A PLC maintenance support device according to the present invention includes a signal identification tag reader for reading a signal address from a signal identification tag attached to an input and output signal cable of a PLC to identify the signal address of the input and output signal cable, a transmitter for transmitting the signal address identified by the signal identification tag reader to the PLC, a receiver for receiving the on or off state of a signal corresponding to the transmitted signal address from the PLC, and a monitor for displaying the received on or off state of the signal.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for communicating data between a controller and a multiplicity of field devices operating in a process plant are provided. The system includes distributed marshaling modules coupled by a head-end unit to I/O cards in communication with the controller. The distributed marshaling modules communicate with the field devices via respective electronic marshaling components converting signals between the field devices and the I/O cards. The distributed marshaling modules are coupled to the head-end unit by a ring communication architecture, such that the distributed marshaling modules may each be located relatively proximate to the field devices to which they are coupled.

Disclosed are a PLC system, and a method for controlling an input/output refresh period thereof. A PLC system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a memory for storing an integrated operation program in which an input/output refresh run command is added and compiled through a program supporter; and a central processing unit which sequentially performs arithmetical processing of a plurality of control programs included in the integrated operation program, to control an operation of a plurality of expansion modules, wherein when arithmetical processing of at least one control program among the plurality of control programs has been completed, the central processing unit outputs processing result data of the at least one control program for which arithmetical processing has been completed, according to an input/output refresh run command which is additionally input.

A retrofittable control system for controlling an engine and a clutch of a frost fan may include a data processing system, a thermostat, a human machine interface, a throttle control module, and/or a clutch control module. The control system may be configured to automatically start the fan when the thermostat detects a temperature below a user defined turn-on temperature, and to automatically shut down and park the fan when the thermostat detects a temperature above a user defined turn-off temperature. In some examples, starting up the fan may include running a clutch engagement sequence that engages the clutch at different speeds for different durations.

An industrial automation input/output module includes a housing, a power supply, and a network adapter. A plurality of I/O sockets are located in the housing, each comprising an socket contacts for power and data. A plurality of I/O segments are located in the housing, and each includes a segment housing that contains an I/O circuit for processing data associated with a controlled system and for communicating said data between to/from the network adapter. Each I/O segment further includes segment power/data contacts connected to the I/O circuit. Each I/O segment is received in one of the I/O sockets such that the segment contacts operably mate with the socket contacts for transmission of power and data and power between the socket contacts and the segment contacts. A plurality of field connectors are connected to the module housing and adapted for operably connecting with the associated controlled system.

A safety module for a programmable logic control system, wherein the safety module is designed as an assembly consisting of a plurality of modules with a plurality of function blocks connected through at least one internal bus and comprising at least one CPU and which can be connected through at least one interface to external sensors (and switches/buttons) and actuators (and optical/acoustic indicators and displays/monitors) for detecting at least one measurement signal, wherein the safety module operates in two channels and a self-test is implemented.

Disclosed is a system for swapping springs present in a product. A data receiving module receives metadata associated to a spring. The metadata comprises a pitch, vector coordinates and alike. A comparison module compares the pitch associated to the spring with a predefined threshold value thereby categorizing each spring into one of a category including a utilized spring category and an underutilized spring category. A determination module determines an underutilized spring, amongst the underutilized spring category, based on at least one of the vector coordinates and the pitch, when the spring is categorized in the utilized spring category. Subsequent to determining the underutilized spring, the swapping module swaps the spring with the underutilized spring by using a control mechanism.

Various systems and methods for implementing a software defined industrial system are described herein. For example, an orchestrated system of distributed nodes may run an application, including modules implemented on the distributed nodes. In response to a node failing, a module may be redeployed to a replacement node. In an example, self-descriptive control applications and software modules are provided in the context of orchestratable distributed systems. The self-descriptive control applications may be executed by an orchestrator or like control device and use a module manifest to generate a control system application. For example, an edge control node of the industrial system may include a system on a chip including a microcontroller (MCU) to convert IO data. The system on a chip includes a central processing unit (CPU) in an initial inactive state, which may be changed to an activated state in response an activation signal.

An environment for easily executing a plurality of types of programs in cooperation with each other is provided. A control device includes: a first program executing unit that executes a sequence program for each first control cycle and calculates a first instruction value; a second program executing unit that executes an application program which is described in codes which are sequentially interpreted and calculates a second instruction value for each first control cycle; and a shared memory configured to be accessible by both the first program executing unit and the second program executing unit. The second program executing unit executes the application program while referring to the first shared variable value stored in the shared memory in accordance with the codes described in the application program.

In a control device which can execute a first program entirely scanned in each control cycle to update a command value, and a sequentially interpreted second program, an environment for realizing higher control performance is provided. The control device includes a first program execution part scanning the entire first program in each control cycle to update a command value and a second program execution part updating the command value in each control cycle according to a sequentially interpreted second program. The second program execution part includes an interpreter generating an intermediate code and a command value operation part calculating the command value in each control cycle according to the intermediate code. The command value operation part outputs the command value in each control cycle so that the command value can be used in other processes.