Proximity triggered water fountains may have proximity sensors configured to detect target(s), a processing unit communicably coupled to proximity sensors configured to transfer data related to the target(s) to the processing unit, nozzles and nozzle controllers, and collectors configured to receive water projected from the nozzles. The nozzle controllers may be controlled based on data received from the sensors. The nozzle controllers may be coupled to the nozzles of a water circulation system configured to adjust a water projection angle from the nozzles with respect to the ground. The water circulation system may use tank(s), pump(s), and supply and return line(s), with the nozzles, tank(s), pump(s), and supply and return line(s), being in fluid communication. The nozzles and collectors may be displaced a horizontal distance from each other such that outlets of the nozzles are not vertically above the collectors.

A support device includes an interface configured to establish connection to a controller, the controller being configured to execute a user program including a function block, a storage unit configured to store a monitoring condition in which a data type of the function block and a name of a monitoring target variable are defined with the data type and the name associated with each other, and a search module configured to search for, among instances of function blocks created for the controller to execute the user program, an instance having a data type matching a data type defined in the monitoring condition and having a value of a monitoring target variable associated with the matching data type indicating a monitoring target event.

The present invention relates to a method for automatic translation of ladder logic to a SMT-based model checker in a network comprising defining (10) the topology of the network as an enriched network topology based on packets exchanged in the network, extracting (20) a program from the packets relating to a PLC in the network and identifying inputs, outputs, variables and a ladder diagram of the PLC, translating (30) the inputs, outputs, variables and ladder diagram into a predefined formal model, wherein the predefined formal model is a circuit-like SMT-based model checker, and wherein the translating (30) comprises translating the set of data types of the program according to a predefined model set of data types of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker, translating the inputs of the PLC as model inputs of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker of the same type, translating the outputs of the PLC as model output latches of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker of the same type, translating the variables of the PLC as model variable latches of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker of the same type, translating comparators and arithmetic operators of the ladder diagram into a plurality of predefined model functions of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker, translating contacts and coils of the ladder diagram according to predefined model recursive procedures relating to the predefined model set of data types, the model inputs, the model output latches, the model variable latches and the plurality of predefined model functions, wherein the contacts are switches that can block or allow the flow of the current in a connection and each of the contacts is controlled by a Boolean input or variable, and wherein the coils are assignments to Boolean variables.

A display includes a calculation unit to calculate, when first and second events that occur in an external device are transmitted from the external device, operating time from when the first event is ended by operation for the first event to when the second event is ended by operation for the second event; a storage unit to store operating procedures that are histories of the operation for the second event and the associated operating times; and a display unit to display any of the operating procedures in the storage unit, according to instruction from the calculation unit. When the second event is newly transmitted after the calculation of the operating time is completed, the calculation unit selects an operating procedure used for operation guidance from among the operating procedures based on the operating times and causes the display unit to display the selected operating procedure, thereby executing the operation guidance.

A PLC system construction support program for creating a system configuration diagram depicting a configuration of a PLC system constructed causes a computing terminal to function as: an image acquisition section that acquires image data of an image of the PLC system; a system configuration recognition section that creates system configuration information including arrangement information and selected unit information; a system configuration diagram generation section that creates a system configuration diagram based on the system configuration information; and a system configuration diagram editor section that performs display processing for displaying the system configuration diagram on a display section.

A PLC system construction support program for creating a system configuration diagram depicting a configuration of a PLC system constructed causes a computing terminal to function as: an image acquisition section that acquires image data of an image of the PLC system; a system configuration recognition section that creates system configuration information including arrangement information and selected unit information; a system configuration diagram generation section that creates a system configuration diagram based on the system configuration information; and a system configuration diagram editor section that performs display processing for displaying the system configuration diagram on a display section.

A system includes a programmable logic control (PLC) module, an input/output (IO) network bus coupled to the PLC module and provided at facets of a mainframe. A first process chamber attached to a first facet of the facets. A chamber interface IO sub-module is attached to the first facet and coupled to the IO network bus and to a process chamber IO controller of the first process chamber. The chamber interface IO sub-module is to: convert interlock relay signals, received via dry contact exchange with the process chamber IO controller, to digital signals; combine the digital signals into network packets adapted for communication using a protocol of the IO network bus; and transmit the network packets to the PLC module over the IO network bus.

An expansion module for an industrial controller is configured to perform independent local processing of its input signals and to independently generate control outputs in parallel with the primary control program executed by the industrial controller. This can reduce or eliminate response latency for time-critical processes that would otherwise be present if all monitoring and control were performed by the industrial controller alone. This approach can be beneficial for configurations in which the industrial devices that are monitored and controlled via the expansion module require fast response times, as in the case of industrial safety applications.

A method for training an operator of a spray drying plant, the spray drying plant including a plurality of plant elements including pre-processing elements, a spray drying element, post-processing elements, powder recovery elements, and a programmable logic controller, PLC. The method including the steps of: obtaining a transient model of the spray drying plant, wherein the transient model includes transient sub-models of the plurality of plant elements; calculating repeatedly simulated sensor data based on the obtained transient model, using a processing unit; displaying on a display a training human machine interface, tHMI, configured to communicate with the transient model of the spray drying plant, and to display the simulated sensor data and control data for the transient model; and updating the transient model based on operator input on the tHMI, for controlling the transient model of the spray drying plant.

A control system includes plural control devices connected to a network, each of the control devices including a program storage, an operation module, and an arbitration module. The program storage stores a control program including a command to calculate and update a control instruction that is a value related to control of a control target. The operation module operates the control program of the program storage of the control device. The arbitration module disposes plural control programs including a command to calculate and update an identical control instruction in another one of the plural control devices, and arbitrates an operation time between the plural control programs such that updatings of the identical control instruction do not conflict with each other in the plural control programs.