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EP-4738029-A1 - MIGRATING A CONTROL LOGIC TYPE IN A DCS

EP4738029A1EP 4738029 A1EP4738029 A1EP 4738029A1EP-4738029-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a migrating a control logic type from a legacy engineering tool (2a) to a modern engineering tool (2b) in a DCS (1) controlling devices (11) in an industrial plant (10). It comprises obtaining the control logic type in a legacy format from the legacy engineering tool; reformatting the control logic of the control logic type to a modern format compatible with the modern controller (5b); copying the graphics instructions of the control logic type; updating the property list of the control logic type such that a format of a respective communication address field associated with each listed property is changed from a legacy format to a modern format compatible with the modern controller; and associating the reformatted control logic, the copied graphics instructions and the updated property list with a migrated control logic type in a library of the modern engineering tool.

Inventors

  • SALLBERG, STEFAN
  • HARDING, JEFFREY
  • THILDERKVIST, Hans
  • GIHEDEN, Niklas

Assignees

  • ABB SCHWEIZ AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241105

Claims (12)

  1. A method of migrating a control logic type (22) from a legacy engineering tool (2a) to a modern engineering tool (2b) in a Distributed Control System, DCS, (1) controlling devices (11) in an industrial plant (10), wherein the control logic type (22) of the legacy engineering tool (2a) comprises a property list (31) of identifiers (41) of properties of a first type of device present among the controlled devices (11) in the industrial plant, graphics instructions (32) for a graphics window (63) associated with the first type of device and based on at least some of the listed properties, and control logic (33) using the listed properties for controlling the first type of device; wherein the legacy engineering tool (2a) is usable for configuring respective instances of the control logic type (22) for the devices (11) of the first type which are controlled by a legacy controller (5a); and wherein the modern engineering tool (2b) is usable for configuring respective instances of the control logic type (22) for the devices (11) of the first type which are controlled by a modern controller (5b); the method comprising: obtaining (S1) the control logic type (22) in a legacy format from a library (21) of the legacy engineering tool (2a); reformatting (S2) the control logic (33) of the obtained (S1) control logic type (22) to a modern format compatible with the modern controller (5b) while keeping the identifiers (41) of the properties unchanged; copying (S3) the graphics instructions (32) of the obtained (S1) control logic type (22); updating (S4) the property list (31) such that the identifiers (41) of the listed properties therein are unchanged but a format of a respective communication address field (42) associated with each listed property is changed from a legacy format to a modern format compatible with the modern controller (5b); and associating (S5) the reformatted (S2) control logic (33), the copied (S3) graphics instructions (32) and the updated (S4) property list (31) with a migrated control logic type (22) in a library (21) of the modern engineering tool (2b).
  2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modern format of the address field (42) is in accordance with Open Platform Communications, OPC, Unified Architecture, UA, specifications.
  3. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the legacy format of the address field (42) is in accordance with OPC Classics specifications e.g. OPC Data Access, DA, and/or in accordance with Manufacturing Message Specification, MMS.
  4. A migration tool (3) comprising: processing circuitry (51); and storage (52) storing instructions (53) executable by said processing circuitry (51) whereby said migration tool (3) is operative to perform the method of any preceding claim.
  5. A computer program product (52) comprising computer-executable components (53) for causing a migration tool (3) to perform the method of any claim 1-3 when the computer-executable components are run on processing circuitry (51) comprised in the migration tool.
  6. A Distributed Control System, DCS, (1) for controlling devices (11) in an industrial plant (10), the DCS comprising: a connectivity service (61) holding, for each of the devices (11), a respective list (31) of identifiers (41) of properties (43) of the device, each property in each of the lists (31a, 31b) being associated with an address (71) for obtaining a present value of the property; at least one operator Human-Machine Interface, HMI, (62) each of which at least one operator HMI is arranged for presenting a respective graphics window (63) for each of the devices which can be monitored by an operator (64) via the operator HMI; and a plurality of controllers (5), each controller being arranged to control at least one of the devices (11), at least one of the plurality of controllers being a legacy controller (5a) arranged for communication with the connectivity service (61) via a legacy communication protocol (65), and at least one of the plurality of controllers being a modern controller (5b) arranged for communication with the connectivity service (61) via a modern communication protocol (66); wherein each of the graphics windows (63) is based on information about respective values of at least some of the listed properties (43) of the device (11) of the graphics window, wherein the operator HMI (62) is configured to update the graphics windows (63) in respect of a first property (43) of the properties on which the graphics window is based by sending a property request (67) to the connectivity service (61), the property request including a device ID (81) identifying the device (11) of the graphics window (63) and an identifier (41) of the first property; and wherein the connectivity service (61) is configured to, in response to receiving the property request (67): among the lists (31) of properties (43), determine a property list of the device (11) identified by the device ID (81) in the property request (67), find the identifier (41) of the first property (43) in the determined list (31), by means of the address (71) associated with the first property (43) in the determined list (31), obtain the present value of the first property by communication with the controller, of the plurality of controllers (5), controlling the identified device (11), wherein the communication is via the legacy communication protocol (65) if the controller is one of the at least one legacy controller (5a) and wherein the communication is via the modern communication protocol (66) if the controller is one of the at least one modern controller (5b), and send information about the obtained present value of the first property (43) to the operator HMI (62).
  7. The DCS of claim 6, wherein the legacy communication protocol (65) is in accordance with Open Platform Communications, OPC, Classic specifications e.g. OPC Data Access, DA, and/or in accordance with Manufacturing Message Specification, MMS.
