Glossary · Automation software engineering and architecture
Configuration parameter
Also known as: Setting, Configuration setting
German: Konfigurationsparameter
In software and automation engineering, a configuration parameter is a named, adjustable value that adapts the behavior of software or a device to a specific application, installation or variant without changing its program, for example a timeout, a scaling factor, an IP address or an enabled option.
- Software engineering
In one sentence
A configuration parameter is a named, adjustable value that adapts software or a device to an application without changing its program.
Example
The conveyor module's configuration parameters include belt length, maximum speed and the jam-detection timeout, set during commissioning for each installation.
How it applies
- Engineering: Each parameter needs a clear name, data type, unit, range and default. Validate values when they are entered and when they are loaded, and define what happens with invalid values.
- Commissioning and operation: Parameters are often set during commissioning and adjusted later. Parameters that affect safety functions, such as speed limits or distances, must be protected against unauthorized or accidental change and checked after modification.
- Documentation: Parameter lists are among the most-used parts of service documentation. Generate them from the software's parameter definitions where possible, include Engineering unit and range, and record commissioned values in the commissioning report and the Configuration baseline.
Configuration parameter vs. process value
A configuration parameter adapts how the software behaves and changes rarely. A process value, such as a measured temperature or a setpoint entered by the operator, changes during operation. Mixing the two, for example storing operator setpoints with commissioning parameters, makes access control and backups harder.