A control system includes a control device and a device that communicates with the control device. The control system includes a controller that periodically performs a control operation for controlling an object to be controlled, a communication processor that performs communication processing for periodically exchanging data with the device, a providing component that provides a development environment for performing a part of creation of contents of processing performed by the controller and for making of settings involved with communication processing by the communication processor, and a determination module that determines a settable range of a cycle time of exchange of data with the device based on contents set in the development environment.

A network system includes: a first master device configured to carry out, in every cycle, (i) a process of receiving data from a first slave device, (ii) a process of carrying out, in accordance with pre-allocation, a part of a first process with respect to the data, (iii) a process of transmitting data corresponding to a remainder of the first process to an outside entity in accordance with the pre-allocation and receiving a result corresponding the remainder of the first process, and (iv) a process of transmitting, to the first slave device, a result corresponding to the first process; and at least one second master device configured to transmit, to the first master device before a period allocated to the first process within the cycle ends, the result corresponding to the remainder of the first process with respect to the data received from the first master device.

A design support device includes an operation reception unit that receives an operation from a user, a program creation unit that creates a ladder program in accordance with the operation received by the operation reception unit, and a circuit block extraction unit that extracts a circuit block from the ladder program when the circuit block is formed and a predetermined condition is satisfied. The circuit block is formed by detecting that one end of a circuit including a plurality of program elements is connected to one of two power rails included in the ladder program and that another end of the circuit is connected to another one of the two power rails. Further, there is a circuit block memory that stores configuration information of the circuit block extracted by the circuit block extraction unit. There is also a notification unit.

Provided is a development support device that enables a user to easily check and easily edit comments on respective elements or the like of an array type variable. The development support device (10) outputs comments on respective array elements as a data format file which is editable in spreadsheet software, by associating the comments with a name of the array type variable and discrimination information for discriminating between the individual array elements with respect to the array type variable.

Methods and apparatus to adjust operation of a fluid flow control assembly are disclosed. An example safety valve controller apparatus includes comparator circuitry to compare a current measurement to at least one of a first threshold associated with a first flow setting of a fluid flow control assembly or a second threshold associated with a second flow setting of the fluid flow control assembly, and determine a first drive signal associated with the first flow setting or a second drive signal associated with the second flow setting in response to satisfying a respective one of the first or second thresholds, and current modulating circuitry to determine a third drive signal based on the current measurement, the third drive signal to modulate the flow setting of the fluid flow control assembly between the first and second flow settings.

Methods and apparatus to adjust operation of a fluid flow control assembly are disclosed. An example safety valve controller apparatus includes comparator circuitry to compare a current measurement to at least one of a first threshold associated with a first flow setting of a fluid flow control assembly or a second threshold associated with a second flow setting of the fluid flow control assembly, and determine a first drive signal associated with the first flow setting or a second drive signal associated with the second flow setting in response to satisfying a respective one of the first or second thresholds, and current modulating circuitry to determine a third drive signal based on the current measurement, the third drive signal to modulate the flow setting of the fluid flow control assembly between the first and second flow settings.

A security device includes at least one non-volatile memory element and a key memory having at least one non-volatile memory element including at least one data field. The security device provides a physical interface for the data exchange with a key memory, the range of the physical interface being spatially restricted, and the key memory being location-bound. The security device includes at least one calculation unit, which dynamically ascertains in particular the check-sum information from the parameter data record.

A software-based (“soft”) real-time hub designed and implemented for use in simulation (or control testing) systems such as to provide a modular soft-real-time PIL. A simulation system of the present description typically may include one or more of the following useful subsystems or components: (a) a soft-real-time hub; (b) simulation interfaces; and (c) hardware emulation subsystems/devices. The soft-real-time hub is typically a combination of hardware and software adapted to provide deterministic data transport between simulations and input/output (I/O) emulation. By creating a common point, the hub enables simulation modules to be swapped out as the simulation system progresses without the operator having to worry about interface timing, forcing, or data visualization. A desirable aspect of the simulation system is it allows for testing certain conditions by forcing I/O and then seeing how the controller or system under testing responds.

A software-based (“soft”) real-time hub designed and implemented for use in simulation (or control testing) systems such as to provide a modular soft-real-time PIL. A simulation system of the present description typically may include one or more of the following useful subsystems or components: (a) a soft-real-time hub; (b) simulation interfaces; and (c) hardware emulation subsystems/devices. The soft-real-time hub is typically a combination of hardware and software adapted to provide deterministic data transport between simulations and input/output (I/O) emulation. By creating a common point, the hub enables simulation modules to be swapped out as the simulation system progresses without the operator having to worry about interface timing, forcing, or data visualization. A desirable aspect of the simulation system is it allows for testing certain conditions by forcing I/O and then seeing how the controller or system under testing responds.

To enable acquisition of operation information of CNC corresponding to periodic operation of PLC, even when the CNC is unable to respond due to the timing of machining, the loading status, etc. The PLC device includes: a special instruction control unit that sets, to a special instruction for acquiring operation information indicating an operation state of a control device from the control device controlling an industrial machine, a cyclic time for causing the control device to periodically acquire and retain the operation information in a case in which the control device is unable to respond, and transmits to the control device the special instruction in which the cyclic time is set; and an acquisition unit that acquires the operation information acquired on the basis of the cyclic time from the control device.