METHODS FOR GENERATING A WIRING SCHEMATIC

Abstract

The apparatus and associated methods relate to generating a wiring diagram with more than one safety device sharing at least one test signal through one or more external terminal blocks when the number of terminals required by the safety devices exceeds the number of available terminals on a safety controller. In an illustrative example, the method might include determining a total number of safety device terminals A to be connected to a safety assessment device that has multiple terminals B. If A is greater than B, the method might include generating a wiring diagram where one or more external terminal blocks can show indications of electrical connections between an identified set of safety devices and a shared terminal of the safety assessment device associated with that set.By using this method, the number of devices that can be connected to the security assessment device can be increased.

Description

Several modalities generally refer to generating a test signal wiring scheme for connections between safety devices and a safety evaluation device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A typical machine guarding system may include safety devices (e.g., light curtains, two-hand controls, safety mats, safety laser scanners) connected to a safety assessment device to protect users from hazards identified on machines. A safety assessment device can be used during the operation of potentially hazardous machines. A safety assessment device can receive inputs from safety devices. A safety assessment device can have self-monitoring safety outputs. The safety outputs can be used to cut power to machines in a hazardous area. A safety assessment device can monitor for faults at both inputs and outputs. The proper use of safety assessment devices can increase the safety of personnel when operating potentially hazardous machines. In a machine protection system, a safety evaluation device may include a safety relay. Some systems may use two safety relays, where one relay is linked to a safety device (e.g., an emergency stop button) and the other to a different safety device (e.g., a safety light curtain). The safety relays can be configured to stop hazardous movements, for example, in response to a beam interruption in the light curtain. In various machine protection systems, a safety evaluation device may include a safety programmable logic controller (PLC) or a safety controller. Some security controllers are configurable. For example, one user might need a security controller configured only to monitor and generate alerts according to a predetermined set of instructions. Another user might need the security controller configured to monitor and respond, according to a different predetermined set of instructions, if a fault is detected. As such, configurable security controllers can offer users a wide variety of configurable options that can be set up according to their needs. bnbnnn / zznz / E / viAi BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The apparatus and associated methods relate to generating a wiring diagram with more than one safety device sharing at least one test signal through one or more external terminal blocks when the number of terminals required by the safety devices exceeds the number of available terminals on a safety controller. In an illustrative example, the method might include determining the total number of A-terminals of safety devices to be connected to the safety controller, which has multiple B-terminals. If A is greater than B, the method might include generating a wiring diagram where one or more external terminal blocks can show indications of electrical connections between an identified set of safety devices and a shared terminal of the safety assessment device associated with that set.By using this method, the number of devices that can be connected to the security assessment device can be increased. Several configurations can achieve one or more advantages. For example, some configurations (such as applying the Automatic Terminal Optimization (ATO) feature with external terminal blocks) can generate a wiring scheme that allows the terminals of a safety controller to be shared by different safety devices, thus saving terminals on the safety controller. In some configurations, a test circuit can be cost-effective since device inventories and prices can be considered during the wiring scheme design. In some configurations, the safety evaluation device can be a combination of two safety relays and a safety controller, providing a cost-effective replacement for two separate safety relay modules.The safety evaluation device can be designed to have two independent, safe outputs capable of handling high current and / or a wide voltage range. Some models offer a user-friendly, configurable, and expandable safety evaluation device designed to monitor multiple safety and non-safety input devices, providing safe start and stop functions for machines with, for example, hazardous motion. The safety evaluation device can replace several safety relay modules in applications that include safety input devices such as emergency stop buttons, interlocking door switches, safety light curtains, two-hand controls, and safety mats.In some configurations, safety assessment devices can also be used instead of larger, more complex safety programmable logic controllers (PLCs) with the use of additional terminals and / or output expansion modules. In some configurations, the safety assessment device may have an intuitive programming environment to provide flexible and user-friendly functions for the dynamic field installation of safety devices to upgrade an existing machine protection system. bnbnnn / zznz / E / YiAi Figure 1 depicts an exemplary wiring scheme used in an illustrative use case scenario. In the depicted scenario 100, a robotic palletizer