Monitoring An Automation System

• US 20100268521A1
• Filed: 04/16/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Raju, Prithvi, Schaumburg, Dirk, Slavin, Edward, Mukka, Venkata Prasad, Heller, Rainer, Noetzelmann, Oswin
• Application Number:
  US12/761,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268521A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/058 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a monitoring of an automation system. The automation is monitored using the modeling information in which a runtime software was created to control the automation system. In one embodiment, the automation system is online. In a further embodiment the automation system is offline. Controls of the monitoring, such as stop, start, pause, and playback may be provided.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an online automation system, comprising:

displaying a model of the automation system that was used to program a programmable logic controller in the automation system;

repeating over a period of time;

receiving input effective to indicate an execution programmable logic controller; and

providing a visual representation which represents the execution of the programmable logic controller, the visual representation provided on the displayed model.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the model includes an electrical sequence flow pertaining to a resource, the electrical sequence flow comprising a plurality of electrical sequence elements.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the electrical sequence flow includes a signal line and a condition.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the display includes a time scale,

the visual representation includes a line perpendicular to the time scale and which moves along the time scale during the execution.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the visual representation includes color indications of the execution of the programmable logic controller.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the receiving input includes signal information.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the receiving input includes programmable logic controller step information.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input via a user interface effective to control the monitoring of the automation system.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the input via the user interface indicates to stop the monitoring of the automation system.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the input via the user interface indicates to pause the monitoring of the automation system.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the input via the user interface indicates to record the monitoring of the automation system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the input via the user interface indicates to playback a recorded monitoring of the automation system.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the control of the automation system does not include a control of the programmable logic controller.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the control of the automation system includes a control of the programmable logic controller.

15. A computer-usable medium including computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method for monitoring an online automation system, comprising:

displaying a model of the automation system that was used to program a programmable logic controller in the automation system;

repeating over a period of time;

receiving input from the online automation system effective to indicate an execution programmable logic controller; and

providing a visual representation on the displaying of the model which represents the execution of the programmable logic controller.

16. An arrangement, comprising:

an automation system comprising a programmable logic controller that includes a programmable logic controller runtime software;

a monitoring system, comprising;

a CPU,

a memory,

a program for monitoring the automation system and that executes on the CPU,

a created model stored in the memory and used to create programmable logic controller runtime software, and

a user interface effective to receive input from a user and to display the created model;

input received effective to indicate an execution of the programmable logic controller; and

a visual representation based on the received input, which represents the execution of the programmable logic controller, is displayed with a visual display of the created model.

17. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein

the program is further provided for modeling the automation system.

18. The arrangement as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

a data adapter device coupled to the automation system and the modeling system, the data adapter translates a runtime information from the programmable logic controller to the information effective to indicate an execution of the programmable logic controller.