Unified Automation Objects for Controller-HMI Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial automation, modifying operations or hardware components often requires manual updates to both controller code and HMI code, leading to potential syncing issues and increased processing and storage costs.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an object library with automation objects that have shared properties for both industrial control applications and HMI applications, allowing for automatic deployment of modifications across both domains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate software objects are maintained for controller code and HMI code, then each domain can be developed independently, but processing costs increase and syncing issues arise when modifications are made
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate controller objects and HMI objects into a unified automation object that serves both domains. This single object contains shared properties that are automatically reflected in both controller code and HMI code, eliminating the need to maintain separate objects and ensuring automatic synchronization when modifications are made.
Solution Approach 2:
The automation object is designed with multi-functionality, serving dual purposes in both controller code and HMI code simultaneously. The object encapsulates properties and methods that are universally applicable to both control logic and graphical interface requirements, allowing a single object to fulfill multiple roles that previously required separate objects.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate software objects are maintained for controller and HMI applications, then each can be optimized independently, but storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By combining controller-specific and HMI-specific objects into a single automation object, the patent eliminates redundant data storage. The shared properties are stored once in the unified object and automatically referenced by both controller and HMI applications, significantly reducing the total quantity of software objects that need to be maintained and stored.
Solution Approach 2:
The automation object is designed to be universally utilized by both controller applications and HMI applications. This multi-functional design allows the same object instance to be referenced by multiple applications simultaneously, eliminating the need to create and store separate copies of the same data for different purposes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual updates are performed for both controller code and HMI code, then customization is flexible, but end-user time and resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The automation object implementation enables self-service automation where modifications to the object automatically propagate to both controller code and HMI code without requiring manual intervention. The system performs the synchronization service itself through automatic deployment mechanisms, eliminating the need for end-users to manually update multiple code files and reducing deployment time.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified automation object structure is pre-configured to support automatic synchronization. When modifications are made to the object, the preliminary action of automatic deployment is triggered, which pre-prepares and distributes the changes to both controller and HMI applications simultaneously, saving end-user time compared to sequential manual updates.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods, and devices for facilitating object-based cross-domain industrial automation control. An object library comprising a plurality of objects may be maintained. One or more of the objects may represent physical counterparts for use in an industrial automation process. Each object of the plurality of objects in the object library may have at least one property that an automated control device operation can be programmed to act on. Each object of the plurality of objects may also have at least one property that a human machine interface component can utilize in generating display elements corresponding to the objects for display on the human machine interface. When modifications to objects in the object library are received, those modifications may be automatically deployed and incorporated in controller logic and HMI graphics and control.