The development of industrial automation software systems and technical parameters

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This article introduces the functions and roles of monitoring configuration software, points out the limitations of conventional monitoring software as well as the characteristics and latest developments in process visualization software. Finally, it provides an example of an application for industrial automation software systems. 1. Introduction With the rapid advancement of computer hardware and software technologies, information technology, and manufacturing technologies, along with the progress of enterprise informatization, industrial automation systems are becoming increasingly complex, and the requirements for such systems are also rising. In large and complex systems, such as large-scale industrial production processes, computer-integrated manufacturing systems, and industrial process object control systems, there are various forms of complexity, which manifest in their overall structure as non-linearity, uncertainty, infinite dimensionality, distribution, and multi-level structure ； In terms of the processed information, this manifests as uncertainty, randomness, and incompleteness of signals, as well as a mixture of image and symbolic information, etc ； On a computer, it is manifested as a combination of arithmetic operations and logical operations ； As management becomes more thorough and detailed, this is reflected in a increasingly flat structure of management methods, etc. It can be seen that complex large-scale systems differ from conventional ones not only in terms of system identification, analysis, and design, but more importantly, also in system modeling and control strategies. The focus of the design system is on achieving integration of management and control through a fully software-based approach. Given the complex structure, numerous variables, and intertwined information in complex systems, determining the principles for scientifically and rationally decomposing a large system into relatively smaller subsystems, as well as how to coordinate these subsystems to ensure optimal system operation and control, are all pressing issues that need to be addressed. These matters also attract great attention from the control engineering community; however, many of them remain unresolved to this day. The control of complex large-scale systems places increasingly higher demands on industrial automation software systems; therefore, how to provide more effective and advanced software systems has attracted widespread attention. With the advancement of technology, industrial automation software technology is rapidly developing towards intelligence, networking, and integration. It is no longer a distant prospect for complex large-scale systems to operate in a network environment and for optimized control and management of such systems to be achieved online; rather, this is imminent. This paper explores this from the perspective of the technological development of software systems. 2. Monitoring configuration software system
2.1 Main functions of configuration software
“Monitoring” refers to the surveillance and control of a controlled process. From the perspective of industrial automation control, monitoring software is generally referred to as industrial configuration software or configuration control software. Since its inception in the early 1980s, configuration software has a history of 20 years of development. It can be said that configuration software, as a type of application software, has continued to develop alongside the rise of PCs. Configuration software from the 1980s, such as Onspec, Paragon 500, and early versions of FIX, ran in the DOS environment, and their graphical user interfaces were not very powerful. Since 1987, when Wonderware developed the first human-machine window interface configuration software for industrial and process automation based on Microsoft Windows, namely InTouch, human-machine interface software such as InTouch pioneered the use of Windows for running industrial control software. With the rapid advancement of computer hardware and software technologies, configuration software based on PCs and their compatible machines has seen a qualitative improvement in both its functions and performance. As a typical industrial automation configuration software, InTouch currently boasts good real-time performance as well as advanced graphical interface capabilities; for this reason, Wonderware refers to InTouch as a process visualization software, which seems to be a more accurate designation. Monitoring configuration software is a software platform tool designed for Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) applications; it features a wide range of setup options, flexible usage, and powerful functions. When monitoring configuration software first appeared, its main focus was on HMI (Human Machine Interface) or MMI (Man Machine Interface), that is, it was primarily designed to address issues related to the graphical user interface for human-computer interaction. The configuration software system includes a real-time database, real-time control, SCADA, communication and networking, an open database interface, and drivers for I/O devices. With the advancement of software technology, monitoring configuration software is continuously being equipped with new functions, and it will play an increasingly important role in the process of societal informatization; its future prospects are very promising. Configuration software has the following main functions. (1) Utilizing graphical editing and design techniques, programmers can create human-computer interaction interfaces by piecing together elements, stacking them like building blocks, and making simple connections. The configuration software includes a design