Abstract: System and method for facilitating engineering of an industrial system (250) are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for providing output values with associated uncertainties for a flexible modular plant or machine comprising an arrangement of modular entities, wherein uncertainty information associated with an operation of the modular entity is assigned to a plurality of modular entities and input values are provided based on an operation of the modular entities, where a computing unit calculates an output value based on said input values, calculates an input value uncertainty for each input value based on the uncertainty information of the modular entity, and calculates at least one output value uncertainty associated with the output value based on propagation of uncertainty and using the input value uncertainties, and where the output value and the at least one output value uncertainty are output.

Abstract: In order to test an autonomous behavior controller for a technical system, the following are input: a machine model for physically simulating the technical system; an environment model modelling an environment of the technical system; as well as a disruption model modelling potential disruptions in the environment. Disruption data is generated by means of the disruption model, and the environment model is modified according to the disruption data. Environment-specifically simulated sensor data the technical system is then generated by means of the modified environment model and the machine model. According to the simulated sensor data, control data is generated for the technical system by the autonomous behavior controller. An operating behavior of the technical system induced by the control data is then simulated by means of the machine model. Furthermore, a performance value quantifying the operating behavior is determined and output as a test result.

Abstract: A method for representing knowledge in a cognitive engineering system (CES) includes receiving information relating to an automation engineering project from an engineering tool, storing the received information in a cognitive engineering graph (CEG) storing a plurality of previously generated CEGs for previous automation engineering projects, and establishing a communication path between the CEG storing the received information and the plurality of previously generated CEGs. The method may further include applying machine learning to the stored CEG based on the received information and the stored plurality of previously generated CEGs. The machine learning may analyze the CEG to identify at least one pattern that is representative of a given object from the automation engineering project. The CES may automatically add an element to the CEG based on the received information and a query from a user. Further, the user may request a change made by the CES be reversed.

Abstract: A method for generating respective self-description data modules with respect to at least one functionality and/or at least one component, device, or system, wherein a data collection is provided comprising engineering elements from at least one of the three data sources, where relationship information is ascertained in which each piece of relationship information is assigned to engineering elements of the data collection, a multigraph comprising nodes and connections between nodes is generated, a clustering method is applied to the multigraph to ascertain at least one sub-graph within the multigraph, a sub-graph is selected from the ascertained at least one sub-graph, and a self-description data module relating to a component and/or a functionality of the device or system is generated.

Abstract: Examples of techniques for aspect-oriented programming based programmable logic controller (PLC) simulation are provided. An aspect including one of a hardware configuration aspect, an execution semantics aspect, and a communication architecture aspect, may be determined to be applied to a general model of an industrial system, the general model including a PLC model and a system model. The determined aspect may be applied to the general model. The industrial system may be simulated using the general model and the applied aspect.

Abstract: An industrial control system includes an engineering device having a security key, a memory and a first user interface embodied as a display representing a second user interface of an operating device of the industrial control system. The engineering device stores project data and furthermore includes an engineering program running in a cloud, wherein for implementing calculation results, commands and outputs are transmitted via the cloud to the engineering device and/or the operating device. A programming device connects the engineering device to a cloud device. A method for controlling the industrial control system is also described.

Abstract: A method for providing output values with associated uncertainties for a flexible modular plant or machine comprising an arrangement of modular entities, wherein uncertainty information associated with an operation of the modular entity is assigned to a plurality of modular entities and input values are provided based on an operation of the modular entities, where a computing unit calculates an output value based on said input values, calculates an input value uncertainty for each input value based on the uncertainty information of the modular entity, and calculates at least one output value uncertainty associated with the output value based on propagation of uncertainty and using the input value uncertainties, and where the output value and the at least one output value uncertainty are output.

Abstract: A method for scheduling cyclic control applications on a controller includes defining a plurality of function block clusters by clustering a plurality of function blocks of the cyclic control applications based on a sampling time of each function block, creating a plurality of organization blocks from the plurality of function block clusters, each organization block comprising at least one function block from a function block cluster and an organization block record including a sampling time value and next deadline time value associated with the corresponding organization block, and scheduling the plurality of organization blocks for execution on the controller, based on either a sampling time value and/or the next deadline time value, where a sampling time value of an organization block is based at least one sampling time of at least one function block of the corresponding organization block.

Abstract: Graph databases directly relate data items in the data store with edges that represent relationships between the data items. The relationships link the data items together and often permit complex sets of related data items to be retrieved with a single operation. New query systems and techniques for graph databases provide prediction of non-explicit connections between data items that further enhances the efficiency and utility of graph databases, as well as extend their industrial applications.

