Industrial Automation Project Code Development Guidance and Analysis

Abstract

The present invention relates to industrial automation project code development guidance and analysis. The Industrial Development Hub (IDH) supports industrial development and testing capabilities provided as a cloud-based service. The IDH includes an enhanced storage platform and associated design tools that serve as a repository on which customers can store control project code, device configurations, and other digital aspects of industrial automation projects. The IDH system can facilitate the discovery and management of digital content associated with control systems and can be used for system backup and recovery, code conversion, and version management.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to industrial automation systems and, for example, to industrial programming development platforms. Background Art

[0002] Operational technology (OT) level systems can be disparate and complex and may integrate with many physical devices. This challenging environment, coupled with domain-specific programming and development languages, can make the development of control systems at the OT level difficult, resulting in long development cycles for developing, testing, and ultimately deploying new control system designs. Furthermore, given the general lack of current virtualization and simulation capabilities, industrial automation systems must be purchased, programmed, and installed in a physical operating environment before actual testing or optimization can begin. This workflow often results in project delays or cost overruns. In addition, the inherent complexity and customized nature of installed industrial monitoring and control systems can make it difficult for owners of industrial assets (e.g., plant owners or industrial business entities) to manage their OT level systems and protect their independent intellectual property from catastrophic failures or cyber attacks. Summary of the invention

[0003] A simplified summary is presented below to provide a basic understanding of some aspects described herein. This summary is neither an extensive review nor intended to identify key / determinative elements or to describe the scope of the various aspects described herein. The sole purpose of this overview is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a preface to the specific embodiments presented later.

[0004] In one or more embodiments, a system for developing industrial applications is provided, the system comprising: a user interface component configured to: present a development interface on a client device via a cloud platform; and receive design input via interaction with the development interface, the design input comprising at least control programming and device configuration data for one or more industrial devices for monitoring and controlling an industrial automation system; and a project generation component configured to generate control project data based on the design input, wherein the control project data can be deployed to one or more industrial devices to facilitate configuration and programming of the one or more industrial devices, wherein the project generation component is further configured to: present design feedback on the client device via the cloud platform during reception of the design input based on a comparison of the design input with at least one of plant-specific standard definitions stored in a customer-specific repository of the cloud platform or with industry-specific standard definitions stored in a knowledge base of the cloud platform.

[0005] In addition, one or more embodiments provide a method for providing design feedback during development of an industrial control system, the method comprising: presenting a development interface by a system residing on a cloud platform and comprising at least one processor on a client device communicatively connected to the cloud platform; receiving design input by the system via interaction with the development interface, the design input comprising at least control programming and device configuration data for one or more industrial devices; generating control project data by the system based on the design input, wherein the control project data is executable on the one or more industrial devices to facilitate configuration and programming of the one or more industrial devices to monitor and control an industrial automation system; during receipt of the design input, generating design feedback by the system on the client device based on a comparison of the design input with at least one of a plant-specific standard definition stored in a customer-specific repository of the cloud platform or an industry-specific standard definition stored in a knowledge base of the cloud platform; and presenting the design feedback on the development interface by the system.

[0006] In addition, according to one or more embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon is provided, wherein the instructions, in response to being executed, cause a system executing on a cloud platform and including a processor to perform operations, the operations including: presenting a development interface on a client device communicatively connected to the cloud platform; receiving design input via interaction with the development interface, the design input including at least control programming and device configuration data for one or more industrial devices; generating control project data based on the design input, wherein the control project data is executable on the one or more industrial devices to facilitate configuration and programming of the one or more industrial devices to monitor and control an industrial automation system; during receipt of the design input, generating design feedback based on a comparison of the design input with at least one of a plant-specific standard definition stored in a customer-specific repository of the cloud platform or an industry-specific standard definition stored in a knowledge base of the cloud platform; and presenting the design feedback on the development interface.

[0007] To achieve the above and related purposes, certain illustrative aspects are described herein in conjunction with the following description and accompanying drawings. These aspects indicate various ways in which they can be practiced, all of which are intended to be included herein. Other advantages and novel features may become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example industrial control environment.

[0009] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example Industrial Development Hub (IDH) repository system.

[0010] Figure 3is a diagram showing the general architecture of an IDH repository system.

[0011] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example data flow associated with the creation of a new control project for an automation system designed using the IDH repository system.

[0012] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating some example automation object properties that may be utilized by the IDH repository system in conjunction with building, deploying, and executing control projects.

[0013] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the extraction of project telemetry data from a control project submitted to the IDH repository system.

[0014] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating generation of project recommendations based on analysis of extracted project telemetry data.

[0015] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating generation of project recommendations based on analysis of extracted project telemetry data.

[0016] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the handover document generated by the IDH repository system.

[0017] Fig.10 is a diagram showing the collection of digital signatures by the IDH repository system.

[0018] Fig.11 is a diagram illustrating submission of a new version of a control project for archiving with older project versions.

[0019] Fig.12 is a diagram showing intelligent backup of device configuration data to an IDH repository system.

[0020] Fig.13 is a diagram illustrating an example recovery process that may be initiated by an IDH repository system.

[0021] Fig.14 is a flow chart of an example methodology for providing real-time design feedback for an industrial control project during development using the cloud-based IDH Repository system.

[0022] Fig.15a is a flow chart of a first portion of an example method for performing control item analysis on an uploaded control item and collecting vendor-specific device usage statistics based on the analysis results.

[0023] Fig.15b is a flow chart of a second portion of an example method for performing control item analysis on an uploaded control item and collecting vendor-specific device usage statistics based on the analysis results.

[0024] Fig.16 is a sample computing environment.

[0025] Fig.17 is a sample networking environment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present disclosure is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference numerals are used throughout to refer to similar elements. In the following description, for illustrative purposes, many specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding thereof. However, it is apparent that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other examples, known structures and devices are shown in the form of block diagrams to facilitate description thereof.

[0027] As used in this application, the terms "component", "system", "platform", "layer", "controller", "terminal", "station", "node", "interface" are intended to refer to a computer-related entity, or an entity related to or as a part of an operating device having one or more specific functions, wherein such an entity may be hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to: a process running on a processor, a processor, a hard drive, a plurality of storage drives (optical storage media or magnetic storage media) including an attached (e.g., screwed or bolted) or removably attached solid-state storage drive; an object; an executable; an execution thread; a computer executable program and / or a computer. As an illustration, both an application running on a server and a server may be a component. One or more components may reside within an executing process and / or thread, and a component may be located on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, the components described herein may be executed from various computer-readable storage media storing various data structures. Components may communicate via local and / or remote processes, for example, based on signals with one or more data packets (e.g., data from a component that interacts with another component in a local system, a distributed system, and / or interacts with other systems via signals across a network, such as the Internet). As another example, a component may be a device having a specific function provided by a mechanical component operated by an electrical or electronic circuit, the electrical or electronic circuit being operated by a software or firmware application executed by a processor, wherein the processor may be inside or outside the device and execute at least a portion of the software or firmware application. As another example, a component may be a device that provides a specific function by an electronic component (in the absence of a mechanical component), the electronic component may include a processor therein to execute software or firmware that at least partially provides the function of the electronic component. As another example, (one or more) interfaces may include input / output (I / O) components and associated processors, applications, or application program interface (API) components. Although the foregoing examples relate to aspects of components, the illustrated aspects or features are also applicable to systems, platforms, interfaces, layers, controllers, terminals, etc.

[0028] As used herein, the terms "reasoning" and "inference" generally relate to the process of reasoning or inferring the state of a system, environment, and / or user based on a set of observations captured via events and / or data. For example, inference can be employed to identify a particular context or action, or a probability distribution over states can be generated. Inference can be probabilistic, that is, a probability distribution over states of interest is calculated based on a consideration of events and data. Inference can also relate to techniques for constructing higher-level events from a set of events and / or data. Such inferences result in the construction of new events or actions based on a set of observed events and / or stored event data, whether or not the events are related in close temporal proximity, and whether the events and data come from one or several event and data sources.

[0029] Additionally, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or." That is, unless specified otherwise or clear from the context, the phrase "X employs A or B" is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, the phrase "X employs A or B" is satisfied by any of the following instances: X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B. Additionally, the articles "a" and "an" used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean "one or more" unless specified otherwise or clear from the context that the article is directed to the singular.

[0030] Furthermore, the term "set" as used herein excludes an empty set, e.g., a set with no elements therein. Thus, a "set" in the present disclosure includes one or more elements or entities. As an illustration, a set of controllers includes one or more controllers; a set of data resources includes one or more data resources, etc.; similarly, the term "group" as used herein refers to a set of one or more entities; e.g., a set of nodes refers to one or more nodes.

[0031] Various aspects or features will be presented in terms of systems that may include a number of devices, components, modules, etc. It is to be understood and appreciated that the various systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., and / or the various systems may not include all of the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in conjunction with the figures. Combinations of these methods may also be used.

[0032] Figure 11 is a block diagram of an example industrial environment 100. In this example, multiple industrial controllers 118 are deployed throughout the industrial plant environment to monitor and control corresponding industrial systems or processes associated with product manufacturing, processing, motion control, batch processing, material handling, or other such industrial functions. The industrial controller 118 typically executes a corresponding control program to facilitate monitoring and control of industrial devices 120 that constitute the controlled industrial assets or systems (e.g., industrial machines). One or more industrial controllers 118 may also include a soft controller executed on a personal computer, a blade server, or other hardware platform or a cloud platform. Some hybrid devices may also combine controller functions with other functions (e.g., visualization). The control program executed by the industrial controller 118 may include any conceivable type of code for processing input signals read from the industrial device 120 and controlling output signals generated by the industrial controller, including but not limited to ladder logic, sequential function charts, function block diagrams, structured text, C++, Python, Javascript, etc.

[0033] Industrial devices 120 may include input devices, output devices, or devices that function as both input devices and output devices, where the input devices provide data related to the controlled industrial system to the industrial controller 118, and the output devices respond to control signals generated by the industrial controller 118 to control various aspects of the industrial system. Example input devices may include telemetry devices (e.g., temperature sensors, flow meters, level sensors, pressure sensors, etc.), manual operator control devices (e.g., buttons, selector switches, etc.), safety monitoring devices (e.g., safety mats, safety pull cords, light curtains, etc.), and other such devices. Output devices may include motor drives, pneumatic actuators, signaling devices, robot control inputs, valves, etc. Some industrial devices, such as industrial device 120M, may operate autonomously on the plant network 116 without being controlled by the industrial controller 118.