is protected by safety devices (e.g., safety light curtains, emergency stop buttons). There may be several safety functions involved with the robotic palletizer. It may be necessary to communicate the status of the safety devices to the operators. Status monitoring can enable operators to ensure that everything is functioning smoothly and guarantee that there are no safety risks. In this depicted example, a safety assessment device 125 can be configured to provide a protection solution and manage all the safety devices 105, 110, 115, and 120 with a module running one or more configuration profiles stored on the safety assessment device 125.The Safety Evaluation Device 125 can use test signals (e.g., test pulses) to detect a short circuit that might otherwise mask a fault in the wiring or internal components of a safety device (e.g., Safety Device 105, 110, 115, 120). A test signal can have a predefined characteristic waveform. By way of example, and not as a limitation, the waveform can have a specified frequency, amplitude, transient time, and / or duty cycle. The test signal can also be a test pattern, an analog signal, a digital signal, or a combination of signal types or waveforms. The Safety Evaluation Device 125 can detect a pulsed output across the contacts of safety devices by searching for the specific pulse signal at the assigned terminal on the Safety Evaluation Device 125.When using two-channel safety devices, the test signals can be different for channel 1 and channel 2, allowing the safety assessment device to detect a short between the channels. Test signals can be shared among different safety devices (e.g., safety devices 110, 115, 120) to advantageously save terminals for the safety evaluation device 125. In this example, the protection solution information is sent to a server 130. The server 130 may include a wiring scheme design system 140 that can be used to generate a wiring scheme with more than one safety device sharing at least one test signal through one or more external terminal blocks (ETBs) (e.g., a first ETB 145, a second ETB 150) when the number of terminals required by the safety devices exceeds the number of available terminals on a safety evaluation device, thus advantageously expanding the number of safety devices to be connected and tested. In this illustrated example, the safety evaluation device 125 includes 10 input terminals. Four of these 10 input terminals can be converted into non-safe output terminals and can be used to send test pulses to detect safety devices 105, 110, 115, and 120, which have 14 terminals. These four non-safe output terminals can be shared. The remaining six input terminals of the safety evaluation device 125 can be used as input terminals and cannot be converted or shared. In some configurations, the safety evaluation device 125 may include, for example, 26 input terminals, and eight of these input terminals can be converted. A first terminal of the safety assessment device 125 can generate a first test pulse 145a. The first external terminal block 145, which has one input and three outputs, receives the first test pulse 145a to generate three output test pulses 145b, 145c, and 145d. Each of the three output test pulses 145b, 145c, and 145d can be received, respectively, by a corresponding terminal of the safety device 110, 115, and 120. A second terminal of the safety assessment device 125 can output a second test pulse 150a. The second external terminal block 150, which has one input and three outputs, receives the second test pulse 150a to generate three output test pulses 150b, 150c, and 150d. Each of the three output test pulses 150b, 150c and 150d can be received, respectively, by a corresponding terminal of the safety device 110, 115, 120.By sharing the first test pulse 145a and the second test pulse 150a, the number of devices that can be connected to the safety assessment device can be increased. An exemplary wiring scheme design with a test signal sharing feature is described in more detail with reference to Figure 2, and an exemplary wiring scheme is described with reference to Figure 3. In some configurations, the 125 safety evaluation device may have several input terminals that can be used to monitor safety or non-safety devices. Safety or non-safety devices may incorporate solid-state or contact-based outputs, for example. Some of the input terminals may be configured to generate 24 VDC to monitor contacts or to signal the status of an input or output, for example. The function of each input circuit may depend on the type of device connected. The function can be set during configuration. In some configurations, the input terminals may be screw terminals.In various configurations, the input terminals can be spring cage terminals, tension spring terminals, for example, or they can be mechanically connected by means of clips, screws, welded joints, splices, or similar fittings suitable for making, for example, a galvanic connection. Figure 2 represents a block diagram of an exemplary wiring scheme design system architecture. The wiring scheme design system (e.g., wiring scheme design system 140) is configured to generate a wiring scheme with more than one safety device (e.g., safety devices 110, 115, 120) that share at least one test signal through one or more external terminal blocks (e.g., ETB 145, 150) when the number (e.g., 14 terminals) required by safety devices exceeds the number of available terminals (e.g., 10 terminals) of a safety evaluation device 125, for example. In some configurations, the safety evaluation device 125 may be a safety controller.In some configurations, the 125 safety evaluation device may be a combination of two safety relays and a safety controller. In this example, the wiring scheme design system 140 includes a processor 205 configured to perform predefined operations. For example, the processor 205 can retrieve and / or write data to / from non-volatile memory (NVM) 210. The NVM 210 can also include lookup tables (LUTs) to store one or more parameters / operations associated with one or more predefined criteria. The predefined criteria can include criteria corresponding to environmental parameters and status parameters of the monitored equipment, for example. In some configurations, the LUT can include inventory information about devices (for example, safety devices, safety assessment devices, and / or external terminal blocks) that will be used in the wiring scheme. In some modes, the NVM 210 can store instructions, which, when executed by the processor 205, can cause the processor 205 to perform operations to generate a wiring diagram. In some modes, a user can select the numbers and types of different security devices from the NVM 210 to be tested by a security evaluation device through the user interface 215. The operations may include determining a corresponding number of terminals A1 for each security device from security devices N to be connected to the security evaluation device and detecting a number of terminals B of the security evaluation device available to connect to the security devices N. A1 is the total number of terminals of all security devices N. N Λ = £(-4,) Í=1 When A is greater than B, the 205 processor can identify one or more sets of N security devices that can share a terminal (for example, a convertible input terminal) of the security assessment device based on the test signal compatibility among the N security devices. For each of the one or more identified sets of N security devices, the 205 processor can assign a shared terminal of the connectable security assessment device to an external terminal block and generate a wiring diagram. For each of the one or more identified sets, the external terminal block can provide an electrical connection between each of the security devices in that set and the shared terminal of the bnbnnn / zznz / E / YiAi security assessment device associated with that set.By performing different operations, test signals can be shared between different security devices and terminals can be saved. User interface 215 can be used to display different wiring scheme options, and the user can select a wiring scheme based on the inventory and / or price of the devices used in the wiring scheme, for example. The user can also enable or disable the test signal sharing feature through user interface 215. The generated wiring scheme options can be stored in a database 220. The database 220 can also contain different test signal specifications for each possible safety device. The processor 205 can retrieve different test signals and / or wiring schemes from the database as needed. In this example, the processor 205 is also coupled to a data transfer device 225. The data transfer device 225 can be a flash drive that can be used to store the selected wiring scheme, for example. Figure 3 represents an exemplary wiring diagram generated by the wiring diagram design system. In this example, the user selects a light curtain 310 and three emergency stops 320, 330, and 340 to be tested by a 10-terminal safety controller 350. The light curtain 310, which has two inputs, may require two terminals of the safety controller 350, and the three emergency stops 320, 330, and 340 may require a total of six test pulse terminals of the safety controller 350. By sharing the test pulse terminals, only two input terminals of the safety controller 350 can be used, and four input terminals of the safety controller 350 can be saved.Accordingly, the wiring scheme design system 140 can generate a wiring scheme that allows the 14 terminals of the four safety devices 310, 320, 330, 340 to be connected to the 10-terminal safety controller 350. In this illustrated wiring diagram, a first input of the three emergency stops 320, 330, and 340 shares a first test signal IO1* via a first external terminal block 360, and a second input of the three emergency stops shares a second test signal IO2* via a second external terminal block 370. Each of the first external terminal block 360 and the second external terminal block 370 has one input connected to either the first test signal IO1* or the second test signal IO2* and has three outputs connected to the three emergency stops 320, 330, and 340. By sharing terminals among the three emergency stops 320, 330, and 340, the safety controller 350 can be connected to the four safety devices, which have a total of 14 terminals, for example. In some modalities, the wiring scheme may be a list of interconnections, a list of nodes, or a wiring plan.A bnbnnn / zznz / E / YiAi designer can connect the wiring between the security controller, security devices, and ETB according to the generated wiring scheme. Figure 4 represents a flowchart to illustrate an exemplary method for generating the wiring scheme. One method, 400, includes, in 405, detecting the types of safety devices N to be analyzed by the test signals. In 410, a processor (for example, 205) determines the corresponding number of terminals for each of the selected safety devices N. A1 is the number of terminals for the i-th safety device. In some embodiments, the processor may instruct one or more sensors to identify the corresponding number of terminals A1 for safety devices N. In 415, the processor 205 detects the number B of terminals on a safety evaluation device (for example, a safety controller) that are available for connection to the safety devices. In 420, the processor 205 determines whether the total number A of terminals on all safety devices N is less than or equal to B. NA = i=i If A is less than or equal to B, then in 425, the 205 processor generates a wiring diagram with each input from each of the N safety devices that have an independent test signal. If A is not less than or equal to B, then in 430, the 205 processor