In the development of PLC software for automated Production Systems the method copy & paste is commonly used. However, this method leads to various disadvantages. To avoid these disadvantages, a parameter-based concept for planed reuse is presented in this paper. By means of the Siemens PLC software of an automated warehouse, the concept is defined and evaluated. In a first step, the PLC software is analyzed and reusable parts as well as variation points are identified. Subsequently, it is demonstrated that the warehouse variants can be clearly described by a suitable set of parameters. In a last step the automatic configuration of the PLC software by using the identified parameters as well as a Step7 source code template is explained and evaluated.

Abstract Our goal is to increase efficiency and quality in automation engineering in machine and plant manufacturing industry by supporting modularity and reuse. This article proofs that object-oriented model-based design can beneficially be applied in industry and that the code automatically derived from the UML model can be implemented on industrial PLCs without additional effort. We had to solve the formal mapping from UML models to IEC 61131-3 program code in order to use an object-oriented approach with Unified Modeling Language (UML) as modeling notation integrated into a classical Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming environment (IEC 61131-3).

This paper reports on a series of lab experiments to evaluate the application of modelling notations in automation and control engineering. The focus of this evaluation was on two aspects: 1) analyzing and modelling the problem or application and 2) implementing its solution into a control program in IEC 61131-3. The evaluated notations are the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and the Idiomatic Control Language (ICL): UML as nearly standard in computer science and ICL as powerful modelling notation from the distributed control systems world (DCS).

This paper will evaluate the benefit of modeling in automation and control education, in analyzing the problem or application, and structuring and implementing its solution, i.e. a control program in IEC 61131-3. The evaluated notations are the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and the Idiomatic Control Language (ICL): UML as nearly standard in computer science and ICL as powerful modeling notation from the distributed control systems world (DCS). A lab experiment was integrated in a course for bachelor and master students from electrical engineering and applied computer science.

Die Entwicklung von Steuerungssoftware in der Automatisierungstechnik weist in Bezug auf die Planung von Ablaufen, die Modellierung von Prozessen und die Werkzeugunterstutzung zur Modellierung meist noch erhebliche Defizite auf. Konzepte und Notationen des Software-Engineering, beispielsweise objektorientierte Ansatze wie die Unified Modeling Language (UML), werden kaum eingesetzt. In diesem Beitrag werden Ergebnisse einer Forschungsarbeit vorgestellt, die den Nutzen von Modellierung der Steuerungsaufgabe evaluiert. Zwei Modellierungsnotationen (UML und ICL) werden auf ihren Einfluss auf die Qualitat und Effizienz bei der IEC 61131-3-konformen Steuerungsprogrammierung empirisch untersucht.

For visualization of processes and of process data, today mostly two-dimensional display representations are used. The advantages of three-dimensional visualization are still hardly explored. Implementing 3D successfully in an observation and operation task for a process plant requires knowledge about information processing of a process plant operator. For operation of process plants three-dimensional display representations (so called 3D patterns) were developed and partly evaluated.This paper presents a selection of those patterns and describes the properties and restrictions for the usage. By means of one application example, the usage of 3D patterns is shown and the benefit for process and process data visualization is described.

Software development in process automation has many deficiencies in procedures, notations and tool support. As a result, modern software engineering concepts and notations, like object oriented approaches or UML, are not wide spread in this field. Hence, drawbacks regarding start-up times, additional costs and low software quality are immense. This paper will evaluate the benefit of modeling as a design step prior to coding, regarding cognitive paradigms. Two modeling notations (UML and ICL) will be compared analyzing their impact on the quality of automation software written in IEC 61131.

In der Prozess- und Prozessdatenvisualisierung werden weitestgehend 2D-Darstellungsformen angewendet. 3D-Darstellungen kommen trotz ausreichender Hard- und Softwareressourcen kaum zum Einsatz, da uber den Nutzen dreidimensionaler Visualisierungen wenig bekannt ist und der Aufwand zur Erstellung von 3D-Prozessvisualisierungen als zu hoch eingeschatzt wird. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt eine Auswahl dreidimensionaler Darstellungsmoglichkeiten vor und beschreibt Anwendungsmoglichkeiten in der Prozess- und Prozessdatenvisualisierung. Zudem wird eine Vorgehensweise vorgestellt, die den Anwender bei der Entwicklung von dreidimensionalen Mensch-Maschine-Schnittstellen unterstutzt.

Process engineers and process control engineers need to discuss the functionality of a plant in an early phase of a project. A "language" to communicate between these different skilled engineers is necessary, which is based on the requirements of the process itself. The quality of the notion is strongly depending on an appropriate modeling concept for the process characteristics. The use of ICL (Idiomatic Control Language).and UML (Unified Modeling Language) will be compared and evaluated for,modeling in basic engineering. It addresses to process engineers, process control engineers and technicians. The model should be used for code generation for PLC or DCS systems.

The benefit of modelling skills in engineering is rarely examined, but in industrial practice extremely relevant for the quality of automation software, which is the background for this paper. In Germany modelling concepts are not fundamental in the curriculum of engineering education, but in US and UK they are fundamental basics. The effect of skills in modelling on the ability of problem analysis and synthesis should be examined in this work. The importance of these effects are widely discussed but not well examined up to now. Process engineers and process control engineers need to discuss the functionality of a plant. The same problem occurs between mechanical and electrical engineers. A and a common mental model to communicate between these different skilled engineers is necessary, which is based on the requirements of the process itself. The quality of the notion is strongly depending on the adequate modelling concept for the process characteristics. The use of two specific concept (ICL and Unified Modeling Language) will be evaluated especially for education of process engineers. Software engineering in process control has many deficiencies in method, notation and tool support. As a result, the use of software engineering methods is not wide spread in process control engineering practice. Nevertheless the consequences are immense regarding start-up times, additional costs and low software quality. One reason is the lack in training and in an adequate easy to use modelling language (concept). The paper will introduce a modelling language for process control engineering regarding training. The proposal is to use ICL as a modelling concept for education of engineers to support their ability to specify software and communicate with software engineers. To evaluate the benefits of modelling concepts an experiment was designed and conducted with different groups of students of electrical engineering in their third year. As part of the lectures in process control engineering the two modelling concepts were introduced and trained. The students (mostly with a certificate of proficiency) should use this knowledge to analyse the functionality of a teaching model (sorting and stamping machine), model the functionality and after that prepare the program of this model in a specific programming language for process control engineering (IEC 61131-3).Three different groups with similar basic knowledge (tested with a questionnaire and pre-test) took part in the experiment: one group was not explicitly asked to use any modelling notion, the second group modelled the functionality in UML and the third group used ICL. To avoid distortion of the results the use of tools was not implemented. As parameters for the benefits the time needed was recorded and the faults in the programme were counted and a post-questionnaire was analysed. The results of the first experiment are shortly summarized: The lack in acceptance of the necessity to analyse the problem before and model the requirements with any notion rises significantly with the experience in the programming language (IEC 61131-3). ICL was very beneficial, but not regarded as a modelling notion, because it is very intuitive. The time consumption of the UML group was the highest, nevertheless it is rated the most standardized notion in industry. The experiment will be re-designed to avoid the weaknesses of the first experiment and repeated during the summer semester: The number of students will be increased and the pre-test will be more elaborated. The programming task will be more complex to support the need of a semi-formal problem analysis and support for the groups will be reduced. The results will be hopefully used to change the curriculum.