[0034] The industrial controller 118 can be communicatively interfaced with the industrial device 120 through a hardwired connection or through a wired or wireless network. For example, the industrial controller 118 can be equipped with local hardwired inputs and outputs that communicate with the industrial device 120 to affect control of the device. The local controller I / O may include: a digital I / O that sends discrete voltage signals to and receives discrete voltage signals from field devices, or an analog I / O that sends analog voltage or current signals to and receives analog voltage or current signals from the device. The controller I / O can communicate with the controller's processor through a backplane so that digital signals and analog signals can be read into and controlled by the control program. The industrial controller 118 can also communicate with the industrial device 120 through the factory network 116 using, for example, a communication module or an integrated networking port. Exemplary networks may include the Internet, an intranet, Ethernet, Ethernet / IP (EtherNet / IP), DeviceNet, ControlNet, Data Highway and Data Highway Plus (DH / DH+), remote I / O, Fieldbus, Modbus, Profibus, wireless networks, serial protocols, etc. The industrial controller 118 may also store persistent data values ​​that may be referenced by the control program and used for control decisions, including but not limited to: measured or calculated values ​​representing the operating state of the controlled machine or process (e.g., tank level, position, alarm, etc.), or captured time series data collected during operation of the automation system (e.g., status information at multiple time points, diagnostic occurrences, etc.). Similarly, some smart devices, including but not limited to motor drives, instruments, or condition monitoring modules, may store data values ​​for controlling and / or visualizing operating states. Such devices may also capture time series data or events on a log for later retrieval and viewing.

[0035] Industrial automation systems typically include one or more human-machine interfaces (HMIs) 114 that allow plant personnel to view telemetry and status data associated with the automation system and control some aspects of system operation. The HMI 114 can communicate with one or more of the industrial controllers 118 via a plant network 116 and exchange data with the industrial controllers to facilitate visualization of information related to the controlled industrial process on one or more pre-developed operator interface screens. The HMI 114 can also be configured to allow an operator to submit data to a memory address or specified data tag of the industrial controller 118, thereby providing the operator with a means to issue commands to the controlled system (e.g., cycle start commands, equipment actuation commands, etc.), modify set point values, etc. The HMI 114 can generate one or more display screens through which the operator interacts with the industrial controller 118 and thereby interacts with the controlled process and / or system. The example display screens may visualize the current state of the industrial system or its associated equipment using a graphical representation of the process: displaying metered or calculated values, employing color or position animation based on the state, presenting alarm notifications, or employing other such techniques for presenting relevant data to the operator. Data presented in this manner is read by the HMI 114 from the industrial controller 118 and presented on one or more of the display screens according to the display format selected by the HMI developer. The HMI may include a fixed location device or a mobile device with a user-installed or pre-installed operating system and user-installed or pre-installed graphical application software.

[0036] Some industrial environments may also include other systems or devices related to specific aspects of the controlled industrial system. These systems or devices may include, for example, one or more data historians 110 that aggregate and store production information collected from industrial controllers 118 and other industrial devices.

[0037] Industrial equipment 120, industrial controller 118, HMI 114, associated controlled industrial assets, and other plant floor systems such as data historian 110, vision systems, and other such systems operate at the operational technology (OT) level of the industrial environment. Higher-level analysis and reporting systems can operate at higher enterprise levels of the industrial environment in the information technology (IT) domain (e.g., on office network 108 or on cloud platform 122). Such higher-level systems can include, for example, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system 104 that integrates and generally manages high-level business operations such as finance, sales, order management, marketing, human resources, or other such business functions. In view of higher-level business considerations, a manufacturing execution system (MES) 102 can monitor and manage control operations at the control level. A reporting system 106 can collect operational data from industrial equipment on the plant floor and generate daily or shift reports summarizing operational statistics of controlled industrial assets.

[0038] OT-level systems can be disparate and complex and can integrate with many physical devices. This challenging environment, coupled with domain-specific programming and development languages, can make the development of control systems at the OT level difficult, resulting in long development cycles for developing, testing, and ultimately deploying new control system designs. In addition, given the general lack of current virtualization and simulation capabilities, industrial automation systems must be purchased, programmed, and installed in a physical operating environment before actual testing or optimization can begin. This workflow often results in project delays or cost overruns. In addition, the inherent complexity and customized nature of installed industrial monitoring and control systems can make it difficult for owners of industrial assets (e.g., plant owners or industrial business entities) to manage their OT-level systems and protect their independent intellectual property from catastrophic failures or cyber attacks.

[0039] To address these and other issues, one or more embodiments described herein provide a cloud-based Industrial Development Hub (IDH) that supports development and testing capabilities for industrial customers that are easy to use and provided as a service. The IDH includes an enhanced storage platform and associated design tools (collectively referred to as a Vault) that serves as a repository on which customers can store control project code, device configurations, and other digital aspects of industrial automation projects. The IDH system can facilitate easy discovery and management of digital content associated with control systems, and can be used for system backup and restore, code conversion, and version management.

[0040] Figure 2is a block diagram of an example industrial development center (IDH) repository system 202 according to one or more implementations of the present disclosure. Aspects of the systems, apparatuses, or processes described in the present disclosure may constitute machine-executable components implemented in (one or more) machines, such as implemented in one or more computer-readable media (or media) associated with one or more machines. Such components, when executed by one or more machines (e.g., (one or more) computers, (one or more) computing devices, (one or more) automation devices, (one or more) virtual machines, etc.), may cause (one or more) machines to perform the described operations.

[0041] The IDH repository system 202 may include a user interface component 204, a project generation component 206, a project telemetry component 208, a project analysis component 210, a project documentation component 212, an asset recovery component 214, a simulation component 216, a simulation component 218, one or more processors 224, and a memory 226. In various embodiments, one or more of the user interface component 204, the project generation component 206, the project telemetry component 208, the project analysis component 210, the project documentation component 212, the asset recovery component 214, the simulation component 216, the simulation component 218, the one or more processors 224, and the memory 226 may be electrically coupled to each other and / or communicatively coupled to each other to perform one or more functions of the IDH repository system 202. In some embodiments, the components 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, 216, and 218 may include software instructions stored on the memory 226 and executed by the (one or more) processors 224. The IDH repository system 202 may also communicate with Figure 2 224 may interact with other hardware and / or software components not depicted in the drawings. For example, the processor(s) 224 may interact with one or more external user interface devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, display monitor, touch screen, or other such interface devices.

[0042] The IDH repository system 202 can be implemented on a cloud platform as a set of cloud-based services to facilitate access by users of different scopes with business or technical relationships, including industrial equipment owners (e.g., industrial enterprise entities or factory owners), equipment suppliers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), system integrators, or other such user entities. The cloud platform on which the system 202 is executed can be any infrastructure that allows devices with cloud capabilities to access and utilize shared computing services. The cloud platform can be a public cloud that can be accessed via the Internet by devices with Internet connectivity and appropriate authorization to use IDH repository services. In some scenarios, the cloud platform can be set as a platform as a service (PaaS) by a cloud provider, and the IDH repository system 202 can reside on the cloud platform and execute on the cloud platform as a cloud-based service. In some such configurations, access to the cloud platform and the associated IDH repository services can be provided to customers as a subscription service by the owner of the IDH repository system 202. Alternatively, the cloud platform can be a private cloud operated internally by an industrial enterprise (owner of a factory facility). An example private cloud platform may include a set of servers hosting the IDH repository system 202 and residing on a corporate network protected by a firewall.

[0043] The user interface component 204 can be configured to receive user input and present output to the user in any appropriate format (e.g., visual, audio, tactile, etc.). In some embodiments, the user interface component 204 can be configured to interact with a client device (e.g., a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, etc.), which is communicatively connected to the IDH repository system 202 (e.g., via a hardwired connection or a wireless connection). Then, the user interface component 204 can provide an IDH interface environment for the client device, through which the system 202 receives user input data and presents output data. In other embodiments, the user interface component 204 can be configured to generate appropriate interface screens and provide the generated interface screens (e.g., program development screens, project submission screens, analysis results screens, etc.) to the client device, and exchange data via these interface screens. The input data that can be received via various embodiments of the user interface component 204 can include, but are not limited to, programming code (including industrial control programming, such as ladder logic programming), device configuration data, engineering drawings, HMI applications, or other such inputs. Output data presented by various embodiments of the user interface component 204 may include program code, programming feedback (eg, errors and highlights, coding suggestions, etc.), control project telemetry and suggestions, project testing results, and the like.

[0044] The project generation component 206 can be configured to create a control system project including one or more project files based on the design input received via the user interface component 204 and the industrial knowledge, predefined code modules, and asset models maintained by the IDH repository system 202. The control system project can include one or more of industrial control code (e.g., ladder logic, structured text, functional block diagrams, etc.), an HMI application including one or more HMI interface screen definitions, a device configuration file, or other such project files.

[0045] The project telemetry component 208 can be configured to analyze industrial control projects submitted by users and generate project telemetry or statistical information for the submitted projects based on the analysis. Example project telemetry data that can be generated by the project telemetry component 208 can include, but is not limited to: an inventory of equipment used in the project; information about how equipment is used; reports indicating the proximity to hardware or software capacity limits that equipment or related software will operate; how much memory or energy the project is expected to consume during operation; or other such statistical information.

[0046] The project analysis component 210 is configured to analyze the project telemetry data generated by the project telemetry component 208 and generate design recommendations or warnings based on the analysis. The project analysis component 210 can also generate equipment or device usage statistics inferred from multiple projects submitted by multiple end customers for use by device suppliers or OEMs.

[0047] The project documentation component 212 can be configured to generate various project handover or verification documents based on the analysis of the control system project, including but not limited to approval documents, safety verification checklists, I / O checkout documents, audit documents or other such documents. The asset recovery component 214 can be configured to collect and archive backups of control project files and device configurations, and deploy these archived project files as needed for disaster recovery or remote deployment purposes. The simulation component 216 can be configured to simulate the execution of the industrial control project being tested on the virtualized (or simulated) industrial controller. The simulation component 218 can be configured to simulate the operation of the virtualized model of the industrial automation system under the control of the simulated industrial control project.

[0048] The one or more processors 224 may perform one or more of the functions described herein with reference to the systems and / or methods disclosed. The memory 226 may be a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions and / or information for performing the functions described herein with reference to the systems and / or methods disclosed.

[0049] Figure 3is a diagram showing a general architecture of an IDH repository system 202 according to one or more embodiments. As described above, the IDH repository system 202 can be executed on a cloud platform as a set of cloud-based storage, analysis, and project editing services. Client devices 302 (e.g., laptops, tablet computers, desktop computers, mobile devices, wearable AR / VR devices, etc.) can access the project development and analysis tools of the repository system and use these tools to upload or create control projects for the automation system being developed. To this end, the user interface component 204 of the system can remotely provide the IDH client 304 to the client device 302. The IDH client 304 includes multiple interface displays used as interfaces to the system 202.

