Abstract: Teachings of the present disclosure include methods and systems for automatically configuring and deploying a containerized application. An example method includes: obtaining source code associated with a containerized application; generating an integrated configuration file based on the source code, and constructing, with the integrated configuration file, a component associated with the source code; generating an image configuration file based on the source code and the integrated configuration file, and generating, with the image configuration file, a container image associated with the source code; generating an application configuration file based on the source code, the integrated configuration file, and the image configuration file; and generating the containerized application using the application configuration file and the container image.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the teachings include: establishing a foundation layer comprising an OT domain low-code development tool, runtime, and a public information model, and an OT domain workflow generated by the development tool deployed on the runtime using the public information model; establishing a domain layer depending on the foundation layer, the domain layer comprising a field bus, a domain protocol, and a device tree of an application domain, the device tree comprising a connection relationship between devices; and establishing a user case layer that depends on the domain layer, the user case layer comprising user-defined function modules, and the user-defined function modules capable of being converted into the field bus, the domain protocol, and the device tree in the domain layer, wherein data obtained from a data platform is transmitted between the user case layer and the domain layer and transmitted between the layers using the model.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include methods for determining the state of an electrical switchgear assembly. The method may include: measuring an electric current and a voltage dropped across the switchgear assembly; ascertaining a time interval of an arc occurring during a switching operation; comparing the ascertained time interval to a reference value specific to the switchgear assembly; measuring a voltage profile during the time interval; and comparing the voltage profile with a reference voltage profile. The time interval begins when the value of the measured voltage exceeds a first threshold value. The time interval ends when the value of the current intensity falls below a second threshold value.

Abstract: A method and to assembly for managing an automation program for an industrial automation platform, wherein the automation program is transferred to the automation platform and execution of the automation program is controlled, where in a first step, the automation program or a reference to the automation program is transferred from a Kubernetes master a virtual kubelet, in a second step, the transferred or referenced automation program is transferred to the industrial automation platform via a provider interface of the virtual kubelet, and in a third step, the execution of the transferred automation program on the industrial automation platform is controlled, where via the provider interface, control commands are transferred to the industrial automation platform and acknowledgement messages of the industrial automation platform are received and processed or forwarded to a control entity, such that automation programs can be managed, distributed and run using container orchestration systems.

Abstract: A method and a device for ascertaining control parameters in a computer-assisted manner for handling a technical system is provided. A starting state and the surroundings of the technical system are detected using at least one sensor, and a physical simulation model of the technical system is generated using same. On the basis of the starting state, different combinations of handling steps of the technical system are simulated with respect to a specified target state using the simulation model, wherein control parameters of the technical system for carrying out the handling steps are varied. The simulation data is used to train a machine learning routine by means of an evaluation of each handling step, and the trained machine learning routine is used to ascertain an optimized combination of handling steps. The control parameters of the optimized combination of handling steps are output to control the technical system is also provided.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include workflow creation methods. An example includes: storing preset behavior tree nodes in a node library, the nodes including main control nodes for controlling a running state of a workflow and function block nodes operable for implementing operations of a resource in a workcell; displaying the library on a GUI; receiving construction of behavior a tree and an instantiation configuration operation performed by a user on the GUI based on the node library, the behavior tree representing a workflow used for defining operations to be executed by a workcell; and generating a behavior tree instance corresponding to a workflow in response to the construction of the behavior tree. Construction of the behavior tree based on the node library comprises: connecting the start node, the function block nodes, and the end node or the start node, the function block nodes, and the loop node sequentially.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a workflow construction method. An example includes: receiving function block node addition and connection operations from a GUI on the basis of function block type graphs, wherein each function block node implements a service operation; and constructing a behavior tree corresponding to one workflow in response to the function block node addition and connection operations. Each function block type graph comprises: a function block name, a function block header, a link input port and a link output port, an input data chunk and an output data chunk, a data input port and a data output port, and a function block body. The function block node addition operation comprises a dragging operation.

Abstract: A method and system for eradicating programmatical errors in engineering programs for a controller device is provided. The method includes capturing, by a processing unit, a plurality of input-output signals associated with a controller device. Further, the method includes simulating, by the processing unit, a plurality of input signals which are predicted to be received by the controller device during a future scan cycle of execution of the engineering program. The method further includes predicting an error state in the controller device in the future scan cycle, by execution of the engineering program in a digital twin of the controller device. The method further includes generating corrected engineering program by application of an Artificial intelligence model on the engineering program.

Abstract: A method and system for automated visual inspection of an object include using different patterns of illumination, each pattern including constant frequency pulses of illumination. The pulses of each different pattern of illumination are temporally offset so as to enable obtaining images illuminated by one or another illumination pattern. The images are combined using different parts of the different images in which the most details of the object are available, to produce a full image of the object which is essentially glare-free. The use of constant frequency pulses enables obtaining different pattern illumination images, to enable creating a glare-free image of an object, while providing a flicker-free inspection environment for human workers.

Abstract: An electrical network includes feed-in means, loads, and a distribution network located therebetween which includes at least one dynamic isolator and busbars. The feed-in means and the loads together with associated busbars are disposed in groups which can be electrically interconnected or disconnected by the at least one dynamic isolator. The at least one dynamic isolator monitors the voltage on the busbars adjacent thereto for a voltage difference. In a normal state without a voltage difference, the at least one dynamic isolator electrically disconnects the groups from one another, and in the event of a voltage difference between the busbars adjacent thereto, the at least one dynamic isolator electrically connects the groups to one another.

