Using SIMIT and Virtual Controllers During Engineering and ...
Transcript of Using SIMIT and Virtual Controllers During Engineering and ...
Using SIMIT and Virtual Controllers During Engineering and Testing: Real-Life Experience
Pigler Automation, LLC
Automation Summit Las Vegas, NV, June 27-30, 2016
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2016 Automation Summit
Title: Using SIMIT and Virtual Controllers During Engineering and Testing: Real-Life Experience
Versus Expectations
Track: Best Practices & Novel Approaches
Presenters: Karen Pigler, Rachael Dinger
Company: Pigler Automation, LLC.
Connect Event Badge ID (use this # to connect with me):
Karen Pigler:
Rachael Dinger:
Session # (for your survey):
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• Pigler Automation, LLC was founded in 2005
• We are a Siemens Solution Provider for PCS7 with 5 Siemens PCS7-Certified Engineers
• Located in Longmont, Colorado -- 30 miles north of Denver
• 11 Employees and Growing
• Industries Served: Chemical, Power and Mining, ….
For more information please visit:
www.piglerautomation.com
Or call : (866) 871-1456
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The Presenters
Karen Pigler
• Electrical Engineering degree from Fachhochschule Kiel, Germany
• 17+ years of employment with Siemens AG in Germany and the United States
• Founder and Chief Executive Officer with Pigler Automation, LLC since 2005
• PCS7 Certificed Process Control Engineer
Rachael Dinger
• B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Colorado State University
• Lead Process Controls Engineer with Pigler Automation, LLC since May 2015
• Engineering Assistant with Pigler Automation, LLC from April 2009 to May 2015
• PCS7 Certificed Process Control Engineer
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Our Challenge:
The Project:
• Greenfield Hydrogen Plant in the US
The Control System Specifications:
• Two sets of redundant AS 417s
• DCS, PESS and Eex application
• ~650 I/O points
• Custom PCS7 User Library
PCS 7 OS Clients
PCS 7 ES
417H
PR
OF
IBU
S
PCS 7 OS Server
PCS 7 Process
Controller
417H
Remote ClientsLocal Clients
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Our Customer’s Challenge:
• First plant of this type to be operated from a remote
location
• Plant will start-up and run continuously for several years
without shutting down
How to prepare the operator for commissioning and
operations as well as keep the remote operator trained?
Training Simulator based on SIMIT V8.1
Model built in-house based upon specifications for the
new plant
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Use SIMIT instead of Conventional Testing Methods?
Advantages:
• No need to program and execute simulations in PLCs
• No need to disable simulations or delete simulation logic after FAT
• “Real-Life” testing with an accurate plant model
• Significantly better testbed than “normal” loop-oriented simulations
• Great training opportunity for engineers in preparation for commissioning activities
• SIMIT’s Snapshot tool speeds up testing: e.g. safety verification of the running plant
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Use SIMIT instead of Conventional Testing Methods?
Risks:
• Pigler Automation had not worked with SIMIT in many years
• PLCs were expected to be installed on-site before FAT: need to use Virtual Controllers instead,
which were not tested by customer or Pigler Automation
• Test depends on model delivered by the customer; time delays in creating the model reduced
testing time
• Any test conducted included also testing the simulation:
• If there is an unexpected response, is it the programming or simulation’s problem?
