Formal Methods in Fieldbus Specification

摘要

Automation systems become more and more sophisticated and complex. Even simple device, such as a washing machine, consists of hundred components and to design that device requires a cooperation of several engineers: mechanical, electrical, software etc. They use different descriptive methods (drawing, electric-diagram, math equation, programming language, etc.) with the aim to achieve the best performance of their components. However, user is not interested in well-designed washing-program but in well-designed washing machine. Therefore, not only high expertise of engineers in their branches, but also close cooperation among them is strictly necessary. Washing machine is a simple example because it is an embedded system. Let us look at more complex system: factory automation system based on Profibus DP industrial bus. In this case tens of different bus segments with hundreds of different bus devices of different manufacturers are used. This heterogeneous structure is always unique - every case of automation system is different. How to proof that designed system will ever operate or will operate with required parameters or without serious failures in time of design i.e. before than we switch on the main power? The answer is to use the suitable formal method(s).