Industrial Control Project Conversion via Cloud-Based Virtual Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in efficient development and testing due to complexity and the need for physical installation before realistic testing can begin, leading to long development cycles and cost overruns, as well as difficulties in managing and protecting proprietary intellectual property from failures or cyber-attacks.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based Industrial Development Hub (IDH) provides a repository for storing and managing industrial control project code and configurations, enabling easy discovery, backup, and conversion, along with simulation and version management capabilities, allowing for remote deployment and secure access to virtualized industrial environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If physical installation and testing are required before realistic testing can begin, then testing accuracy is improved, but development time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of industrial control systems, devices, and environments through virtualization technology. These virtual replicas enable realistic testing without physical installation, allowing developers to test control projects in virtual environments that mirror real-world conditions while eliminating time-consuming physical setup and deployment processes.
2Measurement precision
If physical installation is required for testing, then testing realism is improved, but ease of operation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Virtual copies of physical systems are created to enable testing without physical installation. These virtual replicas maintain testing realism by accurately simulating device behaviors, communication protocols, and environmental conditions, while dramatically improving ease of operation through remote access and simplified deployment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
A virtualization layer acts as an intermediary between the physical control systems and testing environments. This intermediary enables realistic testing by virtualizing physical devices and their interactions, while simultaneously improving ease of operation by providing centralized management, remote access capabilities, and simplified testing workflows.
3Productivity
If cloud-based virtualization is implemented, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud-based virtualization platform provides universal access and multi-functional capabilities for developing, testing, and deploying industrial control projects. It consolidates multiple functions including virtual device creation, project development environments, testing frameworks, and deployment management into a single unified system, improving productivity while managing complexity through standardized interfaces and automated processes.
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial development hub (IDH) supports industrial development and testing capabilities that are offered as a cloud-based service. The IDH comprises 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 an industrial automation project. The IDH system can facilitate discovery and management of digital content associated with control systems, and can be used for system backup and restore, code conversion, and version management. The IDH also supports storage and instantiation of virtual machine images preconfigured with digital engineering applications or project conversion that can be instantiated and executed remotely as part of a digital engineering services framework.