Abstract: System and method for providing time-critical control applications via flow control components that are each loadable into and executable by a flow control environment formed via a server device, wherein the control applications each periodically determine, from periodically acquired measured and/or state variables, manipulated variables for a process to be controlled or regulated, a plurality of mutually redundant flow control components are executed in parallel with one another, the mutually redundant flow control components determine the manipulated variables for a respective process cycle that follows a respective acquisition time of the measured and/or state variables when a majority of the mutually redundant flow control components signal error-free presence of the measured and/or state variables for the respective acquisition time, where as an alternative or in addition, the determined manipulated variables are transmitted, together with a sequence number assigned to the respective process cycle, to ac

Abstract: A method for securely starting up a container instance in one or more execution environments for one or more components of a technical installation, such an execution environment being designed to execute the container instance includes the following method steps: a) providing a configurable check function that is performed before and/or while starting up the container instance, b) logging each step for preparing at least one execution limitation required for starting up and/or executing the container instance, c) checking each logged step using at least one permissibility criterion configured in the check function, and d) completing the startup and if necessary the execution of the container instance if the at least one permissibility criterion is satisfied, or e) initiating an alerting measure or a measure that counteracts the startup if at least one of the possible permissibility criteria is not satisfied.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the status of an apparatus, wherein an analog signal is converted into a digital signal with an analog-digital converter operating within a measuring range, signal portions of the analog signal extending beyond the measuring range are cut in the digital signal, a spectral analysis is applied to the digital signal to determine which frequency potions the analog signal possesses in a frequency spectrum and conclude a malfunction of the apparatus when the analog signal exceeds the measuring range, where when the analog signal extending beyond the measuring range is in the digital signal, this event is detected and determined as a number, where a signal quality is provided which is used to assess whether known damage frequencies can still be identified from determined frequency portions of the frequency spectrum, although additional overcontrol portions in the frequency spectrum occur as a result of possibly cut signal portions.

Abstract: A clocked buck-boost converter includes two switch elements and an inductor and via which an input voltage is converted into a regulated output voltage, wherein a first switch element or buck converter switch element is clocked using a first control signal, and a second switch element or boost converter switch element is clocked using a second control signal, where the first and second control signals are derived from a regulator manipulated variable from a regulating unit, first and second manipulated variables are generated for the first and second control signals, the regulator manipulated variable is amplified, an offset value is derived, and the two manipulated variables are then compared with a sawtooth signal and the two switch elements of the buck-boost converter are actuated or clocked in a corresponding manner to generate the first or second control signal.

Abstract: An AI-based method for visual inspection of parts manufactured on a shop floor includes acquiring a set of real images of nominal parts manufactured on the shop floor to create training datasets. A self-supervised pre-trainer module is used to pre-train a loss computation neural network in a self-supervised learning process using a first dataset on pretexts defined by real-world conditions pertaining to the shop floor. The first dataset is labeled by automatically extracting pretext-related information from image metadata. A main anomaly trainer module is used to train a main anomaly detection neural network to reconstruct a nominal part image from an input manufactured part image in an unsupervised learning process using a second dataset. The main anomaly training measures a perceptual loss between an input image and a reconstructed image by measuring a difference between feature representations thereof at one or more layers of the pre-trained loss computation neural network.

Abstract: A semiconductor arrangement includes a semiconductor element having a connection element, and a metallic contacting element connected flatly to the connection element of the semiconductor element by being sprayed onto the semiconductor element via a thermal spraying method involving atmospheric plasma spraying. The metallic contacting element incudes first and second particles which form a textured layer, with the first particles deformed in a planar-like manner and with the second particles being melted second particles, said first particles being at least five times larger than the second particles.

Abstract: A hybrid heat sink includes a pulsating heat pipe and a liquid cooling unit which Includes a cover, with the pulsating heat pipe and the liquid cooling unit being arranged in layers on top of one another. The pulsating heat pipe is located between a heat source and the liquid cooling unit and is integrated in the cover of the liquid cooling unit.

Abstract: A method and an automation component for identifying a process-disrupting automation component in an industrial automation assembly, wherein a process disruption is determined in a first automation component and examined by a first local analysis device, where an automation component arranged upstream and/or an automation component arranged downstream is first determined by each automation component, an interrogation message is sent from a first automation component to a second automation component and the same interrogation message or a further interrogation message is recursively sent by the second automation component to a third automation component arranged upstream or downstream of the second automation component and processed, where in the event of a locally determined disruption, the relevant automation component sends a response message, which is back-propagated to the origin and signaled such that a decentralized error analysis becomes possible, even with a changing system topology, without the need

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and a device for authenticating an FPGA configuration. The method includes at least partly reading the configuration of a FPGA by the FPGA itself and calculating a first checksum using the read configuration. The method further includes providing an authentication response which confirms that the FPGA configuration is authentic when the first checksum matches a specified checksum, wherein the reading, calculating, and providing are carried out in an obfuscated manner. The authentication response confirming that the FPGA configuration is authentic is not provided or is only provided with a very low degree of probability when the first checksum and the specified checksum do not match. In this regard, an FPGA may check its own configuration.