IEC 61499 vs. 61131: A Comparison Based on Misperceptions

Kleanthis Thramboulidis

Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.

DOI: 10.4236/jsea.2013.68050                

Abstract

The IEC 61131 standard has been widely accepted in the industrial automation domain. However, it is claimed that the standard does not address today the new requirements of complex industrial systems, which include among others, portability, interoperability, increased reusability and distribution. To address these restrictions, the IEC has initiated the task of developing the IEC 61499, which is presented as a mature technology to enable intelligent automation in various domains. This standard was not accepted by industry even though it is highly promoted by the academic community. In this paper, it is argued that IEC 61499 has been promoted by academy based on unsubstantiated claims on its main features, i.e., reusability, portability, interoperability, event-driven execution. A number of misperceptions are presented and discussed in this paper to show that the comparison, which appears in the literature, between IEC 61499 and 61131 is not substantiated.

Keywords

Industrial Automation Systems; Industrial Automation Standards; IEC 61499; IEC 61131; Function Block Diagram

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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