and development library, such as various analog meters, motors, control buttons, etc. Programmers can also use basic drawing tools to create their own libraries and object primitives. On the human-machine interface for operation and monitoring, by using elements corresponding to these field devices, sensing units, and controllers to represent and indicate the actual objects, a simulation display of the operation of the field production equipment is obtained. Thus, by manipulating the elements corresponding to the objects on the simulation screen, it is possible to operate and manage the field equipment and controllers, etc. This is one of the greatest advantages of configuration software; it makes programming and operation very intuitive, making it easy for people with different knowledge backgrounds and skill levels to use it. As can be seen from the above analysis, an important criterion for evaluating the quality of a configuration software is the size and richness of its design library, as well as the intuitive representativeness of the elements in that library. (2) Manage state transitions for actual monitored objects. The configuration software utilizes animation linking technology to associate graphic elements representing on-site objects with specific parameters or functions, thereby establishing a mapping relationship. By programming and processing these parameters or functions, programmers or operators can carry out the collection, analysis, and processing of data from field devices. The transmission of parameters is accomplished through the input and output channels between the configuration computer and the field devices, thereby enabling remote monitoring and control, that is, status management. The content of state transition includes setting the motion laws of objects, monitoring operating status, and displaying fault alarms. From an application perspective, the editing and processing of object parameters are hidden; instead, the user activates the elements on the monitoring interface (for example, by clicking on them with a computer mouse), which in turn activates and sets the object parameters associated with those elements. These object parameters change or are reset according to the calculation rules predefined in the program, and this causes the object parameters of other elements to change as well. As a result, the resulting changes trigger corresponding alterations in those elements or display additional image information on the human-machine interface, allowing the user to be aware of the operation results and thus determine the next steps to take. This is how human-computer interaction is accomplished. From a design and development perspective, the editing and handling of object parameters are transparent; parameters and calculation rules can be changed at any time according to control requirements. Such changes can be made through the human-machine monitoring interface. For example, by setting the human-machine monitoring interface as a development environment, double-clicking on an element with the computer mouse allows access to the object parameter dialog box for editing and modification. It can be seen that configuration software not only inherits the control structures of traditional assembly or high-level languages for on-site monitoring and management, but also greatly enhances programming intuitiveness, which is well received by both users and programmers. (3) The monitoring and management objects become more visual and intuitive. Configuration software can not only set object parameters, collect data in real time, develop programming algorithms, print control rules and results, and store data records – just like other common programming language development tools – but it can also present these functions and steps in a visual manner, allowing programmers or operators to analyze and make modifications intuitively through the human-machine interface. Configuration software can display the real-time collected data in the form of real-time curves on the monitoring interface; historical and current control information as well as results can also be presented visually on the monitoring interface via real-time curve graphs. In this way, people can use advanced knowledge bases, intelligent control, and prediction methods such as charting techniques, quadratic curve fitting, and regression forecasting to analyze and process input/output parameters and data, thereby achieving a deeper understanding of the monitored object, better grasp of its status, and enabling alert displays. (4) Good real-time openness and interconnection capabilities: Automation software makes extensive use of standardized interconnection technologies such as OPC, DDE, ActiveX controls, COM/DCOM, ODBC, OLE-DB, etc. This makes it an automation software platform with excellent real-time openness and interconnection capabilities. The configuration software utilizes ODBC (Open Database Connection) technology to enable the sharing of object parameters or to allow them to be read by other software programs ； The DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) technology is utilized to achieve parameter transmission; for instance, process object parameters are linked to a MICRO EXCEL spreadsheet file, so that any changes in these parameters are reflected in the file in real time. Meanwhile, after processing the relevant data in the spreadsheet, the results are sent back to the corresponding parameters. This enables interoperability between the configuration software and MICRO EXCEL spreadsheet data files, thereby leveraging their respective technical advantages to achieve better control and management of the field systems ； OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) technology is used to incorporate and expand additional functions; for example, MICROOFFICE office