A data pipeline is used as a fundamental processing element for implementing techniques that automatically or autonomously perform signal processing-based learning in a process plant or monitoring system. Each data pipeline includes a set of communicatively interconnected data processing blocks that perform processing on one or more sources of data in a predetermined order to, for example, clean the data, filter the data, select data for further processing, perform supervised or unsupervised learning on the data, etc. The individual processing blocks or modules within a data pipeline may be stored and executed at different devices in a plant network to perform distributed data processing. Moreover, each data pipeline can be integrated into one or more higher level analytic modules that perform higher level analytics, such as quality prediction, fault detection, etc. on the processed data. The use of data pipelines within a plant network enables data collected within a plant control or monitoring system to be processed automatically and used in various higher level analytic modules within the plant during ongoing operation of the plant.

A system and method for a self-contained modular manufacturing device having self-contained modular tools configured to collectively accomplish a specific task or function. In an embodiment, the modular device includes a housing that has a mount configured to engage a robotic arm or other form of maneuvering actuator (such a crane or gantry). The housing may provide a base by which additional modules may be mounted and coupled. The modular device also includes an interface configured to communicate with a remote control system capable of control the robotic arm. The modular device also includes one or more other modules that are configured to accomplish a particular task or function. Such modules are sometimes called end-effectors and work in conjunction with each other to accomplish tasks and functions. In a self-contained modular manufacturing device, individual processors disposed in the housing may be configured to control the functional tools (e.g., each end-effector) independent of the overall manufacturing control system.

An engineering device, which is configured to set a higher-level control device capable of controlling a control device for one or more industrial machines, the engineering device including circuitry configured to: receive specification of a register number of the higher-level control device; determine, based on the specified register number, a register range to be used for control of the control device by the higher-level control device; and allocate the determined register range among registers of the higher-level control device, for the control of the control device.

A method for monitoring control systems, a device for monitoring control systems and a corresponding computer program product, wherein the control system has at least one communication network and at least two communication end points connected to the communication network, which communication end points exchange data via the communication network, wherein the data exchanged between the communication end points is acquired and after comparing the currently acquired data with previously acquired data, an alert is raised when new data is acquired. As a result, a monitoring is provided which recognizes errors particularly quickly and reliably in the context of communication in control systems, in particular in industrial control systems. These errors may subsequently be coupled with a quality management to determine whether quality losses correlate with such recognized errors.

A robot system includes a primary robot frame including a computerized control module providing control commands for the robot system, the primary robot frame including an outer perimeter. The robot system further includes a plurality of submodules, each submodule capable of being selectively docked with the primary robot frame, the submodules each providing different functionality to the robot system. The submodules, when docked with the primary robot frame, fit within the outer perimeter, enabling the robot system to operate in a closed mode, wherein all movement of the robot system is based upon the outer perimeter.

A system and method for a self-contained modular manufacturing device having modular tools and parts configured to collectively accomplish a specific task or function. In an embodiment, the modular device includes a housing that has a mount configured to engage a robotic arm or other form of maneuvering actuator (such a crane or gantry). The housing may provide a base by which additional modules may be mounted and coupled. The modular device also includes an interface configured to communicate with a remote control system capable of controlling the robotic arm. The modular device also includes one or more other modules that are configured to accomplish a particular task or function. Such modules are sometimes called end-effectors and work in conjunction with each other to accomplish tasks and functions. In a self-contained modular manufacturing device, a processor disposed in the housing may be configured to control the functional tools (e.g., each end-effector) independent of the overall manufacturing control system.

A system and method for a self-contained modular manufacturing device having self-contained modular tools configured to collectively accomplish a specific task or function. In an embodiment, the modular device includes a housing that has a mount configured to engage a robotic arm or other form of maneuvering actuator (such a crane or gantry). The housing may provide a base by which additional modules may be mounted and coupled. The modular device also includes an interface configured to communicate with a remote control system capable of control the robotic arm. The modular device also includes one or more other modules that are configured to accomplish a particular task or function. Such modules are sometimes called end-effectors and work in conjunction with each other to accomplish tasks and functions. In a self-contained modular manufacturing device, individual processors disposed in the housing may be configured to control the functional tools (e.g., each end-effector) independent of the overall manufacturing control system.

A technique for performing Quality of Service, QoS, control regarding control messages communicated from a robot controller to a robot via a mobile communication network in a cloud robotics system is disclosed. A method implementation of the technique comprises triggering applying a mapping of control messages communicated from the robot controller to the robot to QoS classes among a plurality of data session related QoS classes supported by the mobile communication network for transmission of traffic via the mobile communication network, wherein each of the control messages is mapped to a respective QoS class depending on a Quality of Control, QoC, tolerance associated with the respective control message.