Abstract: Methods for forming microelectronic devices include forming a staircase structure in a stack structure having a vertically alternating sequence of insulative and conductive materials arranged in tiers. Steps are at lateral ends of the tiers. Contact openings of different aspect ratios are formed in fill material adjacent the staircase structure, with some openings terminating in the fill material and others exposing portions of the conductive material of upper tiers of the stack structure. Additional conductive material is selectively formed on the exposed portions of the conductive material. The contact openings initially terminating in the fill material are extended to expose portions of the conductive material of lower elevations. Contacts are formed, with some extending to the additional conductive material and others extending to conductive material of the tiers of the lower elevations. Microelectronic devices and systems incorporating such staircase structures and contacts are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for autonomously providing functionality to a computerized control system includes a logic controller running a first computer application relating to an operations system and an application manager that receives requests for functionality from the first computer application. A remote marketplace client is in communication with the application manager and a remote marketplace that offers computer applications for providing a plurality of functionalities relating to the operations system. A computer application repository stores computer applications providing functionality of the operations system and responsive to receiving the request for functionality the application manager forwards the request to the remote marketplace client. The remote marketplace client queries the remote marketplace for the requested functionality and provides results of the query to the application manager.

Abstract: A control layer automation device comprises a processor, one or more control layer applications, a database, a wireless interface, a device memory. Each control layer application is configured to perform a discrete set of automation functions. The database comprises a plurality of operator device identifiers and the wireless interface allows the one or more control layer applications to communicate with a plurality of operator devices via the plurality of operator device identifiers. The device memory comprises the one or more control layer applications. The control layer application manager is configured to manage execution of the one or more control layer applications on the processor.

Abstract: A method of operating an intelligent programmable logic controller (PLC) as part of a production process within an automation system includes the intelligent PLC receiving automation system data and a semantic context model comprising a plurality of ontologies providing formal specifications of conceptual entities associated with the automation system. The intelligent PLC creates one or more semantic annotations for the automation system data using the semantic context model. These semantic annotations are stored along with the automation system data in a non-volatile storage medium included in the intelligent PLC.

Abstract: An intelligent workpiece system includes a workpiece comprising a portion of a product; and an embedded computing system attached to the workpiece. The embedded computing system is configured to communicate with machines in a manufacturing environment to facilitate assembly of the workpiece into the product at a plurality of assembling areas.

Abstract: A system for autonomously providing functionality to a computerized control system includes a logic controller running a first computer application relating to an operations system and an application manager that receives requests for functionality from the first computer application. A remote marketplace client is in communication with the application manager and a remote marketplace that offers computer applications for providing a plurality of functionalities relating to the operations system. A computer application repository stores computer applications providing functionality of the operations system and responsive to receiving the request for functionality the application manager forwards the request to the remote marketplace client. The remote marketplace client queries the remote marketplace for the requested functionality and provides results of the query to the application manager.

Abstract: A method of operating an intelligent programmable logic controller over a plurality of scan cycles includes the intelligent programmable logic controller selecting one or more soft-sensors available in a control program corresponding to a production unit, each soft-sensor comprising a local parameter or variable used by the control program. The intelligent programmable logic controller determines updated soft-sensor values corresponding to the one or more soft-sensors during each scan cycle and stores those values during each scan cycle on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller. Additionally, the intelligent programmable logic controller annotates the updated soft-sensor values with automation system context information to generate contextualized data.

Abstract: A control system is for a robot. In an embodiment, the control system includes a program executor to translate a motion command for a robot to a format identifiable by a robot control kernel; a robot control kernel to generate robot motion data based on the translated motion command; and a robot Digital Twin to simulate the motion of the robot based on the generated robot motion data and physical conditions of the robot during robot simulation.

Abstract: A system for providing access to locally stored process image data to other devices in an industrial production environment includes a plurality of controller devices and a process image backbone. Each respective controller device comprises the following: a volatile computer-readable storage medium comprising a process image area; a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium; a control program configured to provide operating instructions to a production unit; an input/output component configured to update the process image area during each scan cycle or upon the occurrence of one or more events with process image data items associated with the production unit; and a historian component configured to locally store the process image data items of the process image area as time series data in the non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. The process image backbone provides the plurality of controllers with uniform access to the process image data items of each programmable logic device.

Abstract: The present application provides a safety control system for an industrial robot and an industrial robot including the safety control system. In an embodiment, the safety control system includes a first safety controller connected to at least one core safety sensor outputting a core safety signal, to receive the core safety signal; and a second safety controller connected to at least one safety-related sensor outputting a safety-related signal, to receive the safety-related signal. In an embodiment, the first safety controller and the second safety controller are respectively connected to a safety actuating system.

