AUTOMATION AND CONTROL EXPERIENCE AS A FREELANCE

Bruno is established as a freelance control and automation engineer since 1999, after a period of more than ten years as a control engineer employed by services companies - essentially for missions by control engineers hiring, working at the offices and sites of the clients.

Here is a short summary about the projects and the components he has installed since he is working as a self-employed : programmable logic controllers ( PLC ), industrial communication networking, motion control, man machine interfaces ( MMI ) and more. You will also find there the list of the main sectors of the industry he has worked for, and the list of some clients and final users he has pleased to work with, among the most well known.

You can also browse the list of the services in factory automation that a self-employed automation engineer can supply, especially in control, instrumentation, motion control and networking.

As part of the renewing of the haemostasis analysis machine range from the Stago company, we have developed - within a team - the low level automation and control applications ( prototype and pilot series ) of the PSMH machine ( middle range ).

The architecture of the low level control system consists in a programmable logical controller ( PLC ) implemented by software, respecting the IEC 61131 standard and Linux embedded, which interacts with the firmware and the instruments over the Ethernet Powerlink network and the CAN bus, which interacts with the higher level application ( C++ language, optimization ) by using a shared memory mechanism, and which interacts with the highest level application ( C# language, analysis and data treatment ) over Ethernet.

All motors are low powered stepper motors ( from 1 Ampere to 3 Amperes ), generally with double coils and 200 steps per revolution.

Software environment

• IEC 61131 languages.

  ( Control application )

  ( Simulation application for tests )

  ( XML valid / XML Schema for automated validation )

• FieldBus Designer ( B & R Automation).
• Open Powerlink.
• Linux embedded.
• SVN and GIT as collaborative spaces.

Networking environment

• Ethernet Powerlink.
• Can BUS ( via Powerlink ).
• Ethernet.
• USB.
• RS 232 serial links.

Hardware environment

• Prototype : Inputs / outputs cards and stepper motor cards from « B & R Automation », plus one PC operating under Linux.
• Pilot-series : Five proprietary slave boards plus one proprietary mother board operated under Linux.

  ( The hardware has been designed by the Stago company itself )

• Stepper motors.
• Instrumentation ( Photometers, lightmeters, analysis cells, bar code readers etc … ).

  ( Some of the most specific instruments have been designed and are built by the machine manufacturer itself )

• Two arms with X,Y,Z axes, storage cells and transfer cells etc …

Developments ( and tests, obviously )

• Migration of the control application from a hardware architecture based on « B & R Automation » inputs, outputs and stepper motors cards towards an architecture based on proprietary slave boards and firmware.
• Dialogue manager for the asynchronous messages of the Ethernet Powerlink network.
• Manager of the detailed logs ( sequences and miscellaneous events ), with the development of the programming interfaces, and with the management of the transmissions over Ethernet.
• Manager of the dialogues with the instruments using CAN bus over Powerlink, and development of the programmers interfaces.
• Manager of the images transfers ( acquired by the bar code reader ) and of the transmission over Ethernet.
• Functions controlling the automatic cartography ( that is determining the effective topology and the effective size of each individual machine ).
• Validation program - written in IEC 61131 language - Reading and translating a tests sequence described in Valid XML language ( XML Schema V 1.0 ), in order to automatically validate the changes in the control-command applications for each version.
• With the team, participation to the realization and adjustments of many functions, in parallel with the instruments and firmware evolution.
• Development of various utility functions, for machine operating, testing or validating.

This project is also a part of the renewing of the bio-medical machine range from the Stago company.

The PSH machines represent the high range / high performance machines of this line.

Here, the project concerns a demonstrator, with the goal to validate the concepts ( essentially the mechanical ones ) designed by the Stago team for each of its parts.

The control-command applications developed in this context have the objectives to validate the concepts that have been chosen, the respect of their specification, their repeatability, their reliability and their endurance.

While the measuring instruments were not all operational, the measuring operations were simulated in a realistic manner, according to the data registered by Stago through many past years in analysis exploitation.

Environment

• The environment is similar to the one described for the PSMH project.

