Abstract: In one embodiment, a multi-purpose sensor may couple to a machine operating in an industrial environment and include numerous sensors disposed within the multi-purpose sensor to acquire sets of data associated with the machine or an environment surrounding the machine. A first portion of the sets of data may include historical sensor measurements over time for each of the sensors, and a second portion of the sets of data may include sensor measurements subsequent to when the first portion is acquired for each of the sensors. A processor of the multi-purpose sensor may determine a baseline collective signature based on the first portion, determine a subsequent collective signature based on the second portion, determine whether the collective signatures vary, and generate signals when a variance exists. The signals may cause a computing device, a cloud-based computing system, and/or a control/monitoring device to perform various actions.

Abstract: A cloud-based industrial data services (IDS) architecture leverage smart tags, asset models, and data service applications to facilitate secure transaction and exchange of contextualized factory data between different parties as part of a combined technology and commerce platform, or to perform provide asset owners with insights into operation of their industrial assets. The IDS platform supports a set of services that connect providers of smart industrial devices to plant floor and systems owned by the end users of these devices. The cloud-based platform allows asset providers to publish data service applications for purchase and use by end users of their assets, and allows equipment owners to control remote access to selected sets of their industrial data via the cloud platform.

Abstract: An industrial IDE supports development of control programming using an industrial domain-specific language (DSL) that allows control programming to be written using a scripted programming language having features catered to the industrial domain. The industrial DSL can simplify and streamline development of industrial control code relative to using conventional graphics-based control programming formats such as ladder logic, since a script-based industrial DSL can be used to write programming code using fewer mouse clicks relative to traditional control programming environments. Editing tools inherent to the industrial DSL can provide dynamic programming feedback that guides the developer through the process of developing control code. A development interface of the industrial IDE can comprises two editing windows that render the control program in a graphical format and in a text-based format simultaneously, allowing the user to edit the program in either format on the same interface.

Abstract: An industrial integrated development environment (IDE) supports collaborative tools that allow multiple designers and programmers to remotely submit design input to the same automation system project in parallel while maintaining project consistency. These collaborative features can include, for example, brokering between different sets of design input directed to the same portion of the system project, generating notifications to remote designers when a portion of the system project is modified, sharing of development interfaces or environments, facilitating involvement of outside technical support experts to assist with design issues, and other collaborative features.

Abstract: An industrial integrated development environment (IDE) comprises a development interface that affords a user a great deal of control over the editing tools, workspace canvases, and project information rendered at a given time. The industrial IDE system automatically filters the tools, panels, and information available for selection based on a current project development task, such that a focused subset of editing tools relevant to a current development task or context are made available for selection while other tools are hidden. The development interface also allows the user to selectively render or hide selected tools or information from among the relevant, filtered set of tools. This can reduce or eliminate unnecessary clutter and aid in quickly and easily locating and selecting a desired editing function. The IDE's development interface can also conform to a structured organization of workspace canvases and panels that facilitates intuitive workflow.

Abstract: A system may include a processor and a memory including computer-executable code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive a service request from a first device and to transmit a workflow dataset associated with an industrial automation device to the first device and the second device. The service request may cause a computing system to communicatively couple the first device to a second device. The workflow dataset may include one or more instructions associated with one or more operations for the industrial automation device and one or more virtual objects associated with the one or more instructions and the industrial automation device. The memory may include computer-executable code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive an input to the image data from the second device and to transmit the one or more additional visualizations to the first device for display.

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.