Decision: Advantages Outweigh the Risks
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Our Assumptions:
• Virtual Controller would work like an actual PLC (and PLCSim); test results are 100% transferrable
to actual hardware – in both static and dynamic behavior
• Handling of Virtual Controller is similar to PLCs:
• Time to download code
• Capability of online changes
• Capability to download changes
• Efforts to prepare a testbed were negligible (all information is available in the project)
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Designing a Suitable Test Environment
• Use ES/OS equipment from project
• Procure powerful laptop to host
SIMIT installation
• SIMIT Simulation Framework and
both Virtual Controllers share an
instance of SIMATIC Net which
communicates over the Plant Bus
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Licensing & Processing Power Requirements
• SIMIT PC fitted with 32MB RAM, SSD, newest
I7 processor, and 4 cores – 3 cores needed for
SIMIT:
one for SIMIT Framework,
one for each VC
• In addition to the SIMIT Dongle, an active
network connection is required to check out
SIMIT licenses to avoid running in DEMO mode
• In DEMO mode, accessible address ranges
become very limited and other restrictions apply
that make SIMIT functionally useless for our
task
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Setting up Virtual Controllers: Working with the Emulation Manager (EM)
• All Virtual Controllers are configured, compiled,
and exported from the EM
• Import of project hardware configuration
files and symbol tables
• Configuration and scaling (if necessary) of
all I/O points
• Specification of High Level Language (HLL)
block use
• WinCC/Virtual Controllers and Virtual
Controller/Virtual Controller connections
created
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Setting up Virtual Controllers: Working with the Emulation Manager
• If multiple Virtual Controllers are hosted on the same
PC, they share an instance of SIMATIC NET
• ISO transport connections must have unique TSAP
and MAC address assignments
• TSAP assignments are set in the Emulation
Manager, and where WinCC connections are
concerned, must be set by adhering to very specific
directions contained within the User Manual
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Setting up Virtual Controllers: Working with the Emulation Manager
• Testbed computer configuration
completed in the EM as well
• Each PC requires a mapped network
drive from the SIMIT PC to a
designated shared folder in order to
distribute project files (.xdb files)
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Setting up Virtual Controllers: Working with the Emulation Manager
• Project files then loaded into the
Station Configuration Editor on each
PC
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Setting up Virtual Controllers: Working with the Emulation Manager
Additional caveats of WinCC
connections:
• The SIMIT PC’s IP Address must
be the lowest in the range if
hosting one or more Virtual
Controllers
• The MAC address of the PC
hosting the Virtual Controllers
must be manually specified in
the connection parameters of
each AS via WinCC’s Tag
Management
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Setting up Virtual Controllers: Working with the Emulation Manager
Our Set-up Experience:
• Documentation was not sufficient for
project set-up out of the box – Ronald
Nijssen (Siemens) helped
• Initial installation and set-up took
days
• While connection to ES was easier,
establishing OS communication was
a major hurdle
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Setting up Virtual Controllers: Working with the Emulation Manager
• Scaling I/O Ranges in the Symbol List
• Each I/O point required configuration in the Signal List
editor of EM
• Analog inputs and outputs required additional
parameterization to scale values appropriately
Time consuming task, and any changes to I/O ranges
required a compilation of the EM and re-distribution of
project files
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Setting up Virtual Controllers: Working with the Emulation Manager
High Level Language Blocks:
• How good is the test if we are NOT testing with the same code as in the PLC?
• Need to deactivate unsupported function blocks that were imported by configuration
files
• No verification of function block number conflicts between the project and SIMIT
libraries
• Ongoing issues with a select few blocks that were found to not work correctly
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Setting up Virtual Controllers: Working with the Emulation Manager
Missing Diagnostics:
• Troubleshooting of internal faults on the
Virtual Controllers – if the PLC or PLCSim
doesn’t report an error then why is the Virtual
Controller upset?
Problems with HLL Blocks
System configuration issues
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Virtual Controller Performance Issues
Challenges Faced:
• Download times for CFC charts could be painfully slow for
larger programs (upwards of 3x longer than to a PLC)
• Delta downloads were not possible.
