Automation Object Library Sharing for Integrated IDE Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in integrated development due to the need for separate configuration tools for disparate aspects, leading to a piecemeal design approach that requires significant testing and debugging to ensure proper integration.
Innovation Solution
An integrated development environment (IDE) is provided that supports integrated, multi-discipline programming of control, visualization, and other aspects of industrial automation systems using a common design environment and data model, featuring automation objects with programmatic attributes, shared libraries, and notification features for updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate configuration tools are used for different aspects of industrial automation systems, then each aspect can be configured independently, but the overall system integration becomes complex and requires significant testing and debugging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate configuration tools into a single integrated development environment (IDE) that can configure control systems, visualization systems, and other automation aspects simultaneously. The IDE uses a unified data model that links all configuration aspects together, eliminating the need for separate tools and reducing integration complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The IDE is designed as a universal platform that can handle multiple configuration tasks across different automation disciplines through a common interface and data model. This multi-functional approach allows users to configure various system aspects within one tool rather than switching between specialized tools.
2Device complexity
If an integrated development environment is implemented to unify configuration tools, then system integration is simplified, but the initial development complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The IDE is implemented as a cloud-based service that segments the complex integration functionality into manageable components. The system divides configuration tasks into modular aspects (control, visualization, etc.) that can be independently configured but are automatically integrated through the cloud platform, reducing the burden on individual users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cloud-based IDE service as an intermediary between users and the complex automation system. This intermediary handles the heavy lifting of integration and data model management, allowing users to access unified configuration capabilities without directly managing the underlying complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If changes are made to automation objects in shared libraries, then consistency across projects is improved, but notification and update propagation overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where changes to automation objects in shared libraries automatically trigger notifications to all projects using those objects. The IDE monitors for changes and propagates updates across the enterprise, ensuring consistency while minimizing manual intervention time.
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial integrated development environment (IDE) provides a development framework for designing, programming, and configuring multiple aspects of an industrial automation system using a common design environment and data model. Projects creating using embodiments of the IDE system can be built on an object-based model rather than, or in addition to, a tag-based architecture. To this end, the IDE system can support the use of automation objects that serve as building blocks for this object-based development structure. These automation objects represent corresponding physical industrial assets and have associated programmatic attributes relating to those assets. Automation objects can be maintained in shared libraries that can be referenced by system projects. The IDE system can notify projects that reference these automation objects of updates to the object libraries, including edits to existing objects or addition of new objects.