[0050] Using the tools provided by the repository system 202, a user can submit a control project 306 to the repository system 202. Typically, the control project 306 includes digital data or files that facilitate monitoring and control of an automation system or industrial process when executed on a corresponding industrial device deployed in an industrial environment. The control project 306 may include control code (e.g., ladder logic, sequential function charts, structured text, functional block diagrams, etc.) intended for execution on an industrial controller, device configuration data (e.g., industrial controller configuration files, motor drive configuration files, etc.), visualization applications (e.g., HMI applications, AR / VR content, etc.), or other such control project data. In some scenarios, the control code 306 may also include engineering documentation for its associated automation system, including engineering drawings (e.g., CAD files), supporting documents, maintenance plans, or other such documents. In some scenarios where the design tools provided by the IDH repository system 202 are used to perform project development, the control project 306 may be submitted as an ongoing project development input (e.g., as control code submitted to the repository system 202 when the designer is writing code). Alternatively, the user may submit the completed control project to a repository for storage, analysis, and feedback. Both scenarios will be described in more detail herein.

[0051] In addition to serving as cloud-based storage for submitted control projects 306, the repository system 202 applies various analyses to the submitted control projects 306 and generates project recommendations 308 for improving aspects of the submitted control projects. The analyses may be based on customer-specific information and supplier-specific information contained in a customer repository 324 and a supplier repository 326 maintained on the repository system 202, as well as general industry expertise stored in a knowledge base 328.

[0052] The repository system 202 may maintain multiple customer repositories 324 designated for various end-user entities (e.g., plant or plant owners, industrial enterprises, etc.). The owner of the industrial asset may submit and archive the project version 310 in its designated customer repository 324. The user may also define customized plant standards 314, which may be stored in the customer repository 324 and applied to the submitted control project to ensure that the project meets the defined standards. The customer repository 324 may also store digital asset models 312 corresponding to the industrial assets used at the customer facility. These asset models 312 may be used for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to digital simulation of the submitted control project.

[0053] The repository system 202 may also analyze the control project 306 based on supplier-specific data submitted by the device or equipment supplier and stored in one or more supplier repositories 326. Similar to the customer repository 324, the repository system 202 may maintain multiple supplier repositories 326 assigned to various different device suppliers or OEMs. Suppliers may submit device profiles 316 or other types of digital models of their devices or equipment to be stored in their designated supplier repositories 326. These device profiles 316 may be used in conjunction with building a digital twin model of a customer's automation system or factory environment, or for comparing a customer's use of their device with defined device capabilities. Suppliers may also submit and store applications 318 or code segments (e.g., control logic, HMI interface displays, reporting tools, etc.) that may be executed in conjunction with the operation of their devices.

[0054] The submitted control project 306 may also be analyzed against other archived projects 320 that were submitted by other customers and that are considered similar to the submitted project. This analysis may be useful for identifying portions of the submitted control project 306 (e.g., code used to program a particular type of industrial machine or process) that deviate from more common approaches used by other designers. The knowledge base 328 may also store a plurality of industry-specific standard definitions against which the submitted control project 306 may be checked. As will be described herein, other types of information may be stored and managed by the storage system in various storage designations and may be used to analyze and optimize the submitted control project data.

[0055] As described above, the control project 306 can be submitted as one or more completed project files for a given industrial control project for storage and analysis, or if the repository system's native project development tools are being used to create a new project, the control project 306 can be submitted as a design input during the development of the project. Figure 4206 is a diagram illustrating an example data flow associated with the creation of a new control project 306 for an automation system designed using the repository system 202, according to one or more embodiments. In this example, the client device 302 accesses the project development tools of the repository system and utilizes these tools to create the control project 302 for the automation system being developed. The control project 302 may include one or more of the following: industrial controller code (e.g., control logic, structured text, sequence function charts, etc.); device configuration files or parameter settings; an HMI application that defines an HMI screen or an AR / VR visualization for visualizing the operation of the automation system; or other such aspects of the control project.

[0056] Thus, to facilitate project development, the user interface component 204 may provide a development interface display for the client device 302 that allows the user to submit design input 404 to the repository system 202 in various supported formats, including, but not limited to: control programming for execution on an industrial controller; device configuration settings downloaded to corresponding industrial devices (e.g., motor drives, sensors, industrial controllers, etc.) to facilitate configuration of those devices; HMI screen development data; or other such design input 404. Based on the design input 404, the project generation component 206 generates a control project 306 that includes one or more of the following: compiled controller code, device configuration data, HMI application files, or other such executable control project data that can be deployed and executed on appropriate industrial devices to perform programmed control functions.

[0057] In some embodiments, the repository system 202 can help developers design a hybrid project development approach so that design functions are divided between local workstations and cloud-based design services. In this regard, the repository system 202 can help designers delineate which parts of project development are performed locally and which parts are performed on the cloud platform.

[0058] Additionally, during the development of the control project 306, the project generation component 206 can generate design feedback 406, which is intended to help developers develop and optimize the control project 306, and which can be presented by the user interface component 204 as real-time feedback to the designer. The design feedback 406 can be generated based on analysis of the design input 404 itself and information stored in the customer repository 324, the supplier repository 326, and the knowledge base 328.

[0059] For example, when a designer is entering a control code to be compiled and executed on an industrial controller as a design input 404, the project generation component 206 can perform code analysis on the code and provide suggestions, notifications, or predictions related to multiple code or project quality metrics based on the analysis. The analysis can include determining whether the control code complies with the engineering standards and practices used at the plant facility for which the code is being developed. To help with this analysis, an engineer at the plant facility can submit a control code standard definition that defines the coding standards that all control codes are expected to comply with before being allowed to execute within the plant facility. These coding standards can be stored in the customer's repository 324 as plant standards 314 and can be referenced by the project generation component 206 when the designer submits the design input 404 to determine whether the submitted control code complies with the plant standards.

[0060] The factory standards 314 can define coding standards in terms of preferred control behaviors (e.g., preferred control sequences to be used or interlocks that must be identified when performing a particular type of control action, preferred maximum control set points or minimum control set points for a particular machine operation) and preferred code formats. The factory standards 314 can also define preferred parameters or configurations for specific types of equipment (e.g., motor drives, network infrastructure equipment, etc.), and the project generation component 206 can monitor the submitted design inputs 404 during development to ensure that any equipment configurations submitted by the designer meet the defined standards. Upon determining, based on the evaluation, that the designer has entered a non-compliant equipment configuration, the project generation component 206 can generate design feedback that notifies the user of the deviation and indicates the allowed configuration parameters.

[0061] Factory standard 314 can also include project-specific standards, which include functional specifications or safety verification requirements. Project generation component 206 can monitor design input 404 with reference to the functional project requirements defined by factory standard 314, and the project generation component 206 generates design feedback when determining that any part of the submitted design input 404 deviates from the defined functional specifications or safety verification requirements, and the design feedback notifies the user of the deviation and provides suggestions on how to make the deviation part of the control project meet the requirements. Factory standard 314 can define functional specifications according to the manufacturing function to be performed, the preferred device supplier, the device to be used, the product output requirements, the energy consumption requirements, the network utilization requirements or other such specifications. Depending on the functional specifications set forth by factory standard 314, project generation component 206 can infer the relevant characteristics of the control project based on design input 404, and notify the user when any aspect of the project deviates from these standards. For example, if the functional specifications indicate that only motor drives from a specified preferred supplier are to be used for a new installation, the project generation component 206 can infer from the design input 404 (e.g., from the I / O configuration of the industrial controller, or from device configuration data included in the design input 404) that devices from unapproved suppliers are included in the control project design and notify the user that other devices from approved suppliers must be replaced.

[0062] In some embodiments, the project generation component 206 can also compare the control code submitted as part of the design input 404 with the previously submitted control code included in the archived project version 310 for the same control project or a different control project developed by the same customer. Based on the analysis of other control codes submitted by the customer and archived in the customer repository 324, the project generation component 206 can learn or infer the typical coding style or design method used by the customer. For example, this can include code indentation preferences, preferences for the use of call statements, ladder comment standards, variable or I / O naming standards, or other such preferred programming features. In addition to control coding standards, the project generation component 206 can also identify the customer's preferred way to program certain control operations. For example, the project generation component 206 can identify that the customer uses a specific control sequence based on the analysis of the archived project version 310 to move materials from a source container to a tank, or can identify that the customer typically associates a specific control operation with a set of interlocks that must be satisfied before the control operation can be executed.

[0063] Based on these learned customer programming preferences, the project generation component 206 can identify, based on a comparison with the project version 310, whether the control programming submitted as part of the design input 404 deviates from the preferred coding practices of the plant or the preferred way for the plant to control certain industrial operations, and the project generation component 206 can generate design feedback 406 to notify these deviations and suggest alternative control coding that will make the current project conform to the previous design strategy. This feedback 406 can include, for example: a suggestion to add one or more interlocks to the control programming for a specific control operation; a suggestion to reorder the sequence of operations for controlling a specific type of machine; a suggestion to rename variables or I / O points to conform to the preferred nomenclature of the plant; a suggestion to add or modify a rung comment; a suggestion to change the indentation of a portion of the control code; a suggestion to replace repeated instances of the code with a CALL statement; or other such feedback.

[0064] The project generation component 206 can also refer to the supplier-specific device or equipment data in one or more supplier repositories 326 to predict whether the user's submitted design input 404 will cause equipment integration or compatibility problems. This determination can be based on, for example, a device configuration file 316 submitted by the device supplier for access by the project generation component 206. Each device configuration file 316 can include digital specification data for a given device and can also record known compatibility issues for the device. Using this information, the project generation component 206 can evaluate the submitted design input 404 to determine whether any part of the submitted control programming or device configuration will cause performance or integration problems given the known limitations of one or more devices. The evaluation can also consider the inferred interaction between the group of devices that the user is designing for collaborative operation. For example, if the design input 404 suggests that the designer intends to configure two incompatible devices for collaborative operation (as determined based on the known compatibility issues recorded in the device configuration file 316), the project generation component 206 can generate a design feedback 406 indicating the two incompatible devices.

[0065] The analysis applied by the project generation component 206 can also identify incorrect or non-optimal coding practices within the submitted control code. This determination can be based in part on the preferred coding practices defined in the standard definition 322 maintained in the knowledge base 328 of the repository system. Coding problems that can be identified by the project generation component 206 can include, but are not limited to, too many levels of nesting, too much repeated code, incorrect code indentation, etc. In response to detecting such coding problems in the user's submitted code, the project generation component 206 can provide design feedback that suggests alternative programming methods that will make the control code conform to the preferred coding standards (e.g., suggesting the use of case statements to eliminate excessive ladder logic).

[0066] The project generation component 206 can also identify modifications or replacements that can be made in the control project 306 that can improve memory or network utilization associated with the execution of the control project 306. This can include, for example, identifying alternative control code programming or other modifications to the control project 306 that can reduce the processing burden of the industrial controller without changing the intended control functionality. In another example, the project generation component 206 can determine that utilizing currently unused functionality of a device (e.g., an operating mode or configuration parameter setting) or replacing a device currently used in the control project 306 with a different device model can reduce energy consumption or network bandwidth utilization.