determines whether a test signal sharing feature (for example, the Automatic Terminal Optimization feature) is enabled in a wiring scheme design system. If the test signal sharing feature is not enabled, then in 435 the 205 processor does not generate a wiring diagram. In some modes, the 205 processor can instruct a graphical user interface, for example, to tell the designer that the safety evaluation device does not have enough available terminals. If the test signal sharing function is enabled, then, at 440, processor 205 identifies which safety devices from the N safety devices can share a test signal. A set of safety devices can share one or more test signals. For example, when a light curtain and three emergency stops need to be tested by a 10-terminal safety controller, the processor can identify that the three emergency stops can share two test signals. The three emergency stops can be a single set, for example. In some configurations, the processor can also identify a first emergency stop and the light curtain that share a first test signal, and a second emergency stop and a third emergency stop that share a second test signal.The first emergency stop and light curtain can be one set, and the second emergency stop and third emergency stop can be another set, for example. In 445, the 205 processor selects one or more terminals of the safety evaluation device to be shared by one or more identified assemblies. For example, the 205 processor might select a second terminal of the safety controller to connect to the assembly that includes three emergency stops via an external 1-input, 3-output terminal block. In 450, the 205 processor performs predefined operations to generate a wiring diagram with more than one identified assembly sharing the selected terminals of the safety evaluation device via one or more external terminal blocks. Figure 5 represents a flowchart to illustrate another exemplary method for generating the wiring scheme. A method 500 can be used to dynamically update a wiring scheme when a new safety device is added. In 505, a processor (for example, processor 205) introduces a variable i and initializes i=1. In 510, processor 205 detects the ith type of safety device to be tested using test signals. In 515, processor 205 determines the corresponding number of terminals A1 for the ith safety device. In some embodiments, processor 205 can instruct sensors to detect the number of terminals for the safety device. In 520, processor 205 determines the number of available terminals B2 for the safety evaluation device to connect to newly added safety devices.Bavi is equal to the total number of available B terminals minus the number of terminals that are connected to security devices. TV Bavl=θ ^(4,) ​​1 = 1 For example, a safety controller might have 10 available terminals (e.g., B=10) that can be used to connect to safety devices. When an emergency stop (e.g., Ai=4) is connected to the safety controller, the safety controller might have 6 available terminals (e.g., Bavi = B-Ai=6). In 525, processor 205 determines whether the corresponding number of terminals Ai for the i-th safety device is less than or equal to the number of available terminals Bavi of the safety controller. If Ai is less than or equal to Bavi (meaning the safety controller has enough available terminals for each input of the i-th safety device to have an independent test signal), then, in 530, processor 205 performs predetermined operations to generate a wiring scheme with each input of the i-th safety device having an independent test signal. In 535, processor 205 decides whether to add more safety devices to the generated wiring scheme bnbnnn / zznz / E / YiAi. If more safety devices are added, in 540, processor 205 increments the variable iy back to 510. If no more safety devices are needed, the method terminates. If A is not less than or equal to Bavi (meaning the safety controller does not have enough available terminals for each input of the i-th safety device to have an independent test signal), then, in 545, processor 205 checks whether a test signal sharing feature (e.g., the automatic terminal optimization feature) is enabled. If the designer does not allow the signal sharing feature, then in 550, processor 205 maintains the previous wiring scheme after the i-th safety device has been added, since no new safety devices can be added. If the designer enables the test signal sharing feature, then the processor in the 555 identifies which safety device among the i safety devices can share a test signal with the (i+l)th safety device. Safety devices that can share one or more test signals are called a set. For example, when a light curtain, a first emergency stop, and a second emergency stop are already connected to a 10-terminal safety controller, the number of available B terminals on the safety controller might be 0. When a third emergency stop is added and the test signal sharing feature is enabled, the 205 processor can identify which safety devices—the light curtain, the first and second emergency stops—can share terminals with the third emergency stop.For example, the processor can identify the three shared test signals for emergency stops. In some modes, the processor can identify the first emergency stop and the light curtain, which share a first test signal, and the second emergency stop and the third emergency stop, which share a second test signal. In 560, processor 205 selects one or more terminals of the safety controller to be shared by the one or more identified assemblies. For example, processor 205 might select a second terminal of the safety controller to connect to the assembly that includes three emergency stops via an external terminal block with 1 input and 3 outputs. In 565, processor 205 performs predefined operations to generate a wiring diagram with more than one identified assembly that shares the selected