Design Device for Designing a Control System and Method for Examining the Technological Aims When Designing a Control System

A developer device for designing a control system comprising automation software and hardware for the automated operation of a process, comprising:

• a design module having a technology plan design module to design a technology plan and a converter connected to the technology plan design module to receive the technology plan, the converter is configured to convert technology plans into specific automation software for the control system to be designed and to output the automation software;
• an engineering module connected to the design module for receiving the automation software, the engineering module configures the automation hardware based on the automation software and produces a configuration data on the automation hardware, and
• a simulation module that simulates the automation hardware and process and connected to:
• the engineering module to receive the configuration data and
• the design module for transmitting a simulated process data, with the design module connected to the simulation module to receive the simulated process data via an interface.

A method for examining the technological aims when designing a control system in the presence of automation software in a design module, comprising:

• creating or calling-up a simulation environment, which simulates the automation hardware belonging to the automation software and the process to be controlled;
• emulating the automation software in the simulation environment to generate simulated process data;
• and
• displaying the simulated process data in the design module, wherein the automation software in the design module present in the form of a technology plan and in which a conversion of the technology plan into an automation software specific for the control system occurs prior to emulation.