A software workstation and method configured to employ appended metadata in an industrial automation software of an industrial automation environment are provided. The software workstation in one example includes an interface configured to interact with a user and communicate with an industrial automation system including the industrial automation software and a processing system coupled to the interface, with the processing system configured to obtain a metadata information, generate at least one metadata instance from the metadata information, associate the at least one metadata instance with one or more predetermined objects in the industrial automation software, and store the at least one metadata instance and the association as part of the industrial automation software.

A numerical controller includes a programmable controller that performs input and output of a signal based on a ladder program and performs control of a machine based on an NC program. The numerical controller includes a first table associating the function used for control of the machine, an input signal, and an output signal and a second table associating the input signal, the output signal, and a signal in a dependent relation with the input signal and the output signal. Based on a function code of a function commanded by a block of the NC program that is preread, the numerical controller refers to the first and the second tables, identifies a signal to be subjected to automatic trace, and performs trace.

A software workstation and method configured to employ appended metadata in an industrial automation software of an industrial automation environment are provided. The software workstation in one example includes an interface configured to interact with a user and communicate with an industrial automation system including the industrial automation software and a processing system coupled to the interface, with the processing system configured to obtain a metadata information, generate at least one metadata instance from the metadata information, associate the at least one metadata instance with one or more predetermined objects in the industrial automation software, and store the at least one metadata instance and the association as part of the industrial automation software.

An object of the invention is to provide a programmable controller and a program development support device capable of changing functions easily. Input sections and logical sections that can be selected as output sources of signals to be operated in each of logical sections are determined in advance. The logical sections that can be selected as output sources of signals to be output from output sections are also determined in advance. Contents that can be set as contents of a logical operation in each of the logical sections are also determined in advance. The number of logical sections is also determined in advance. An operator determines the output sources and the contents of logical operations from determined ranges to complete a program for operating a PLC (10).

A numerical control apparatus includes an API interface section that accepts invocation of an API function, an API control section that executes the process of the API function based on the invocation of the API function, and processing period estimation means for estimating if the execution of the API function is completed in a predetermined period, and the API control section does not execute but terminates the process of the API function when the processing period estimation means estimates that the execution of the API function will not be completed in the predetermined period.