terminals of the safety evaluation device via one or more external terminal blocks. After the wiring diagram is generated, processor 205 returns the method to 535. If more safety devices are added, processor 205 increments the variable i and returns to 510. If no more safety devices need to be added, the method terminates. In some configurations, the safety controller can be used to adjust test signals to meet overlapping specifications. For example, if input A can be tested between 4V and 8V, and input B can be tested between 4V and 6V, the bnbnnn / zznz / E / YiAi safety controller can adjust the test signal to 5V to make it suitable for both input A and input B. Although several configurations have been described with reference to the figures, other configurations are possible. For example, some shunt circuit implementations can be controlled in response to signals from analog or digital components, which can be discrete, integrated, or a combination of both. Some configurations may include programmed and / or programmable devices (e.g., PLA, PLD, ASIC, microcontroller, microprocessor) and may include one or more data stores (e.g., cell, register, block, page) that provide one or more levels of digital data storage capacity and can be volatile and / or non-volatile. Some control functions can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.Although the example shown uses external terminal blocks, in some other implementations, the external terminal blocks can be replaced by any suitable conductive node to which multiple test signal wires can be connected. Computer program products may contain a set of instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processor to perform prescribed functions. These functions may be performed in conjunction with controlled devices in operational communication with the processor. Computer program products, which may include software, may be stored in a data store tangibly embedded in a storage medium, such as an electronic, magnetic, or rotating storage device, and may be fixed or removable (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, flash memory, CD, DVD). Some aspects of the modalities can be implemented as a computer system. For example, various implementations may include digital and / or analog circuits, hardware, firmware, computer software, or combinations thereof. The elements of the apparatus can be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embedded in a data storage medium, such as a machine-readable storage device, for execution by a programmable processor; and the methods can be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of various modalities by operating on input data and generating an output.Some modalities can be advantageously implemented in one or more computer programs that can be executed on a programmable system that includes at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from and transmit data and instructions to a data storage system, at least one input device, and / or at least one output device. A computer program is a set of instructions that can be used, directly or indirectly, on a computer to perform a specific activity or produce a specific result. A computer program can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and can be implemented in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. The processors suitable for executing a program of instructions include, by way of example and not limitation, both general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, which may be single-processor or multi-processor, from any type of computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor to execute instructions and one or more memories to store instructions and data. Suitable storage devices for tangibly incorporating instructions and data from computer programs include all forms of non-volatile memory, including, by way of example, semiconductor memory devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard drives and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs.The processor and memory can be complemented by, or incorporated into, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). In some configurations, the processor and the member can be complemented by, or incorporated into, programmable hardware devices, such as FPGAs, for example. In some implementations, each system can be programmed with the same or similar information and / or initialized with substantially identical information stored in volatile and / or non-volatile memory. For example, a data interface can be configured for self-configuration, self-download, and / or self-update functions when coupled to a suitable host device such as a desktop computer or server. In some configurations, electrical connection indications may include one or more symbols representing physical electrical connections or wiring connections between one or more external terminal blocks and one or more terminals of a safety assessment device, for example. Electrical connection indications may also include symbols representing physical electrical connections or wiring connections between one or more external terminal blocks and one or more terminals of one or more safety devices. In some implementations, one or more user interface features can be customized to perform specific functions. An example implementation can be found on a computer system that includes a graphical user interface and / or an internet browser. To provide user interaction, some implementations can be deployed on a computer that has a display device, such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, to show information to the user, a keyboard, and a pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, through which the user can provide information to the computer. In various implementations, the system can communicate using appropriate communication