‘Smart Engineering' With Automation Studio 4

In the tools of development that help to the engineers of software to carry out what better know to do, the efficiency is a fundamental appearance. But, what means this exactly? Of way resumida, efficiency means an optimum utilisation of all the resources that participate in the process of development of software. This includes no only the hardware but also the infrastructure IT and in the last resort the strength of work of the team of development.

Lately has appeared a second appearance to take into account: the sustainability. Sustainability means to improve the efficiency further of the project that was developing . To the process of development that takes into account the efficiency and the sustainability can him call ‘Smart Engineering'. Of this term could think that it is one more than the words invented by the marketing and however his meaning in English hits to a large extent with the concepts mentioned previously.

One of the mechanisms that will facilitate the work with Automation Studio 4 will be the modularización of the project. This approach allows to assign packages of tasks of development to different members of the team. Also it allows to divide in modules each individual project. This modularización increases the efficiency of the process allowing to several programmers work simultaneously to diminish the time of development. On the other hand the modules ensure the sustainability of the work since they can be reutilizados in future similar projects to accelerate new developments and diminish costs related with the tests and the own development.

This concept is especially interesting when it treats to review individual functions inside a whole project. Whereas before it was used to to be necessary recomponer the whole project when compiling it, now this process affects only to modules that have been modified or replaced. This accelerates the process of translation to binary code and especially reduces the proofs only to the individual module.

Can work on the modules in places and different moments and this can relieve in some measure the pressesure on projects of big development, since it is not necessary to create all the software from zero and at the same time. On the other hand it simplifies the integration of the work of employees and of external engineers. Personalised elements of the software can be developed by the own customer without that it was necessary for the other know the details. Thanks to his open structure, the modules can be situated like subprojects with his corresponding hierarchies until building a complete project.

“In the development of a system, the only way to succeed on a long-term basis is providing to the developers a simple form to manage programs that every time are more complex”, explains Hans Egermeier. Like manager of the area of business of Automation Software in B&R, Egermeier works with experts in usabilidad to ensure that the future generations of Automation Studio fulfil with this important criterion to the that also knows him with the name in English of ‘simplexity'. The process begins with the configuration hardware, usually the first step to the hour to develop a new system. The greater part of this work realises in the new ‘System Designer'. The topology of the system builds selecting images of the components hardware (of similar way to as they would be found in an electrical cupboard) and afterwards connecting them. Automation Studio, with all the information on the components, commissions to do comprobaciones of coherence and to load the parameters by defect.

The parameters can fix of simultaneous form in all the components that select in the sight. Besides the configuration of hardware can edit and realise operations of copy/pasta and drag/drop, so much with individual elements as in complete branches of hardware. The system commissions to complete of automatic way the parametrisation with the consequent saving of time and elimination of the possibility to commit errors. All this does of Automation Studio an elegant tool of conceptual design, conceived of up to down and that allows to modify the design and verify his coherence of fast and simple form.

The coherent integration of the mechanics, the electronics equipment dealers equipment dealers and the software of automation allows to give support to the developers oriented to the mecatrónica. For this, Automation Studio 4 provides a bisteeringal interface to the databases of EPLAN Electric P8, the system of CAD electronic leader in the market. Of this way allows the integration of diagrams of hydraulics circuits and tyres and systems of engineering CAD for the mechanical integration of the hardware of automation.

The similarity of the interfaces between Automation Studio 4 and some of the programs of simulation offers a crowd of possibilities for the proofs independently of the hardware, which is not smart in this phase of the project. Afterwards the results of these simulations can be mattered to Automation Studio 4 for like this be a starting point for the concretion of the development. Of this way, the process of the development of the Software this based in procedures already testados from the beginning.

An open communication with seen to the future

For the first time and with Automation Studio 4, B&R has integrated cheese cheese the protocol OPC UA, that are the acronyms of OPC Unified architecture Communications. This protocol offers his own functions for like this facilitate the work of the developers of the Software. It is more, his open architecture is strengthening like a standard in the market, what ensures a compatible communication with numerous systems of third.

The widely used technologies web are creame in Automation Studio 4 thanks to the included bookshops. Everything in one, like this is easier to create applications for the visualisation, the monitoring of processes and the remote technical service in addition to to implement concepts of production and operation independently of where find the machine.

The criterion of sustainability mentioned achieves with the creation of projects of Software easily expandable or modifiable. The individual elements of the system are clearly differentiated and managed under a system of control of versions integrated cheese cheese, to ensure better results during each one of the phases of the development. Of this form does not put in danger to the rest of the system and offers a solid base to take the decisions of how act, what allows to the projects keep always as the planned from the beginning to the end. At the same time, the surroundings of development engloba control, visualisation and motion to warn any inconsistencia between the distinct elements of a system.

Besides, Automation Studio 4 include all the interfaces and the mechanisms of necessary transfer to ensure that the final product can be managed with this tool of development during all the cycle of life of the product. This ensures that this valuable contribution can be used when and where require , contributing like this, to a sustainable development for a future generation of products.

The new version of Automation Studio of B&R, showed for the first time in the fair SPS/IPC/Drives 2011 of Nüremberg, presents like a new encarnación with crowd of new characteristic, as his 100% of compatibility with the CPU of redundancy. “An active support in distinct levels helps to the developers of Software to realise the transition from an efficient engineering until an intelligent engineering”, comments the Engineer Hans Egermeier.

Even the objects go back more intelligent

New developments in the programming oriented to objects of C++ are allowing an easier programming by means of the use of classes and objects. For example, an intelligent editor supports to the programmers with suggestions according to the context that include the functions of the bookshops and the sections of code programmed. This accelerates significantly the development of the Software while it does it more reusable, therefore reduces the maintenance required for future modifications.

The staff of visualisation for the design of interfaces of user inside the Visual Studio also are reusable and easy to modify, diminishing like this the time required to complete this task of development. An advance stood out is the manufacturing of a standard for different resolutions of screen. “Automation Studio 4.0 allows you create an architecture of Software clearly structured, no only during the initial phase of the development but also in all the others phases, such as the ones of creation of variants and options or the ones of maintenance of the program”, says Hans Egermeier. “His intelligent characteristic allow to the developers create “beautiful” solutions with which is a pleasure work”. Such as it said Voltaire so rightly, “The pleasure is the object, the duty and the end of all be rational”.