Proles and Interoperability 5-3
these.data..However,.this.does.not.ensure.that.the.components.can.also.cooperate.seamlessly..In.addi-
tion
.to.an.understanding.of.values,.the.components.need.to.be.designed.toward.other.requirements..
For.one,.there.is.the.direction.from.where.communication.is.triggered:.A.node.can.either.send.its.
information.regularly.to.any.component.that.is.interested.in.the.value.or.it.can.wait.until.another.
component.queries.it.for.its.value..A.controller.component.on.the.other.side.has.to.implement.error.
behavior.in.case.a.required.value.cannot.be.retrieved,.for.example,.due.to.communication.failure.or.
failure.of.a.sensor.component..In.some.cases,.it.may.be.necessary.to.calibrate.a.sensor.component..
A.controller.component.has.to.consider.the.fact.that.during.calibration,.the.component.is.unable.
to.deliver.a.reliable.measurement..ese.issues.are.beyond.mere.communication;.they.relate.to.the.
functionality.of.a.component.
In
.an.interoperable.system,.the.devices.from.dierent.suppliers.have.to.be.able.to.exchange.infor-
mation
.and.to.use.the.information.that.has.been.exchanged.[1]..If.a.system.is.capable.of.communi-
cating
.and.exchanging.data,.it.is.syntactically.interoperable..When.a.device.is.able.to.process.such.
data.with.useful.results,.it.is.semantically.interoperable..To.achieve.interoperable.or.interchangeable.
components,.the.functions.of.the.components.have.to.be.standardized..is.includes.dening.groups.
of.components,.for.example,.sensor,.actuator.or.controller.and.their.properties,.for.example,.their.
time.response..In.LON,.this.level.of.cooperation.is.achieved.by.dening.functional.proles..On.this.
level,.it.is.possible.to.achieve.true.interoperability,.which.means.that.components.(e.g.,.from.dier-
ent
.manufacturers).can.be.combined.to.one.system.to.cooperatively.provide.the.system.function-
ality.
.Components.can.be.replaced.(also.by.components.of.other.manufacturers).without.aecting.
functionality.
e
.function.blocks.shown.in.Figure.5.1.consist.of.programs,.data,.and.communication.services.
(Figure.5.2)..To.ensure.interoperability.between.distributed.function.blocks.for.one.control.function,.
we.have.to.standardize.the.functions,.data,.and.communication.services.of.the.function.blocks.in.a.
functional.prole.
Users
.benet.from.standardized.components.by.being.able.to.use.components,.which.can.be.manu-
factured
.by.dierent.companies..Manufacturers.on.the.other.side.can.extend.their.market.segment.
by.oering.only.parts.or.single.components.of.a.system.and.do.not.have.to.oer.all.components.
of.a.system..Generally,.standardized.distributed.systems.that.are.interoperable.have.the.following.
advantages:
•
. Automation.systems.can.be.built.up.with.autonomous.subsystems.
•
. Autonomous. subsystems. can. be. manufactured. and. tested. independently. from. the. complete.
system.
•
. Subsystems.from.dierent.manufacturers.can.be.integrated.
•
. Existing.systems.can.be.easily.extended.with.new.automation.devices.
•
. Integration.of.automation.devices.can.be.done.by.conguration.
Automation device x
Communication services
Program Data
Function block n.1
Industrial communication system
Functional profile
Automation device x
Communication services
Program
Data
Function block n.2
Specif.
func.
n.1
Specif.
func.
n.2
FIGURE 5.2 Distributed.automation.function.
© 2011 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC