PLCopen is an independent organisation providing efficiency in industrial automation based on the needs of users. PLCopen members have concentrated on technical specifications around IEC 61131-3, creating specifications and implementations in order to reduce cost in industrial engineering. The outcome for example is standardized libraries for different application fields, harmonized language conformity levels and engineering interfaces for exchange. Experts of the PLCopen members are organized in technical committees and together with end users define such open standards.
PLCopen was founded in 1992 just after the world wide programming standard IEC 61131-3 was published. The controls market at that time was a very heterogeneous market with different types of programming methods for many different PLCs. The IEC 61131-3 is a standard defining the programming languages for PLCs, embedded controls, and industrial PCs, harmonizing applications independent from specific dialects, but still based on known methods such as the textual programming languages Instruction List, and Structured Text, the graphical programming languages Function Block Diagram and Ladder Diagram (a.k.a. Ladder logic), and the structuring tool Sequential Function Chart.
IEC 61131-3 is the third part of the open international standard IEC 61131 for programmable logic controllers, and was first published in December 1993 by the IEC. The current (third) edition was published in February 2013.
Instruction List (IL) is one of the 5 languages supported by the IEC 61131-3 standard. It is designed for programmable logic controllers (PLCs). It is a low level language and resembles assembly. All of the languages share IEC61131 Common Elements. The variables and function call are defined by the common elements so different languages can be used in the same program.
Structured text, abbreviated as ST or STX, is one of the five languages supported by the IEC 61131-3 standard, designed for programmable logic controllers (PLCs). It is a high level language that is block structured and syntactically resembles Pascal, on which it is based. All of the languages share IEC61131 Common Elements. The variables and function calls are defined by the common elements so different languages within the IEC 61131-3 standard can be used in the same program.
Today, IEC 61131-3 is a highly accepted programming standard and many industrial software and hardware companies offer products based on this standard, which in the end are used in many different machinery and other application fields.
Current topics are:
Motion control and
Safety functionality
XML data exchange format standardizing the base data of IEC projects in software systems, as used for instance by AutomationML
Benchmarking projects in order to have a good sophisticated benchmark standard.
AutomationML is a neutral data format based on XML for the storage and exchange of plant engineering information, which is provided as open standard. Goal of AutomationML is to interconnect the heterogeneous tool landscape of modern engineering tools in their different disciplines, e.g. mechanical plant engineering, electrical design, HMI development, PLC, robot control.
The OPC Foundation is an industry consortium that creates and maintains standards for open connectivity of industrial automation devices and systems, such as industrial control systems and process control generally. The OPC standards specify the communication of industrial process data, alarms and events, historical data and batch process data between sensors, instruments, controllers, software systems, and notification devices.
OPC Unified Architecture is a machine to machine communication protocol for industrial automation developed by the OPC Foundation. Distinguishing characteristics are:
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Related Research Articles
A programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable controller is an industrial digital computer which has been ruggedized and adapted for the control of manufacturing processes, such as assembly lines, or robotic devices, or any activity that requires high reliability control and ease of programming and process fault diagnosis.
The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a general-purpose, developmental, modeling language in the field of software engineering that is intended to provide a standard way to visualize the design of a system.
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is a control system architecture that uses computers, networked data communications and graphical user interfaces for high-level process supervisory management, but uses other peripheral devices such as programmable logic controller (PLC) and discrete PID controllers to interface with the process plant or machinery.
The use of SCADA has been also considered for management and operations of project-driven-process in construction.
Ladder logic was originally a written method to document the design and construction of relay racks as used in manufacturing and process control. Each device in the relay rack would be represented by a symbol on the ladder diagram with connections between those devices shown. In addition, other items external to the relay rack such as pumps, heaters, and so forth would also be shown on the ladder diagram.
Open Platform Communications (OPC) is a series of standards and specifications for industrial telecommunication. An industrial automation task force developed the original standard in 1996 under the name OLE for Process Control. OPC specifies the communication of real-time plant data between control devices from different manufacturers.
Fieldbus is the name of a family of industrial computer network protocols used for real-time distributed control, standardized as IEC 61158.
Sequential function chart (SFC) is a graphical programming language used for programmable logic controllers (PLCs). It is one of the five languages defined by IEC 61131-3 standard. The SFC standard is defined as, Preparation of function charts for control systems, and was based on GRAFCET.
The international standard IEC 61499, addressing the topic of function blocks for industrial process measurement and control systems, was initially published in 2005. The specification of IEC 61499 defines a generic model for distributed control systems and is based on the IEC 61131 standard. The concepts of IEC 61499 are also explained by Lewis and Zoitl as well as Vyatkin.
Industrial control system (ICS) is a general term that encompasses several types of control systems and associated instrumentation used for industrial process control.
Automation Studio is a circuit design, simulation and project documentation software for fluid power systems and electrical projects conceived by Famic Technologies Inc.. It is used for CAD, maintenance, and training purposes. Mainly used by engineers, trainers, and service and maintenance personnel. Automation Studio can be applied in the design, training and troubleshooting of hydraulics, pneumatics, HMI, and electrical control systems.
Codesys is a development environment for programming controller applications according to the international industrial standard IEC 61131-3.
SiMotion is Siemens' flagship motion control platform, a scalable high performance hardware and software system designed to control the automated movements of a wide variety of machines. It aims to provide user-friendly stuff which can be used by unskilled workers, covering a broad range of motion control issues with all the engineering functions in one system.
Ignition is an Integrated Software Platform for SCADA systems released by Inductive Automation in January 2010. It is based on an SQL Database-centric architecture. Ignition features cross platform web based deployment through Java Web Start technology. The Ignition platform has three main components: the Ignition Gateway, the Designer, and runtime clients. Independent modules provide separate functionality in any or all of the platform components. Ignition SCADA modules provide features such as: Real-Time Status Control, Alarming, Reporting, Data Acquisition, Scripting, Scheduling, MES, and Mobile support.
Agile Automation refers to the application of select Agile software development principles, patterns and practices, to the area of industrial automation and process control software development. The term was coined by HAL Software (Ireland) in 2013.