Simulation had to be stopped and re-initialized in
order to conduct a download
• “Online” changes made during testing were not retained by
the Virtual Controller
• WinCC updates were slow and plagued by interruptions
Alarm Logging listed many falsely suppressed alarms
Virtual Controllers were not utilized during FAT; customer’s
hardware was used (PLCs and SIMBAPro)
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Working with SIMIT Simulation Framework
• Project View is very intuitive to navigate and work
with
• SIMIT charts are graphics based, much like PCS7
CFC charts – a lot of dragging and dropping
components and controls, then interconnecting them
• I/O signals can be directly placed on charts, or
connectors can be used for variables
• Many options available to customize your simulation:
Simulation execution time (25% - 500%)
Option to create macros and templates
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Working with SIMIT Simulation Framework
Our Experience:
• End customer provided the SIMIT Process Model; our team
quickly learned to “tweak” the model
• SIMIT’s Snapshot tool was utilized frequently with the Virtual
Controllers to aid in development of the project’s FAT
Procedure and Trip Protocol
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Working with SIMIT Simulation Framework
Lessons Learned
• Keep the Process Model
accurate:
• Understanding what side of
the logic required alteration
(PCS7 vs. SIMIT) was
discussed frequently
• Archiving, transferring, and
retrieving (small) SIMIT
projects worked great
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Working with SIMIT Simulation Framework
Lessons Learned
• Simple restart of the SIMIT computer can resolve a lot of
problems
• Utilize the “Find & Replace” tool to save time when
troubleshooting
Larger SIMIT projects
Complex charts
• Take advantage of the Simulation Framework’s
graphical nature: utilize display controls as often as
possible
• The Snapshot tool is extremely handy when recreation
of a specific system state is required
Being aware of its limitations can save a lot of
time (and headaches)
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Project Successes
• Pre-FAT testing completed with two VCs
• FAT testing completed with the SIMBA PRO hardware
platform and two AS 417s
• Implementation of simulation logic in the PCS7 project
kept to a minimal amount
• FAT successfully completed over a two-week period
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Project Successes
• Overall customer feedback regarding working with the SIMIT
Process Model during FAT was very positive
• Additional software changes requested during and after FAT
implemented and tested in-house utilizing the SIMIT Process
Model and Virtual Controllers
• Trip-protocol prepared and tested in-house utilizing this set-up
as well
• Pigler Automation selected by Siemens for SIMIT Version 9
beta testing, currently on-going
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SIMIT V9.0 Preview: Improvements
Virtual Controller Set-up:
• The Emulation Manager is no longer
a part of the SIMIT package’s user
interface
VCs are created and
configured directly in the
Simulation Framework
environment
• Configuration settings for each VC
have been greatly reduced
Less guesswork
Less time spent configuring
each controller
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SIMIT V9.0 Preview: Improvements
Virtual Controller Set-up:
• Hardware Configuration exports are now
completed using .xml files with an improved
version of the HWCNExport tool
Multi-projects can now be imported
Individual selection of AS Stations
possible
Hardware configuration and symbol
tables are included in the same
import
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SIMIT V9.0 Preview: Improvements
Virtual Controller Set-up:
• Signals are configured in the
Virtual Controller settings of each
AS
• Raw values are pre-configured,
scaling still needs to be adjusted
for analog inputs and outputs
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SIMIT V9.0 Preview: Improvements
• Loading of SIMIT-generated Station
Configuration files (.xdb) no longer required
• Resource parameters for each VC’s connection
to the OS Server (e.g. TSAP and ID numbers)
taken directly from the PCS7 project – no
additional configuration required
• Communication connections between two VCs
taken directly from the PCS7 project as well
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SIMIT V9.0 Preview: Improvements
• Delta downloads now possible
• If a complete download is
required, simulation can be kept
in the run position and the VC will
be stopped and restarted
• Overall, behavior of the VC is far
more robust and much more
similar to that of an actual PLC
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SIMIT V9.0 Preview: Improvements
• Creation of distributed Virtual
Controllers is now an easier, faster
process
• Create a new host, configure
settings, assign virtual controllers by
dragging and dropping, then save
and distribute
• Host computers only require VC
software to be installed
• VCs are automatically initialized,
started, and stopped from the SIMIT
host (seen as Localhost)
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Live Demonstration
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Looking Ahead, Our Involvement with SIMIT
• Will continue to utilize SIMIT for in-house testing
during the engineering phase, as well as for FAT
testing, of future projects when possible
• Looking into development of other SIMIT Process
Models for future Pigler Automation Project
Validations and Operator Trainings
• Development of custom components utilizing the
SIMIT CTE tool
• Continuation of SIMIT Version 9 beta testing
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Our SIMIT Wish-List
• Automatically generated S7 SIMIT templates
• Discontinue use of HLL blocks
• More flexibility for introducing on-line changes with the
Snapshot tool
• Chart partitioning to limit size and complexity of SIMIT charts
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Using SIMIT and Virtual Controllers During Engineering and Testing: Real-Life
Experience Versus Expectations
Name: Karen Pigler
Title: CEO
Company: Pigler Automation, LLC.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (866) 871 - 1456
Connect Event Badge ID (use this # to connect with me):
Session #:
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Using SIMIT and Virtual Controllers During Engineering and Testing: Real-Life
Experience Versus Expectations
Name: Rachael Dinger
Title: Lead Controls Engineer
Company: Pigler Automation, LLC.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (866) 871 - 1456
Connect Event Badge ID (use this # to connect with me):
Session #: