An Output Instruction Based PLC Source Code Transformation Approach For Program Logic Simplification

Authors

  • Arup Ghosh Ph.D. student, Unified Digital Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
  • Shiming Qin Ph.D. student, Unified Digital Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
  • Jooyeoun Lee Associate Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
  • Gi-Nam Wang Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

Due to the growing size and complexity of the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) programs used for controlling the industrial processes, there is an increasing need for an approach that can help the users to understand the control logics of the PLC programs easily, and can assist them to analyze the programming errors effectively. In this paper, we propose an approach that takes the source code file of PLC program as the input; and transforms it into a hierarchical-structured XML (extensible markup language) file. The XML file format is based on the PLC output instructions and their corresponding conditions. It helps the users to identify the actual cause of a programming error quickly. In addition, a novel technique is applied that decomposes the PLC program into several smaller and modular sub-logic blocks. This makes the control logic simpler and easier to follow. An additional software application has also been developed for state-based graphical visualization of the XML file.

Author Biographies

Arup Ghosh, Ph.D. student, Unified Digital Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.

Arup Ghosh was born in Barasat, India on March 22, 1989. He received the bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from the Birbhum Institute of Engineering and Technology, Suri, India in 2011, and the master’s degree in computer science from the University of Trento, Trento, Italy in 2012. He is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree in industrial engineering with the Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.His current research interests include manufacturing process modelling, motor current signature analysis, fault detection and isolation in industrial processes, PLC log data analysis, intelligent process control, and virtual manufacturing.Mr. Ghosh was a recipient of the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window (EMECW) scholarship in 2010, and has been a recipient of many grants from different ministries of the Government of the Republic of Korea.

Shiming Qin, Ph.D. student, Unified Digital Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.

Shiming Qin was born in Heze, China on April 3, 1986. He received the master’s degree in industrial engineering from the Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea in 2013. He is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree in industrial engineering with the Ajou University.He is also a senior researcher in UDMTEK Co., Ltd. company. His current research interests include automatic manufacturing system optimization, PLC control system design, modelling and simulation, and fault detection and diagnosis.

Jooyeoun Lee, Associate Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.

Jooyeoun Lee received the master’s degree in business administration from the Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea in 1993, and the Ph.D. degree in business administration from the Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea in 2004.In past, he worked at Green Business Division, POSCO ICT as an Executive Vice President, and Strategic Marketing Division, SK C&C as a Vice President, and Strategic Solution Division, Oracle as a Senior Director. Since 2014, he has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University. He is also an Ombudsman for Industrial Convergence, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Republic of Korea. His current research interests include smart grid, smart factory, virtual or augmented reality, business intelligence, smart manufacturing, and ICT convergence technology.

Gi-Nam Wang, Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.

Gi-Nam Wang received the M.S. degree in industrial engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea in 1984, and the Ph.D. degree in industrial and system engineering from the Texas A&M University, Texas, USA in 1993.Since 1993, he has been a faculty member with the Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea, where he teaches courses on advanced information system design and practice, neural networks, and intelligent manufacturing systems. He is currently a Full Professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Ajou University. He is the author of sixteen patents, and has published more than fifty original research papers in international journals, book chapters, and international conference proceedings. His current research interests include digital manufacturing, cyber-physical systems, virtual manufacturing, intelligent process control, and PLC control system design, modelling and simulation.

References

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Published

2017-07-26

How to Cite

Ghosh, A., Qin, S., Lee, J., & Wang, G.-N. (2017). An Output Instruction Based PLC Source Code Transformation Approach For Program Logic Simplification. Informatica, 41(3). Retrieved from https://puffbird.ijs.si/index.php/informatica/article/view/1352

Issue

Vol. 41 No. 3 (2017)

Section

Regular papers

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