[0067] To support enhanced development capabilities, some embodiments of the IDH repository system 202 can support control programming based on an object-based data model rather than a tag-based architecture. Automation objects can be used as building blocks of the object-based development architecture. Figure 5 2 is a diagram illustrating some example automation object properties that can be utilized by the repository system 202 in conjunction with building, deploying, and executing control projects 306. Automation objects 504 can be created and augmented during design, can be integrated into larger data models, and can be consumed during operation. These automation objects 504 provide common data structures across the repository system 202 and can be stored in an object library (e.g., a portion of the memory 226) for reuse. The object library can store predefined automation objects 504 representing various classifications of real-world industrial assets 502, including but not limited to pumps, tanks, valves, motors, motor drives (e.g., variable frequency drives), industrial robots, actuators (e.g., pneumatic or hydraulic actuators), or other such assets. Automation objects 504 can represent elements of substantially any level of an industrial enterprise, including individual devices, machines composed of many industrial devices and components (some of which can be associated with their own automation objects 504), and entire production lines or process control systems.

[0068] The automation object 504 for a given type of industrial asset may encode aspects such as 2D or 3D visualization, alarms, control coding (e.g., logic or other types of control programming), analytics, startup procedures, test protocols and scripts, validation procedures and reports, simulations, diagrams, safety protocols, and other such features associated with the industrial asset 502 represented by the object 504. The automation object 504 may also be geotagged with location information identifying the location of the associated asset. During operation of the control project 306, the automation object 504 corresponding to a given real-world asset 502 may also record status or operational history data for the asset. Typically, the automation object 504 serves as a programmatic representation of its corresponding industrial asset 502 and may be incorporated into the control project 306 as an element of control code, 2D or 3D visualization, a knowledge base or maintenance guidance system for the industrial asset, or other such aspects.

[0069] Some embodiments of the project analysis component 210 may also predict network traffic or load statistics based on device configuration information obtained from the analysis of the control project 306, and may generate network configuration recommendations based on these predictions. The analysis may be based on a comparison of the customer's network configuration with known or recommended network configurations. The project analysis component 210 may also generate a network risk report indicating the risk of network failure resulting from implementing the proposed control design.

[0070] like Figure 3 As depicted in the completed control project 306 - using the project editing tool of the repository system (such as the above combined Figure 4 ) or developed using a separate control project development platform (e.g., ladder logic development platform, HMI application development platform, device configuration application, etc.) - can be submitted to the repository system 202 for analysis, archiving, or upgrade purposes. In this regard, the IDH repository system 202 serves as a secure and intelligent industrial control project repository open to any number of participating industrial customers, which provides a secure archive of control projects 306 and analysis of these projects 306 in order to generate project recommendations 308, which are intended to optimize the control design or guide the designer to previously unknown and unused device functions that, if used, can improve the performance of the control project.

[0071] To facilitate intelligent analysis of the submitted control project 306, the IDH repository system 202 may include a project telemetry component 208 that generates project telemetry data for the submitted control project 306, which may provide insights into the control project itself and the device and equipment topology of the automation system for which the control project 306 is designed. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the extraction of project telemetry data 602 from a control project 306 submitted to the repository system 202. Based on the analysis of the control project 306, the project telemetry component 208 can determine or infer the following: characteristics of the control project itself; information about the equipment or devices that make up the automation system monitored and controlled by the control project 306; predictions about the performance or resource utilization of the controlled system; the estimated impact of the control design on the equipment life cycle of one or more equipment; or other such project metrics.

[0072] For example, based on analysis of industrial controller program files, which may include control code, I / O configuration data, and networking configuration data for industrial controllers, the project telemetry component 208 may (e.g., based on an examination of the I / O configuration or control code itself) identify input or output devices connected to the industrial controller and record an inventory of these devices in the project telemetry data 602. Similar analysis can be used to determine the I / O or control modules configured for use, as well as information about how the controller's I / O is used. The project telemetry component 208 may also record inferred functional or topological relationships between any two or more devices or apparatuses identified as part of the automation system. The project telemetry component 208 may also estimate the total amount of network bandwidth or energy that the automation system is expected to consume. To further understand how the devices that make up the control system are used, the project telemetry data 602 may also record which subset of the available features of the device is currently being used by the control project 306.

[0073] In addition to metrics for the automation system to be controlled, the project telemetry component 208 can also estimate performance metrics of the control code itself, such as an estimated amount of memory or processing power required to execute various aspects of the control project 306.

[0074] In some cases, the project telemetry component 208 can enhance the project telemetry data 602 generated for the control project 306 by referencing vendor-specific device information stored in the device profile 316 on the vendor repository 326. For example, the project telemetry component 208 can identify, based on an analysis of the control project 306, that a particular device model (e.g., an I / O module, a network infrastructure device, a motor drive, a servo system, an actuator, etc.) is being used as a component of an automation system. Based on the identification of the device, the project telemetry component 208 can access the vendor repository 326 corresponding to the vendor of the device, determine whether a device profile is available for the device, and if so, retrieve functional specification data for the device from the device profile 316 for inclusion in the project telemetry data 602. This functional specification data, depending on the device type, can include information such as the device's available I / O, available configuration parameters or functions, available memory or processing power, life cycle information, response time, physical size, power rating, networking capabilities, operating limitations (e.g., environmental requirements, such as the ambient temperature for which the device is rated), or other such supplemental device information.

[0075] Once the project telemetry data 602 is extracted for the control project 306, the project analysis component 210 of the repository system can generate recommendations or notifications related to the project design based on the analysis of the project telemetry and the encoded industry expertise. Figure 7 602. By analyzing the project telemetry data 602, the project analysis component 210 can determine how the customer's industrial hardware and software assets are used and generate recommendations or notifications based on this assessment. This can include determining whether the proposed control project - due to the control sequence defined by the control programming or the configuration parameters set for one or more industrial devices - will cause the hardware or software used in the control project to operate near or above its rated operating threshold. For example, based on the I / O utilization of the control project recorded in the project telemetry data 602 and the knowledge of the I / O capacity of the devices used in the control project (which knowledge can be determined based on the specification data of those devices such as those recorded in the device configuration file 316), the project analysis component 210 can generate the following notification: the proposed control design will cause one or more control devices (e.g., industrial controllers or I / O modules) to approach or exceed their maximum I / O capacity. Based on the evaluation, the project analysis component 210 may also suggest alternative control devices having higher I / O capacity than currently suggested in the control project in order to increase the number of spare I / O points for future expansion.

[0076] The project analysis component 210 can also estimate the degree of utilization of the equipment over time based on the analysis of the project telemetry data 602, and cross-reference this information with the life cycle information of the equipment recorded in the configuration file 316 of the equipment, and generate a notification indicating the expected life cycle or failure time of the equipment if it is used as proposed in the control project. If an equivalent device with a longer expected life cycle is available, the project analysis component 210 can also generate a recommendation to replace the currently proposed device with the equivalent device. Alternatively, the project analysis component 210 can recommend modifications to the control project that can extend the life of the equipment (for example, by reducing the frequency of operation of the equipment without affecting the control effect).

[0077] In some embodiments, the project analysis component 210 may also identify unused features of a device that, if utilized, may improve one or more operational metrics of the control project. These may be device features that are available but unknown to the designer, such as configuration parameters, potential functions that are not activated by default but may be activated or invoked, etc. In an example scenario, the project analysis component 210 may discover available features of a device based on the functional specifications recorded in the configuration file 316 of the device, and determine whether any unused features may be relevant to aspects of the control project 306 or may improve performance metrics of the control project 306. For example, the project analysis component 210 may determine that invoking a currently unused operating mode of a device may reduce the memory footprint or network bandwidth usage of the device; may increase the product throughput of the automation system; may reduce energy or material consumption of the project as a whole; may reduce product waste; or may unlock another unforeseen improvement in the operation of the project. If such a possible design improvement is identified, the user interface component 204 may send a notification to the designer (or another user entity associated with the client) suggesting the design modification. In an example scenario, based on a device profile submitted as part of a control project 306, the project analysis component 210 can determine that an unused feature of a drive (e.g., regenerative braking) can reduce overall power consumption, and can generate a notification identifying the drive and indicating the unused feature. The notification can also provide a recommendation as to when the feature should be invoked during a control sequence in order to obtain the expected benefit.

[0078] The project analysis component 210 can also determine whether any aspects of the control project 306 deviate from an industrial standard or a plant standard. This can be based on a comparison between the project telemetry 602 and the industrial standards defined in the standards definitions 322 (stored in the knowledge base 328) or the internal standards defined in the plant standards 314 stored in the customer repository 324. In the case of industrial standards, since some types of industries may need to comply with a set of vertical-specific control standards or requirements, the specific set of standards to which the control project 306 is compared can be a function of the industrial vertical in which the control project 306 will operate (e.g., automotive, pharmaceutical, food and drug, oil and gas, etc.). Therefore, the knowledge base 328 can classify the standards definitions 322 according to the industrial vertical, thereby allowing the project analysis component 210 to select the appropriate set of standards to be applied to the control project 306. Standard Definition 322 may define such industry standards as: the required amount of unused I / O that must be retained as spare capacity; emissions or energy consumption requirements; safety integrity level (SIL) requirements; interlocks or permissions that should be associated with a given type of control operation (e.g., associating a "valve open" command with the fill level of a tank; preventing a machine start command until a specified safety interlock is satisfied); or other such standards.

[0079] Example internal standards that may be recorded in the customer's factory standards 314 and applied to control items 306 may include, but are not limited to: control coding standards (as described above in conjunction with Figure 4 described), preferred suppliers whose equipment is approved for use within the plant, safety interlocks or permits associated with certain control functions, or other such standards.

[0080] The project analysis component 210 may also perform any of the project analyses and generate any of the design feedback 406 described above as being performed by the project generation component 206. Some project analysis results may also trigger an expert support review, causing the project analysis component 210 to initiate a remote review of the project by a technical support entity with the designer's permission.

[0081] Since the control project analysis performed by the project telemetry component 208 and the project analysis component 210 can identify or infer the devices and networks that will be used by the control project 306, the project analysis component 210 can also generate an inventory of the devices or industrial assets used by the customer's project. The repository system 202 can store this asset inventory in a customer repository 324 associated with the owner of the control project 306. In addition, if any of the discovered devices or industrial assets have associated digital device profiles 316 that can be provided by the asset's supplier and stored on the supplier repository 326, the repository system 202 can retrieve these device profiles 316 from the supplier repository 326 and store the profiles 316 in the customer repository as asset models 312 corresponding to the devices. In this regard, the device profiles 316 can represent generic digital representations of the assets they represent, and the project analysis component 210 can convert these generic device profiles 316 into customized asset models 312 representing the customer's uniquely configured assets based on the project telemetry data 602. For example, a device profile 316 for a given industrial device (e.g., an industrial controller, a motor drive, a safety device, etc.) may be customized by applying the designer's specific configuration parameters for that device (obtained from the project telemetry data 602) to the device profile 316 to generate a customized asset model 312 for that device. As will be described in greater detail herein, these asset models 312 may be used as the basis for a digital twin model of an automation system, which may be used to simulate and test control projects 306.

