A method and an automation system for assigning an emergency-stop device to at least one robot system that includes at least one robot and/or machine, wherein the assigned robot system is stopped upon actuation of the emergency-stop device. The assignment of the emergency-stop device can be removed from a first assigned robot system and assigned to a second robot system, e.g., if the emergency-stop device is moved between the robot systems (hand-held operating apparatus vehicle. In the method, the emergency-stop device is assigned to a selected range of effectiveness of a robot system, and the emergency-stop device is integrated into the relevant safety circuit of that robot system which is within the selected range of effectiveness.

A service panel for controlling at least one utility actuator to control the availability of a utility comprises a covered enclosure having an exterior region and an interior region, at least one readily accessible utility control providing ON and OFF request signals and a limited access control in the exterior region providing a temporary activate signal. The service panel has a controller and data storage programmed with code and data and control circuitry providing an ON control signal to the at least one utility actuator to switch the at least one utility actuator to the ON state, and the control circuitry providing an OFF control signal to the at least one utility actuator to switch the at least one utility actuator to an OFF state, the control circuitry further providing a re-key signal to the at least one actuator in response to activation of a switch.

A service panel for controlling at least one utility actuator to control the availability of a utility comprises a covered enclosure having an exterior region and an interior region, at least one readily accessible utility control providing ON and OFF request signals and a limited access control in the exterior region providing a temporary activate signal. The service panel has a controller and data storage programmed with code and data and control circuitry providing an ON control signal to the at least one utility actuator to switch the at least one utility actuator to the ON state, and the control circuitry providing an OFF control signal to the at least one utility actuator to switch the at least one utility actuator to an OFF state, the control circuitry further providing a re-key signal to the at least one actuator in response to activation of a switch.

Safety and/or reliability may he improved in industrial control systems by optimally utilizing integrated circuit elements to reduce the amount of components required and to provide cross monitoring. In one aspect, circuitry that is part of an Integrated Circuit (IC) for controlling a first channel may also be used to monitor and provide safe operation for circuitry for controlling a second channel, and the circuitry for controlling the second channel may similarly be used to monitor and provide safe operation for the circuitry controlling the first channel. Circuitry may include a windowed watchdog circuit which may be used to monitor various events of the other circuitry, and safe operation may be provided by removing power from the other circuitry to provide a safe state.

Method and apparatus for the automated determination of an effective area for an emergency stop device(s) in an industrial plant is provided. In modern flexible installations, as will be increasingly found, (such as cyberphysical systems), the layout of the plant will be dynamically changeable. In such an environment, it is often impossible to manually prepare complete safety plan in advance for each potential environment. The proposed methods and apparatuses allow automatic calculations of operational configurations and effective regions of emergency stop devices in an industrial plant, allowing easy positioning of such devices. An improved method for recalculating the effective region after the layout of the plant or portions thereof changed is also provided.

A service panel for controlling at least one utility actuator to control the availability of a utility comprises a covered enclosure having an exterior region and an interior region, at least one readily accessible utility control providing ON and OFF request signals and a limited access control in the exterior region providing a temporary activate signal. The service panel has a controller and data storage programmed with code and data and control circuitry providing an ON control signal to the at least one utility actuator to switch the at least one utility actuator to the ON state, and the control circuitry providing an OFF control signal to the at least one utility actuator to switch the at least one utility actuator to an OFF state, the control circuitry further providing a re-key signal to the at least one actuator in response to activation of a switch.

A service panel for controlling at least one utility actuator to control the availability of a utility comprises a covered enclosure having an exterior region and an interior region, at least one readily accessible utility control providing ON and OFF request signals and a limited access control in the exterior region providing a temporary activate signal. The service panel has a controller and data storage programmed with code and data and control circuitry providing an ON control signal to the at least one utility actuator to switch the at least one utility actuator to the ON state, and the control circuitry providing an OFF control signal to the at least one utility actuator to switch the at least one utility actuator to an OFF state, the control circuitry further providing a re-key signal to the at least one actuator in response to activation of a switch.