System and method for programming and/or operating an automation system with execution-oriented combination logic

#This application is based on and hereby claims priority to German Application No. 102 15 196.2 filed on Apr. 5, 2002, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

#The invention relates to a system and method for programming automation systems and a computer program product for carrying out such a method.

#Such a system is used in particular in the field of automation equipment. In order to create, process, analyze and display such an automation program, programming tools are used which can be executed on a data processing device and which are capable of graphically displaying the automation program or a part of an automation program. For this purpose, various methods of representation for the automation program are possible, for example structograms, automatic state machines, circuit diagrams, functional diagrams etc. Many automation programs are capable of being represented in different ways, for example as a structogram or as a program sequencing plan, as a circuit diagram or as a functional diagram.

#These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

#FIG. 1 shows a block circuit diagram of the basic design of an automation system,

#FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the sequence for the creation of an execution-oriented combination logic,

#Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

#FIG. 1 shows a basic view of a block circuit diagram of the programming of an automation system AS. The automation system AS is composed of a programming system PS, of a first stored-program control system SPS1, of a second stored-program control system SPS2 and of a fabrication device FE. The programming system PS is used to create a first data program DP1, which can be executed on the first stored-program control system SPS1, and to program a second data program DP2, which can be executed on the second stored-program control system SPS2. The programming of the first and second data programs DP1, DP2 is carried out using a computer 1, 2, 3 which is formed from a computer 2, an associated keyboard 3 and an associated screen 1. On the screen 1 of the computer 1, 2, 3, an execution-oriented combination logic AVL is illustrated by way of example, said combination logic AVL being also described in detail in conjunction with FIGS. 2 to 5. The particular feature of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 is that both the first data program DP1 and the second data program DP2 are each based on an execution-oriented combination logic AVL1, AVL2.

#The execution-oriented combination logic AVL1, AVL2 is programmed using the computer unit 1, 2, 3. Here, a chain of steps, for example in the form of a flowchart, which represents the technological sequence of the fabrication device FE to be programmed with it is generated in a special engineering tool which can be executed on the computer 1, 2, 3. However, at the same time a combination logic, which covers for example the behavior of an automation solution in the event of a fault etc., is integrated into this technological sequence, i.e. into this flowchart. The respective requirements can be covered by the combination logic even, for example, in the case of reversible processes with a large number of special states. The execution-oriented combination logic is based here in each case on a data source, i.e. changes in the execution-oriented combination logic are thus automatically taken into account in the designing, programming and documentation of the automation solution, so that it is not only the case that inconsistencies in it are avoided but they even become entirely impossible.