A PLC maintenance support device according to the present invention includes a signal identification tag reader for reading a signal address from a signal identification tag attached to an input and output signal cable of a PLC to identify the signal address of the input and output signal cable, a transmitter for transmitting the signal address identified by the signal identification tag reader to the PLC, a receiver for receiving the on or off state of a signal corresponding to the transmitted signal address from the PLC, and a monitor for displaying the received on or off state of the signal.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein relating to the secure configuration of intelligent electronic devices. Intelligent electronic devices are used in electric power generation and transmission systems for protection, control, automation, and/or monitoring of equipment. The use of tokens and token-based digital signatures in the configuration process of intelligent electronic devices reduces the likelihood of malicious acts or unintended errors. Tokens distributed to engineers, technicians, intelligent electronic devices, computing devices, and/or software decrease the likelihood of errors being introduced in the configuration process.

The present disclosure relates to a method for verifying the origin of electronic modules of a field device. Each manufacturer of an electronic module classified as trustworthy is assigned a key pair. Public keys classified as trustworthy are stored in a list in the field device. Each electronic module contains the public key of the manufacturer and a manufacturer signature. The manufacturer signature confirms the public key as trustworthy. When an electronic module is exchanged or added, the field device checks whether that module has a key pair and a manufacturer signature, whether the public key of the manufacturer of the electronic module is listed in the list with the public keys of the manufacturers classified as trustworthy, whether the manufacturer signature matches the manufacturer and the electronic module, and whether the electronic module is in possession of a correct private key.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein relating to the secure configuration of intelligent electronic devices. Intelligent electronic devices are used in electric power generation and transmission systems for protection, control, automation, and/or monitoring of equipment. The use of tokens and token-based digital signatures in the configuration process of intelligent electronic devices reduces the likelihood of malicious acts or unintended errors. Tokens distributed to engineers, technicians, intelligent electronic devices, computing devices, and/or software decrease the likelihood of errors being introduced in the configuration process.

A tag identification device automatically identifies a correspondence relationship between a tag name arbitrarily set by a user and a process value. The tag identification device includes a processor, in a first process, that obtains first definition information in which the tag name, a type of tag data which is handled using the tag name, an upper limit value, an lower limit value, and an engineering unit are defined for each tag. The processor extracts, from the first definition information, a tag coinciding with at least one of the type of tag, the upper limit value, the lower limit value, and the engineering unit of a predetermined first process value. The processor selects the tag data handled using the tag name defined for the extracted tag, using an actual measurement value of the tag data. The processor identifies the selected tag data as the first process value.

A control system for a technical installation, in particular a manufacturing facility or process plant, includes at least one first operator station server and one second operator station server and is configured to initiate the issuance and revocation of certificates for components of the technical installation as part of certificate management, and is configured to publish revocation of a previously issued certificate within the control system as a certificate revocation list, where the control system is configured to store the certificate revocation list on the first operator station server and/or on the second operator station server, where the control system is configured to synchronize the first operator station server and the second operator station server with one another such that a certificate revocation list with identical content is stored on both operator station servers.

The invention relates to an automation device (41, 81), a system and a method for updating a digital device certificate (55, 86, 96) of an automation device (41, 81) of an automation system, wherein the automation device (41, 81) is authenticated to an authentication partner by means of at least one device certificate (55, 86, 96). The device certificate (55, 86, 96) is connected to device-specific configuration data of the automation device (41, 81). Following a modification of the configuration of the automation device (41, 81), according to the invention an updated device certificate (55, 86, 96) having device-specific configuration data according to the modified configuration of the automation device (41, 81) is determined by the automation device (41, 81) and subsequently used for authentication.

A method for secure communication between a field device and an end device is disclosed. The method includes: storing an individual access code in the end device, transmitting an access code of the end device to the field device, connecting the field device to an authentication server via a server communication link, using the field device to transmit the access code or an access code derived from the access code to the authentication server, storing authentication data on the authentication server, checking the authenticity of the access code on the authentication server using the authentication data, transmitting the resulting authentication result from the authentication server via the server communication link to the field device, and, depending on the authentication result transmitted to the field device, making resources of the field device available to the end device.

A tag identification device automatically identifies a correspondence relationship between a tag name arbitrarily set by a user and a process value. The tag identification device includes a processor, in a first process, that obtains first definition information in which the tag name, a type of tag data which is handled using the tag name, an upper limit value, an lower limit value, and an engineering unit are defined for each tag. The processor extracts, from the first definition information, a tag coinciding with at least one of the type of tag, the upper limit value, the lower limit value, and the engineering unit of a predetermined first process value. The processor selects the tag data handled using the tag name defined for the extracted tag, using an actual measurement value of the tag data. The processor identifies the selected tag data as the first process value.

A PLC maintenance support device according to the present invention includes a signal identification tag reader for reading a signal address from a signal identification tag attached to an input and output signal cable of a PLC to identify the signal address of the input and output signal cable, a transmitter for transmitting the signal address identified by the signal identification tag reader to the PLC, a receiver for receiving the on or off state of a signal corresponding to the transmitted signal address from the PLC, and a monitor for displaying the received on or off state of the signal.