Developments and tests

• Demonstration application of the whole machine, in order to present a show to the company and to the staff.
• Progressive migration of each section from an architecture based on inputs/outputs/stepper motor cards from « B & R Automation » towards an architecture based on proprietary slave boards and firmware, with a mother board operating under Linux.
• Tests and endurance applications intended for the validation ( performances, repeatability, endurance etc … ) the various concepts that have been chosen, for each part of the machine, according to their evolution.
• Blood sample analysis rotor, storage and transfer of thinners and blood samples.
• Endurance application and simulation of the measurement instruments, for the validation of the rotating arms ( theta, Y, Z axes ) of the diluting section, with control of the specifications.
• Integration of the XYZ arm of the PSMH project into the blood sample storage section.

The eWon PLCs are smart controllers especially designed to share data between heterogeneous industrial control systems and networks.

• Networks

  Ethernet, HART, Modbus TCP, Internet.

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• Protocols

  TCP, HTTP, HTML, FTP, NMEA ( National Marine Electronics Association ).

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• Instrumentation and peripherals

  UMTS modem and router, GPS sensor, radar technology level measurement sensor ( Krohne OPTIFLEX 1300 C ), HART modem, VHF radio modem, NAS / USB adaptor ( NAS server and FTP server ), PROFACE operator panel ( MMI ).

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• Communication Interfaces and data exchange
  • Dialogue over RS232 serial link with a HART modem through the virtual serial communication port over Ethernet ( between the eWon as a server and the eVcom software to emulate a virtual serial port as a client ), in relation with the Pactware instrumentation software and a remote level measurement transducer.
  • Using TCP communication with a SCADA system.
  • Using FTP client dialogues with an external storage system ( NAS server embedded in a TCP / USB converter ).
  • RS232 serial link talking with a GPS sensor ( using NMEA protocol ).
  • RS232 serial link with a VHF radio modem ( using ASCII protocol ).
  • Into the HART modem, the communication is controlled by BASIC language programming ( using script language ).

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• Internet

  HTML embedded user interface ( embedded into the « eWon » controller ) development using ViewOn2 as a HTML code generation software.

• CPU AXC F 2152.
• Programming in literal language with PlcNext Engineer and integrated PCWorx.
• Serial communication modules RS232, RS485.
• Modbus-RTU, Modbus-TCP and OPC-UA communication protocols.

See also the Interbus-S networking experience.

• Ethernet networking ( with an embedded coupler ), Profibus network ( TSX PBY 100 ), and RS232 serial communication ( TSX SCY 21601 ).

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• Communications with « Elau » axis control systems.

• Ethway, Interbus-S, Fipio and ModBus networks. ASCII point to point communications.

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• Embedded PID control, commanding numeric actuators.
• Motion control with Lexium and SEW - Movidrive.

• All the controllers for the 7 Line ( TSX 17, TSX 27, TSX 47, TSX 67, TSX 87, TSX 107 ).

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• Uni-Telway, Telway and Fipway networks.
• ASCII point to point communications.
• ModBus-Jbus Serial communication modules through RS232, RS422 and RS485 serial line.

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• PID control commanding numeric actuators.

• Using Profibus network and CAN bus.
• Using « SEW Eurodrive » programming languages : literal, ladder, logigrams.
• Axes control with MoviAxis for positioning applications.

• Profibus, Profinet, MPI and GDI networks.
• List, ladder and logigram programming languages.
• PID control commanding numeric actuators (special development in a FB).

• Profibus networking with « ET200 » interfaces.
• List, ladder and logigram programming languages.

• Using Interbus-S network with the 750-804 controller.

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• PID control loop commanding digital actuators.

  ( A particular development programmed in a function, resulting in a precision of the control equals to ± 0.1° C - relative temperature measurements, that is the resolution of the measures acquired by the programmable logical controller. )

  ( In other words, the result of the control is that the output precision equals the input resolution of the controller used for this application ).

• IEC 61131 soft PLC with versions running under Linux embedded operating system, in order to execute applications for machines specialized in bio-medical analysis.
• One, two and three axes control applications, composed of stepper motors controlled by B & R dedicated cards, exploitation of various measurement instrumentation, all at the lowest level.
• The applications run simultaneously by using the following industrial networks : Ethernet, Open Powerlink and CAN bus, plus serial interfaces such as USB and RS 232 used for dialogues with specific instrumentation.