[0082] The results of the analysis performed on the project telemetry data 602 can also be formatted and filtered for use by device providers (e.g., device suppliers, OEMs, etc.) participating in the repository system ecosystem, and the information can be provided to the device providers as device usage statistics 704. For example, for each device supplier whose devices are used in the control project 306, the project analysis component 210 can provide the supplier with data indicating which of their devices are being used and which features of those devices are being used. This data can be provided to the supplier in a manner that anonymizes the end customer and prevents the supplier from being able to view the customer's proprietary information (e.g., recipe data, production statistics, etc.). Typically, the repository system 202 protects the customer's proprietary data while granting sufficient access rights to provide services. The user interface component 204 can allow a user to easily control how proprietary data is exposed or hidden to external entities that also participate in the IDH platform.

[0083] For a given device provider, the user interface component 204 can compile these equipment or device statistics from multiple control projects 306 submitted by multiple different customers and present this aggregated equipment usage and feature utilization information in any suitable presentation format. For example, information about which of the device provider's devices or assets are being used can be presented as: a number of each asset used at a customer site, a geographic breakdown indicating where the assets are used, a chart indicating the relative popularity of the supplier's product lines, etc. Similar representations can be used to convey (as determined based on aggregated project telemetry data 602 collected from multiple end customers using the supplier's products) which features (e.g., operating modes, configuration parameters, etc.) of each of the supplier's products are being used, or how close their products are being utilized to their functional capabilities. The device supplier can use these statistical information 704 to do the following: decide whether to discontinue a product due to lack of popularity; identify potentially useful product features that are not fully utilized by their customers and should therefore be heavily promoted; decide whether to increase or decrease the memory resources, processing resources, or I / O resources of certain products based on the extent to which customers use these resources; or make other informed decisions about product design and promotion.

[0084] While some device usage statistics 704 may be presented to device providers in a manner that anonymizes end customers (e.g., for purposes of global product usage analysis), selected other such statistics 704 may be presented on a per-customer basis based on a service or licensing agreement between the device provider and its customers. For example, some device providers, such as OEMs, may offer the use of their devices as a subscription service in which customers purchase licenses for a specified degree of use of the devices (e.g., a specified number of operating cycles per month, a limited subset of available device features, etc.). In such a scenario, the project analysis component 210 may determine an estimated frequency of use of the provider's devices based on analysis of the project telemetry data 602, and make this information available to the device provider for purposes of license enforcement.

[0085] According to another type of analysis that can be applied to the project telemetry data 602, the project analysis component 210 can compare the control project 306 or its extracted project telemetry data 602 with similar archived projects 320 submitted by other end customers, and can identify aspects of the submitted control project 306 that significantly deviate from corresponding aspects of the similar archived projects 320. The user interface component 204 can then present a notification as a project suggestion 702, which indicates the abnormal aspects of the control project 306 and suggests project modifications that will bring the control project 306 into line with conventional practices. In this way, the repository system 202 can leverage collective industry expertise or common practices to provide recommendations on best practices related to the submitted control project. Various aspects of the submitted control project 306 that can be compared in this manner can include, but are not limited to: interlock design for a given type of control operation, device configuration parameters (e.g., motor drive settings, network infrastructure device settings, safety device settings, etc.), control set points, operation sequence or timing for a given type of control operation or sequence, or other such project aspects.

[0086] Some embodiments of the repository system 202 may also simulate one or more aspects of the submitted control project 306 to predict whether the control project 306 will produce the desired results associated with one or more controlled machines. This allows the control project 306 to be pre-tested before execution on a physical machine. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating simulation of a control project 306 by an IDH repository system 202. In this example, the simulation component 216 of the repository system is used as an industrial controller simulator to perform control programming defined as part of a control project 306 for a digital twin model 810 or other type of virtualization of an automation system for which the control project 306 is being developed and tested. In some embodiments, the simulation component 218 that builds and simulates the digital twin model 810 can create the digital twin model 810 based in part on asset models 312 representing industrial devices or assets that make up the automation system. As described above, these asset models 312 can be maintained on a customer repository 324 and can include device profiles 316 obtained from a vendor repository 326 and customized based on configuration data obtained from project analysis. Using these asset models 312 and the functional and / or topological relationships between the industrial assets represented by the asset models 312 inferred from the analysis of the control project 306, the simulation component 218 can generate a digital twin model 810 of the automation system against which the control project 306 can be simulated and tested.

[0087] The simulation component 218 can utilize the automation and mechanical characteristics modeled by the digital duplex model 810 to simulate aspects of the physical automation system to be monitored and regulated by the control project 306. To this end, the simulation component 218 can virtually interface the control project 306 with the digital duplex model 810 to facilitate the exchange of analog I / O data between the control project 306 (e.g., the control code included in the control project 306) and the digital duplex model 810, thereby simulating real-world control. The simulation component 218 generates digital and analog I / O values ​​based on the static and dynamic characteristics of the physical system modeled by the digital duplex model 810, which represent sensor outputs, metering outputs, or other plant data similar to the data expected to be generated by the physical system. The simulated output data 804 is provided to the simulation component 216, which receives the data 804 as one or more virtual physical inputs. The control project 306 processes these inputs according to the user-defined control code defined in the project 306 and generates digital and / or analog controller output data 802 based on the processing. The output data 802 represents the physical output that would be generated by an industrial controller or other type of control device executing control code and transmitted to a hardwired field device comprising an automation system (e.g., PID loop control output, solenoid actuation output, motor control output, actuator control output, robot control output, etc.). The controller output data 802 is provided to the appropriate input points of the digital duplex model 810, which updates the analog output data 804 accordingly.

[0088] In addition to generating the simulation output data 804, the simulation component 218 can also generate asset response data 806 based on the expected behavior of the modeled industrial asset in response to the simulated controller output data 802 and the analysis of the simulated data exchange. For example, based on the automation and mechanical characteristics of the industrial asset modeled in the digital twin model 810, the simulation component 218 can predict the expected behavior of the modeled industrial asset and the behavior of the product being manufactured by the asset in response to the controller output data 802, and transmit the predicted behavior as the asset response data 806. Example behaviors represented by the asset response data 806 can include, but are not limited to: the movement of products through the industrial asset (including speed, acceleration, position, hysteresis, etc.), the flow rate of fluids through the asset, the expected energy consumption of the asset, the expected degradation rate of the mechanical components of the asset (based in part on the friction coefficient information defined in the asset model 312), the expected forces applied to the corresponding components of the asset during operation, or other such behaviors.

[0089] The user interface component 204 can generate and present simulation results 808 on a client device based on the simulated performance results. These simulation results 808 can include simulated operating statistics of the automation system (e.g., product throughput, expected machine downtime frequency, energy consumption, network traffic, expected machine or equipment life cycle, etc.). In some embodiments, the asset response data 806 can be provided to the project analysis component 210, which can determine whether any of the simulated asset responses deviate from an acceptable or expected range, which can be defined in a functional specification stored on the customer repository 324. Based on the results of this evaluation, the user interface component 204 can notify the user of any predicted deviations from the expected operating range and present suggestions for modifications to the control project 306 that can bring the expected performance within the defined tolerances.

[0090] At the end of a new design cycle, the repository system 202 may also generate project handover and validation documentation for the new controls project. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the generation of a handover document 902 by the IDH repository system 202. Based on the analysis of the completed control project 306, the project document component 212 of the repository system can generate various project documents 902, including but not limited to: approval documents, safety verification checklists, I / O checkout documents, and audit trails. At least some of the documents 902 can be generated based on information stored in the customer repository 324. For example, the project document component 212 can generate an I / O checkout document for the control project based on knowledge of devices connected to the control system I / O as determined according to the control project 306 and information about these devices obtained from the asset model 312 corresponding to these devices. Similarly, a safety verification checklist can be generated based on asset-specific safety requirements defined in the asset model 312. Some documents 902 can also be generated based on internal approval requirements defined in the factory standard 314. For example, these approval requirements can specify the personnel who must sign their approval for various aspects of the control project.

[0091] Some documents 212 may also be generated based on vertical-specific security or audit standards defined in the standards definitions 322 of the knowledge base 328. In this regard, some industrial verticals may require compliance with regulations that dictate how electronic records related to the engineering and operation of automated systems are collected and stored, how electronic signatures are obtained for automated systems, what types of documents must be collected for audit purposes, etc. For example, plant facilities operating within the food and drug industries are required to maintain records in accordance with 21 CFR Part 11. Thus, the project documentation component 212 may identify the types of project documentation required to control the project 306 based on the industrial vertical for which the project 306 is being designed and the standards definitions 322 that define the documentation requirements for that vertical.

[0092] In some implementations, the IDH repository system 202 can also manage digital or electronic signatures associated with the validation checklists generated by the project documentation component 212 . Fig.10 is a diagram illustrating the collection of digital signatures by the repository system 202 according to one or more embodiments. In this example, a digital verification list 1008 has been transmitted to a client device 1006 associated with a person who is required to sign off on various aspects of a control project 302. The verification checklist is interactive so that each user can submit a digital signature 1004 for a corresponding item on the verification checklist 1008 via interaction with the checklist. At the repository system 202, the digital signature 1004 is received from the client device, and the project document component 212 maintains a record of the received signatures 1004 as signature tracking data 1002, which tracks which signatures 1004 have been received for each item on the verification checklist and from whom the signatures 1004 have been received. The signature tracking data 1002 can then be referenced for audit purposes. In some implementations, the repository system can be configured to deploy components of the control project 306 (e.g., control code, HMI visualization applications, device configurations, etc.) to their corresponding field devices only after all necessary signatures 1004 indicating approval of those components have been received.

[0093] The IDH repository system 202 may also be used to archive past and current versions of the control project 306 and perform related version control and analysis functions. Fig.11306 to be archived with an older project version 310. In this example, the customer repository 324 archives past and current versions of the control project 306 as project versions 310. The new version of the control project 306 may be the result of a modification to the control code, an upgrade to device firmware, an addition to the control project 306 to accommodate a new device, or other such changes to the control project. Archiving the current and past versions of the control project 306 allows project development to be recorded within the repository system, and also allows any version of the control project 306 to be selected and deployed to the automation system as part of a disaster recovery process in the event that a portion of the control project executed on the shop floor is lost and must be reinstalled or if a new version of the control project 306 does not perform as required and the previous version must be redeployed. These functions may be managed by the asset recovery component 214 of the repository system.

