Device Profile Templates With IDE Binding for Automation Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems require separate configuration tools for different aspects, leading to a piecemeal design approach that necessitates significant debugging and testing to ensure proper integration.
Innovation Solution
An integrated development environment (IDE) that supports integrated, multi-discipline programming of control, visualization, and other aspects of the control system, using a common design environment and data model, with features like automation objects and device profile creation tools.
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 tool can be specialized for its specific function, but the overall system integration becomes complex and requires significant debugging and testing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate configuration tools into a single integrated development environment that can handle control programming, device configuration, visualization, and other automation tasks within one unified system, thereby reducing integration complexity while maintaining specialized functionality through modular components
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated development environment is designed to perform multiple functions across different automation disciplines through a common data model and automation objects that can be reused across control, visualization, and device configuration tasks, eliminating the need for separate specialized tools
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate configuration tools are used for different aspects of industrial automation systems, then each tool can operate independently, but the development process becomes fragmented and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a common data model and automation objects in advance that can be reused across multiple configuration tasks and tools, allowing developers to define data structures once and automatically leverage them throughout the entire development process rather than recreating them in each separate tool
Solution Approach 2:
By merging previously separate configuration tools into one integrated environment, the system maintains the versatility to handle different automation tasks while enabling seamless data exchange and collaboration between different configuration activities, thereby improving overall development efficiency
3Adaptability or versatility
If device profiles are created without templates, then each device profile can be fully customized, but the development process requires significant time and effort for each new profile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides pre-configured device profile templates that contain standard configurations and bindings for common automation devices, allowing developers to start with a ready-made foundation and only customize what is specifically needed rather than building each profile from scratch
Solution Approach 2:
The template mechanism allows developers to create device profiles by copying and adapting standardized template structures, thereby reducing development time while maintaining the ability to customize profiles for specific device requirements through selective modification
4Productivity
If device profile templates define presentation but not data bindings, then template reuse is maximized, but the binding process becomes complex and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the presentation definition and data binding configuration into a unified template structure, where both aspects are defined together in the same template file. This integration allows the template to be reused as a complete package while automatically generating the necessary bindings, thereby reducing binding complexity without sacrificing template reusability
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial integrated development environment (IDE) supports device profile development tools that allow new device profiles to be created easily using predefined reusable profile templates together with profile configuration files that define the backend IDE services and industrial device bindings for the profile. Using this development platform, a single device profile template can be used as the basis for multiple different device profiles, each customized using a text-based profile configuration file. This can reduce the time and effort required to create device profiles for new devices, and can also reduce the storage space required for the device profile library.