Horner plcs are cheap industrial controllers with integrated screens. The applications are developed by using a proprietary IEC 61131 standard compliant free software.

• Implementations.

  Various special machines and process control applications with essentially Ethernet networks, Moddbus networks and CAN networks to operate the digital communication.

• April

  PB 15, April 5000 ( Orphée ).

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• SMC

  SMC 25, SMC 35 - Vp Soft.

• Allen-Bradley

  SLC 500 RS Logix500, RSLink, RS Network for DeviceNet, DH 485, DeviceNet.

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• Phoenix-contact

  PC WORX 3.

• Open Configurator ( open source software ).

  Network configuration software published by the Open Powerlink consortium.

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• Implementation.

  Exploitation with the STRATON plc software in an embedded Linux environment, in conjunction with Ethernet and CAN Open networks plus some stepper motor control cards.

The CAN open bus is a digital communication system dedicated to control applications.

• Exploitation in Linux embedded environments with Straton PLCs, while the protocol was embedded in Open Powerlink networks, essentially to run applications dialoging and controlling measurement instrumentation.
• Employed for Horner controller applications.

Interbus-S is a sensor and actuator network, originally developed by the Phoenix contact company. This technology is now part of the Siemens networking communication products.

• CMD software

  Setups, tests, diagnostics.

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• Implementation

  Schneider, Lenze, Wago, Bosch and Festo systems.

See also the Phoenix Contact PLCs experience.

APPLICOM was a manufacturer who built very powerful and high performing communication cards at that time, essentially used in SCADA stations.

• PCI 1500 S7

  Profibus, Siemens S7, Intouch, Windows 2000.

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• ETH 2000

  Ethernet, Schneider PL7 Premium, Topkapi, Windows NT.

• B & R Industrial Automation

  Stepper motors cards « X20 SM 1426 » and « X20 SM 1436 » over Ethernet Powerlink.

  ( Fieldbus designer and Open Configurator as setup software )

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• Schneider / Telemecanique

  Servo-drives Lexium, axes module CAY 22 ( TSX Premium ).

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• Lenze

  Servo-drives 9300 GDC software ( setting, programming, measurement, diagnostics ), CAN bus and Interbus-S.

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• SEW Eurodrive

  MoviAxis axis controllers MoviTools and Motion-Studio software ( setting, measuring, monitoring ), Movi-PLC software ( programming ) and CAN bus.

• Development software

  GP PRO-PB III / GP-PRO Ex.

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• Interfaces

  GP 2301, AGP-3200A.

• Programming editors

  XBTL 100, XBTL 900, XBTL 1000, Vijeo Designer.

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• Human Machine Interfaces

  XBTK, XBTM, XBTA, XBTC, XBTV, XBTP, XBTF, XBTGT4230, XBTGT4330.

• Programming editors

  HMI Builder software ( DOP 11 A operator panel programming ).

• Programming editors

  Protools, WinCC flexible.

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• Man Machine Interfaces

  OP3, OP17, TP177

• WYSE ( Part of the DELL company now )

  Operator consoles dynamically programmed in ASCII through serial communications.

• Topkapi V2.5 ( Areal )

  Context : Profibus, Siemens ( S7 ), Applicom, Windows 2000.

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• Intouch 7.1 ( Wonderware )

  Context : Ethernet, Schneider ( Premium ), Applicom, Windows NT.

• PC Vue 32 ( Arc software engineering ).

• Robots

  Epson robotics - Scara robots.

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• Machine vision

  Cognex - InSight systems.

• Biomedical equipment.
• Cosmetics.
• Drugs.
• Energy.

• Food.
• Handling, transporting.
• Harbour plants.
• Metallurgy.

• Packaging.
• Plaster works.
• Quarries.
• Special machines.

• Thermoforming.
• Waste water treatment.

Final users or engineering companies among the well known ( in France ).

• Andros.
• APV France.
• Bertin Technologies.
• Danone.

• Degremont.
• Diagnostica Stago.
• Euraltech.
• Forclum Paris-Nord.

• Glaxo Smithkline ( GSK )
• Harbour of Nantes / St Nazaire.
• L'Oréal.
• Lyonnaise des eaux.

• Novandie ( Mamie Nova ).
• Shire / Takeda.
• Technord.
• Tyco …