[0094] In some embodiments, when a new version of a control project 306 is submitted to the IDH repository system 202, the asset recovery component 214 can analyze the new version of the control project 306 using one or more previous versions 310 stored in the customer repository 324, and can identify any potential new issues introduced in the new version relative to the previous version. The asset recovery component 214 can also apply customer-defined project analysis queries defined in the plant standard and generic project analysis queries defined as part of the standard definition 322 stored in the knowledge base 328 of the repository system to the new version of the control project 306. These generic queries and custom queries can be configured to identify specific design scenarios within the control project 306 that may result in non-preferred control performance. The asset recovery component 214 can present the results of these project analyses as recommendations 1102.

[0095] In some embodiments, if an upgrade to a software application used by a control project 306 is available, a customer may submit a current version of their control project (e.g., vX) for upgrading to a newer version (e.g., vY). The asset recovery component 214 may also be configured to manage these upgrades. When a customer uploads a control project 306 to be upgraded to the repository system 202, the asset recovery component 214 may analyze the control project 306 and perform the upgrade, thereby performing any file conversions required to perform the vX to vY upgrade. As part of the upgrade, the asset recovery component 214 may also apply any of the project analyses discussed above (e.g., analyses similar to those applied by the project analysis component 210) to the uploaded control project 306. When the upgrade is complete, the asset recovery component 214 may provide the upgraded control project files, along with recommendations (e.g., the project recommendations 702 described above) for improving the operation of the control system or optimizing resource utilization of the control project 306 itself.

[0096] The storage and deployment features of the repository system may allow users to deploy different versions of the same control project at different industrial facilities by allowing multiple versions of the control project to be archived in the customer repository 324 and deployed to the plant floor equipment as needed. Since different versions of the control project 306 may be necessary for execution at different customer sites, this functionality may be useful for system integrators or other control solution providers serving multiple customers with different sets of industrial assets on which the control project 306 will be executed.

[0097] The asset recovery component 214 may also implement cybersecurity features that verify the authenticity of the submitted control project 306 to ensure that the project 306 is developed and submitted by a reliable source. This authentication may be based in part on program code similarity. For example, when a new version of a control project 306 is submitted, the asset recovery component 214 may compare the new version with one or more previous project versions 310 previously submitted to the repository system 202 and archived by the repository system 202. If the comparison produces a determination that the new version is significantly different from the previous version 310 uploaded by the same customer entity, the asset recovery component 214 may mark the newly submitted control project 305 and initiate a secure notification to a trusted person associated with the customer requesting review and authorization of the new version. In some embodiments, the asset recovery component 214 may also prevent the deployment of a new version of the control project unless authorization from a trusted person is received. The asset recovery component 214 may also authenticate the new control project 306 based on compliance or deviation from known coding types and standards for the customer, which may be recorded in the customer repository 324 as part of the factory standard 314.

[0098] Some embodiments of the IDH repository system 202 may also provide "backup as a service" for industrial asset configuration files or project files. Fig.121 is a diagram illustrating intelligent backup of device configuration data 1206 to an IDH repository system 202. In some embodiments, a software agent located within a customer facility can find supported industrial devices or assets (e.g., assets installed in a control cabinet 1204) and initiate a backup of the device configuration data 1206 installed on these devices. The device configuration data 1206 may include control codes, configuration parameter settings, HMI applications, or other such control project data. In some embodiments, these software agents can be deployed and managed by an intelligent gateway device 1202 residing on a factory network 166, and these software agents serve as gateways or edge devices that connect industrial assets on the factory floor to the IDH repository system 202. In such an embodiment, the intelligent gateway device 1202 can transmit a copy of the device configuration data 1206 to the IDH repository system 202, and the asset recovery component 214 can store a backup of the device configuration data 1206 in the customer repository 324 as part of the customer's stored project version 310.

[0099] Project backups can also be configured to be version-driven, such that the asset recovery component 214 uploads and archives modifications to the control project in response to detecting modifications to the project on the factory floor (e.g., when a factory engineer modifies ladder logic on an industrial controller via a direct connection to the controller). In yet another scenario, backups of asset configuration files can be scheduled such that the asset recovery component 214 retrieves and archives current device configurations at a defined time or according to a defined backup frequency.

[0100] By archiving backups of control items in the customer repository 324, in the event of a disaster, the device configuration is restored based on the last known backup. Fig.13 1 is a diagram showing an example recovery process that can be initiated by the IDH repository system 202. In this example, the industrial environment includes one or more industrial controllers 118, HMI 114, motor drivers 1306, servers running higher-level applications (e.g., ERP, MES, etc.), and other such industrial assets. These industrial assets are connected to a factory network 116 (e.g., a common industrial protocol network, an Ethernet / IP network, etc.), which facilitates data exchange between industrial devices on the factory floor. The factory network 116 can be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0101] When the control project 306 is to be deployed during a recovery operation, the project 306 can be entrusted to the plant facility via a secure connection between the intelligent gateway device 1202 and the cloud platform on which the repository system 202 resides. The asset recovery component 214 can convert the archived control project 306 into one or more appropriate executable files - control program files 1302, visualization applications 1304, device configuration files 1308, system configuration files, etc. - and deploy these files to appropriate devices in the plant facility to facilitate deployment or recovery of the control project.

[0102] The backup and restore architecture may also be used to upload system configurations from one facility and deploy them to another facility, or may be used to upload configurations from an OEM and deploy them to a customer site. As part of the deployment process, the asset recovery component 214 may first poll the target devices on the factory floor to verify that those devices are capable of supporting and executing the control project files being deployed.

[0103] By providing a common storage and analysis platform on which multiple customers can upload and evaluate their control solutions, the IDH repository system 202 can accelerate modern automation development by creating an open ecosystem for engineers to share and reuse code from private and public repositories - this allows engineers to easily manage and collaborate on their own content and content from others they trust to accelerate core control development.

[0104] Figure 14 to Figure 15b Various methods according to one or more embodiments of the present subject application are shown. Although one or more methods shown in this article are shown and described as a series of actions for the purpose of simplifying the description, it should be understood and recognized that the present subject invention is not limited by the order of these actions, because some actions can occur in different orders and / or occur simultaneously with other actions in the actions shown and described in this article accordingly. For example, it will be understood and recognized by those skilled in the art that the method can be alternatively represented as a series of interrelated states or events, such as represented by a state diagram. In addition, it may not be necessary for all the actions shown to realize the method according to the present invention. In addition, when different entities implement the different parts of the method, (one or more) interaction diagrams can represent the method according to the present subject disclosure. In addition, two or more of the disclosed example methods can be realized in combination with each other to realize one or more features or advantages described herein.

[0105] Fig.14An exemplary method 1400 for providing real-time design feedback for an industrial control project using a cloud-based IDH repository system during development is shown. First, at 1402, design data is received via interaction with a cloud-based IDH repository system. The design data may specify control aspects of a control system for monitoring and controlling an industrial automation system, and may be received in the form of an industrial control program (e.g., ladder logic, sequential function charts, scripted control code such as industrial DSL, etc.), HMI screen development input, industrial equipment or device selection and configuration data (e.g., device configuration parameter values), or other such design inputs. In some embodiments, the design data may be submitted to the IDH repository system via interaction with a control system development platform served by the repository system for client devices, wherein the development platform includes development tools for programming industrial control code, designing HMI interface displays, setting device parameters, or other such design operations.

[0106] At 1404, during the receipt of design data (that is, while the user proceeds with control project development), the repository system monitors the design data according to one or more defined factory standards or industry-specific design criteria stored on the repository system. Factory standards may be uploaded to the repository system by an engineer or administrator at a factory facility and stored in a customer-specific repository, and the factory standards may define such engineering standards as preferred control code formats, the order in which certain control sequences are executed, control interlocks that must be in place before certain control actions can be executed, allowable control set point ranges, preferred equipment operating ranges or configuration parameters, preferred network settings, or other such engineering standards and preferences. Factory standards may also define standards specific to the control project being developed, including functional specifications or safety validation requirements.

[0107] Industry-specific guidelines may also be stored and maintained on the repository system and may be categorized according to the relevant industry vertical. These industry-specific guidelines may specify, for example, emission or energy consumption requirements, required safety integrity levels, industry standard interlocks, or other such standards.

[0108] At 1406, it is determined whether a portion of the design data received at step 1402 deviates from a factory standard or design criteria based on the monitoring performed at step 1404. These deviations may include, for example, non-compliance with approved control coding practices, insufficient safety interlocks associated with control operations, equipment configuration settings that are beyond the approved range, or other such deviations. If no such deviation is detected ("No" at step 1406), the method returns to step 1402 and steps 1402 to 1406 are repeated. Alternatively, if a deviation is detected ("Yes" at step 1406), the method proceeds to step 1408, in which the IDH repository system presents design feedback based on the deviation. The feedback can notify the designer of the deviation and provide suggestions for modifying the design in a manner that complies with factory-specific criteria and industry-specific criteria.

[0109] Fig.15a A first portion of an example method 1500a for performing control project analysis on an uploaded control project and collecting vendor-specific equipment usage statistics based on the results of the analysis is shown. First, at 1502, a control project is received at a cloud-based IDH repository system. A control project may be uploaded by a customer (e.g., an authorized person at a plant facility where the control project operates) for archiving or analysis purposes, or automatically archived to a repository system as part of a backup and recovery process. A control project includes control programming and device configuration data for programming and configuring an industrial control system at a plant facility.

[0110] At 1504, project telemetry data is extracted from the control project by the repository system. The project telemetry data may include, for example, an inventory of devices that make up the control system, I / O utilization of the devices, network resources used by the control system (e.g., communication bandwidth), predicted device lifecycle information, the frequency of expected operating cycles of one or more devices, the expected processing load on one or more devices due to execution of the control project, the expected amount of device memory consumed as a result of execution of the control project, a subset of available features of the devices being used by the control project, or other such telemetry.

[0111] At 1506, analysis is performed on the project telemetry data extracted at step 1504 in view of at least one of a defined plant standard, industry-specific design criteria, a digital asset model, or similar archived control projects stored on the repository system. For example, the submitted control project can be evaluated for deviations from plant-specific or industry-specific design standards and criteria, as discussed in step 1406 in method 1400. The repository system can also compare the control project to a subset of other archived control projects that perform control functions similar to those of the submitted project (e.g., projects designed to control similar machinery within similar industries or otherwise perform similar control functions) to determine whether portions of the control project design deviate from a more general design approach for similar control functions.

[0112] The repository system may also access digital asset models representing devices used in the control project (and identified in the telemetry data) to determine how the devices are used with respect to the design specifications and available features. For example, based on information maintained on the device-specific asset models, the repository system may determine: what percentage of the device's available I / O is currently being used by the control project, what percentage of the device's available memory or processing power will be consumed by the control project (e.g., as a result of executing the proposed control code), which of the device's available features are not being used by the control project, or other such statistics.