applications can be embedded in the configuration software platform to enable operators to handle text-based reports and forms. ActiveX technology is utilized to integrate media playback software into the configuration software platform, allowing video images from closed-circuit surveillance systems to be displayed on the monitoring interface ； The TCP/IP protocol is used to publish configuration monitoring information to the Internet, enabling networked management and monitoring. (5) Short development cycle for application operation platforms: Designing and creating monitoring operation platforms using configuration software eliminates the need for extensive assembly of source program code and its subsequent debugging. Its graphical and intuitive programming style **reduces the programming development cycle, making it easier to meet the time requirements of actual engineering projects; moreover, it is simple and fast to modify and update the operation platform while in use (online). However, as an emerging object-oriented programming tool for industrial automation monitoring and development, configuration software is also evolving over time, with further research being conducted to improve it; for example, to determine how to balance data sharing levels with real-time performance requirements in different monitoring scenarios and environments ； For multi-threaded application environments and objects, how to meet the different real-time requirements of each thread while avoiding data conflicts and blocking ； How to address issues such as the alignment between the real-time performance of network remote control and that of on-site monitoring. 2.2 The role of monitoring configuration software Configuration software is the cornerstone of industrial automation software systems; it is one of the key elements in enabling the integration of control networks and information networks. Through the interface technologies provided by such software, real-time databases can be connected to data from field devices, thereby supplying the system with comprehensive information and data. Monitoring configuration software is a development tool for control systems. Users can, based on the requirements of the application and the control tasks at hand, use simple and intuitive configuration methods together with the tools provided by this software to flexibly configure and combine various functional modules in a \"building block\" style, thereby creating the software tailored to their needs. “The concept of “configuration” became familiar to a wide range of automation technicians in production processes only after the advent of Distributed Control Systems (DCS). Today’s configuration software is essentially the application programs that were pre-installed in DCS systems by various DCS manufacturers in the early days. However, no clear definition has been given for it; rather, the process of using such application programs to design and create target application systems is simply referred to as “configuration” or “doing configuration”. The concept of configuration originates from the English word \"Configuration\", which refers to the use of software tools to set up various resources on a computer or software, so that the computer or software can carry out tasks automatically according to the pre-set configuration, thereby meeting the user’s requirements. Industrial enterprises are complex large-scale systems; in line with the requirements for developing new types of industries and enterprise informatization, automation should integrate management and control, encompassing both low-level control and high-level management automation. People often refer to high-level control as management, while low-level management is called control. For low-level control, the control tasks are primarily carried out by physical system devices. Enterprise informatization places higher demands on the degree of system automation. It encompasses the entire process in which an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system receives orders via the Internet; the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) within the enterprise (factory) carries out product manufacturing until the products meet quality standards; and finally, the products are delivered to customers. This process involves all aspects of low-level control and high-level management, starting from sensors all the way to the optimized operation of the entire system. The flow directions and volumes of a company’s material flows, information flows, capital flows, talent flows, etc., vary greatly depending on factors such as the company’s functions, scale, and product characteristics; the complexity of such systems is high. The goal is to optimize the operation of these complex systems in order to achieve the best possible social and economic benefits. To ensure that all useful real-time status information within the entire control process (or system) is not lost or discarded, to facilitate real-time coordination, and to enhance support for higher-level decision-making, all workstations should utilize a unified human-machine graphical user interface as well as a unified information platform. This helps to overcome the problems of \"automation silos\" and \"information silos\", enabling seamless integration of control and management functions. Monitoring configuration software plays a key role in this process. To fully leverage the pivotal role of information in low-level control and high-level management decision-making, sufficient attention must be paid to the selection of monitoring software systems; otherwise, it will be difficult to achieve the goals of enterprise informatization. 