Industrial Co-Design Editor With Synchronized Graphical and DSL Editing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges due to the need for separate development environments and tools for different aspects of automation, leading to piecemeal design and complex integration, which increases testing and debugging efforts and limits user experience with vendor-specific interfaces.
Innovation Solution
An integrated development environment (IDE) is provided that offers a common design environment and data model for programming and configuration of industrial automation systems, supporting a domain-specific language (DSL) for control programming and allowing simultaneous graphical and text-based editing, along with project generation and deployment components for seamless integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate development environments and tools are used for different aspects of automation, then specialized functionality is achieved, but device complexity and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate development environments (graphical programming, text-based programming, configuration tools) into a single integrated development environment that provides unified access to all automation development needs through a common data model and synchronized editing capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated development environment serves multiple functions simultaneously - it supports both graphical and text-based programming, configuration activities, and provides a common data model that works across different programming paradigms and tool types within a single unified platform
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate development environments are used for graphical and text-based programming, then format-specific expertise is maintained, but loss of information and testing effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges graphical and text-based programming environments into a single IDE with a common data model, allowing simultaneous access to both formats with automatic synchronization that prevents information loss during integration and testing
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated environment implements real-time feedback mechanisms where changes in graphical notation automatically update the text-based representation and vice versa, ensuring consistency and preventing information loss through continuous bidirectional synchronization
3Adaptability or versatility
If vendor-specific interfaces are used, then proprietary functionality is achieved, but ease of operation and user experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated development environment provides a universal interface that maintains access to vendor-specific proprietary functionality while presenting a consistent, standardized user experience across different programming formats and configuration activities
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial IDE supports development of control programming using an industrial domain-specific language (DSL) that allows control programming to be written using a scripted programming language having features catered to the industrial domain. The industrial DSL can simplify and streamline development of industrial control code relative to using conventional graphics-based control programming formats such as ladder logic, since a script-based industrial DSL can be used to write programming code using fewer mouse clicks relative to traditional control programming environments. Editing tools inherent to the industrial DSL can provide dynamic programming feedback that guides the developer through the process of developing control code. A development interface of the industrial IDE can comprises two editing windows that render the control program in a graphical format and in a text-based format simultaneously, allowing the user to edit the program in either format on the same interface.