The standard for local communications networks developed jointly by Digital Equipment Corp., Xerox, and Intel. Ethernet baseband coaxial cable transmits data at speeds up to 10 megabits per second. Ethernet is used as the underlying transport vehicle by several upper-level protocols, including TCP/IP.

A three- or four- sided polygon element that represents a piece of a 3D polygonal mesh model. Triangular facets are used in STL files.

the ability to execute tasks regardless of the failure of strategic components.
Feedback The return of part of the output of a machine, process, or system to the computer as input for another phase, especially for self-correction or control purposes.

A method that "precompensates" a control loop for known errors due to motor, drive, or load characteristics to improve response. It depends only on the command, not the measured error.

a data transmission medium using light conducted through glass or plastic fibers. A fiber-optic cable has cores capable of conducting modulated light signals by internal reflection.

a standard for digital communications between field devices and their control systems. Devices include flow, temperature, and pressure sensors and actuators of valves and motors.

Scheduling software that takes into account that manufacturing resources-such as production capacity-are finite. Other constraints might include personnel, regulatory pressures, or materials, as in traditional MRP II.

integrates combinations of various types of capital equipment, primarily in metal-cutting applications. A system is flexible if it is capable of processing a number of different work-pieces simultaneously and automatically, with the machines in the system carrying out the system??s operation in any sequence.