PRODUCTS: CONTROL ARCHITECT
Automation Software Technology, Inc.

• PKS XML configuration and HMIWeb graphic file importing to a Configuration Asset data Model to facilitate control strategy analysis and documentation

• Support for FSC, SCADA and LCN configuration

• Support for OPCI

• Exporting of configuration data to Excel

• Control Module chart viewing similar to the Control Builder chart view with enhanced features and functions

• SCM function block conversion to SCM# Language script for straightforward analysis of complex SCM's

• Control Module Chart View Ink surface annotation to facilitate white board collaboration amongst users

• Full external references for all function blocks and parameters including references to CAB and SCM alias references

• Visual peer analysis within community server nodes including ACE and C300, FIM, PCDI, LCN xPM peer.

• Visual InterCluster parameter analysis for use in control strategies between EPKS server nodes and communities

• Node Statistics analysis for both LCN and PKS Process Controller types

• HMIWeb Graphic integration with detailed analysis and reporting

• HMIWeb Capture tool for capturing PDF or PNG images of HMIWeb Display Builder static rendering

• Control Graph view that provides a graphic representation of all interconnected Control Strategies in a project (supports both PKS and LCN including CL)

• xPM Logic and Device Control Logic views for graphical representation of interconnected logic gates

• Policy validation engine (PolicyCop) that provides powerful rule authoring and execution on project configuration

• Automatic policy rule generation based on existing configuration to be used as a Template or typical

• Workflow activities used for Control Conversion tasks to convert Honeywell Exception Build (EB) files to Excel

• Control Conversion views that support property (parameter) generation and binding to external Excel Data Source types to support Control conversion tasks such as migrating Hiway based configuration to PKS CEE, building new SCADA or LCN EB configuration, import into Honeywell TPS Builder

• Workflow activities that generate new Control Module configuration based on data binding to external Excel Data Sources

• Workflow activities to support Control Strategy importing into Honeywell Win7 TPS Builder

• Workflow activities that provide batch editing of project Control Module configuration

• Compare functions for comparing configuration snapshot versions for management of change reporting

• Full Triconex integration including PKS PCDI, SCADA, LCN DHP, SM, PLCG

• View, trace, validate, and debug Modbus connectivity to/from Triconex

• Trace DCS Parameter connections through to the Triconex Program logic without having to deal with Modbus mapping calculations and without having to view the Program logic in the native TriStation application

• PLC Program Logic View allows users to view and navigate Triconex Program logic

• Alarm Analysis both System-Wide and Operator Console for rationalization and conformance to ISA-18.2 rationalization guidelines

CLICK HERE FOR  WHATS NEW...

A new dedicated Alarm Analysis view provides engineers with a comprehensive static alarm analysis toolset built around the ISA alarm rationalization guidelines. Both System-Wide and Operator Console based Alarm analysis is supported. By analyzing alarm configurations captured within your Control Architect configuration snapshots, engineers can systematically rationalize alarm assignments — identifying poorly configured, redundant, or improperly prioritized alarms without requiring a live or dynamic connection to the control system. By analyzing Operator Console metrics engineers can identify those Operator Consoles/Assets with unmanageable alarm loading.  Exportable summary reports support the full ISA rationalization workflow, helping your team build and maintain a disciplined, standards-compliant alarm philosophy across your PCN.

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The new PKS Hardware View delivers a structured, visual representation of your Honeywell PKS hardware topology directly within Control Architect. Engineers can browse controller chassis, I/O modules, and channel assignments derived from your configuration snapshot — all without requiring access to the live system.

A key capability of this new view is I/O Channel Reservation — engineers can now identify and formally reserve spare I/O channels directly within the hardware view, ensuring that available capacity is tracked, allocated, and protected from conflicting assignments across project teams. Combined with full spare I/O visibility across your entire PKS hardware inventory, the PKS Hardware View transforms I/O planning from a manual, error-prone spreadsheet exercise into a structured, configuration-driven workflow — accelerating project execution and reducing the risk of I/O conflicts during engineering and commissioning phases.

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Asset Backup Scheduler is a new separately licensed add-on module that fully automates the collection of configuration assets from multiple Data Sources across your Process Control Network (PCN). Running silently in the background on a configurable schedule, it harvests CDA, SCADA, LCN, OPC, graphic, and historian assets automatically — then signals Control Architect to generate a fresh Configuration Collection snapshot with no manual intervention required.

Note: Asset Backup Scheduler is a separately licensed add-on and is not included in the standard Control Architect installation. Contact your sales representative for pricing details.

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PolicyCop is an application tool that analyzes Process Control Strategy configuration and reports errors and other information about the configuration, such as suggested best practices, misuse of function blocks, range scaling issues, missing or incorrectly chosen options, standardization failures, etc.  Many of the issues concern design violations and best practices in the design and use of functions that define a Control strategy. 

PolicyCop is intended for engineers and organizations that want to develop process Control strategies where standards are enforced and to minimize process Startup issues typically found with new Control Strategy developments.

AST has developed a set of Rule Sets that define good engineering practice and proper use of  CEE function blocks used in Control Strategy development. They are available for download to licensed users.  Control Architect has a Rule Editor that can be used to build your own custom policy rules to be used in the PolicyCop Workflow tool.

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Control Architect uses several configuration views to help you better understand your Control Strategy and its relationships with Control Modules.  Control Architect helps you make better decisions involving life cycle management with its rich configuration views.  Below are examples of some of the configuration views supported in Control Architect including the new SCM# View that translates complex SCM Modules into a code language equivalent.

