Engineering Data for Production Systems (AutomationML)

Introduction

The AutomationML data format, developed by AutomationML e.V., standardised in IEC 62714, is an open, neutral, XML-based, and free data exchange format which enables a domain and company spanning transfer of engineering data of production systems in a heterogeneous engineering tool landscape. The goal of AutomationML is to interconnect engineering tools in their different disciplines, e.g. plant planning, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, process engineering, process control engineering, HMI development, PLC programming, robot programming.
AutomationML stores engineering information following the object oriented paradigm and allows model¬ling of physical and logical plant components as data objects encapsulating different aspects. An object may consist of other sub-objects, and may itself be part of a larger composition or aggregation. Typical objects in plant automation comprise information on topology, geometry, kinematics, logic, and behaviour.
In addition, AutomationML follows a modular structure. AutomationML is based on IEC 62424 (CAEX) and integrates other already existing XML-based data formats (see Figure 1). These data formats are used on an “as-is” basis within their own specifications and are not branched for AutomationML needs. Logically AutomationML is partitioned in:

• description of the plant structure and communication systems expressed as a hierarchy of AutomationML objects and described by means of CAEX following IEC 62424
• description of geometry and kinematics of the different AutomationML objects represented by means of COLLADA 1.4.1 and 1.5.0 (ISO/PAS 17506:2012)
• description of control related logic data of the different AutomationML objects represented by means of PLCopen XML 2.0 and 2.0.1 (IEC61131-10)
• description of relations among AutomationML objects and references to information that is stored in documents outside the top level format

AutomationML base structure

Due to the different aspects of AutomationML, the IEC 62714 series consists of different parts focussing on different aspects:

• IEC 62714-1: Architecture and general requirements - This part specifies the general AutomationML architecture, the modelling of engineering data, classes, instances, relations, references, hierarchies, basic AutomationML libraries and extended AutomationML concepts. It describes the use of CAEX. It is the basis of all future parts and provides mechanisms to reference other sub-formats.
• IEC 62714-2: Role class libraries - This part is intended to specify additional AutomationML libraries to derive necessary roles for semantic definition in individual application cases.
• IEC 62714-3: Geometry and kinematics - This part is intended to specify the modelling of geometry and kinematics information based on COLLADA.
• IEC 62714-4: Logic - This part is intended to specify the modelling of logics, sequencing, behaviour and control related information based on PLCopen XML.

Further parts may be added in the future in order to interconnect additional data standards to AutomationML.

AutomationML Capabilities

AutomationML Base Types

URN:          https://opcfoundation.org/wiki/index.php/AutomationML#AutomationML_Base_Types

Discovery ID: AML

Description
Understand and support the OPC UA for AutomationML Information Model (IEC62714). This includes all the AutomationML elements from IEC62714-1 and the corresponding CAEX elements from IEC62424.

Usage Considerations
This information model can be used to communicate and operationalise AutomationML by means of OPC UA. It is possible to simplify the creation of OPC UA information models based on existing AutomationML engineering data.

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Conformance Testing

Client	Server
TBD	TBD

AutomationML Libraries

URN:          https://opcfoundation.org/wiki/index.php/AutomationML#AutomationML_Libraries

Discovery ID: AMLLib

Description
The AutomationML RoleClass and InterfaceClass libraries which add additional semantics to AutomationML models. This includes all libraries described in IEC62714-1 and IEC62714-2.

Usage Considerations
AutomationML allows the creation and usage of semantics of system objects which can be specified using roles defined and collected in role class libraries and semantics of interfaces between system objects which can be specified using interface classes defined and collected in interface class libraries. The representation of the RoleClass and InterfaceClass libraries defined in the AutomationML IEC specifications are included for reusage within the companion specification as part of an information model.

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Conformance Testing

Client	Server
TBD	TBD