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.

The present invention relates to a method for automatic translation of ladder logic to a SMT-based model checker in a network comprising defining (10) the topology of the network as an enriched network topology based on packets exchanged in the network, extracting (20) a program from the packets relating to a PLC in the network and identifying inputs, outputs, variables and a ladder diagram of the PLC, translating (30) the inputs, outputs, variables and ladder diagram into a predefined formal model, wherein the predefined formal model is a circuit-like SMT-based model checker, and wherein the translating (30) comprises translating the set of data types of the program according to a predefined model set of data types of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker, translating the inputs of the PLC as model inputs of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker of the same type, translating the outputs of the PLC as model output latches of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker of the same type, translating the variables of the PLC as model variable latches of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker of the same type, translating comparators and arithmetic operators of the ladder diagram into a plurality of predefined model functions of the circuit-like SMT-based model checker, translating contacts and coils of the ladder diagram according to predefined model recursive procedures relating to the predefined model set of data types, the model inputs, the model output latches, the model variable latches and the plurality of predefined model functions, wherein the contacts are switches that can block or allow the flow of the current in a connection and each of the contacts is controlled by a Boolean input or variable, and wherein the coils are assignments to Boolean variables.

A programmable logic controller, PLC, comprising: a programmable logic module; a Modbus interface configured to receive one or more Modbus commands, the one or more Modbus commands specifying a configuration for one or more Boolean logic operations; and a programming module operatively coupled to the Modbus interface and the programmable logic module, the programming module being configured to program the programmable logic module in accordance with the configuration for the one or more Boolean logic operations specified by the received one or more Modbus commands.

A system and a method provide an Artificial Intelligence (AI) companion for each Function Block in a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) program to integrate AI in automation systems. Multiple function blocks and system function blocks are grouped into a logic group. A control problem is broken down from a top level into logical partitions as several functions that are programmed as Function Blocks in a PLC program. Each Function Block and the entire PLC program are integrated with an associated AI Companion. A runtime system for the AI Companion provides new runtime capabilities. An approach to implementing the AT Companions is provided. A method of controlling an automation process is also provided.

Provided is an intelligent correction device control system for a super-resolution lithography precision mask, including: a sixteen-way pneumatic fine-tuning mask deformation control subsystem configured to deform a mask, detect a force value of a mask deformation, compare the force value of the mask deformation with an output force set value, and generate a first control feedback quantity to adjust a force deforming the mask, so as to control a deformation quantity of the mask; and an alignment subsystem configured to acquire images of the mask and a substrate, and adjust a position between the mask and the substrate according to the images, so as to align the mask with the substrate.

A method and system for generating engineering programs for one or more engineering objects in a technical installation is provided. The method includes receiving a request to generate an engineering program associated with the technical installation. The method further includes determining a set of programming blocks from a plurality of programming blocks corresponding to a set of industrial domains. The method further includes generating an ontology schema for the set of programming block. The ontology schema includes information about relationships between a set of variables corresponding to each programming block in the set of programming blocks and a set of Key performance indicators associated with the set of programming blocks. The method further includes generating the engineering program associated with the technical installation by modification of the set of programming blocks.

The present disclosure provides a production programming system based on a nonlinear program model, including: a distributed storage device and an analysis device, wherein the analysis device includes a processor configured to obtain production record information; construct the nonlinear program model based on the production record information; and solve the nonlinear program model to obtain first feasible solutions. The nonlinear program model includes a constraint condition that satisfies process requirements and an objective function indicating pressure equilibrium across the same device set, and each of the first feasible solutions is configured to indicate a production program. The present disclosure further provides a production programming method and a computer-readable storage medium which can improve efficiency and reduce device idleness rate.

A support device accepts selection of a target program to be copied from a control program, and sets a copy program in the control program, the copy program being obtained by copying the target program. The support device generates a list of variable names extracted from the target program. The support device rewrites a variable name in the copy program based on the edited list obtained by editing the list. As a result, even when it is desired to arbitrarily change the variable name, time and effort of a user to carry out input work is reduced.

A data editing apparatus has: a storage unit which stores first and second project data; a temporary screen data creating unit which creates temporary screen data based on screen data selected from among a first group of screen data; a temporary label list creating unit which creates a temporary label list including a label written in the temporary screen data; a temporary data changing unit which replaces the label written in the temporary screen data and the temporary label list with a label which does not overlap with the label written in a second label list, when the label written in the temporary screen data and the temporary label list is written in the second label list; and a project data adding unit which adds allocation information written in the changed temporary screen data and temporary label list to the second label list.

A programmable controller includes a command execution unit that executes multiple commands in a user program in order; a database storage unit that stores therein a database that holds data used in a process performed by the command execution unit in a table format; a database-query-command generation unit that, when the commands include a command to access the database, converts the access command into a database query command described in a database query language; and a database management unit that accesses the database in the database storage unit and acquires data specified by the database query command.