Hello!
A little background first – I’m a mechanical engineer working for many years in the pharma industry in the US. Usually I work in the “Validation” field – part of Quality. We write and execute test protocols on production equipment to ensure that the systems are installed and operate as specified and that they produce a product with the specified quality attributes. I work with a lot of automated equipment (typically Allen Bradley) but I am by no means proficient in programming in ladder logic or loading software or ghosting images or anything like that. I did take a ladder logic class a number of years ago and can more or less stumble thru reading a few pages of ladder logic when necessary.
Testing the equipment and the functional aspects of the automation I have covered. On the software side, however, I need some help. From my perspective, what’s important is knowing exactly what software and firmware are installed on the system (and being able to verify at any future point that the versions haven’t changed, so the system is still in a state of control – i.e., no unauthorized changes). Most of the folks I work with are also lacking in this area and tend to focus only on the actual process application even though our industry requires an assessment of all installed software / firmware.
On to the specific questions:
On a PLC, what are the typical resident software and firmware components?
The actual process application (ladder logic)
Development software? Like RSLogix? (or is this on the HMI or a laptop, too?)
Other?
On the related HMI – same question.
Operating System, like Windows
Operating System (firmware), no specific filename but a version #
Development software (for creating HMI applications), like FactoryTalk View Studio
Runtime environment (for applications developed in FactoryTalk View Studio), like FactoryTalk View
Ladder logic development software, like Studio 5000 Logix Designer
Development software, like RS View Studio
Process application, like xxx.mer ??
Web browser, Microsoft file viewers, text editor, PDF viewer, remote desktop connection, and media player
Backup and restore utility
Other categories of software typically installed on an HMI? Corrections to above (categories or examples)
Thanks!
Kathleen
A little background first – I’m a mechanical engineer working for many years in the pharma industry in the US. Usually I work in the “Validation” field – part of Quality. We write and execute test protocols on production equipment to ensure that the systems are installed and operate as specified and that they produce a product with the specified quality attributes. I work with a lot of automated equipment (typically Allen Bradley) but I am by no means proficient in programming in ladder logic or loading software or ghosting images or anything like that. I did take a ladder logic class a number of years ago and can more or less stumble thru reading a few pages of ladder logic when necessary.
Testing the equipment and the functional aspects of the automation I have covered.
On the software side, however, I need some help. From my perspective, what’s important is knowing exactly what software and firmware are installed on the system (and being able to verify at any future point that the versions haven’t changed, so the system is still in a state of control – i.e., no unauthorized changes). Most of the folks I work with are also lacking in this area and tend to focus only on the actual process application even though our industry requires an assessment of all installed software / firmware.On to the specific questions:
On a PLC, what are the typical resident software and firmware components?
The actual process application (ladder logic)
Development software? Like RSLogix? (or is this on the HMI or a laptop, too?)
Other?
On the related HMI – same question.
Operating System, like Windows
Operating System (firmware), no specific filename but a version #
Development software (for creating HMI applications), like FactoryTalk View Studio
Runtime environment (for applications developed in FactoryTalk View Studio), like FactoryTalk View
Ladder logic development software, like Studio 5000 Logix Designer
Development software, like RS View Studio
Process application, like xxx.mer ??
Web browser, Microsoft file viewers, text editor, PDF viewer, remote desktop connection, and media player
Backup and restore utility
Other categories of software typically installed on an HMI? Corrections to above (categories or examples)
Thanks!
Kathleen