methods, equipment, and techniques. For example, the system can communicate with compatible devices (e.g., devices capable of transferring data to and / or from the system) via point-to-point communication, where a message is transported directly from a source to a receiver over a dedicated physical link (e.g., fiber optic link, point-to-point cabling, daisy-chain). System components can exchange information through any form or medium of analog or digital data communication, including packet-based messaging over a communications network. Examples of communication networks include, for example, a LAN (local area network), a WAN (wide area network), a MAN (metropolitan area network), wireless and / or optical networks, and the computers and networks that comprise the Internet.Other implementations can carry messages by transmitting to all or substantially all devices connected to a communications network, for example, using omnidirectional radio frequency (RF) signals. Other implementations can carry messages characterized by high directivity, such as RF signals transmitted using directional antennas (i.e., narrow beam) or infrared signals that can optionally be used with focusing optics. Further implementations are possible using appropriate interfaces and protocols such as, by way of example and not intended to be exhaustive, USB 2.0, FireWire, ATA / IDE, RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, 802.11 a / b / g, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, IrDA, FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface), token ring networks, or frequency-, time-, or code-division-based multiplexing techniques.Some implementations may optionally incorporate features such as error checking and correction (ECC) for data integrity or security measures such as encryption (e.g., WEP) and password protection. In one exemplary aspect, a method for generating a wiring scheme includes determining a corresponding number of terminals Ai for each safety device of safety devices N that will be connected to a safety assessment device. The method also includes detecting several terminals B of the safety assessment device available for connection to the safety devices N. A = Σ Ai, i is from 1 to N. If A is greater than B, the method also includes (a) identifying one or more sets of safety devices N that can share a terminal of the safety assessment device based on test signal compatibility among the safety devices N, (b) for each of the one or more identified sets of safety devices N, determining a shared terminal of the safety assessment device connectable to an external terminal block, and (c) generating a wiring scheme.For each one or more identified assemblies, the external terminal block provides an electrical connection between each bnbnnn / zznz / E / YiAi of the safety devices in that assembly and the shared terminal of the safety assessment device associated with that assembly. In some modalities, if A is less than or equal to B, the method may also include generating a wiring diagram for each input of each safety device N that has a terminal independent of the safety evaluation device. The wiring diagram may include indications of electrical connections between one or more external terminal blocks and the safety devices N. The wiring diagram may include a wiring diagram or a list of interconnections. In some modalities, the method may also include enabling a sharing feature before operation (a). In some modalities, the method also includes detecting types of safety devices that will connect to the safety assessment device. In some modalities, the safety assessment device may include a safety controller and two safety relays. The safety assessment device may include a flexible clamp terminal block. The safety devices may include a light curtain. In another exemplary aspect, a system includes a processor operatively configured to (1) receive initial information from a total number of terminals A of security devices N to be connected to a security evaluation device, (2) receive secondary information from a number of terminals B of the security evaluation device available for connection to the security devices N, and (3) determine if A is greater than B. The system includes a data storage device, coupled to the processor, configured to store operations to be performed by the processor to connect the security devices N to the security evaluation device, if A is greater than B. The operations include: (a) identifying one or more sets of the security devices N that can share an input of the security evaluation device based on the compatibility of the test signal between the security devices N,(b) for each of the one or more identified sets of N safety devices, determine a shared terminal of the safety assessment device connectable to an external terminal block, and, (c) generate a wiring scheme, wherein, for each of the one or more identified sets, the external terminal block provides an electrical connection between each of the safety devices in that set and the shared terminal of the safety assessment device associated with that set. In some modes, if A is less than or equal to B, the operations may also include generating a wiring scheme with each input of each safety device N that has a terminal independent of the safety evaluation device. In some modes, the operations may also include enabling a sharing feature before operation (a). In some modes, the operations may also include detecting types of safety devices that will connect to the safety evaluation device. In some modes, the safety evaluation device may include a bnbnnn / zznz / E / YiAi safety controller and two safety relays. In some modes, the safety evaluation device may include a flexible clamp terminal block. In some modes, the wiring scheme may include a wiring diagram.In some modes, the wiring diagram may include a list of interconnections. In some 5 