Visualization of PLC Programs using XMLM. Bani Younis and G. FreyJuniorprofessorship Agentenbased AutomationUniversity of KaiserslautemP. 0. Box 3049, D-67653 Kaiserslautem, Germany Abstract - Due to the growing complexity of PLC programs there is an increasing interest in the application of formal methods in this area. Formal methods allow rigid proving of system properties in verification and validation. One way to apply formal methods is to utilize a formal design approach in PLC programming. However, for existing software that has to be optimized, changed, or ported to new systems .There is the need for an approach that can start from a given PLC program. Therefore, formalization of PLC programs is a topic of current research. The paper outlines a re-engineering approach based on the formalization of PLC programs. The transformation into a vendor independent format and the visualization of the structure of PLC programs is identified as an important intermediate step in this process. It is shown how XML and corresponding technologies can be used for the formalization and visualization of an existing PLC program. I. INTRODUCTIONProgrammable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are a special type of computers that are used in industrial and safety critical applications. The purpose of a PLC is to control a particular process, or a collection of processes, by producing electrical control signals in response to electrical process- related inputs signals. The systems controlled by PLCs vary tremendously, with applications in manufacturing, chemical process control, machining, transportation, power distribution, and many other fields. Automation applications can range in complexity from a simple panel to operate the lights ...