[0113] At 1508, a determination is made as to whether the analysis performed at step 1506 identified an opportunity to improve a performance metric of the control project. If such an opportunity is identified ("yes" at step 1508), the method proceeds to step 1510, where the repository system proposes modifications to the control project based on the analysis results. These suggestions include, for example, suggestions to reduce memory or processing utilization of one or more devices of the control system, suggestions to modify the control project in a manner that extends the expected life cycle of the device (e.g., by reducing the operating frequency of the device), indications of unused device features that could improve performance if utilized, or other such suggestions.

[0114] The method then proceeds to Fig.15bSecond portion 1500b shown. At 1512, a subset of project telemetry data related to industrial equipment or assets provided by a particular equipment supplier (extracted at step 1504) is stored in a supplier repository associated with the supplier. The subset of telemetry data may include, for example: which of the supplier's equipment is being used by the control project, which available features of the equipment are being used and which are not being used, how closely the equipment is being operated to its maximum operating limits (e.g., in terms of memory, processing power, speed, etc.), or other such information. At 1514, supplier-specific statistics collected from project telemetry data for multiple submitted control projects are aggregated by the repository system and stored in the supplier repository. These supplier-specific statistics are related to industrial assets provided by the supplier and are used in multiple customer facilities participating in the IDH repository platform. At 1516, the repository system provides access to the aggregated supplier-specific statistics to entities associated with the supplier. These statistics may include, for example, the number of each of the supplier's products deployed at customer locations, how the products are used in the field, the extent to which features of the supplier's products are used, how closely the supplier's products are operated to its engineering capabilities, the geographic locations in which the supplier's respective products are used, or other such statistics.

[0115] The embodiments, systems and components described herein, as well as the control systems and automation environments in which the various aspects set forth in this specification may be performed, may include: computers or network components capable of interacting across a network, such as servers, clients, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), automation controllers, communication modules, mobile computers, onboard computers for mobile vehicles, wireless components, control components, etc. Computers and servers include one or more processors (electronic integrated circuits that use electrical signals to perform logical operations) configured to execute instructions stored in a medium, such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive, and a removable memory device, which may include a memory stick, a memory card, a flash drive, an external hard disk drive, etc.

[0116] Similarly, the term PLC or automation controller as used herein may include functions that can be shared across multiple components, systems and / or networks. As an example, one or more PLCs or automation controllers may communicate and collaborate with various network devices across a network. This may essentially include any type of control device, communication module, computer, input / output (I / O) device, sensor, actuator and human-machine interface (HMI) that communicates via a network, including a control network, an automation network and / or a public network. A PLC or automation controller may also communicate and control various other devices, such as standard or safety-rated I / O modules, including analog, digital, programmable / intelligent I / O modules, other programmable controllers, communication modules, sensors, actuators, output devices, etc.

[0117] The network may include a public network, such as the Internet, an intranet, and an automation network, such as a control and information protocol (CIP) network, including a device network (DeviceNet), a control network (ControlNet), a safety network, and Ethernet / IP. Other networks include Ethernet, DH / DH+, remote I / O, fieldbus, Modbus, Profibus, CAN (controller area network), wireless networks, serial protocols, open platform communication unified architecture (OPC-UA), etc. In addition, network devices may include various possibilities (hardware and / or software components). These include components such as switches with virtual local area network (VLAN) capabilities, LANs, WANs, agents, gateways, routers, firewalls, virtual private network (VPN) devices, servers, clients, computers, configuration tools, monitoring tools, and / or other devices.

[0118] To provide context for various aspects of the disclosed subject matter, Fig.16 and Fig.17 The following discussion is intended to provide a brief general description of a suitable environment in which various aspects of the disclosed subject matter may be implemented. Although the above embodiments are described in the general context of computer-executable instructions that may be run on one or more computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that other program modules may also be combined and / or implemented as a combination of software and hardware.

[0119] Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods of the present invention may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including single-processor or multi-processor computer systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, distributed computing systems, as well as personal computers, handheld computing devices, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, etc., each of which may be operably coupled to one or more associated devices.

[0120] The embodiments shown herein may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where certain tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

[0121] Computing devices typically include various media, which may include computer-readable storage media, machine-readable storage media, and / or communication media, which terms are used differently from each other in this article as follows. Computer-readable storage media or machine-readable storage media can be any available storage media that can be accessed by a computer, and include volatile media and non-volatile media, removable media and non-removable media. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable storage media or machine-readable storage media can be implemented in conjunction with any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions or machine-readable instructions, program modules, structured data, or unstructured data.

[0122] Computer readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray disk (BD) or other optical disk storage device, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage device or other magnetic storage device, solid-state drive or other solid-state storage device, or other tangible and / or non-transitory media that can be used to store the desired information. In this regard, the terms "tangible" or "non-transitory" as applied to storage devices, memories, or computer-readable media herein should be understood as modifiers that exclude only propagating transient signals themselves, and do not disclaim the right to all standard storage devices, memories, or computer-readable media that are not merely propagating transient signals themselves.

[0123] Computer-readable storage media may be accessed by one or more local or remote computing devices (eg, via access requests, queries, or other data retrieval protocols for various operations regarding information stored by the media).

[0124] Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other structured or unstructured data in a data signal such as a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery or transmission media. The term "modulated data signal" or signal refers to a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in a manner that encodes information in one or more signals. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media include wired media such as a wired network or direct wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media.

[0125] Refer again Fig.16 , an example environment 1600 for implementing various embodiments of aspects described herein includes a computer 1602, which includes a processing unit 1604, a system memory 1606, and a system bus 1608. The system bus 1608 couples system components to the processing unit 1604, including but not limited to the system memory 1606. The processing unit 1604 can be any of a variety of commercially available processors. Dual microprocessors and other multi-processor architectures can also be used as the processing unit 1604.

[0126] The system bus 1608 may be any of several types of bus structures: it may also interconnect to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures. The system memory 1606 includes ROM 1610 and RAM 1612. A basic input / output system (BIOS) may be stored in a nonvolatile memory such as ROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an EEPROM, wherein the BIOS contains the basic routines that help transfer information between elements within the computer 1602, such as during startup. The RAM 1612 may also include a high-speed RAM such as a static RAM for caching data.

[0127] The computer 1602 also includes an internal hard disk drive (HDD) 1614 (e.g., EIDE, SATA), one or more external storage devices 1616 (e.g., a magnetic floppy disk drive (FDD) 1616, a memory stick or flash drive reader, a memory card reader, etc.), and an optical drive 1620 (e.g., which can read and write from a CD-ROM disk, a DVD, a BD, etc.). Although the internal HDD 1614 is shown as being located within the computer 1602, the internal HDD 1614 can also be configured for use outside of a suitable chassis (not shown). In addition, although not shown in the environment 1600, a solid state drive (SSD) can be used in addition to or in place of the HDD 1614. The HDD 1614, the external storage device 1616, and the optical drive 1620 can be connected to the system bus 1608 via a HDD interface 1624, an external storage interface 1626, and an optical drive interface 1628, respectively. The interface 1624 for external drive implementations may include at least one or both of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 interface technologies. Other external drive connection technologies are within contemplation of the embodiments described herein.

[0128] The drives and their associated computer-readable storage media provide non-volatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc. For the computer 1602, the drives and storage media accommodate the storage of any data in an appropriate digital format. Although the above description of computer-readable storage media refers to various types of storage devices, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that other types of computer-readable storage media, whether currently existing or developed in the future, may also be used in the example operating environment, and further, any such storage media may contain computer-executable instructions for performing the methods described herein.

[0129] A number of program modules may be stored in the drives and RAM 1612, including an operating system 1630, one or more application programs 1632, other program modules 1634, and program data 1636. All or portions of the operating system, applications, modules, and / or data may also be cached in RAM 1612. Various commercially available operating systems or combinations of operating systems may be used to implement the systems and methods described herein.

[0130] Computer 1602 may optionally include emulation technology. For example, a hypervisor (not shown) or other intermediary may emulate the hardware environment for operating system 1630, and the emulated hardware may optionally be different from the hardware of the operating system 1630. Fig.16. In such an embodiment, operating system 1630 may include one of a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) hosted at computer 1602. In addition, operating system 1630 may provide a runtime environment, such as a Java runtime environment or a .NET framework, for application 1632. A runtime environment is a consistent execution environment that allows application 1632 to run on any operating system that includes a runtime environment. Similarly, operating system 1630 may support containers, and application 1632 may be in the form of a container, which is a lightweight, stand-alone, executable software package that includes, for example, code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings for an application.

[0131] In addition, the computer 1602 may be enabled with a security module such as a trusted processing module (TPM). For example, with a TPM, the boot component hashes the next boot component in time and waits for the result to match a security value before loading the next boot component. This process may occur at any layer in the code execution stack of the computer 1602, such as at the application execution level or at the operating system (OS) kernel level, thereby achieving security at any level of code execution.

[0132] A user may enter commands and information into the computer 1602 through one or more wired / wireless input devices, such as a keyboard 1638, a touch screen 1640, and a pointing device such as a mouse 1642. Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, an infrared (IR) remote control, a radio frequency (RF) remote control or other remote control, a joystick, a virtual reality controller and / or a virtual reality headset, a game controller, a stylus, an image input device such as a camera, a gesture sensor input device, a visual motion sensor input device, an emotion or facial detection device, a biometric input device such as a fingerprint or iris scanner, and the like. These and other input devices are typically connected to the processing unit 1604 through an input device interface 1644, which may be coupled to the system bus 1608, but may also be connected through other interfaces, such as a parallel port, an IEEE 1394 serial port, a game port, a USB port, an IR port, a Interfaces, etc.

[0133] A monitor 1644 or other type of display device may also be connected to the system bus 1608 via an interface, such as a video adapter 1646. In addition to the monitor 1644, computers typically include other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as speakers, printers, and the like.

[0134] The computer 1602 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections via wired and / or wireless communications to one or more remote computers, such as remote computers 1648. The remote computers 1648 can be workstations, server computers, routers, personal computers, portable computers, microprocessor-based entertainment instruments, peer devices, or other common network nodes, and typically include many or all of the elements described with respect to the computer 1602, although for simplicity, only a memory / storage device 1650 is shown. The depicted logical connections include wired / wireless connections to a local area network (LAN) 1652 and / or larger networks such as a wide area network (WAN) 1654. Such LAN and WAN networking environments are common in offices and companies, and facilitate enterprise-wide computer networks such as intranets, all of which can be connected to a global communication network, such as the Internet.

[0135] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 1602 can be connected to the local network 1652 through a wired and / or wireless communication network interface or adapter 1656. The adapter 1656 can facilitate wired or wireless communication with the LAN 1652, which can also include a wireless access point (AP) disposed thereon for communicating with the adapter 1656 in a wireless mode.

