Interoperability in Software-Defined Process Automation Using the Open Process Automation Standard and IEC 61499: Adapter Connections of IEC 61499 and OPAS Enable Plug-and-Play Integration
Authors: Pranay Jhunjhunwala, S. Stephen Bitar, Kirill Zhukovskii, Udayanto Dwi Atmojo and Valeriy Vyatkin,
Extended Abstract: This paper explores the implementation of interoperability in software-defined process automation using the Open Process Automation Standard (OPAS) and IEC 61499. The OPAS standard resulted from a spectacular collaborative effort of many leading vendors and end-users aiming at simplification of automation systems integration and IEC 61499 is an international standard defining an open architecture for distributed automation.
While interoperability has been a major problem in engineering of automation systems for a couple of decades, this paper focuses on the software side of it, specifically looking at integration of software components into complex automation applications. The research focuses on demonstrating how OPAS implemented with IEC 61499 can improve the interchangeability and interoperability of controller function blocks. Additionally, it shows how this development enables easier integration of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices, such as smart sensors, into process automation applications.
We present a case study of a single-tank reactor system, which serves as a platform for comparing various software development patterns aimed at increasing reuse and reducing engineering costs. We implement OPAS-standardized adapters using the IEC 61499 standard, showcasing the benefits of this approach in achieving higher levels of interoperability according to the Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model (LCIM). The paper also introduces a software-defined model of a smart sensor using the IEC 61499 architecture, demonstrating how smart sensor services can be flexibly deployed across available computational platforms. The integration of smart sensors at the system level is presented, extending the existing OPAS signal adapter to fit the use case of smart sensor integration. The findings conclude that standardized adapter interfaces achieve a pragmatic level of interoperability according to the LCIM model. They also prove that OPAS adapters can be extended for various use cases in the process industry beyond control applications.
Future work suggestions include performance testing of the proposed adapters and smart sensors on real hardware process control platforms, developing software tools to support efficient engineering of adapter-based automation systems, and conducting comparative studies with other open standards such as Module Type Package (MTP) and NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA).
