Functional Safety: high flexibility with macro technology

Safety development is carried out in the LASAL SAFETYDesigner on certified function blocks based on PLCopen.

Following the example of object-oriented programming, which has characterized SIGMATEK controllers on the application side for 25 years, it is now possible to create customer-specific macro libraries for safety applications. The special feature of the LASAL safety macros is that they can be structured in a multi-level hierarchy. Each macro is encapsulated in itself and can be tested independently as it has its own CRC test value. This significantly reduces the effort required for overall tests to obtain certifications.

The LASAL SafetyDesigner offers developers of safety-related applications the option to design them completely parameterizable and therefore very flexible. It is only necessary to create one safety application for a machine or system with numerous options, which applies to all equipment variants.

Parameter lists as an engineering turbo
The parameterization, i.e. the adaptation to the – often customer-specific – concrete machine, takes place via a parameter list. Like the application itself, the parameter list is also protected. To ensure security, password-protected mechanisms are used when transferring the lists for setting different equipment variants.

By automating the test sequences via test programs that run in the sequence controller, the development effort for multi-variant machines is reduced enormously. Together with the hot-plug capability, the parameterization of the safety control during runtime enables extremely flexible operation of modular machines and systems.

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