A diagnostic system includes a tool to perform machining on a workpiece, a test piece to be subjected to test machining by the tool for abnormal detection, a sensor to generate sensor data representing a physical quantity generated in the test machining, and circuitry. The test piece is different from the workpiece. The circuitry controls the tool to perform the test machining in each cycle of machining on the workpiece and calculates a degree of abnormality from the sensor data of the test machining. The test machining is performed on the test piece under a test machining condition corresponding to a machining condition of the machining on the workpiece.

A machine control device includes: a diagnostic test time calculation unit that calculates a scheduled execution time of a diagnostic test; a program execution time prediction unit that predicts a predicted ending time of a program before executing the program; a diagnostic test execution determination unit that determines whether to execute the diagnostic test at a predetermined time, by determining whether the predicted ending time of the program exceeds the scheduled execution time of the diagnostic test, and a diagnostic test execution unit that executes the diagnostic test, in which, in a case in which the predicted ending time of the program exceeds the scheduled execution time of the diagnostic test, the diagnostic test execution determination unit instructs the diagnostic test execution unit to execute the diagnostic test prior to the scheduled execution time of the diagnostic test before executing the program.

A communication device for a control loop is provided having a control device and an actuator that is connected to the control device via a connection line and that has a sensor for determining a control variable. In this respect, the communication device has a first interface for connecting to the control line for a connection to the control device, a second interface for a connection to the actuator, and a third interface for a connection to a third system to transfer at least some of a communication on the connection line or data acquired therefrom to the third system.

An abnormality factor identification apparatus includes a sensor signal obtaining unit that obtains sensor signals associated with the physical state of a machine, an operating state determination unit that determines operating states of the machine based on information obtained from the machine, an abnormality level calculation unit that calculates the abnormality levels of the sensor signals for each operating state of the machine determined by the operating state determination unit, and a factor identification unit that determines a factor in an abnormality in the machine from historical data being a series of the abnormality levels for each operating state.

A machine control device includes: a diagnostic test time calculation unit that calculates a scheduled execution time of a diagnostic test; a program execution time prediction unit that predicts a predicted ending time of a program before executing the program; a diagnostic test execution determination unit that determines whether to execute the diagnostic test at a predetermined time, by determining whether the predicted ending time of the program exceeds the scheduled execution time of the diagnostic test, and a diagnostic test execution unit that executes the diagnostic test, in which, in a case in which the predicted ending time of the program exceeds the scheduled execution time of the diagnostic test, the diagnostic test execution determination unit instructs the diagnostic test execution unit to execute the diagnostic test prior to the scheduled execution time of the diagnostic test before executing the program.

A method in an industrial process control system comprises creating a control strategy for an industrial process, running a simulation of the control strategy, and rewinding the simulation of the control strategy. Rewinding the control strategy includes setting the simulation to a previous point in time of the simulation. The method further includes displaying the simulation on a display. The method can further comprise capturing process variable states from an online process and fast forwarding the simulation of the control strategy, wherein fast forwarding the control strategy includes progressing the simulation forward from a state represented by the captured process variable states.

An abnormality factor identification apparatus includes a sensor signal obtaining unit that obtains sensor signals associated with the physical state of a machine, an operating state determination unit that determines operating states of the machine based on information obtained from the machine, an abnormality level calculation unit that calculates the abnormality levels of the sensor signals for each operating state of the machine determined by the operating state determination unit, and a factor identification unit that determines a factor in an abnormality in the machine from historical data being a series of the abnormality levels for each operating state.