Abstract: A system for configuration and control of a device includes a device processor includes at least two processing cores. Device firmware executes on a first processing core and a device-based engineering server executes on a second processing core. A web server running on the device-based engineering server includes a webApp providing web-based functionality for configuration and control of the device. The webApp is downloaded from the web server to the user's browser. A hypervisor manages communication between the device firmware and the device-based engineering server. A communication path established in the hypervisor for communicating a configuration or control instruction to the device firmware. The configuration or control instruction is initiated by a user via a web browser. The users web browser may run on a computer workstation that does not otherwise meet processing requirements of an engineering system for the device.

Abstract: A method for scheduling cyclic control applications on a controller includes defining a plurality of function block clusters by clustering a plurality of function blocks of the cyclic control applications based on a sampling time of each function block, creating a plurality of organization blocks from the plurality of function block clusters, each organization block comprising at least one function block from a function block cluster and an organization block record including a sampling time value and next deadline time value associated with the corresponding organization block, and scheduling the plurality of organization blocks for execution on the controller, based on either a sampling time value and/or the next deadline time value, where a sampling time value of an organization block is based at least one sampling time of at least one function block of the corresponding organization block.

Abstract: Provided is a control unit of an automation system for determining the execution time of a user program, including a first time-determining unit, wherein the first time-determining unit determines the execution time for the control unit and/or another control unit in a first operating mode, wherein at least one boundary condition is taken into account in the determination of the execution time, and wherein statistical data about the running time of commands of the user program of the control unit or of a linear representation of the real time of the control unit are taken into account in the determination of the execution time. A corresponding method and to a computer program product is also provided.

Abstract: An industrial control system includes an engineering device having a security key, a memory and a first user interface embodied as a display representing a second user interface of an operating device of the industrial control system. The engineering device stores project data and furthermore includes an engineering program running in a cloud, wherein for implementing calculation results, commands and outputs are transmitted via the cloud to the engineering device and/or the operating device. A programming device connects the engineering device to a cloud device. A method for controlling the industrial control system is also described.

Abstract: Graph databases directly relate data items in the data store with edges that represent relationships between the data items. The relationships link the data items together and often permit complex sets of related data items to be retrieved with a single operation. New query systems and techniques for graph databases provide prediction of non-explicit connections between data items that further enhances the efficiency and utility of graph databases, as well as extend their industrial applications.

Abstract: A system for configuration and control of a device includes a device processor includes at least two processing cores. Device firmware executes on a first processing core and a device-based engineering server executes on a second processing core. A web server running on the device-based engineering server includes a webApp providing web-based functionality for configuration and control of the device. The webApp is downloaded from the web server to the user's browser. A hypervisor manages communication between the device firmware and the device-based engineering server. A communication path established in the hypervisor for communicating a configuration or control instruction to the device firmware. The configuration or control instruction is initiated by a user via a web browser. The users web browser may run on a computer workstation that does not otherwise meet processing requirements of an engineering system for the device.

Abstract: A device for simulating a controlled machine or installation includes a process simulation apparatus designed to perform simulation steps that simulate a physical process of the machine or installation, and a controller simulation apparatus designed to perform simulation steps that simulate a controller of the machine or installation. The process simulation apparatus and the controller simulation apparatus exchange particular output values so as to simulate the controlled machine or installation in the respective simulation steps. The controller simulation apparatus transmits an item of information to the process simulation apparatus, which item of information describes a result time for an end of a simulation step performed by the controller simulation apparatus, while the process simulation apparatus is designed to adjust a duration of at least one of the simulation steps depending on the result time.

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: Provided is a control unit of an automation system for determining the execution time of a user program, including a first time-determining unit, wherein the first time-determining unit determines the execution time for the control unit and/or another control unit in a first operating mode, wherein at least one boundary condition is taken into account in the determination of the execution time, and wherein statistical data about the running time of commands of the user program of the control unit or of a linear representation of the real time of the control unit are taken into account in the determination of the execution time. A corresponding method and to a computer program product is also provided.

Abstract: Provided is a system and a simulator for the disengageable simulation of installations or machines within programmable logic controllers, in which control program and simulation program are strictly separate within the same processing environment, wherein the direction of access for the input/output memory area during normal operation and the consistent reversal thereof in the simulation part are ensured, and which involves the simulation program being executed between the program cycles, with a virtual clock being stopped during the simulation. As a result, the test on an unaltered user program in the PLC avoids errors in the startup or test phase through code changes, and a timing response as in the genuine installation, particularly in the event of tests on timers and under race conditions, achieves a higher level of program quality through better test results.