Abstract: A system for storing data in an industrial production environment includes a distributed database stored on a plurality of intelligent programmable logic controller devices. Each respective intelligent programmable logic controller device includes a volatile computer-readable storage medium containing a process image area; a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium; a control application; an input/output component; a historian component; and a distributed data management component. The control application is configured to provide operating instructions to a production unit. The input/output component is configured to update the process image area during each scan cycle with data associated with the production unit. The historian component is configured to store automation system data including the operating instructions and contents of the process image area on the non-volatile computer-readable storage medium.

Abstract: A programmable logic controller comprises a processor, a PLC operating environment, a device memory, and an app container. The PLC operating environment is configured to execute a controller automation program providing a plurality of skill functions. The device memory comprises a plurality of apps which are configured to perform a discrete set of automation functions using the plurality of skill functions. The app container is logically separate from the PLC operating environment and configured to provide a runtime environment for the apps.

Abstract: In order to reduce computation time and cost involved with detecting and diagnosing a fault in a system, simplified representations of components of the system are used to estimate valid intervals for state variables at the components. Generic failure rules are configured to compare the estimated valid intervals to related intervals for the same state variables, from either observations or propagations, for overlap. Failure output vectors are generated based on the comparison, and the failure output vectors are compared to diagnostic matrices to determine a source of the fault.

Abstract: Production tasks are scheduled to optimize production constraints while taking time varying energy prices into account. An energy management layer (EML) is in communication with a manufacturing domain as well as a smart grid domain. The EML receives information relating to a factory workflow, costs associated with operating units within the factory, and static utility information such as tariff models and incentives. Time variant energy price information is obtained from a utility regarding periodic price levels for a near future timeframe. The workflow is converted to a matrix representation that is acceptable to a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) solver. An algebraic factor representing a tradeoff between energy cost and full-capacity production is minimized to produce production variables which control production and limit production units and tasks to be performed during time slots that are most economically favorable.

Abstract: An intelligent workpiece system includes a workpiece comprising a portion of a product; and an embedded computing system attached to the workpiece. The embedded computing system is configured to communicate with machines in a manufacturing environment to facilitate assembly of the workpiece into the product at a plurality of assembling areas.

Abstract: A method of contextualizing automation system data in an intelligent programmable logic controller includes the intelligent programmable logic controller collecting automation system data and creating a structured representation of the automation system data. The intelligent programmable logic controller selects a semantic context model from a plurality of available semantic context models based on relevance to the structured representation of the automation system data and creates semantically contextualized data using the semantic context model and the structured representation of the automation system data. The semantically contextualized data is stored by the intelligent programmable logic controller on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller.

Abstract: A method of operating an intelligent programmable logic controller (PLC) as part of a production process within an automation system includes the intelligent PLC receiving automation system data and a semantic context model comprising a plurality of ontologies providing formal specifications of conceptual entities associated with the automation system. The intelligent PLC creates one or more semantic annotations for the automation system data using the semantic context model. These semantic annotations are stored along with the automation system data in a non-volatile storage medium included in the intelligent PLC.

Abstract: A method of operating an intelligent programmable logic controller over a plurality of scan cycles includes creating, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, a process image area in a volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller. The intelligent programmable logic controller then updates the process image area during each scan cycle with contents comprising data associated with a production unit. The contents of the process image area are stored by the intelligent programmable logic controller during each scan cycle on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller. The intelligent programmable logic controller annotates the contents of the process image area with automation system context information to generate contextualized data.

Abstract: A control layer automation device comprises a processor, one or more control layer applications, a database, a wireless interface, a device memory. Each control layer application is configured to perform a discrete set of automation functions. The database comprises a plurality of operator device identifiers and the wireless interface allows the one or more control layer applications to communicate with a plurality of operator devices via the plurality of operator device identifiers. The device memory comprises the one or more control layer applications. The control layer application manager is configured to manage execution of the one or more control layer applications on the processor.

Abstract: A method of operating an intelligent programmable logic controller over a plurality of scan cycles includes the intelligent programmable logic controller selecting one or more soft-sensors available in a control program corresponding to a production unit, each soft-sensor comprising a local parameter or variable used by the control program. The intelligent programmable logic controller determines updated soft-sensor values corresponding to the one or more soft-sensors during each scan cycle and stores those values during each scan cycle on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller. Additionally, the intelligent programmable logic controller annotates the updated soft-sensor values with automation system context information to generate contextualized data.