements of the PROFINET standard in a circuit 
and allow extremely high packing densities and performance. 
Because PROFINET is an open standard, SIMATIC NET offers PROFINET ASICs for the 
development of your old devices under the name ERTEC . 
Backplane bus 
The backplane bus is a serial data bus. It supplies power to the modules and is also used by 
the modules to communicate with each other. Bus connectors interconnect the modules.