A design pattern for translating UML software models into IEC 61131-3 programming languages

The paper deal with a deep analysis and application of object-oriented methodologies for the design process of industrial machine controllers. The process pass thought the phases of (1) conceptual model development of the software artifacts, and (2) model code deployment for the automation system target, which is in general a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) compliant with the international standard IEC 61131-3 for programming languages. The paper describes a design pattern for the software conceptual model deployment, with a particular emphasis on practical requirements enforced by PLC of different brands. In fact, IEC 61131-3 compliance provides a common "look-and- feel" for programming languages, but does not guarantee straightforward code portability between different PLC vendors. The paper has a great focus on applications and provides an example, based on a generic flow-pack machine, to better explain the proposed methodology. © 2011 IFAC.