Scientific news ticker november 2015
Gecko Project - Communications Systems with AutomationML
Within the context of the GecKo Project, which is being operated at the IAF, the first research results could have been presented to professional circles. The aim of this project is to develop an innovative procedure model and a corresponding software tool in order to support or enable the planning, configuration and documentation of any industrial communication network while comprising and combining the areas of protocol, technology and architecture. Thus, small and medium sized companies in particular are now able to meet the growing demands for individualization by their customers. The most important element in this respect is the use of AutomationML for the generic modeling of communication systems, which enables an automatic processing of the models created for device configuration manuals or installation manuals. This has just been presented during the annual convention of the Open Device Vendors Association (ODVA).
http://www.odva.org/Portals/0/Library/Conference/2015_ODVA_Conference_Bendik_Exchange-of-design-data-using-AutomationML-for-EtherNetIP.pdf
Picture 1: Subject matters of communication system modeling by using AutomationML
Communication systems form the backbone of information exchange between the automation devices, which goes for both production systems and energy generation and energy transfer systems. When planning production systems, the communication systems have to be adjusted to the requirements of the exchange of messages in order to achieve the main targets that is to secure the data exchange and provide an efficient use of communication technology.
One disadvantage at the moment is the inconsistent treatment of planning data. Reasons for that are influences caused by producer-specific engineering tools, yet also differences of the considered industrial communication systems. This issue was taken on by AutomationML e.V. in 2013, leading to the paper “AutomationML Whitepaper Part 5 Communication“, a document which describes the use of AutomationML for the generic modeling of communication systems.
The method developed for modeling planning data is based on the analysis of the logical and physical topology of industrial communication systems and the devices connected to them. As a result, an archive of communication-specific roles had been specified that includes all the semantic objects necessary for describing communication systems. It contains roles which provide the respective semantics for physical networks, physical devices, logical devices and logical connections as well as the communication data exchanged in them.
Within the context of the GecKo Project and together with the project partners iPLON and Dehof, the AutomationML-based communication system modeling is going to be integrated into a software tool and a procedure model adjusted to this software model for a model-based protocol-independent design of communication networks, for the automated generation of implementation and configuration instructions and for a technology-independent extendable configuration support of communication devices.
Picture 2: General architecture of the GecKo software tool
In addition to a comprehensive software prototype, there will also be created extensive AutomationML archives, displaying different communication protocols and technologies. Here, the IAF will not only consider the common industry protocols of factory automation but also protocols coming from the energy sector.