Multiple controllers configuration management interface for system connectivity

A method, comprising:

• importing, by a system comprising a processor, one or more industrial control programs;
• analyzing, by the system, the one or more industrial control programs to identify available data tags and controller configuration information defined by the one or more industrial control programs;
• displaying, by the system, the available data tags on a tag selection display;
• receiving, by the system via interaction with the tag selection display, selection input that selects a subset of the available data tags;
• receiving, by the system via interaction with a configuration display, configuration input specifying a synchronization period that defines a frequency of data updates between one or more emulated industrial controllers and a simulation application that executes a simulation of an industrial control system, wherein the one or more emulated industrial controllers emulate, on a computing device that executes the simulation application, operating platforms of respective hardware industrial controllers that are separate from the computing device;
• receiving, by the system, information identifying a simulation application that is to communicate with the one or more emulated industrial controllers respectively executing the one or more industrial control programs;
• and
• generating, by the system, a control unit file based on the subset of the available data tags and the controller configuration information,
• wherein
• the control unit file is configured to establish exchange of data between data points of the simulation application and the subset of the available data tags on the one or more emulated industrial controllers, and to synchronize simulated I/O data between the one or more emulated industrial controllers and the simulation application at the frequency defined by the synchronization period,
• the generating comprises generating, as part of the control unit file, a model description file that identifies the subset of the available data tags to the simulation application, and a control description file that defines, for a data tag of the subset of the available data tags, a communication path to one of the one or more emulated industrial controllers on which the data tag resides, and
• the control unit file is configured to serve as a communication interface between the simulation application and at least one of the hardware industrial controllers that executes an industrial control program of the one or more industrial control programs.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

• importing one or more industrial control programs;
• identifying available data items and controller configuration information defined by the one or more industrial control programs based on analysis of the one or more industrial control programs;
• displaying the available data items on a configuration display;
• receiving, via interaction with the configuration display, selection input that selects a subset of the available data items;
• receiving, via interaction with a configuration display, configuration input specifying a synchronization period that defines a frequency of data updates between one or more emulated industrial controllers respectively executing the one or more industrial control programs and a simulation application that executes a simulation of an industrial control system, wherein the one or more emulated industrial controllers emulate, on a computing device that executes the simulation, operating platforms of respective hardware industrial controllers that are separate from the computing device;
• receiving information identifying a simulation application that is to communicate with the one or more emulated industrial controllers respectively, wherein the simulation application is configured to execute a simulation of an industrial control system;
• and
• generating a control unit file based on the subset of the available data items and the controller configuration information, wherein the control unit file is configured to establish data exchange between the subset of the available data items and simulated I/O points of the simulation application, and to synchronize simulated I/O data between the one or more emulated industrial controllers and the simulation application at the frequency defined by the synchronization period,
• wherein the generating comprises generating, as part of the control unit file, a model description file that identifies the subset of the available data items to the simulation application, and a control description file that defines, for a data item of the subset of the available data items, a communication path to an emulated industrial controller of the one or more emulated industrial controllers on which the data item resides, and
• the control unit file is configured to serve as a communication interface between the simulation application and at least one of the hardware industrial controllers that executes an industrial control program of the one or more industrial control programs.