A Model-Driven Engineering Workbench for CAEX Supporting Language Customization and Evolution

Computer Aided Engineering Exchange (CAEX) is one of the most promising standards when it comes to data exchange between engineering tools in the production system automation domain. This is also reflected by the current emergence of AutomationML (AML), which uses CAEX as its core representation language. However, with the increasing use of CAEX, important language engineering challenges arise. One of these challenges is the customization of CAEX for its usage in superior standards, such as AML, which requires the precise specification of the language including the formalization and validation of additional usage rules. Another highly topical challenge is the ongoing evolution of CAEX as has recently happened with the transition from version 2.15 to version 3.0. Further challenges include the provisioning of editing facilities and visualizations of CAEX documents such that they can be inspected and modified by engineers, and the development of transformations from and to CAEX such that different engineering artifacts can be exchanged via CAEX. In this paper, we take a language engineering point of view and present a model-driven engineering (MDE) workbench for CAEX that allows to address these and other challenges. In particular, we present how CAEX can be formulated in a model-based framework, which allows the application of MDE techniques, such as model validation, migration, editing, visualization, and transformation techniques, to solve a diverse set of language engineering challenges experienced for CAEX. We give an overview of the developed workbench and illustrate its benefits with a focus on customizing CAEX for AML and evolving CAEX documents from version 2.15 to 3.0.