Controller engineering software

Rockwell Automation has released version 17 of its RSLogix 5000 engineering software, with significantly expanded process control and automation functionality for the Allen-Bradley Logix family of controllers. Featuring three new advanced process control (APC) function blocks, RSLogix 5000 version 17 also incorporates a redundancy module and improvements in system availability.

Since these applications have a longer ‘dead time’ or interaction between multiple I/Os, process users often require a level of control flexibility that is not found in traditional PID-based systems.

The APC blocks provide compensation for long, dead-time processes and allow simpler multi-variable control with automatic tuning built in. Control strategy implementation with the new blocks is straightforward and configuration is done within the RSLogix 5000 version 17 engineering software.

Internal model control is used to control a single process variable by manipulating a single output using a predictive algorithm. Coordinated control manages a single process variable by manipulating as many as three outputs. Modular multi-variable control manages two interacting process variables to target values using up to three control outputs.

The redundancy module in RSLogix 5000 version 17 improves the configuration by improving the throughput capacity and switchover time. Supporting multiple controllers in one chassis, the new redundancy configuration expands the processing capacity to accommodate larger and more complex control projects. User-defined instructions are also supported in the redundancy configuration.

The runtime partial import feature allows users to add programs, routines and user-defined instructions, and replace existing programs and routines from the RSLogix 5000 engineering environment on a running system. Faster control strategy changes can be made without affecting production.