Abstract: Method and apparatus for the automated determination of an effective area for an emergency stop device(s) in an industrial plant is provided. In modern flexible installations, as will be increasingly found, (such as cyberphysical systems), the layout of the plant will be dynamically changeable. In such an environment, it is often impossible to manually prepare complete safety plan in advance for each potential environment. The proposed methods and apparatuses allow automatic calculations of operational configurations and effective regions of emergency stop devices in an industrial plant, allowing easy positioning of such devices. An improved method for recalculating the effective region after the layout of the plant or portions thereof changed is also provided.

Abstract: A method for evaluating component-related energy models and external specification parameters, in order, based on these, to produce a determination of a set of partial-load conditions, which are simulated based on a parameterizable simulation model of the system. A system planner is put in a position, with the specification of specification parameters, for example, a minimum throughput of the system or a maximum energy consumption, in which he can obtain a set of partial-load conditions, i.e., a partial-load condition for each of the components involved in the determination. In this way, an individual partial-load condition can be set for each component, where all the partial-load conditions fulfill the provisions of the specification parameters.

Abstract: A method for replacing a faulty system component in an automation system includes the steps of providing for an operating location of the system component a location description having an operating condition that needs to be satisfied at the operating location; providing for a possible substitute component a component description with operating states that can be assumed by the substitute component and that are described independent of a technical design of the substitute component; determining the component description for which the operating states that can be assumed satisfy each operating condition contained in the location description; selecting the substitute component associated with the determined component description; and indicating the selected substitute component for installation at the operating location.

Abstract: A method for configuring and operating a read/write unit connected to an industrial control device in a system including multiple transponders having unique identification numbers, the read/write unit. During a recognition phase, a plurality of the transponders are detected, at least two of the transponders are repeatedly detected, and during each detection, the unique identification number of each detected transponder and a number of features relating to each detection of that transponder are registered. During an evaluation phase, the registered features are evaluated statistically for each detected transponder, statistical variables are determined for each detected transponder, and the statistical variables are respectively filtered using filter criteria.

Abstract: A method and read/write unit for configuring read/write units in an RFID arrangement, wherein an operating parameter is adjusted for the configuration in at least one of the read/write units, and direct interchange of messages relating to the configuration occurs between read/write units, where respective wireless interfaces configured for communication by the read/write units with RFID transponders and communication methods and protocols provided for communication with RFID transponders are used for the interchange of the messages, at least one of the read/write units simulates an RFID transponder to another of the read/write units such that read/write units in the complex are configurable without communicating via host interfaces and without separate hardware devices or separate data links between the read/write units, and such that read/write units in the complex without a host interface or unconnected to a data network (e.g., standalone units) can also be configured with one another.

Abstract: A method for implementing and operating, and a read/write unit for use in, a system that includes multiple contactlessly readable transponders each in having a unique identification number. The read/write unit is connected to an industrial control device of the system and, in a recognition phase, a first of the transponders is detected by the read/write unit. At the start of a holding phase, the identification number of the detected first transponder is stored in a holding register of the read/write unit. Then, during the holding phase, other detected transponders are ignored by the read/write unit. The identification number of the first of the detected transponders is thereafter deleted from the holding register to terminate the holding phase so that it is possible to communicate reliably with a unique transponder even over a relatively long time period without process disturbances arising from the presence of other transponders in the area of the read/write unit.

Abstract: A method for configuring and operating a read/write unit connected to an industrial control device in a system including multiple transponders having unique identification numbers, the read/write unit. During a recognition phase, a plurality of the transponders are detected, at least two of the transponders are repeatedly detected, and during each detection, the unique identification number of each detected transponder and a number of features relating to each detection of that transponder are registered. During an evaluation phase, the registered features are evaluated statistically for each detected transponder, statistical variables are determined for each detected transponder, and the statistical variables are respectively filtered using filter criteria.

Abstract: A method for radio-based activation and deactivation of a zero-energy standby mode of automation components, wherein a passive unit of the automation component receives a radio signal, energy transmitted with the radio signal is converted into energy for actuating an electronic switch, and the energy supplied to a functional unit of the automation component is interrupted or restored by the actuation of the electronic switch such that the functional unit of the automation component is activated or deactivated.