Method for operation of an automation system

• US 8,181,172 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Pohlan, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Junchun
• Application Number:
  US12/009,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13046 Display status of edited program segments: inserted, deleted, replaced
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13171 Portable, detachable programming unit

Abstract

A method for operation of an automation system is specified, with programming elements for integration into a control program provided for the control and/or monitoring of a technical process being transferred or being able to be transferred from a programming device included at least part of the time in the automation system to at least one automation device included in the automation system, with a program element being assigned a first state which identifies this element as available for the control program or a second state which identifies the program element as integrated into the control program, in which there is provision for each program element to be assigned or be able to be assigned at least one further state, so that this state, especially for program modifications, when program elements have been deleted for example, enables the option of testing (debugging) the control program at any time to be maintained.

Claims

1. A method for operation of an automation system, comprising:

providing a load object for integration into a control program for a technical process, wherein the load object is transferable from a source program of a programming device to at least one automation device; and

assigning a state to the load object, wherein

a first state assigned to the load object identifies the load object as being available for the control program,

a second state identifies the load object as being integrated into the control program and able to be executed by the automation system, and

at least a further state is assigned to the load object identifying the load object as deleted for load objects that are loaded into the control program but have since been deleted in the source program, wherein each load object identified as deleted still remains available for testing in the control program until it is actually deleted after a corresponding load process.

2. The method of operation as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two additional load states comprising transition states that provide for aborting the process identified by the transition states.

3. The method of operation as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing a visualization of the control program that comprises a representation of the state assigned to each load object wherein each load object identified by the further state as deleted still continues to appear in the visualization until it is removed from a memory to which the automation system has access.

4. The method of operation as claimed in claim 1, wherein load objects are transferred from the programming device to the automation device automatically based upon the respective state.

5. The method of operation as claimed in claim 2, wherein load objects are transferred from the programming device to the automation device automatically based upon the respective state.

6. The method of operation as claimed in claim 3, wherein load objects are transferred from the programming device to the automation device automatically based upon the respective state.

7. The method of operation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the respective states assigned to a load object as well as a transition between a respective initial state and a target state are logged.

8. The method of operation as claimed in claim 7, wherein the logging is based on a type of state automaton.

9. The method of operation as claimed in claim 2, wherein the respective states assigned to a load object as well as a transition between a respective initial state and a target state are logged.

10. The method of operation as claimed in claim 3, wherein the respective states assigned to a load object as well as a transition between a respective initial state and a target state are logged.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with software for a method for operation of an automation system, comprising:

providing a load object for integration into a control program for a technical process, wherein the load object is transferable from a programming device to at least one automation device; and

assigning a state to the load object, wherein

a first state assigned to the load object identifies the load object as being available for the control program,

a second state identifies the load object as being integrated into the control program able to be executed by the automation system, and

at least a further state is assigned identifying the load object as deleted for load objects that are loaded into the control program but have since been deleted in the source pmram, wherein each load object identified as deleted still remains available for testing in the control program until it is actually deleted after a corresponding load process.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising two additional load states comprising transition states that provide for aborting the process identified by the transition states.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising providing a visualization of the control program that comprises a representation of the state assigned to each load object wherein each load object identified as deleted still continues to appear in the visualization until it is removed from a memory to which the automation system has access.

14. A method for operation and testing of an automation system, comprising:

receiving load objects from a source program of a programming device representing an offline program state by a control program of an automation device representing an online program state;

assigning a load state to each load object, wherein the load state comprises one of

a first state that identifies the load object as being created, indicating the load object is available at the source program but not yet loaded into the control program,

a second state that identifies the load object as being loaded, indicating the load object is integrated into the control program and able to be executed by the automation system, and

a third state that identifies the load object as being deleted, indicating that the load object has been previously loaded into the control program but has since been deleted in the source program;

testing the automation system wherein each load object identified as deleted still remains available for testing in the control program until it is actually deleted after a corresponding load process, thereby allowing debugging of the control program even when the offline program state is not synchronized with the online program state.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising

assigning two additional load states comprising transition states that provide for aborting the respective processes of loading and deleting identified by the transition states.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising

providing a visualization of the control program that comprises a representation of the state assigned to each load object wherein each load object identified as deleted still continues to appear in the visualization until it is it is actually deleted after a corresponding load process.