Designing generic/reusable functionality based controllers for distributed control using UML

Functionality based control is an approach that improves the quality of the design process in distributed controlled systems (DCSs) by combining object-oriented concepts with re-configurability on function level. The basic functions are implemented in function blocks and then the overall functionality is derived by the use of a supervising scheduler. This paper presents an approach to model the basic functionalities in manufacturing systems using Unified Modeling Language (UML). A transformation of the UML description into an IEC 61499 compliant format is given. The approach is illustrated using the functionality based control (FBC) of a laboratory plant