Control programming may be easier with a new resource from ISA (the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society), which offers automation and controls engineers a practical guide for component-based development of distributed embedded and control systems as proposed by IEC 61499. IEC 61499 is the newly adopted international standard for distributed control systems and follows on the IEC 61131 standard for programmable logic controllers (PLC).

“Function Blocks for Embedded and Distributed Control Systems Design,” by Valeriy Vyatkin, is part of the ISA/O3neida series on distributed industrial automation. Each chapter in the book is designed as an independent study unit, making the material ideal for use in university courses, industrial training, or self-study.

For the control, automation, or software engineer and the embedded systems developer, the book provides direction on how to specify and implement a distributed system according to the IEC 61499 standard and how to create an IEC 61499-compliant control device. It also sheds some light on the broader embedded systems arena since the IEC 61499 standard provides the higher level (yet executable) abstraction appropriate for model-based engineering of distributed embedded systems.

More information on this resource is available in the books section of the ISA Website.

www.isa.org