1. Remote Laboratory for Industrial Automation Rui Delgado, Gustavo Santos Carlos Cardeira, J. R. C. Pinto, Rui Loureiro Otto Leichsenring IST – GOM - INFOCONTROL

2. Goals Remotely accessed laboratory for industrial automation Remotely accessed laboratory for industrial automation Improve laboratories sessions productivity Improve laboratories sessions productivity Compromise between a real lab and a virtual lab Compromise between a real lab and a virtual lab

3. Real, Remote and Virtual Labs Real labs Real labs –There’s nothing like a real experiment –They’re very close to reality But … -They’re limited to timetables -Require a presence of a tutor or a technician availability

4. Real, Remote and Virtual Labs Remote labs – provide access to real experiments remotely Remote labs – provide access to real experiments remotely –Not limited by timetables –They’re (very) close to reality But … -Physical experiments access is mutual exclusive -They’re affected by network performance and reliability -Bottlenecks near the deadlines limit the availability of remote labs

5. Real, Remote and Virtual Labs Virtual labs – Completely virtual Virtual labs – Completely virtual –Not limited by timetables –No bottlenecks near the deadlines –Access is not mutually exclusive –They aren’t affected by network performance and reliability But … -No feeling of reality -Limited by programmed possibilities

6. Real, Remote and Virtual Labs All types of labs have advantages and drawbacks (otherwise only one type would exist) All types of labs have advantages and drawbacks (otherwise only one type would exist) Virtual Labs : for training and mastering Virtual Labs : for training and mastering Remote Labs : for testing Remote Labs : for testing Real Labs : for doing it ! Real Labs : for doing it !

7. Industrial Automation Remote Lab

8. No specific software: Connection to Lab PLC is made by TCP/IP using the manufacturer’s programming environment Connection to Lab PLC is made by TCP/IP using the manufacturer’s programming environment Access to the webcam image is made with a normal videoconferencing software Access to the webcam image is made with a normal videoconferencing software The human-machine interface is made by a normal browser The human-machine interface is made by a normal browser

9. Edit, Compile, Download, Debug

10. Webconnect - HMI PDP keys are embedded in the HTML code, being used for addressing PLC data. PDP keys are embedded in the HTML code, being used for addressing PLC data. –%PDP,,I16,B% addressing one input “I16” and format is binary. –%PDP,,R300,F% addressing the register 300, format is in floating point. –%PDP,,DB10.20,d% addressing Data Block 10, element 20, format is decimal.

11. Web Interfaces

13. Remote Camera

14. Integration from Web to physical hardware

15. What you get:

16. Results Students have a demo version of the PLC software that allows them to check for syntax errors Students have a demo version of the PLC software that allows them to check for syntax errors Students may use the remote lab to check for semantic errors and make online debug Students may use the remote lab to check for semantic errors and make online debug Students go to the lab session for the real laboratory to make real contact with the equipment Students go to the lab session for the real laboratory to make real contact with the equipment

17. Perspectives Security issues Security issues An unique front end An unique front end A PLC simulator towards a virtual lab A PLC simulator towards a virtual lab Convince more and more PLC manufacturers to create remote labs on their facilities Convince more and more PLC manufacturers to create remote labs on their facilities