The Module
The module is the basic building block of the device’s architecture. A
module can be considered as a

function box

: it receives data from its inputs,
makes decisions based on the settings in its setup registers, and then
makes data available at its output registers. All functionality provided by a
device can be considered in terms of its modules and the linkages between
them.
There are approximately 50 types of modules in the architecture; the 9700
Power Meter has 18 different module types. Most devices can support
several instances of a certain module type (for example, the 9700 Power
Meter includes 32 Maximum modules, 16 Sliding Window Demand
modules, and eight External Boolean modules).
The Registers
Each module has one or more output registers, and most modules have
setup registers. (A module’s inputs can be thought of as a link to the output
registers on other modules.)
There are different types of registers, classified by the type of data they
accept. When you want to change a module’s configuration, you must
supply the type of data that is appropriate for the register you are
configuring. All of the configuration tools discussed in this chapter prevent
you from entering the wrong type of data into a register, but they do not
prevent you from entering the wrong value. As any changes to a register’s
value alters the operation of the device, exercise caution when making
configuration changes.
238)
More detail on the modules
and registers is provided in
Chapter 4.