Safety controller and method for controlling an automated installation

A method for controlling an automated installation in accordance with a user program that defines a plurality of installation states of the installation, said installation having a plurality of physical hardware components comprising logic components, a number of sensors and a number of actuators connected to a safety controller so as to form a controller system, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a plurality of control input signals from the plurality of sensors at the safety controller,
• producing a plurality of control output signals in response to the control input signals in accordance with the user program executed on the safety controller, and
• providing the control output signals to the plurality of actuators in order to adopt one of the plurality of installation states,
• producing a number of installation state signals identifying any logical errors in the operation of the automated installation existent at a first defined moment of time,
• producing a number of safety system state signals identifying any physical errors in any of the physical hardware components of the automated installation at a second defined moment of time,
• providing a plurality of predefined association variables associating the logical errors and the physical errors, wherein each association variable represents a defined pairing between a logical error and at least one associated physical error which can cause the logical error,
• producing a number of diagnosis signals depending on the installation state signals, depending on the safety system state signals, and depending on predefined associations between said logical errors and said physical errors, said diagnosis signals representing a number of diagnosis reports which are a result of a combination of both the logical errors and associated physical errors, wherein the diagnosis reports determine the diagnosis signals on the basis of the association variables,
• supplying said diagnosis signals to a display unit for the purpose of displaying the diagnosis reports,
• receiving input signals from the sensors and providing output signals to the actuators, and
• providing a plurality of input variable, a plurality of output variables and an I/O mapping defining individual relationships between said input signals from the sensors and said input variables and between said output signals to the actuators and said output variables, with said association variables being defined depending on the I/O mapping, wherein said installation state signal is determined based on said input variable and said physical errors comprises an error in said input signal from the sensors.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing a computer program having program code designed to be executed on a safety controller for controlling an automated installation having a plurality of installation states, said installation having a plurality of physical hardware component comprising a number of sensors and a number of actuators connected to a safety controller so as to form a controller system, and the computer program being designed to carry out a method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a plurality of control input signals from the plurality of sensors at the safety controller,
• producing a plurality of control output signals in response to the control input signals, and
• providing the control output signals to the plurality of actuators in order to adopt one of the plurality of installation states,
• producing a number of installation state signals identifying any logical errors in the operation of the automated installation existent at a first defined moment of time,
• producing a number of safety system state signals identifying any physical errors in any of the physical hardware components of the automated installation at a second defined moment of time,
• providing a plurality of predefined association variables associating the logical errors and the physical errors, wherein each association variable represents a defined pairing between a logical error and at least one associated physical error which can cause the logical error,
• producing a number of diagnosis signals depending on the installation state signals, depending on the safety system state signals, and depending on predefined associations between said logical errors and said physical errors, said diagnosis signals representing a number of diagnosis reports which are a result of a combination of both the logical errors and associated physical errors, wherein the diagnosis reports determine the diagnosis signals on the basis of the association variables,
• supplying said diagnosis signals to a display unit for the purpose of displaying the diagnosis reports,
• receiving input signals from the sensors and providing output signals to the actuators, and
• providing a plurality of input variable, a plurality of output variables and an I/O mapping defining individual relationships between said input signals from the sensors and said input variables and between said output signals to the actuators and said output variables, with said association variables being defined depending on the I/O mapping, wherein said installation state signal is determined based on said input variable and said physical errors comprises an error in said input signal from the sensors.