Abstract: A method includes receiving one or more data files that have one or more user-selected input parameters associated with one or more electrical devices in an industrial system, one or more output parameters associated with the electrical devices, one or more input/output parameter tags, a frequency or a condition associated with data transmission for each electrical device, or a combination thereof. The electrical devices may communicate via a first communication network based on the International Electrotechnical Commission 61850 standard, and the controller may communicate via a different communication network. The method also includes automatically programming the controller to control one or more operations of each electrical device based on the data files and transmitting the data files to a gateway device communicatively coupled to the controller along a backplane of a chassis system. The gateway device is automatically configured based on the one or more data files.

Abstract: A (GUI) for designing an industrial automation system includes a design window and a first accessory window. The GUI presents a library visualization representative of a plurality of objects within the first accessory window, each object is represented by an icon and corresponds to a respective industrial automation device. The GUI receives inputs indicative of a selection of one or more objects of the plurality of objects from the library, presents the one or more objects in the design window, determines that the one or more inputs do not comply with a set of industrial automation system rules comprising one or more relationships between a plurality of industrial automation devices, and displays a warning message that the one or more inputs do not comply with the set of industrial automation system rules.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods and devices for facilitating object-based industrial automation control. An automation control library comprised of a plurality of objects may be maintained in association with one or more industrial automation applications. Code defining the execution of an industrial automation process may be received. A plurality of objects in the object library for implementing the industrial automation control process may be identified. The plurality of identified objects may be matched to one or more hardware components based on one or more operational requirements included in the code, and available hardware resources for performing the automation control process.

Abstract: An industrial control programming development platform simplifies generation of an industrial control program and associated tag definitions by generating at least a portion of the control program and tag definitions based on analysis of digital engineering drawings of an automation system to be monitored and controlled. This drawing-based program generation includes creation and configuration of smart data tags that model and contextualize controller data at the device level for processing by higher level analytic systems. This device-level contextualization can be based in part on inferences drawn from the digital engineering drawings.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring disturbance forces experienced by a mover in an independent cart system monitors current generated by a controller and a feedback signal corresponding to operation of the mover in response to the current generated by the controller. The controller stores a value of the current reference and of the feedback signal, sampled in tandem, and determines a disturbance force experienced by the mover as it travels along the track as a function of the stored values of the current reference and of the feedback signal. The controller may store the measured disturbance force experienced by the mover as a function of the location of the mover along the track. For each subsequent time the mover travels along the same length of track, the controller may add a compensation value to the current reference to reduce the disturbance force experienced by the mover.

Abstract: A motor drive monitors operation of a motor and adaptively track disturbances experienced by the motor. The motor drive receives a command signal and a cycle position signal. An estimated disturbance observed throughout a cycle of operation is stored in a look up table, and the motor drive uses the stored values as a feedforward value into a control module. The motor drive adaptively monitors operation of the motor and generates a new estimated disturbance value throughout each subsequent cycle of operation. The values of the estimated disturbance are updated within the look up table as a function of the new estimated disturbance values and of the previously stored values. The stored disturbance values adaptively track cyclic disturbances in the controlled machine or process and to reduce the effects of these cyclic disturbances on tracking error in the controlled machine or process.

Abstract: A method and system for assigning slot addresses to modules in a fault tolerant industrial control system includes a pair of backplane switches on each base. Each backplane switch is configured to communicate between one backplane and the modules located on the base and to communicate between backplane switches located at adjacent bases. A backplane switch on a bank master base first assigns a base address and slot addresses to itself. The backplane switches on each additional base initiate transmission of a base address request. A base address response, including a base address and slot numbers for the adjacent base, is transmitted after a base has its own address assigned. Each base repeats the process in sequence along the bank, incrementing the base address by one and the slot address by the number of slots on the base and passing the new base and slot addresses along the bank.

Abstract: A system and method for shaping the trajectory of a motion command to reduce the effects of a load on performance of a motor dynamically modifies the motion profile in real time to limit the reference signals in the motion profile to feasible commands. A load observer determines an estimated disturbance acceleration. The estimated disturbance acceleration includes the dynamics of the controlled load and is used to modify a maximum and a minimum limit for the acceleration reference. The acceleration limits are, in turn, used to determine velocity limits. The motion profile and modified acceleration and velocity limits are provided to a state filter which determines a new motion profile for use by the motor drive to control operation of a motor and to control the load connected to the motor.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a failure in a redundant signal path during operation of the redundant path is disclosed. A test signal is sequentially injected into each signal path while an input signal is conducted by the other signal path not receiving the test signal. The test signal is selected at a frequency to verify operation of a filter connected in series along each path. A processor generates the test signal, injects the test signal at the input of the filter, and receives the output of the filter. The processor then generates a frequency response of the filter in each signal path as a function of the output from the filter and of the original test signal. The frequency response obtained along each of the redundant signal paths is compared to each other to detect a failure of one of the filters present along the respective signal paths.

Abstract: A system and method for providing power to independent movers traveling along a track in a motion control system without requiring a fixed connection between the mover and a power source external to the mover. In one embodiment, a sliding transformer transfers power between the track and each mover. In another embodiment, an optical transmitter transfers power between the track and an optical receiver mounted on each mover. In yet another embodiment, a generator includes a drive wheel engaging the track as each mover travels along the track. A power converter on the mover receives the power generated on and/or transmitted to the mover to control an actuator or a sensor mounted on the mover or to activate drive coils mounted on the mover to interact with magnets mounted along the track and, thereby, control motion of each mover.