2.3 Limitations of general monitoring configuration software Since the 1980s, automation systems in newly built, renovated, and technically upgraded projects in China have basically relied on imported configuration-based industrial control software from abroad. Typical examples include InTouch from the American company Wonderware, Fix and iFix developed by the American company Intellution, WinCC from Siemens in Germany, and the Trace Mode configuration software from the Russian company Adastra. By the mid-1990s, some domestic software companies began to develop their own industrial control configuration software products based on their understanding of foreign software solutions; notable examples are Kings View by Beijing YAKON Software Company and MCSG by Beijing Kunlun Tongtai Automation Company. These software products have made significant contributions to the implementation of basic automation in Chinese enterprises. Their common advantages include the use of graphical programming techniques, the ability to manage state transitions for the objects being monitored, which makes monitoring and management more intuitive and effective, good real-time openness and interoperability of the systems, and short development cycles for the application platforms. From a monitoring perspective alone, although these software solutions differ in terms of graphical and configuration approaches, data point management, network functions, communication capabilities, and locking mechanisms, they generally meet the needs of users. It is worth noting that when considering issues from a higher management level, achieving integration in the control and management of industrial automation systems as well as advancing enterprise informatization poses serious challenges. What one often encounters are various \"information islands\" and \"automation islands\", making it difficult to integrate the information resources within these isolated systems. The lack of a unified control, data, and information platform support represents the main problem faced by complex large-scale automation systems in industrial enterprises as well as by their informatization efforts. How to appropriately increase software system support to upgrade and transform existing systems while protecting the resources of those systems in operation, thereby enabling enterprises to achieve informatization and meeting the needs of transforming and upgrading traditional industries as well as adjusting the structure of enterprise products, is an issue of widespread concern in the field of control engineering. In the quest for solutions and approaches to make full use of information resources, implementation often stalls due to bottlenecks such as “communication protocols” and “software interfaces”, which are limitations imposed by the functionality of the selected configuration software. This is a common occurrence in many enterprises, causing considerable difficulties in system integration. It seems that most manufacturers of general-purpose monitoring configuration software do not pay sufficient attention to this bottleneck issue related to “communication software interfaces”. 2.4 Characteristics of process visualization software. With the development of software technology, monitoring configuration software continues to be endowed with new functionalities. It will play an increasingly important role in the process of societal informatization. Real-time multitasking is the most prominent characteristic of configuration software. For example, data acquisition and output, data processing and algorithm implementation, graphic display and human-computer interaction, storage of real-time data, retrieval and management, real-time communication, etc. The main problems that configuration software addresses are: (1) how to exchange data between data acquisition and control devices ； (2) Associate data from the device with various elements on the computer graphics screen ； (3) Handling data alarms and system alarms ； (4) Store historical data and support querying of historical data ； (5) Generation and printing of various reports ； (6) Provide flexible and diverse configuration options to meet the needs of different fields ； (7) Interfaces with third-party software programs to enable data sharing. Configuration software can utilize its graphics capabilities to visually depict the controlled objects, and then use internal data links to logically connect the attributes of these objects with the real-time data from I/O devices. Once the application system generated by the configuration software comes online, any changes in the data of the I/O devices will directly lead to changes in the properties of the controlled object. The real-time database of the configuration software is an open data platform that enables managers to obtain all real-time data on the operation of field devices and to manage them in a unified manner. Furthermore, the configuration software can also make optimization control and scheduling decisions based on historical trend analysis. 2.5 Recent Developments in Process Visualization Software To make the issues under discussion more concrete, we will take the most representative process visualization software as examples; for instance, InTouch 9.5 HMI has received significant enhancements that result in notable improvements in both operational and engineering productivity. In this way, factory workers using InTouch 9.5 software will benefit from new features that make their work faster and easier. Additionally, enhanced software development capabilities can significantly reduce the time and effort required to create, modify, and deploy applications. Functional enhancements in terms of operational productivity include: a status bar ； Mouse control ； Advanced alarm analysis ； Language switching during operation. Tips bars, in version 9.5, provide guidance to operators to help factory staff understand more quickly the information in the applications they are viewing. Mouse control; these new controls