Design and implementation of O-PAS user-defined function blocks

In recent decades, standardisation has become crucial in Industrial Automation Systems, promoting interoperability among devices from different manufacturers. Nonetheless, the portability of manufacturing engineering tools continues to present a significant challenge. AutomationML (IEC 62714 -5) has played a role in formulating strategies that leverage O-PAS Standard Function Blocks. The O-PAS specification includes several standards, such as IEC 62443, IEC 61499, IEC 61131–3, OPC-UA (Open platform communications unified architecture), DCS (Distributed control system), and PLC (Programmable logic controller). This highlights the necessity of integrating new technologies with legacy systems to achieve enhanced interoperability. In this context, this work proposes the development of User-Defined Function Blocks (UDFB) that adhere to O-PAS standards and can be implemented across any compliant system. The proposed methodology is aligned with O-PAS standards, leading to the inclusion of UDFB information in XML format within the Function Block Library and AutomationML.