Abstract: A switch mode power supply includes a bootstrap circuit, control circuits, and an auxiliary winding coupled to the bootstrap circuit and configured to supply power to the control circuits after startup of the power supply. The bootstrap circuit is configured to supply power to the control circuits during startup and includes an isolation circuit to limit current flow between the starting capacitor and the control circuits while the starting capacitor is charged to a starting voltage by the high voltage input. During the initial charge of the starting capacitor, the control circuits do not have power to provide the initial functionality of the power supply. Once the starting capacitor is charged to the starting voltage, the isolation circuit is activated to allow current flow that powers the control circuits during the remainder of the startup until the auxiliary winding is able to power the control circuits.

Abstract: A system may include sensor device comprising a sensor configured to measure sensor data indicating an operational parameter of industrial automation equipment associated with an industrial automation process. The system may also include communication circuitry configured to transmit the sensor data. Additionally, the system includes a processor configured to receive the sensor data. Further, the system includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause the processor to perform operations including identifying an operational state of the industrial automation equipment based on the sensor data. The operations may also include determining a discrepancy between the sensor data and the operational state. Further, the operations may include modifying an operation of the processor from a first operational mode to a second operational mode of a plurality of operational based on the comparison.

Abstract: An industrial device supports device-level data modeling that pre-models data stored in the device with known relationships, correlations, key variable identifiers, and other such metadata to assist higher-level analytic systems to more quickly and accurately converge to actionable insights relative to a defined business or analytic objective. Data at the device level can be modeled according to modeling templates stored on the device that define relationships between items of device data for respective analytic goals (e.g., improvement of product quality, maximizing product throughput, optimizing energy consumption, etc.). This device-level modeling data can be provided to higher level systems together with their corresponding data tag values to high level analytic systems, which discovers insights into an industrial process or machine based on analysis of the data and its modeling data.

Abstract: A method for predicting end-of-life for a component includes determining a baseline lifetime model for a component connected to a machine functional safety system. The component is part of a system with physical devices. The method includes monitoring environmental conditions and usage conditions of the component and modifying the baseline lifetime model based on the monitored environmental and usage conditions to produce a modified lifetime model for the component. The method includes tracking a lifetime progress of the component with respect to the modified lifetime model and sending an alert in response to lifetime progress of the component reaching a lifetime threshold associated with the modified lifetime model.

Abstract: An industrial development hub (IDH) supports industrial development and testing capabilities that are offered as a cloud-based service. The IDH comprises an enhanced storage platform and associated design tools that serve as a repository on which customers can store control project code, device configurations, and other digital aspects of an industrial automation project. The IDH system can facilitate discovery and management of digital content associated with control systems, and can be used for system backup and restore, code conversion, and version management.

Abstract: An I/O device includes an I/O base, at least two I/O modules supported on the I/O base, and a duplex terminal block assembly supported on the I/O base. The at least two I/O modules include a first I/O module and a second I/O module coupled to the duplex terminal block assembly in parallel. The duplex terminal block assembly can include connectors for connecting to a field device. The duplex terminal block assembly can include conductive structures for coupling the connectors with each of the first and second I/O modules. The duplex terminal block can be installed in a pair of ports in an I/O base to connect two I/O modules in parallel.

Abstract: A system includes a solid-state circuit breaker coupling between a power supply and an electrical load. The system also includes a gateway interface device communicatively coupled to the solid-state circuit breaker and includes a plurality of communication interfaces. In an embodiment, the gateway interface device includes a controller configured to perform operations including determining a connection status of at least one communication interface of the plurality of communication interfaces and determining a number of devices connected to the at least one communication interface, receive a signal from at least one device of the number of devices. In the embodiment, the operations may also include in response to receiving the signal, instructing the solid-state circuit breaker to disconnect the electrical load from the power supply.

Abstract: A system includes an industrial automation component configured to receive a first voltage from a voltage source to enable the industrial automation component to perform one or more operations, a mechanical device configured to generate a second voltage, and a display configured to present image data. The display is configured to maintain presentation of the image data in absence of the first voltage received from the voltage source or the second voltage received from the mechanical device. The system also includes processing circuitry configured to use the second voltage generated by the mechanical device to adjust the image data presented by the display when the first voltage is unavailable.

Abstract: A system may include a power supply that generates a first voltage. The power supply may couple upstream from an electrical load. The electrical load may operate based at least in part on the first voltage. In some cases, a solid-state circuit breaker may be coupled between the power supply and the electrical load. Furthermore, a control system may be communicatively coupled to the power supply, the electrical load, and the solid-state circuit breaker. The control system may receive an operational status from the solid-state circuit breaker and may update a visualization rendered on a graphical user interface based at least in part on the operational status. The operational status may indicate an operation of the solid-state circuit breaker coupling the power supply to the electrical load.

Abstract: A communication module mounted to a motor provides for communication between a motor controller and a motor or between the motor controller and devices mounted on or proximate to the motor. The communication module may be configured to accept signals from various different encoders and/or load devices mounted on or proximate to the motor. The communication module receives a position feedback signal from a primary encoder interface and is configured to transmit the data to the motor controller at a periodic update rate. The communication module also receives feedback signals from at least one additional device and transmits the data to the motor controller. The communication module synchronizes its periodic update rate with the motor controller such that the position feedback signal may be utilized to control operation of the motor. The additional feedback signals may be communicated at the same or differing update rates.