Device Profile Interaction Replay for Faster Automation Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing industrial automation systems require separate configuration tools for different aspects, leading to a piecemeal design approach that increases development time and effort due to the need for significant debugging and integration of disparate programming efforts.
Innovation Solution
An integrated development environment (IDE) that supports a common design environment and data model, using automation objects and device profiles to facilitate integrated, multi-discipline programming and configuration of industrial automation systems, including device profile creation tools for setting device configurations and parameter values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
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 development time and effort increase due to piecemeal design approach and integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate configuration tools into a single integrated development environment that provides a unified graphical interface for configuring controllers, I/O modules, HMI screens, and other automation components. This integration eliminates the need to switch between disparate tools and reduces the time required to integrate configurations from multiple sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration tool is designed as a universal platform that can handle multiple types of automation components and configuration tasks through a single interface. It supports configuring controllers, I/O modules, communication networks, HMI screens, and reporting functions all within one tool, eliminating the need for multiple specialized tools.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate configuration tools are used for different aspects of industrial automation systems, then each tool can maintain its own data model, but significant debugging and integration effort is required to combine disparate programming efforts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple configuration tools into a single integrated environment that uses a unified data model to represent all automation components and their relationships. This unified model eliminates the need to integrate disparate data models and reduces debugging effort by providing consistent data structures and interfaces across all configuration functions.
3Loss of time
If an integrated development environment is used for configuring industrial automation systems, then development time and effort are reduced, but the system complexity increases due to the need to integrate multiple configuration functions
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated development environment is organized into distinct functional modules or components, each responsible for a specific configuration task such as controller configuration, I/O module configuration, HMI screen design, and reporting setup. This modular architecture manages system complexity by dividing the integrated environment into manageable, independently developable segments while maintaining unified data exchange through the common data model.
4Reliability
If device profiles with multiple parameters are used to represent industrial devices, then comprehensive device configuration is achieved, but the complexity of setting and managing all parameter values increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements device profiles that come pre-configured with default parameter values and relationships. When a user selects a device profile, the associated parameters and their initial values are automatically loaded, eliminating the need to manually configure every parameter from scratch. This preliminary setup reduces the complexity of parameter management while maintaining comprehensive configuration capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration system allows users to focus on setting only the specific parameters that are relevant to their particular application, rather than requiring configuration of all possible parameters for each device. The interface enables selective parameter configuration based on the specific needs of each device instance, reducing overall complexity while maintaining completeness where needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial integrated development environment (IDE) supports the use of graphical device profiles to configure device parameters as part of an industrial control project. To allow an edit to first device represented by a first device profile to be applied easily to other device profiles, the industrial IDE system can record a user's interactions with the first device profile during a session of editing the device's parameters. These interactions are recorded as a sequence of cursor movements, mouse-click selections, keystrokes, and other such interactions. The user interactions are stored as a reusable interaction record which can be selectively applied to other device profiles to recreate or replay the user interactions on those other profiles.