23 Glossary
SMA America, LLC
234
SI4548_6048-US-TB_en-13
Technical description
Firmware
Firmware is software that is stored in a chip in various electronic devices, such as Sunny Island, hard
disk recorders, DVD burners and players, newer television sets, household appliances and computers
— in contrast to software that is stored on a hard drive, CD-ROM or other media. These days, firmware
is usually stored in Flash memory or an EEPROM chip.
FLA
Flooded lead acid battery: a lead-acid battery with liquid electrolyte, also often described as a
valve-regulated lead-acid battery.
Flash EEPROM
The abbreviation EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. Flash
memory is a digital storage chip, the exact designation is Flash EEPROM. In contrast to "normal"
EEPROM storage, individual bytes (the smallest addressable storage units) cannot be deleted.
EEPROM is a non-volatile, electronic storage component that is used in the Sunny Island, the computer
industry (among others) and usually in Embedded Systems. Flash EEPROMs are used where
information must be permanently stored in the smallest amount of space, e.g. for storing the firmware.
Float charge
Maintenance charge: Allows the batteries to be slowly charged to a state of charge of 100% without
the negative effects of overcharging. Complete charging to 100% using float charge takes several
days. For this reason, float charge is more important for backup systems and less important for
stand-alone grids.
Full charge
Recharging of the batteries to a level of approx. 95% on a regular basis (at least once a month). This
efficiently avoids premature aging of the batteries caused by inadequate charging.
Grid-tie plant
A PV plant that is connected to the transmission line of an external energy supply such as the power
company.
Inverter
A device for converting the direct current (DC) from the PV array into alternating current (AC), which
is necessary for the connection of most devices and especially for the feed-in of solar energy into an
existing transmission line. Inverters for PV plants usually include one or more MPP trackers, store
operating data and monitor the grid connections of the PV plant (see also MSD).
Summary of Contents for Sunny Island 4548-US
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