provide additional features for those who use a mouse to access their applications. Advanced alarm analysis tools built into the InTouch software enable faster and more comprehensive analysis of alarm information. Language switching during operation: Users can dynamically switch languages while the application is running. Improvements in engineering productivity include: new graphic movement and scaling functions under intelligent symbol technology, as well as manual graphic positioning capabilities ； Built-in simple I/O redundancy configuration ； Additional keyboard options ； Default font settings. With the new developments in intelligent symbol technology, these enhancements allow for faster creation and additional customization of graph-based templates. A built-in simple I/O redundancy configuration; this feature allows for the quick setup of a second communication server, enabling automatic switching when the I/O cannot connect to the first server. Functions for moving, scaling, and manually positioning graphics; the details of the graphics can be adjusted through easy clicking, the \"rubber band\" scaling option, manual positioning, and movement functions. Additional keyboard options: Version 9.5 includes a new “region” keyboard that allows users to view their keyboard using characters from their local language, as well as a new option to adjust the size of the keyboard on the screen. For the default font settings, users can change the default font immediately and apply this new True Type font throughout the entire application. The InTouch 9.5 software offers a wealth of new features for application users and developers, while also delivering significant improvements in development productivity and performance. A tooltip: when a user moves their mouse over an object in an application that contains a tooltip, an aura is formed around that object to let the user know they can access more information about it. Tips can provide static information, such as what the button controls, or dynamic snapshot information, such as the tank level. Static and dynamic status bars are very useful for displaying a large number of graphics smoothly within a single window, while also enabling operators to easily access additional information about the objects on the screen. Mouse control: The new, advanced mouse control allows users to add functions for different mouse click options. This **increases the amount of information that users can obtain about an object, without taking up valuable screen space. Advanced alarm analysis tools: The new advanced alarm analysis tools in InTouch 9.5 HMI enable users to easily analyze alarms using Pareto charts ； View organized alarms in the navigation tree ； Query alarms faster ； Configure alarm hot backup for two nodes ； Sorting can be configured according to markers, with the option of “no data” information ； Name the database. These advanced alarm functions can **help and significantly improve operational productivity. Language switching during operation; language barriers can make it difficult for factory staff to fully understand the application information. However, the new runtime language switching feature of InTouch 9.5 HMI allows users to switch the language display while the system is running. For example, if the main text displayed is in American English, the operator can click a button while it is running to view information in another language, such as Japanese, Spanish, or British English. In this way, the standard application can be accessed by the following users: multiple operators who speak different languages, as well as personnel from various factories who can access it simultaneously ； Developers around the world can now troubleshoot in their native language. The built-in simple I/O redundancy switching feature allows for easy configuration of a backup communication server when the first server needs maintenance or becomes unavailable. In this way, factory staff can: eliminate single points of failure related to communication servers ； Perform routine maintenance on the first server. Furthermore, the simply configured I/O redundancy switching function enhances the reliability and dependability of real-time information. Intelligent symbol enhancement: New enhancements to intelligent symbols in InTouch 9.5 allow users to adjust template sizes and have these changes applied automatically throughout the application ； Create the graphics displayed within the window directly as smart symbols ； By distinguishing between intelligent symbols and regular graphics, the improved functions of intelligent symbols can **significantly reduce the time and effort required to create, modify, and deploy applications. For manual movement/zooming and graphic positioning, application developers can use this new one-click movement/zooming feature in InTouch’s WindowMakerTM graphic editor to highlight areas that require precise attention, while still being able to view the entire graphic window. They can also use window coordinates when creating graphics on the screen, which enables accurate application development while reducing effort. Additional keyboard options: in addition to the standard InTouch keyboard, InTouch 9.5 software also includes two new on-screen keyboards. Developers can use the new Microsoft Windows keyboard, which can be a “regional” keyboard, thereby allowing international users to view the on-screen keyboard with all characters and symbols in their native language. Developers can also use the new InTouch keyboard to adjust the size of the keyboard on the screen. These two new keyboards are implemented to interact within the application in a way that best suits the user’s environment. With the default font settings, developers can immediately change the default font and apply new True Type fonts to buttons and text throughout the