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Control Architect allows you to view Peer-to-Peer relationships for CEE, FIM, PCDI node types within a PKS Server and Peer-to-Peer relationships between PKS Servers (communities) and their Gateway nodes.

• Peer analysis is also supported for LCN xPM project types.

• Peer relationships are visualized in a circular reference chart.

• These views provide indications of the amount of peer traffic that is occurring within the Process Controller nodes and Experion communities.

• Identify potential peer traffic issues and to help make better decisions when implementing new Control strategies with the intent to keep peer traffic to its minimum.

• Identify peer for Honeywell legacy conversion to PKS to assist in risk mitigation during cutovers

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Control Architect supports Bulk Build/Edit of PKS CEE, PKS SCADA, LCN EB, and Win10 TPS Builder strategies.  A new Hiway Control Conversion Plugin has been developed that can be referenced in a Control Conversion Template that provides Hiway Regulatory Box control analysis for automatically generating PKS CEE resident Control strategies.  This solution migrates all Hiway resident point configuration including PIU's, CB/EC/MC Regulatory algorithms and MC simple point types including Timer, Numeric, Flag. Below are examples of using this Control Conversion solution.

Control Architect allows you to develop Bulk Build/Edit solutions for Honeywell PKS CEE resident configuration using a set of Control Template views.  AST has developed a solution for migrating legacy Honeywell Hiway configuration to PKS CEE resident configuration.  This solution uses the Control Template support within Control Architect to deliver a solution that migrates Hiway data point configurations found in PIU's and Regulatory Box types CB/EC/MC. This solution does not migrate SOPL or MCCL.

AST provides pre-configured Control Conversion solutions for migrating Honeywell legacy LCN Safety Manager (SM), DHP, and PLCG data points to Honeywell PKS Scada.  Contact AST for more information.

The examples referenced below show the use of the Control Templates in a typical solution for automatically generating PKS Control configuration files for loading through Control Builder.

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Control Architect provides a Compare function that allows users to compare versions of data configuration for changes that have occurred over a period of time or between configuration snapshots. This is an effective tool for managing configuration changes in a Control Strategy life cycle. Below are examples of using this Compare function.

Control Architect provides a Compare function that allows you to compare two project versions (snapshots).  This is an effective tool for managing configuration changes in a Control Strategy life cycle. Options allow the user to control what type of configuration changes are reported such as structural, parameter changes, connection changes, attribute changes, etc.

An integrated Report view provides for exporting to media types such as Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, etc.
Comparison results can be saved for later recall.
Users can define Parameter Exclusions to eliminate noise from the report.
Users can optionally search for changes on a set of specified parameter names.
Users can optionally search for changes on a set of selected Entity names.

The examples below show the Compare View and generated comparison report executed on a set of project configuration snapshots.

READ MORE HERE...

Contact support@autosofttech.com for a download link and trial license for Control Architect.

View help online for Control Architect.  This document is updated frequently for new content and changes based on user comments.

06/27/2026      Control Architect Help Version 26.23.0

This help document is in Word doc file format.  This document is updated frequently for new content and changes based on user comments.

06/27/2026    Control Architect Help - 35 MB - Version 26.23.0 - Microsoft Word docx file format
06/27/2026    Control Architect Help - 30 MB - Version 26.23.0 - Adobe PDF file format

Download a Power Point presentation that provides an overview of Control Architect use cases.

04/13/2015    Control Architect PowerPoint Presentation

The Control Architect installation requires a license once installed.  Contact support@autosofttech.com to obtain a trial license.  Contact support@autosofttech.com to obtain purchase information.

When a purchase has been made, AST will email a license key that needs to be installed and authenticated.

Choose Help-Application License menu item from the ribbon main menu.

A licensing dialog window will appear that allows installing, removing  and saving license keys.

Enter the license key obtained from AST and click the Install button.

The application will connect with the AST Authentication Web Service to authenticate the license key.  This can take several seconds during which the status flashes "Authenticating".

If Authentication Web Service fails to connect or authenticate, then click the button to save the license to a file and send this file to support@autosofttech.com for manual authentication.

If manual authentication was required, you can load the returned authenticated license using the Load License button.

Once a license has been installed it can be saved to an external file using the Save License button.  This enables you to backup licenses to enable re-installation (i.e. after an OS reinstall) without having to re-authenticate the license.

Licensing Options

Control Architect has multiple licensing options.  Please contact your sales rep for more information.

Policy Cop

This option enables the policy validation engine (PolicyCop) that provides powerful rule authoring and execution on Cxxx project configuration files.

Control Conversion

This option enables the Control Conversion views that support property (parameter) generation and binding to external Excel Data Source types to support Control conversion tasks such as migrating Hiway based configuration to C300.

SCM# Language

This option enables the SCM function block conversion to SCM# Language script for straightforward analysis of complex SCM's.

HMIWeb View and HMIWeb Capture Tool

Includes functions for analyzing and reporting HMIWeb graphic details including cross references for entity usage, parameter usage stats, asset and controller assignments, etc.

Includes a HMIWeb Capture tool for capturing HMIWeb Display Builder static rendering for documentation and linking within the Control Architect HMIWeb configuration view.

Unloading a License Key

If you choose to unload an authenticated license, the license key will automatically be deauthenticated and become invalid.  You will have to contact AST to obtain another license key for loading.