Designing for electrical safety
July 3, 2009 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Electrical Systems, Wind Safety
SafeDesigner software from B&R supports easy linking of logical-library-function blocks. This refers to virtual wiring generated in software.
The SafeDesigner development and configuration software gives users a way to program safety-related functions within the Automation Studio development environment. Automation Studio allows generating control software for company industrial PCs and controllers. Both are from B&R Automation, Roswell, Ga. Programming a safety application is now reduced to virtual wiring of logical function blocks. Fixed-wired safety circuits are now a thing of the past.
In addition to function blocks and language elements that conform to IEC 61131-3, users gain access to a library certified by TÜV Rheinland with 20 function blocks for machine automation. The blocks correspond to the PLCopen standard. Through virtual wiring of the function blocks, the user gets a clearly structured and well-arranged work method. This allows finding and correcting errors early in development phases.
The safety application created in SafeDesigner is then processed in a B&R SafeLogic controller which supports cycle times as brief at 1 ms and connections of up to 100 peripheral devices. Transferring safety signals by industrial Ethernet reduces setup and service work. In addition, programming in Automation Studio significantly reduces commissioning times.
Windpower Engineering Editor Paul Dvorak is an experienced mechanical engineer. Paul has seven years of hands on mechanical engineering experience and 23 years of technical writing. Paul is constantly in correspondence with wind turbine manufacturers and wind power researchers. Thanks to this correspondence, he is able to write about wind engineering topics before any other editor in the wind space.
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