Embedding Modules

 

 

Hierarchical building allows the creation of a Hierarchical View of a process from top down, or bottom up. The Hierarchy may reflect the Plant Data Model and/or Configuration Asset Model.

 

The Containment View, in Control Builder's tree view, shows the containment relationship among all configured Control Modules including CM's, SCM's.

 

Parameter Projection allows the projection of parameters of an embedded block upward onto its container. When this container CM/SCM is embedded in another CM container, the projected parameters can then be exposed as pins on the block surface of this embedded block in the new container, and connections can be graphically made to these pins. Projected Parameters are defined as if they are the inherent parameters and will have all the attributes of the origin parameters, but will be referenced by their new names. The actual connections are made to the inherent origin parameters.

 

Embedded Control Module development promotes good Engineering practice and forces the engineer to make good Control Strategy development decisions such as module cohesiveness.  It defines the relationships amongst Control Modules (Control Strategies) that helps to understand their control relationships compared to looking at hundreds or thousands of Control Module strategies in a flat list.  Imagine if Windows File Explorer did not support the function of Directory or Folder paths that define file relationships.

 

 

Control Architect supports Embedded (hierarchical) Control Module development through various options specified in a Control Conversion Template.  You can choose to specify a Control Module path (hierarchy) by simply specifying the Module path as in "HEATERS\HEATER1" in the Control Conversion Adapter Binding or you can specify it as an Excel DataSource column value that can be bound using a Control Binding that will set the Control Module Container value.

 

 

The example below shows how a Control Module path is used to create and set the containment relationships for Control Conversion tasks.

 

 

When a path is specified in the "Container Name" column, if the path Control modules do not exist, they will be defined as new Control modules to create in the generated Data Collection.  When the Data Collection is executed it will create these new Control Modules and embed them as defined in the path relationship.  You must choose the Build Container option and specify the Control Module configuration template file to use when building the Control modules.  Control Architect provides a default set of Template files that can be used when generating Honeywell PKS CEE configuration types.

 

 

You can add a Control Property name Container to the set of Control properties for a PKS CEE type Template that can be bound to a DataSource value in a Control Binding.  This assumes that the Container value (Control Module) being set already exists.  This type of containment building does not support path building as in "HEATERS\HEATER100".  If you want to specify the containing Control Module you should specify "HEATER100" as the containing Control Module value.  The Control Module specified as the container must already exist or you can create another Conversion task that simply builds the containing Control Modules.

 

The example below shows how a Control Module name is specified in an Excel DataSource and used as the source property of a Control Binding bound to a Control Module Container target Property.  The Excel DataSource column named "CONTAINEDIN" specifies the containing Control Module name that is bound to the PKS CEE Control Module Parameter "Container".