Petri-net-based rapid development of a task execution module of equipment controller for distributed shop floor control

Abstract

Although many conceptual structures for shop floor control have been proposed, their implementation methodologies have not been satisfactorily achieved yet due to the cost and time required for developing new control software and modifying the existing software. This paper suggests a Petri-net-based tool to rapidly develop a task execution module in the equipment controller for distributed shop floor control. To develop a task execution module, the users have only to build an extended Petri-net model to represent information on how to control the equipment device. The C++ code of the task execution module for intra-activities is then automatically generated from the developed model and plugged into the equipment controller. A prototype task execution module exemplifies that an equipment controller can be constructed or modified easily by adding/deleting several modules in the proposed framework. Consequently, the proposed tool will help the distributed shop floor control system adaptively evolve according to various control environments. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.