Software closing in on CASE tool

A 2002 EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS WINNER

SOFTWARE & INFORMATION INTEGRATION

Process design engineers have dreamed for years of the ultimate control system development toolset. One that uses the same toolset to develop specifications and test plans; design and develop piping and instrument diagrams (P&IDs); and then automatically turn all that information into control code and graphics for any control system. This ”ultimate” toolset may be unachievable, but Spec-Soft (Tel-Aviv, Israel) has moved much closer. Spec-Soft’s Process Functional Specification (PFS) software includes enhanced recipe development and management. Other features include:

Change management features that track adds, deletes, renames, and moves made in P&IDs; time-stamps changes; and highlights and evaluates change impact on the specification;

Rule-based conflict and interaction evaluation procedures aimed at identifying production- and safety-related problems and/or bottlenecks;

Textual, tabular and graphically customizable specification documentation;

Specification review and simulation; and

Database interfaces to spreadsheets, instrument indexes, batch-engines, HMIs, and manufacturing execution systems.

Spec-Soft’s 2002 product enhancement adds automatic generation of controller code from within PFS. It develops structured text in accordance with IEC 61131-3. Computer aided software engineering (CASE) provides a design-to-implementation software development environment. Most previous CASE implementations use one toolset for design and specification, another for detailed engineering and simulation, and a third for implementation and testing. Spec-Soft’s PFS software has achieved a significant step forward in CASE environments.

www.specsoft-pfs.com

Captures process design to build an S88-compatible functional specification

Creates enterprise-wide standards of automation software

Generates specification to IEC-61131-3 controller code

Provides high levels of documentation and change management to facilitate regulatory compliance

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