Objective
Current automation technology moves from centralized to distributed architectures, however there are no tools or architectures, which foresee the seamless distribution of control applications on different devices such as sensors or drives. The TORERO project creates a total life cycle web-integrated control design architecture and methodology for distributed control systems in factory automation. The main focus lies on the development of a self-configuring, self-maintaining and automatically distributed control system. TORERO will result in effort reduction and flexibility increase during the entire life cycle of a control system. In TORERO the existing device focused control system design architecture will be replaced by an application focused control system design architecture based on stringent encapsulation of device hardware and device functions and the integration of vendor provided control code modules for device access. In addition the paradigm shift to high-level language control programming is enforced. Within all parts of control design and maintenance the internet will be the main medium for information transfer.
Objectives:
TORERO aims at creating a total life cycle web-integrated control design architecture and methodology for distributed control systems in factory automation. The main focus lies on the development of a self-configuring, self-maintaining and automatically distributed control system. TORERO will provide the necessary means to fully exploit distributed control systems by incorporating different, distributed, non control platforms such as sensors or drives into the design process of control applications for the first time. This will allow for building a control application based on only sensors and actuators, without using a PLC (programmable logic controller). For this first of all the necessary architecture within a device and regarding a whole automation system will be defined. Second the mechanism within a device together with standard interfaces to allow for self-configuration and self-maintenance will be defined and implemented. Third a design tool to make use of this architecture will be defined and implemented. All these will be implemented prototypically and tested in a demonstrator.
Work description:
The TORERO project addresses Action Line IV-2.2. Within the project, work has been divided into nine work packages (WP) of which six are technical WPs and three are project management WPs. The technical work can be divided into four phase, each one ending in a milestone. For single devices (such as sensors or drives) an internal architecture will be defined so that different control programmes can easily be downloaded onto them and so that these programmes also easily have access to their functions by standardised interfaces. Furthermore mechanism for self-configuration and for self-maintenance via the web will be defined together with necessary plug-and-play and security functions. This also has to be seconded by an overall architecture and a methodology for designing distributed applications, which will be hosted on various small devices.
The four phases in which this will be done can be described as follows:
Phase 1: Overall system design and specification (WP 1). At the end of this phase all necessary definitions for the overall project are done. This phase consists of only one WP in order to provide a strong collaboration between the different partners.
Phase 2: The development phase, in three different WPs the single developments of interface specifications, the web enabled control design methodology and the mechanism for self-configuration and self-maintenance will be developed. Due to the amount of work it is necessary to split up the work into three independent WPs, which will be organized independently.
Phase 3: During this phase all necessary implementation will be done. This again is done in only one work package in order to ensure the seamless integration of the results of the development phase.
Phase 4: Testing of all implementations will be done at the end of the project. The three management WPs run during the entire project, continuously assessing, evaluating, disseminating the results and of course managing the project.
Milestones:
The first milestones is positioned within the first work package were as the other milestones stand at the end of the four phases:
Milestone 1: Requirements analysis has been done, project Vision is formulated.
Milestone 2: Overall specification of the system architecture. Functional range of the self-maintenance, self-configuration and plug-and-play aspects.
Milestone 3: Developments of all specifications are finalised. These specifications will be made public.
Milestone 4: Implementation of all specifications is done in a prototype.
Milestone 5: Testing of the prototype is finalized, results will be made public.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcontrol systems
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesinternet
- social sciencessociologyindustrial relationsautomation
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
39106 MAGDEBURG
Germany