Evaluation system, safety controller, computer readable storage medium, and evaluation method

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that evaluates functional safety for a safety program for causing one or more output devices to perform a safety operation on a controlled apparatus if an input signal is generated from any one or more input devices, wherein the any one or more input devices comprise one or more of a detection device that detects the presence or intrusion of persons and a device that receives operations in an emergency, and the one or more input devices generating the input signal are referred to as an evaluation target, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of program instructions, wherein the program instructions are loaded into a computer to execute the following:

• deciding a value of an output signal to be output to one or more corresponding output devices by executing computation in accordance with a commands included in the safety program, on the basis of the input signal from the any one of one or more input devices, wherein the input devices detect sensed signals and the input device generating the input signal is referred to as an evaluation target;
• receiving an evaluation condition that includes an input value of the input signal from the evaluation target and an expected output value, wherein the expected output value is an expected value of the output signal to be output to the one or more output devices and corresponds to the input value;
• determining whether or not a first output value of the output signal in a blocked phase decided by computation in accordance with commands included in the safety program coincides with the expected output value following a change in the value of the input signal of the evaluation target from a first input value to a second input value, wherein the blocked phase is initiated upon detection of the change of the input value of the input signal from the first input value to the second input value;
• determining whether or not a second output value of the output signal in a restoration phase decided by the computation in accordance with commands included in the safety program coincides with the first output value in the blocked phase following a change in the value of the input signal of the evaluation target from the second input value to the first input value, wherein the restoration phase is subsequent to the blocked phase and is initiated upon detection of the change of the input value of the input signal from the second input value to the first input value;
• and
• outputting on a visual output interface determination results of the determining step in association with the corresponding input value of the input signal of the evaluation target.

An evaluation method that evaluates functional safety for a safety program for causing one or more output devices to perform a safety operation on a controlled apparatus if an input signal is generated from any one or more input devices, wherein the any one or more input devices comprise one or more of a detection device that detects the presence or intrusion of persons and a device that receives operations in an emergency, and the one or more input devices generating the input signal are referred to as an evaluation target, the evaluation method comprising:

• deciding a value of an output signal to be output to one or more corresponding output devices by executing computation in accordance with a commands included in the safety program, on the basis of the input signal from the any one of one or more input devices, wherein the input devices detect sensed signals and the input device generating the input signal is referred to as an evaluation target;
• receiving an evaluation condition that includes an input value of the input signal from the evaluation target and an expected output value, wherein the expected output value is an expected value of the output signal to be output to the one or more output devices and corresponds to the input value;
• determining whether or not a first output value of the output signal in a blocked phase decided by computation in accordance with commands included in the safety program coincides with the expected output value following a change in the value of the input signal of the evaluation target from a first input value to a second input value, wherein the blocked phase is initiated upon detection of the change of the input value of the input signal from the first input value to the second input value;
• determining whether or not a second output value of the output signal in a restoration phase decided by the computation in accordance with commands included in the safety program coincides with the first output value in the blocked phase following a change in the value of the input signal of the evaluation target from the second input value to the first input value, wherein the restoration phase is subsequent to the blocked phase and is initiated upon detection of the change of the input value of the input signal from the second input value to the first input value;
• and
• outputting on a visual output interface determination results of the determining step in association with the corresponding input value of the input signal of the evaluation target.