Abstract: An automation facility and method for expanding the automation facility with at least one field device, wherein expansion of the expansion of the automation facility with a further field device occurs in a simplified manner such that no disruptive influence on process control during the expansion occurs.

Abstract: A method for updating process objects of an automation project stored in an engineering system, wherein an automation device is designed and/or configured via the engineering system to control a technical process and wherein, furthermore, the technical process to be controlled can be operated and monitored via an operator system in which changes to process objects made during the run-time are not lost but secured and are automatically “updated” or “traced” in the engineering system.

Abstract: A method for operating an automation device including at least one real automation unit for controlling a technical process, an operator station for operating and observing the technical process to be controlled, an engineering system and virtual automation units which each simulate functions of a real automation unit and is stored on a server, wherein suitable measures are used to particularly simplify the start-up of the automation device, where a suitable distribution of the virtual controllers or automation units on servers to a large extent guarantees real-time behavior of the automation device.

Abstract: A field device and method for starting up an industrial automation network, wherein to allow virtual start-up of at least one field device, an field device integration package is provided, whose user interface plug-in has an extension that allows a software tool to access a simulation model for the behavior of the at least one field device, and upon virtual start-up, the simulation model is used to reproduce the response of the field device, where a process model or interfacing of an external process model via a co-simulation coupling can also be used to stimulate the reproduced field device behavior, and where because the models with the FDI package are provided by the field device manufacturer, correct simulation and hence minimization of the risks upon start-up of industrial installations can be expected.

Abstract: A decentralized peripheral having process input and process output modules which, in a process control mode of operation, interact with field devices connected to these modules, and having an interface module in which a process image is stored, wherein in the process control mode of operation the process input modules write process input values for processing via an automation device connected to the decentralized peripheral into the process image, and the automation device writes process output values for processing via the process output modules into the process image such that as real a behavior as possible of this decentralized peripheral can be simulated.

Abstract: An automation facility and method for expanding the automation facility with at least one field device, wherein expansion of the expansion of the automation facility with a further field device occurs in a simplified manner such that no disruptive influence on process control during the expansion occurs.

Abstract: The invention relates to an automation system and a method for operating automation equipment that includes an operator system for displaying a technical process to be controlled and at least one automation device that is configured to process, for process control, CFC functions of a control program which are loaded onto the at least one automation device and are created by means of a Continuous Function Chart editor. The load on an automation device in such a system is operatively reduced in accord with the monitored load on the device, without the need to upgrade or change the hardware of the automation device, by loading corresponding CFC functions onto the operator system and switching between corresponding CFC functions on the automation device and the operator system.

Abstract: In planning and engineering an automation solution which comprises an automation system and a process engineering plant, objects that represent the components of the configured automation solution are imported by means of a simulation tool to simulate the automation solution on the basis of simulation models associated with the imported objects. Attributes contained in objects which represent the hardware components of the automation system and which describe IT security events that may be generated by the components are entered into the associated simulation models for simulatively generating security events in a simulation of the automation solution, for transferring the simulatively generated security events to a Security Information Event Management (SIEM) system for evaluation, and for using the results of the evaluation generated by the SIEM system to simulate the automation solution.

Abstract: Automation equipment (21) including at least one automation device (9) and an operator system (22) for the visualization and operation of at least one sequencer (SFC) of a sequential control. Objects (24) created from the sequencer (16) are processed during a RUN operation of the automation device (9). The objects (24) parameterize and activate CFC functions (15) loaded into the automation device (9) and defined by a Continuous Function Chart editor. The interaction and link between the objects (24) and the CFC functions (15) are effected via process values (18) and control signals (19). Modification of the sequential control is enabled during the RUN operation of the automation device (9).

Abstract: A flowchart of a process plant is compiled by linking graphical process objects representing operator-controllable and observable facilities of the plant when planning a process plant, wherein the process in the process plant is simulated with reference to simulation models assigned to the graphical process objects during a simulation phase, where simulation models include energy consumption models that describe the electrical energy consumption of the respective facilities to be described as a function of measurable or known process variables in the plant and hence enable simulation and optimization of the automation with respect to electrical energy consumption and energy efficiency.

Abstract: A method for operating a process automation system that is configured to control an industrial process and/or traffic-control signals, wherein the process automation system includes field devices arranged in a field of the industrial process and a central controller unit for controlling the process through the field devices, where the central controller unit generates control data for the field devices by running a control program, where the control program forms a browser executable application that receives and processes field data from the field devices and generates and sends out the control data, and where the central controller unit executes an internet browser program and the internet browser program runs the application.

Abstract: A method for simulation of an automated industrial plant simulated in a plant model divided into a plurality of submodels, where the submodels are modeled with a behavior description comprising a calculation algorithm or a mathematical equation, each submodel is connected into the plant model with at least one submodel, where the plant model or the submodels are translated in preparation for the simulation by a translation run into a form which is executable by a computer system, an execution sequence of the submodels is defined, the submodels are expanded by run time models having a calculation time assigned to a respective submodel, where an overall calculation time of the plant model is derived and graphically presented in the granularity of the calculation times of the submodels based on the execution sequence and the expanded submodels to provide a detection and localization of real-time-critical execution paths in the plant model.

Abstract: A device for optically scanning and measuring an environment is designed as a laser scanner having a light emitter that emits an emission light beam and a light receiver that receives a reception light beam which is reflected from an object in the environment of the laser scanner. The laser scanner also includes a control and evaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points, determines at least the distance to the object. The spot of the emission light beam temporarily moves along a prism of the laser scanner, the prism having at least two different brightness levels and/or colors.