Enhancing IEC 61499 with an IEEE 1451 TIM Function Block

Distributed control and measurement systems are robust and flexible thanks to their reconfigurability and plug-and-play characteristics. IEC 61499 and IEEE 1451 standards are proposed for distributed and plug-and-play control and measurement systems. However, IEC 61499 standards do not provide an integration guideline at the transducer level, and at the same time, IEEE 1451 lacks a robust control mechanism similar to the one IEC 61499 provides. For these reasons, introducing the Transducer Interface Module defined by IEEE 1451 will enhance the reconfigurability and plug-and-play characteristics of the IEC 61499 at the sensors and actuators level. This paper presents the integration phase of a Transducer Interface Module into the IEC 61499 standard. A temperature-controlling system, which is fully IEC 61499- and IEEE 1451-compliant, is implemented and discussed.