A method and apparatus for remotely modifying behavior of code for a controller-based device is provided. The method comprises receiving a modified profile from a user device at a code virtualization server, the modified profile corresponding to a profile associated with the code for execution on the controller-based device, where the controller-based device is remote to the user device and the code virtualization server, and updating the profile with the modified profile. The code comprises a first code for execution on the controller-based device, and the first code comprises a remote call from the controller-based device to the code virtualization server to cause execution of a second code on the code virtualization server using the updated profile.

An electronic valve controller for an open-loop and closed-loop control of a valve island includes four or eight valve disks having pneumatic valves configured to perform a motion task. Applications for the open-loop and closed-loop control of the valve island can be loaded onto the electronic valve controller. The invention further relates to a valve assembly, which is controlled in an open-loop and closed-loop manner by an electronic valve controller, to a corresponding method, and to a system.

A control program automatic creation system includes a control program creator which creates a control program of the plant instrument based on the block diagram; a controller which receives a process signal from the plant instrument; and a network which connects the control program creator and the controller. The control program creator transmits the control program by way of the network. When the controller receives the control program by way of the network, the controller stores it in the memory, and further executes the control program, and transmits a computational decision of the control program by way of the network. When the control program creator receives the computational decision of the control program by way of the network from the controller, the creator superimposes the computational decision on the block diagram which the display displays and displays the superimposed decision.

A programmable controller capable of checking accessible signal addresses for each of ladder programs is provided. The programmable controller includes signal address setting extraction means for extracting an available address setting table from each of the ladder programs; a signal address overlap determination section for determining whether there is an overlap between the respective ranges of signal addresses used as signal write destinations by the ladder programs, based on the available address setting tables extracted by the signal address setting extraction means; and a ladder program execution section for executing the plurality of ladder programs if the signal address overlap determination section determines that there is no overlap between the respective ranges of signal addresses used as signal write destinations by the ladder programs.

The inventor has recognized that industrial controllers may be updated after they are deployed in the field, while actively controlling an industrial process and without costly downtime, by storing a replacement machine-readable component in an allocated program space, locating and modifying one or more dependent machine-readable components copied in the allocated program space to instead depend on the replacement machine-readable component, re-linking a copy of the control program in the allocated program space, and redirecting execution to the control program in the allocated program space. Replacement machine-readable components could be instructions, libraries, or subroutines of the control program, and are not limited to user logic. The control program in the allocated program space may optimally be tested by verifying an operation before redirecting execution to the control program in the allocated program space.

A user program for a safety controller is created by means of a program editor. The user program has a first program portion and at least one additional program portion. The first program portion defines safety-related logical dependencies between selected sensor signals and actuator signals. The user program is compiled and linked, in order to obtain an executable original program code. The original program code is transferred to a first memory of the safety controller and executed by a processor of the safety controller. The first program portion may be modified and compiled in order to obtain a modified first code portion. The modified first code portion is transferred to a second memory of the safety controller while the original program code is executed. The modified first code portion is then executed in addition to the original additional code portion and instead of the original first code portion.

The inventor has recognized that industrial controllers may be updated after they are deployed in the field, while actively controlling an industrial process and without costly downtime, by storing a replacement machine-readable component in an allocated program space, locating and modifying one or more dependent machine-readable components copied in the allocated program space to instead depend on the replacement machine-readable component, re-linking a copy of the control program in the allocated program space, and redirecting execution to the control program in the allocated program space. Replacement machine-readable components could be instructions, libraries, or subroutines of the control program, and are not limited to user logic. The control program in the allocated program space may optimally be tested by verifying an operation before redirecting execution to the control program in the allocated program space.