Controller implementation

Once a supervisory controller has been synthesized, verified and validated, it is time to implement it. The control software is typically implemented using a programming language, such as PLC code for a PLC platform, or Java or C++ code for an industrial PC. This may for instance be done in-house within the company, by different teams or departments, or by an external supplier.

While manual implementation is possible, the code is often automatically generated from the controller model. This automatically produces correct-by-construction code by generating the code from the correct-by-construction controller model. Automation prevents the kinds of subtle mistakes that humans make when they manually implement something, ensuring consistency between the controller model and implementation. Automation also improves efficiency. If the controller model is changed, with the push of a button a new correct-by-construction implementation can again quickly be generated.

CIF supports code generation through the following tools:

The documentation of these tools provide further details on how to use them.

Once code has been generated, it should be tested on the actual system. This may reveal additional issues. For instance, the behavior of the system may not be properly captured in the plant model, or the inputs and outputs of the system may be incorrectly connected to the controller.

With a working implementation of the controller, this concludes the process to apply synthesis-based engineering in practice.