Market Need

Programmable Logic Controllers

Itris Automation Square addresses the market of development tools for Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). PLCs are a special type of computers that are used in industrial and safety-critical applications. The purpose of a PLC is to control a particular process, or a collection of processes, by producing electrical control signals in response to electrical process-related input signals. PLCs are a key automation component in the discrete, hybrid and process industries. PLCs are being used in the areas of manufacturing, chemical process control, machining, transportation, power generation and distribution and many other fields. Automation operations can range widely in complexity from a simple panel to completely automated production systems.

Current Challenges in PLC Programming

Programming PLCs has to take into account the need for very high levels of reliability for both safety and economic reasons. Indeed, a bug in a PLC program may have consequences ranging from stopping the assembly line to the loss of human lives. Also, PLC programs have a very long lifecycle. Once they have been developed, they are maintained by technicians who are not necessarily familiar with the original implementation. In spite of many quality assurance efforts, today's development methods - based on few development tools - cannot guarantee the robustness and reliability of PLC programs within reasonable costs. Finally, each new PLC comes with a new development environment which is often not compatible with others - even between two PLCs from the same vendor. As a consequence, programs are difficult to reuse and having to reimplement them reduces their long term value.

Taking up these challenges requires new solutions that are capable of producing higher quality and reusable programs while reducing development and maintenance costs. That's what Itris Automation Square offers thanks to its innovative approach!