modes, the wiring diagram may include indications of electrical connections between one or more external terminal blocks and the N safety devices. In some modes, the first and second information may be entered by a user through a graphical user interface. A number of implementations have been described. However, it is understood that various modifications may be possible. For example, advantageous results may be achieved if the steps of the disclosed techniques are performed in a different sequence, or if the components of the disclosed systems are combined in a different manner, or if the components are supplemented with other components. Accordingly, other implementations fall within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method implemented by at least one processor executing instructions retrieved from at least one data storage device for automatically generating a wiring scheme, the method comprising: determining a corresponding number of terminals A1 for each security device of security devices N to be connected to a security evaluation device; and detecting multiple terminals B of the security evaluation device available for connection to the security devices N, where A = Z1^iCA), and if A is greater than B, then: (a) automatically identifying one or more sets of security devices N that can share a terminal of the security evaluation device based on the compatibility of the test signal between the security devices N;(b) for each of the one or more identified sets of N safety devices, determine a shared terminal of the safety assessment device connectable to an external terminal block; and, (c) automatically generate a wiring scheme, wherein, for each of the identified sets, the external terminal block provides an electrical connection between each of the safety devices in that set and the shared terminal of the safety assessment device associated with that set.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: if A is less than or equal to B, then generate a wiring scheme with each input of each of the N safety devices connected to an independent terminal of the safety evaluation device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wiring scheme comprises indications of electrical connections between one or more external terminal blocks and the safety devices N.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wiring scheme comprises a wiring diagram.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wiring scheme comprises a list of interconnections.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining that a sharing feature is enabled prior to operation (a). bnbnnn / zznz / E / YiAi 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting types of security devices that will be connected to the security assessment device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the safety evaluation device comprises a safety controller and two safety relays.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the safety evaluation device comprises a flexible clamp terminal block.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the number of terminals A and the number of terminals B are entered by a user through a graphical user interface.

11. A system comprising: a processor operatively configured to: receive first data from a total number of terminals A of security devices N to be connected to a security evaluation device; receive second data from several terminals B of the security evaluation device available for connection to the security devices N; determine if A is greater than B; a data storage device coupled to the processor for storing operations to be performed by the processor to automatically generate a wiring scheme for connecting the security devices N to the security evaluation device, wherein the operations comprise: if A is greater than B, then: (a) automatically identify one or more sets of security devices N that can share a terminal of the security evaluation device based on the compatibility of the test signal between the security devices N;(b) for each of the one or more identified sets of N safety devices, determine a shared terminal of the safety assessment device connectable to an external terminal block; and, (c) automatically generate a wiring scheme, wherein, for each of the identified sets, the external terminal block provides an electrical connection between each of the safety devices in that set and the shared terminal of the safety assessment device associated with that set.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the operation further comprises: if A is less than or equal to B, then generate a wiring scheme with each terminal of each of the N safety devices connected to an independent input of the safety evaluation device.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: determining that a sharing feature is enabled prior to operation (a). bnbnnn / zznz / E / YiAi 14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: detecting types of safety devices that will be connected to the safety assessment device.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the safety evaluation device comprises a safety controller and two safety relays.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the safety evaluation device comprises a flexible clamp terminal block.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the wiring scheme comprises a wiring diagram.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the wiring scheme comprises a list of interconnections.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the wiring scheme comprises indications of electrical connections between one or more external terminal blocks and the safety devices N.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first data and the second data are entered by a user through a graphical user interface.

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