  8. The DCS of claim 6 or 7, wherein the modern communication protocol (66) is in accordance with OPC Unified Architecture, UA, specifications.
  9. A method performed by a connectivity service (61) in a DCS (1), the method comprising: receiving (S11) a property request (67) from an operator HMI (62) in the DCS, the property request including a device ID (81) identifying a device (11) of a graphics window (63) which the operator HMI is arranged to present for the device, and an identifier (41) of a first property (43) of a plurality of properties of the device on which the graphics window is based; among lists (31) of properties (43) held by the connectivity service (61), each of the lists relating to a respective device (11) controlled by the DCS (1), determining (S12) a property list of the device identified by the device ID (81) in the received (Sn) property request (67); in the determined (S12) property list (31), in which each listed property (43) is associated with an address (71) for obtaining a present value of the property, finding (S13) the identifier (41) of the first property (43); by means of the address (71) associated with the found (S13) identifier (41), obtaining (S14) the present value of the first property (43) by communication with the controller, of the plurality of controllers (5), controlling the identified device (11), wherein the communication is via a legacy communication protocol (65) if the controller is a legacy controller (5a) and wherein the communication is via a modern communication protocol (66) if the controller is a modern controller (5b); and sending (S15) information about the obtained (S14) present value of the first property (43) to the operator HMI (62).
  10. A connectivity service (61) comprising: processing circuitry (72); and storage (73) storing instructions (74) executable by said processing circuitry (72) whereby said connectivity service (61) is operative to perform the method of claim 9.
  11. A DCS (1) comprising: the connectivity service (61) of claim 10; at least one operator HMI (62); and a plurality of controllers (5).
  12. A computer program product (73) comprising computer-executable components (74) for causing a connectivity service (61) to perform the method of claim 9 when the computer-executable components are run on processing circuitry (72) comprised in the connectivity service.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to migration of a control logic type from a legacy engineering tool to a modern engineering tool in a Distributed Control System (DCS) controlling devices in an industrial plant. The present disclosure also relates to a connectivity service in a DCS communicating with both legacy and modern controllers. BACKGROUND When updating the DCS of an industrial plant, from a legacy system to a modern system, such an update typically requires updating the complete system including all parts, like controllers, engineering tools and operator HMIs, at the same time, which is rather costly and time consuming. For instance, US 2022/100527 discloses an updatable and backward compatible Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) with an instruction set library which can be partitioned to limit updates to only those used by the PLC. SUMMARY It is an objective of the present invention to facilitate introduction of modern controllers in an existing plant, without the need to exchange existing legacy controllers and/or Human-Machine Interface(s) (HMI) at the operator side in the plant. By copying the graphics instructions, without reformatting, and by updating the property list with the same identifiers but with a new, modern format of the respective communication address fields, a control logic type can be migrated from a legacy engineering tool to a modern engineering tool while still being compatible with already existing operator HMI. By means of a connectivity service, requests from an operator may be handled for both legacy and modern controllers in the same plant. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of migrating a control logic type from a legacy engineering tool to a modern engineering tool in a Distributed Control System (DCS) controlling devices in an industrial plant. The control logic type of the legacy engineering tool comprises a property list of identifiers of properties of a first type of device present among the controlled devices in the industrial plant, graphics instructions for a graphics window associated with the first type of device and based on at least some of the listed properties, and control logic using the listed properties for controlling the first type of device. The legacy engineering tool is usable for configuring respective instances of the control logic type for the devices of the first type which are controlled by a legacy controller. The modern engineering tool is usable for configuring respective instances of the control logic type for the devices of the first type which are controlled by a modern controller. The method comprises obtaining the control logic type in a legacy format from a library of the legacy engineering tool. The method also comprises reformatting the control logic of the obtained control logic type to a modern format compatible with the modern controller while keeping the identifiers of the properties unchanged. The method also comprises copying the graphics instructions of the obtained control logic type. The method also comprises updating the property list such that the identifiers of the listed properties therein are unchanged but a format of a respective communication address field associated with each listed property is changed from a legacy format to a modern format compatible with the modern controller. The method also comprises associating (or including) the reformatted control logic, the copied graphics instructions and the updated property list with (or in) a migrated control logic type in a library of the modern engineering tool. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a migration tool comprising processing circuitry, and storage storing instructions executable by said processing circuitry whereby said migration tool is operative to perform an embodiment of the method for migrating a control logic type, the method being in accordance with the present disclosure. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising computer-executable components for causing a migration tool to perform an embodiment of the method for migrating a control logic type, the method being in accordance with the present disclosure, when the computer-executable components are run on processing circuitry comprised in the migration tool. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a DCS for controlling devices in an industrial plant. The DCS comprises a connectivity service holding, for each of the devices, a respective list of identifiers of properties of the device, each property in each of the lists being associated with an address for obtaining a present value of the property. The DCS also comprises at least one operator Human-Machine Interface (HMI), wherein each of which at least one operator HMI is arranged for presenting a respective graphics window for each of the devices which can be mon