A system design support apparatus generates new user data on the basis of derived user data including: base user data reference information that is information specifying user data to be referred to; and information on an item changed from the user data specified by the base user data reference information and on changed contents. A system design support method includes a step of selecting user data to be used, a step of generating derived user data including: base user data reference information for specifying the selected user data to be used; and information on an item changed from the user data specified by the base user data reference information and on changed contents, and a step of generating new user data on the basis of the derived user data.

The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods and devices for assisting with testing automated industrial process routines. The addition of a software automation object to a test execution user interface may be received. The software automation object may be added to the test execution user interface from a software object library comprising a plurality of software objects. Each of the software automation objects may include an automated control device layer, a human machine interface layer, and a testing layer. A request to initiate an operational test of the software automation object in the test execution user interface may be received. Upon receiving the request, the operational test may be executed, and test results for the operational test of the automation software object may be displayed on the test execution user interface.

A system is disclosed for automatic retrieval and analysis of PLC code including at least one code disassembler configured to receive, via one or more passive or active scanners connected to an automation network, compiled code configured for execution on one or more devices of the automation network, the at least one code disassembler automatically disassembling the compiled code into program code. The system including an analyzing component configured to receive the program code from the code disassembler and to automatically analyze the program code for errors. The system including an alerting component configured to receive one or more detected errors from the analyzing component and to communicate or store the one or more detected errors.

A system is disclosed for managing a set of electrical/electronic devices for driving fans of a heat exchanger of a refrigeration plant, having a basic control unit adapted to act as interface between a remote control unit/Master unit and a plurality of electrical/electronic devices to be controlled. The basic control unit has a data input to receive inputs from the remote control unit/Master unit and a plurality of data outputs connectable with respective electrical/electronic devices of the electrical/electronic devices. The basic control unit is configured to address the electrical/electronic devices using management signals to program the operating parameters of the electrical/electronic devices, and to directly manage the operation. The management signals include addressing, programming and management commands previously programmed in the memory unit based on specific applications and communication protocols. The basic control unit manages the data outputs independently from the other data outputs, to manage the electrical/electronic devices independently.

A system and method for enabling access to information included in a safety requirement specification (SRS) for a process plant, the process plant controlled by a process control system including displaying, in a user interface, a cause and effect matrix (CEM) having a set of elements including a set of causes and a set of effects, wherein each of the set of causes represents a condition within the process plant and each of the set of effects represents an effect to be performed within the process plant, and wherein at least some of the set of causes and the set of effects are related as cause-effect pairs whereby the corresponding effect activates in response to an occurrence of the corresponding condition. The system and method further including receiving, via the user interface, a selection of an element of the set of elements, and, in response to receiving the selection: (i) accessing, from the SRS, a set of information associated with the element of the set of elements, and (ii) displaying the set of information in the user interface.

Aspects described herein relate to a centralized computing system that interacts with a plurality of data centers, each having an edge server. Each edge server obtains sensor information from a plurality of sensors and processes the sensor information to detect an imminent shutdown and sends emergency data to a centralized processing entity when detected. In order to make a decision, the edge server processes the sensor data based on dynamic sensor thresholds and dynamic prioritizer data by syncing with the centralized computing system. Because of the short time duration to report emergency data before an imminent complete shutdown, an edge server may utilize a quantum data pipeline and quantum data storage as a key medium for all data transfer in a normal condition and at the time of emergency for internally transporting processed sensor data and providing the emergency data to the centralized processing entity.

A programmable controller allocates times obtained by dividing executable time in one operation cycle to a plurality of paths, executes sequence programs of the paths within the respective allocated times, and measures extra time that is a remainder of each of the allocation times when execution of each of the sequence programs ends. Then, the programmable controller determines whether a predetermined sequence program is to be executed in the measured extra time, and instructs the sequence execution unit to execute the predetermined sequence program in the extra time in accordance with a result of the determination.

This program development device comprises: a storage unit which holds a project; and an update means which imports one or a plurality of program modules into the project. Each of the program modules contains a program, and can define a first variable which is a variable that can be referenced among all program modules, a second variable which is a variable that can be referenced among the plurality of program modules, and a third variable which is a variable referenced in each program module. The update means maintains the variable name of the first variable contained in the imported program module, and when the variable name of the second variable contained in the imported program module overlaps the variable name of the second variable contained in any of the program modules of the project, the update means accepts a change of the overlapping variable name.

A method of generating control code for an industrial plant comprises: defining control logic for controlling the industrial plant by editing a cause-and-effect matrix provided by an engineering tool, wherein the defining comprises defining both instrument-based control logic and service-based control logic using the same cause-and-effect matrix; and generating the control code for controlling the industrial plant on the basis of the defined control logic.

Over the past several decades, rapid advances in semiconductors, automation, and control systems have resulted in the adoption of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in an immense variety of environments. Machine learning techniques help train replacement PLCs when a legacy PLC must be replaced, e.g., due to aging or failure. The techniques facilitate the efficient adoption and correct operation of replacement PLCs in the industrial environment.