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For comments or additional information check either www.PLCopen.org or send an email to Wendelien@PLCopen.org.
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PLCopen Newsletter - issue November 2019
1. PLCopen is updating their Safety specifications
2. PLCopen Guidelines for Object Orientation
3. PLCopen Benchmarking
4. Meet us at the SPS in Nuremberg, Germany
5. Meet us at the IIFES 2019 in Tokyo, Japan
6. PLCopen sponsors ARC’s 24th Annual Industry Forum in Orlando, USA
7. The benefit of open standard control software
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1. PLCopen is updating their Safety specifications
PLCopen is working on updates of their Safety specifications. This includes:
- the basics in Part 1 - Concepts and Function Blocks;
- the application profile for Presses – Part 4, and
- the User Examples in Part 2
We need your help for the User Examples. You are invited to submit examples that you think are applicable as well as give your feedback on the current document Version 1.01 so together we can improve the new version and make it better suitable for your usage.
PLCopen Safety Part 2 version 1.01, can be downloaded from our website. Please email us for your feedback and examples till February 2020.
Updates of Part 1 and 4 will be published soon. Watch this newsletter for the released versions.
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2. PLCopen Guidelines for Object Orientation
The 3rd edition of the IEC 61131-3 standard enables Object Oriented Programming. Based on this, PLCopen has defined the concept of function block libraries with object orientation. With Object Orientation one can make many choices, giving a different look & feel to the users across the different systems, different training guidelines and differences in maintenance.
For this reason PLCopen started an OOP Guidelines initiative, in order to create a more homogeneous method. This activity helps to understand to make the right choice upfront, and to create consistent programs with long-term support.
A kick-off meeting took place earlier this year. And, together with its members, PLCopen is now working on a new document within the framework of the PLCopen Software Construction Guidelines to be published in the course of next year.
For the other results in the PLCopen Software Construction Guidelines visit our website www.PLCopen.org:
- Coding Guidelines,
- PLCopen Compliant Libraries, and
- Structuring with SFC – do’s & don’ts
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3. PLCopen Benchmarking
In April PLCopen held a successful kick-off meeting on benchmarking.
Although PLCopen normally deals with the software environments, it was the best choice to define a benchmarking tool for measuring the performance of the different CPU architectures. Nowadays the CPU suppliers can tune their architectures to the specific needs. However, the needs of the industrial world in general are not clearly specified for them. The strict need for real-time besides other operations are not so much known in other industries.
PLCopen did benchmarking in the past with a focus to different user applications, including motion control. However the network seemed to be the decisive factor and further development was stopped. Today Benchmarking is back on the drawing board, but with a different scope.
This new PLCopen benchmarking workgroup has a more hardware resource oriented (like processor and computing architecture) approach. With this new initiative, the benchmark can indicate the effective performance of the different processors and architectures as used in the industrial controllers. By the time the IEC program can run, it is already "too late" to tune and much time and effort is already invested.
This workgroup is defining a common language between the different parties involved, combined with common test scripts for real-time and the influence of the other processes and perhaps not looking for highest performance but for predictable, reliable and deterministic approach at good pricing.
Currently on the CPU side this initiative is supported by Intel, AMD and ARM.
The proposed architecture looks like this:
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4. Meet us at the SPS in Nuremberg, Germany
PLCopen will have a booth at the SPS which takes place in Nuremberg from November 26-28.
With its unique concept, SPS covers the entire spectrum of smart and digital automation – from simple sensors to intelligent solutions, from what is feasible today to the vision of a fully digitalized industrial world.
SPS is the highlight event of the automation industry in Germany. It is a source of inspiration and a platform for innovation.
You will find us in Hall 5, booth number 148. Be aware that this is a new location in a new hall for us.
Come and visit us there to find out more on the latest PLCopen activities as described above.
For more information on the event check: https://sps.mesago.com/events/en.html
Feel free to contact us for your complimentary entry ticket.
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5. Meet us at the IIFES 2019 in Tokyo, Japan
PLCopen Japan will have a booth at the IIFES event which takes place in Tokyo from November 27-29.
This year, System Control Fair (SCF) / Measurement and Control Show TOKYO will make a fresh new start as “IIFES” (Innovative Industry Fair for E x E Solutions).
The new name of the exhibition “IIFES” expresses its vision as the gathering place for cutting-edge industry technology and information focused on the electronics and measurement industries, offering the world a type of “manufacturing” that is catered to diversifying social environments while creating and enhancing value.
Our booth number is 4-71. And the PLCopen Chairman will attend this event.
For more information on this event: https://iifes.jp/ or https://iifes.jp/ex/en/.
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6. PLCopen sponsors ARC’s 24th Annual Industry Forum in Orlando, USA
The ARC Industry Forum is the “must attend” learning event of the year for industry executives and technology solution providers.
PLCopen is sponsoring ARC’s 24th Annual Industry Forum – “Driving Digital Transformation in Industry and Cities”, which takes place from February 3-6, 2020 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
Check their website for more information on this Forum.
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7. The benefit of open standard control software
An interesting article, by Bill Lydon of PLCopen North America, on the benefit of open standard control software was published recently on Automation.com.
You will find the complete article on: https://www.automation.com/machine-builders-unleashed-the-big-idea-of-open-standard-control
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