Method and computer program for producing a regulator or controller

• US 7,234,138 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2001
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Crevatin, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki; Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Francis; Mark P.
• Application Number:
  US09/908,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20020066072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 717/113, 717/148, 700/20, 707/1
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23051 Remote control, enter program remote, detachable programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23306 Load program from host, remote load, non volatile card to volatile, ram
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31156 Network structure, internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31186 TCP-IP internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32142 Define device, module description using xml format file
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33151 Distributed client server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34038 Web, http, ftp, internet, intranet server
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

To produce a controller or regulator (1), a control or regulation process (3) is first designed and simulated on a development system (20). The process source code (25) for a target system (2) arranged in the controller or regulator (1) is then generated, and also a description file (28, 29) in HTML and/or XML format which, among other things, describes the parameters for the controller or regulator (1). Tags which characterize the parameters are used in the description file (28, 29). The description file (28, 29) is then converted, in a web server generator (30), into data and source code (31, 34) for a web server (5) which can run on the target system (2). In this context, the web server generator (30) and/or web server (5) use/uses the tags to insert input and output elements which can be used for setting and reading the respective parameters. The present system can be used for easily producing an interface for controlling the process (3) running on the target (2), which interface can be used by any client computer (7) without special software.

Claims

1. A method for producing a regulator or controller having a target system and a regulation or control process, said regulation or control process being characterized by one or more parameters and implemented as process code which runs on the target system, said method comprising:

Developing the regulation or control process on a development system,

Using the development system to produce process code for performing said regulation or control process when executed on the target system,

Using the development system to produce a description file, the description file describing at least the parameters characterizing the regulation or control process,

Using the development system to produce a web server to be run on the target system from the description file, the web server being designed to access and change the parameters of the process code running on the target system and to produce a process control document in HTML or XML format which contains input or output elements for the parameters and to produce at least one access interface file having declarations for routines for accessing the parameters of the running process code, and wherein the access interface file is used when the web server is produced in order to produce code for accessing the parameters.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the description file comprises statements for arranging the parameters in the process control document.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the description file is in HTML and/or XML format.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, comprising:

producing a parameter list file using the development system, the parameter list file containing at least one name used in the description file for each parameter, control data being produced in the description file using the parameter list file, the control data characterizing the parameters appearing in the description file, and, in particular, the control data being HTML and/or XML tags.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a web server generator is used to produce web server source code for at least part of the web server, and, in particular, wherein the web server source code is compiled together with the access interface file.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the web server generator is used to produce at least one stub file having empty routines for accessing the parameters, and wherein a stub filler inserts the routines defined in the access interface file into the routines implemented in the stub file in order to produce a glue source code.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein process source code is produced for at least part of the process code, the access interface file describing routines implemented in the process source code, and wherein the process source code, the web server source code, the glue source code and the access interface file are compiled and are linked to one another.

8. A computer program product having program code means which are stored on at least one computer-readable medium in order to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1 when the computer program product is executed on at least one computer.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

transferring a code file with process code and webserver code to the target.