[0136] When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 1602 may include a modem 1658, or may be connected to a communications server on the WAN 1654 via other means for establishing communications over the WAN 1654 (e.g., through the Internet). The modem 1658, which may be internal or external and a wired or wireless device, may be connected to the system bus 1608 via the input device interface 1642. In a networking environment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 1602, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory / storage device 1650. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are examples and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.

[0137] When used in a LAN or WAN networking environment, the computer 1602 may access a cloud storage system or other network-based storage system in addition to or in place of the external storage devices 1616 described above. Typically, a connection between the computer 1602 and the cloud storage system may be established through the LAN 1652 or WAN 1654, for example, through an adapter 1656 or a modem 1658, respectively. When the computer 1602 is connected to the associated cloud storage system, the external storage interface 1626 may manage the storage provided by the cloud storage system as other types of external storage with the help of the adapter 1656 and / or the modem 1658. For example, the external storage interface 1626 may be configured to provide access to cloud storage sources as if those sources were physically connected to the computer 1602.

[0138] Computer 1602 may be operable to communicate with any wireless device or entity that is operatively arranged for wireless communication, such as printers, scanners, desktop and / or portable computers, portable data assistants, communication satellites, any device or location associated with a wirelessly detectable tag (e.g., a kiosk, newsstand, store shelf, etc.), and telephones. This may include Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Wireless technology. Thus, the communication can be a predefined structure like a conventional network or just an ad hoc communication between at least two devices.

[0139] Fig.17 1700 is a schematic block diagram of a sample computing environment 1700 with which the disclosed subject matter can interact. The sample computing environment 1700 includes one or more clients 1702. The client 1702 can be hardware and / or software (e.g., a thread, a process, a computing device). The sample computing environment 1700 also includes one or more servers 1704. The server 1704 can also be hardware and / or software (e.g., a thread, a process, a computing device). For example, the server 1704 can accommodate threads to perform conversions by adopting one or more embodiments described herein. One possible communication between the client 1702 and the server 1704 can be in the form of a data packet suitable for transmission between two or more computer processes. The sample computing environment 1700 includes a communication framework 1706, which can be used to facilitate communication between the client 1702 and the server 1704. The client 1702 is operably connected to one or more client data storages 1708, which can be used to store information local to the client 1702. Similarly, the server 1704 may be operably connected to one or more server data stores 1710 , which may be used to store information local to the server 1704 .

[0140] What has been described above includes examples of the present invention. Of course, it is not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methods for the purpose of describing the disclosed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the subject invention are possible. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter is intended to cover all such changes, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0141] In particular, with respect to the various functions performed by the above-described components, devices, circuits, systems, etc., unless otherwise indicated, the terms used to describe such components (including references to "means") are intended to correspond to any component (e.g., a functional equivalent) that performs the specified function of the described component, even if the component is not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure that performs the functions of the exemplary aspects shown herein of the disclosed subject matter. In this regard, it will also be recognized that the disclosed subject matter includes computer-readable media and systems having computer-executable instructions for performing the actions and / or events of the various methods of the disclosed subject matter.

[0142] Additionally, while particular features of the disclosed subject matter may have been disclosed for only one of several implementations, such features may be combined with one or more other features in other implementations as may be desirable and advantageous for any given or particular application. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "containing" and "including" and variations thereof are used in the detailed description or claims, these terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising."

[0143] In this application, the word "exemplary" is used to mean used as an example, instance or illustration. Any aspect or design described in this article as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be interpreted as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a concrete way.

[0144] Various aspects or features described herein may be implemented as methods, devices or articles of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term "article of manufacture" as used herein is intended to include a computer program that can be accessed from any computer-readable device, carrier or medium. For example, a computer-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, a magnetic storage device (e.g., a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic stripe ...), an optical disk (e.g., a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD) ...), a smart card, and a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive ...).

Claims

1. A system for developing industrial applications, comprising: a memory storing executable components; as well as A processor, operatively coupled to the memory, the processor executing the executable components, the executable components comprising: A user interface component configured to: present a development interface on a client device via a cloud platform, and receive design input via interaction with the development interface, the design input comprising at least control programming and device configuration data for monitoring and controlling one or more industrial devices of an industrial automation system; and a project generation component configured to generate control project data based on the design input, wherein the control project data is deployable to the one or more industrial devices to facilitate configuration and programming of the one or more industrial devices; wherein the project generation component is further configured to: present design feedback on the client device via the cloud platform during receipt of the design input based on a comparison of the design input with at least one of a plant-specific standard definition stored in a customer-specific repository of the cloud platform or an industry-specific standard definition stored in a knowledge base of the cloud platform, and Wherein, the system is configured as follows: maintaining a plurality of customer-specific repositories that are accessible only to users associated with respective different industrial enterprises, and The knowledge base is managed for access by a plurality of industrial enterprises.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the plant-specific standard definition or the industry-specific standard definition defines a control code format standard, and the project generation component is configured to present as the design feedback an indication that a portion of the control programming does not conform to the control code format standard.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein: The indication includes at least one of: a notification of excessive levels of code nesting, an indication of excessive repeated code, an indication of improper code indentation, or an indication of a variable name that does not conform to preferred naming terminology, and The design feedback includes suggestions for alternative programming methods that cause the control programming to comply with the control code format standard.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The project generation component is also configured to: identifying control coding preferences based on analysis of previously written control programming stored as archived control projects in the customer-specific repository, and In response to identifying a portion of the control programming that deviates from the control encoding preference, presenting as part of the design feedback: an indication of the portion of the control programming that deviates from the control encoding preference, and a suggestion for modifying the portion of the control programming in a manner that conforms to the control encoding preference.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein: The control encoding preference is at least one of: a control code indentation preference, a preferred use of call statements, a rung comment preference, a variable naming preference, an I / O naming preference, a preferred sequence of operations associated with control of a machine type, or a preferred interlock associated with performance of control operations.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The project generation component is also configured to: Identify common control coding practices based on analysis of archived control projects received from multiple different clients, and In response to identifying a portion of the control programming that deviates from the common control coding practice, presenting as part of the design feedback: an indication of the portion of the control programming that deviates from the common control coding practice, and a suggestion for modifying the portion of the control programming in a manner that is consistent with the common control coding practice.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The system is configured to maintain a plurality of vendor-specific repositories storing digital device profiles representing industrial assets provided by respective different device vendors, and The project generation component is further configured to generate a portion of the design feedback based on a comparison of the design input to one or more digital device configuration files corresponding to devices identified in the design input.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The project generation component is also configured to: identifying, based on the analysis of the design inputs, modifications to the control programming or the device configuration data that reduce expected memory consumption or processing load associated with executing the control program data on the one or more industrial devices, and Suggestions for implementing the modifications are presented as part of the design feedback.

9. A method for providing design feedback during development of an industrial control system, comprising: presenting, by a system including at least one processor residing on a cloud platform, a development interface on a client device communicatively connected to the cloud platform; receiving, by the system via interaction with the development interface, design input comprising at least control programming and device configuration data for one or more industrial devices; generating, by the system, control project data based on the design input, wherein the control project data is executable on the one or more industrial devices to facilitate configuration and programming of the one or more industrial devices to monitor and control an industrial automation system; generating, by the system on the client device, during receipt of the design input, design feedback based on a comparison of the design input with at least one of a plant-specific standard definition stored in a customer-specific repository of the cloud platform or an industry-specific standard definition stored in a knowledge base of the cloud platform; and presenting the design feedback on the development interface by the system, Wherein, the method further comprises: A plurality of customer-specific repositories are maintained by the system, the plurality of customer-specific repositories being accessible only to users associated with respective different industrial enterprises; and The knowledge base is managed for access by a plurality of industrial enterprises.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: At least one of the plant-specific standard definition or the industry-specific standard definition defines a control code format standard, and The generating includes generating, as part of the design feedback, an indication that a portion of the control programming does not conform to the control code format standard.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Generating the indication includes generating at least one of: a notification of excessive levels of code nesting, an indication of excessive repeated code, an indication of improper code indentation, or an indication of a variable name that does not conform to preferred naming terminology; and The generating further includes generating a suggestion of an alternative programming method as part of the design feedback, the alternative programming method causing the control programming to comply with the control code format standard.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: identifying, by the system, control coding preferences based on analysis of previously written control programming stored as archived control projects in the customer-specific repository, and In response to identifying a portion of the control programming that deviates from the control encoding preference, the system presents as part of the design feedback: an indication of the portion of the control programming that deviates from the control encoding preference, and a suggestion for modifying the portion of the control programming in a manner that conforms to the control encoding preference.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The control encoding preference is at least one of: a control code indentation preference, a preferred use of call statements, a rung comment preference, a variable naming preference, an I / O naming preference, a preferred sequence of operations associated with control of a machine type, or a preferred interlock associated with performance of control operations.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: identifying, by the system, common control coding practices based on analysis of archived control items received from a plurality of different customers, and In response to identifying a portion of the control programming that deviates from the common control coding practice, the system presents as part of the design feedback: an indication of the portion of the control programming that deviates from the common control coding practice, and a suggestion for modifying the portion of the control programming in a manner that is consistent with the common control coding practice.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: A plurality of vendor-specific repositories are maintained by the system, the plurality of vendor-specific repositories storing digital device profiles representing industrial assets provided by respective different device vendors; as well as A portion of the design feedback is generated by the system based on a comparison of the design input to one or more digital device configuration files corresponding to devices identified in the design input.

16. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: identifying, by the system based on an analysis of the design input, modifications to the control programming or the device configuration data that reduce expected memory consumption or processing load associated with executing the control program data on the one or more industrial devices, and Suggestions for implementing the modifications are presented by the system as part of the design feedback.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, the instructions, in response to being executed, causing a system executing on a cloud platform and comprising a processor to perform operations comprising: presenting a development interface on a client device communicatively connected to the cloud platform; receiving, via interaction with the development interface, design input comprising at least control programming and device configuration data for one or more industrial devices; generating control project data based on the design input, wherein the control project data is executable on the one or more industrial devices to facilitate configuration and programming of the one or more industrial devices to monitor and control an industrial automation system; generating, on the client device, design feedback based on a comparison of the design input with at least one of a plant-specific standard definition stored in a customer-specific repository of the cloud platform or an industry-specific standard definition stored in a knowledge base of the cloud platform during the receipt of the design input; and presenting the design feedback on the development interface, The operation further includes: maintaining a plurality of customer-specific repositories that are accessible only to users associated with respective different industrial enterprises; and The knowledge base is managed for access by a plurality of industrial enterprises.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein: At least one of the plant-specific standard definition or the industry-specific standard definition defines a control code format standard, and The generating includes generating, as part of the design feedback, an indication that a portion of the control programming does not comply with the control code formatting standard.

Images