The Controller is a controlling device which is associated with one or more Encoders. Related to the automation system, the Controller is the host for the overall automation (See [ENCP], chapter 5.1.1).

The P-Device (peripheral device) is a field device and the host device for the Encoder Unit. The P-Device typically is associated with one or more Controller devices (See [ENCP], chapter 5.1.1).

The Supervisor typically is an engineering device which manages provisions of configuration data (parameter sets) and collections of diagnosis data from P-Devices and/or Controllers (See [ENCP], chapter 5.1.1).

An Encoder is a sensing device that converts a linear or rotatory motion into a digital signal. The digital signal represents the data of interest like position, angle, velocity, and acceleration. Basically, there exist two types of Encoders: absolute and incremental. Encoders are used by Encoder Objects. In this specification the terms Encoder and Encoder Object are used synonymously.

An Encoder Unit is a part of a P-Device containing one or multiple Encoder Objects. (See [ENCP], chapter 5.2.3).

An Encoder Object is a part of an Encoder Unit and contains the Process Control Task. The Encoder Object shall comprise the mandatory functionality: Parameters, measuring task, IO Data (setpoint values, actual values), support for diagnosis mechanism, clock synchronous operation and fault buffer (See [ENCP], chapter 5.2.4).

The Process Control Task is part of an Encoder Object and is the task that takes the measurements and calculates the results (See [ENCP], chapter 5.2.4).

A Telegram represents the cyclic data of one PN Submodule. A Telegram consists at least of one Input Telegram or of one Output Telegram or of both (See [OPC RIO], chapter 3.2.21).

A Standard Telegram defines a set of configured Standard Signals. Encoders support a subset of the Standard Telegrams defined in [ENCP], chapter 5.6.2.

Signals are components of a Telegram.

Standard Signals are components of a Standard Telegram.

A PN Submodule is the consumer or the provider of one Telegram and the addressable endpoint for PROFINET access (See [OPC RIO], chapter 3.2.25).