Yes, I always keep an electronic copy of the original.surferb said:Rob - Do you keep a printed/read only hard copy of your logic for liability purposes?
I don't have any logic that would be classified this way. One of my selling points to my customers is no "black box" hardware or software. I want my customers to be able to service their own equipment. I try to keep my programs as simple as possible so even an inexperienced maintenance person can follow my logic. I have found this to be good business that gets me lots of repeat customers. I'm typically an open book to my customers, no secrets. Ask me a question and I'll give an honest answer. Want to know how to do something? I'll gladly tell you.surferb said:Rob
What if you had some proprietary technique that you wanted to sell and reuse as a "trade secret"?
TWControls said:Passwords blow chuncks...period. I have never seen a company "protect their property" with a password. Most of the time, it is more gear towards the customer not being able to service his own equipment. Unfortunately I'm seeing more and more of this from low end equipment builders. Reverse Engineering (Fixing) these programs is a service I offer that seems to continue to grow.
Firmware and control software from original equipment manufacturers and machine builders will be more secure as a result of encryption in upgraded automation software from Opto 22, a developer and manufacturer of hardware and software for industrial automation, remote monitoring, and data acquisition projects.
Opto 22 released the “Secure Strategy Distribution System, as part of PAC Project version 8.2, the company's flagship automation software suite that includes control programming, HMI development, OPC connectivity, and enterprise database integration components. The software gives OEMs and machine builders the ability to encrypt firmware and control programs so they can only be uploaded or downloaded to a controller via use of a secure encryption key," the company says.
The new Secure Strategy Distribution System features included in PAC Project 8.2 were designed to protect OEMs’ intellectual property. Embedded controllers can be secure, preventing unauthorized users from loading and running code or accessing or downloading preloaded control programs without use of a shared encryption key. For example, Opto 22 says, should control programs or firmware running on machines in the field need updating, the OEM can create a controller download file, encrypt it, and then distribute it to end-user customers. Because these field controllers are secured, they will only accept files that have a digital signature that matches that of their OEM's private key, the company says, which guarantees that the Opto 22 firmware or control program update is authentic and has not been modified.
TWControls said:Instead of password protecting the entire 13 slot SLC program, he added a Micrologix controller just to do that small part of the logic. 4 inputs, 3 outputs. Basic sequence that is pretty easy to follow without going having to go online, yet you can diagnose the rest of the machine without the hassle of passwords. Even then, I have the password, but the equipment builder requested that I not give it to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who has a laptop there.