SW design

Software development is the most time consuming part in each automation project.

CANopen network design and IEC 61131-3 software design

This article presents a new approach for combining network and SW design. Network design remains as separate and parallel task with SW design. Application interface declaration and network abstraction can be CANopen network design and IEC 61131-3 software design imported from EDS (electronic data sheet) or DCF (device configuration file) file into SW design instead of manual writing. After completing the SW development, compiled executables can be linked to the DCF files to enable consistent production and service processes. Commitment to the technology can be delayed by introducing the interfaces before performing any SW design and independently of the programming languages and environments.

Ask More

Improving development efficiency and quality of distributed IEC 61131-3 applications with CANopen system design

This article presents the main methods to help managing the signal and parameter transfers in system level. Because CANopen is a system integration framework, all necessary services already exist – they just need to be used. First half of the paper describes how CANopen supports consistent signal validity monitoring and plausibility checking. Another half of the paper describes how parameter accesses and parameter attributes can be managed by CANopen mechanisms. Main result is that CANopen intrinsically supports the system design and required parameter and signal abstractions can be transferred from CANopen system designs to IEC 61131-3 application projects in a standardized way.

Download full paper

Exception management in CANopen systems

Common misunderstanding in the industry is that emergency (EMCY) protocol is the main exception management service in CANopen systems. On the contrary, there are exception management features as part of each communication service, and standardized design process and files provide a systematic approach to reduce design errors. The first section of this article describes briefly, how physical layer appearances can be indirectly monitored with the application layer services and which are the main constraints. Next section presents, how status of any device can be presented without project configuration information. System membership and connection monitoring principles are presented in last two sections before discussion.

Download full paper