application. Additional features, support for password fields, and security have been updated and enhanced, allowing developers to restrict access to information they do not want available. Passwords can be encrypted, thereby reducing the chances of network interception between the client and server computers. This feature minimizes the possibility of unauthorized access for users. The characters of the password can also be echoed to allow confirmation of the character input. Hotlink enhancement: Graphics with animation capabilities and ActiveX controls can display a \"halo\" around an object, which is shaped according to the object’s form. Thanks to this halo effect and the function of displaying according to the object’s shape, developers can add animations to different parts of complex objects. Users simply need to scroll the mouse over an object until they select the part they need, and then click on it to view more information. The appearance of Windows XP has been updated; buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, and tab titles have all been changed to fit the new, user-friendly design of Windows XP. The InTouch 9.5 software can significantly improve operational efficiency and markedly enhance engineering productivity. 3. Development of industrial automation software technology: Currently, in many developed countries as well as some developing countries abroad, the American Wonderware industrial automation software suite is widely used to build systems that meet user requirements, thereby enabling the control and management of complex industrial systems. For example, in the 1990s, India’s largest steel company, TISCO, utilized American Wonderware industrial automation software system suites to enable direct communication with its ERP system. After receiving customer orders directly from the Internet, it used a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to integrate the head office, various functional departments, factories, workshops, and even individual production lines under a unified control, data, and information platform. This approach resulted in a short system development cycle, as well as low costs for system development, operation, and maintenance. Thanks to the software component suite technology, seamless system integration was possible, ensuring high reliability. As a result, the company was able to achieve unified automated monitoring and informational management across the entire process – from order receipt and raw material procurement, through product production, to delivering the products to customers – with extremely high efficiency. The Software Suite component system developed by the American company Wonderware is Factory Suite, the first integrated industrial automation software package in the industry; it fundamentally changed traditional concepts as well as the top-down information flow model that has existed in the manufacturing sector for many years. In addition to the aforementioned core components, there are also the Industrial SQL data analysis tool, the SCADAlarm enterprise-level phone/alarm system, and more. In short, Wonderware’s Factory Suite is a set of software components that can be combined as needed to enable seamless integration, providing a comprehensive solution for enterprise informatization. In the steel industry, for example, the use of Wonderware’s I/O Server and InSQL Server technologies in the United States to create a unified control, data, and information platform has yielded excellent results. It is possible to implement a dynamic tracking system for product flow, enabling real-time tracking from raw materials to finished products. A dynamic production information management system can also be established, covering production planning, scheduling, management of warehouses (including those for raw materials, semi-finished products, heat treatment, and finished products), management of production operations and processes, contract management, quality control, online guidance for manufacturing procedures, as well as functions for querying, statistically analyzing, and managing production information. Given that both management and control are carried out dynamically, and that the system is built using software components that support state-of-the-art technology and allow for seamless integration, it is hard to imagine just how large the development effort would be, what the success rate might be, and whether a true CIMS system can actually be implemented. In recent years, industrial automation software technology has made significant progress in various areas, with particular attention worth giving to the new developments in system development environments and system architectures. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) achieve project reuse through application components, and the component object architecture of Industrial Application Servers can significantly improve productivity. The Component Object Model facilitates the development of reusable application objects that represent factory equipment. The application objects created within FactorySuite IDE contain all the necessary elements related to automated equipment, such as historical parameters, tags, alarms and events, documents, scripts, security, and communication parameters. A template library of reusable components can be created, replicated, and deployed to enhance the ability to develop applications quickly. The variation propagation characteristics of each component template bracket mean that a change in one element can be automatically propagated to all affected components or selected components, saving valuable engineering time and costs. With the factory model architecture, users can turn pre-designed application objects into templates that utilize best practices and the company’s engineering standards. The flexible application objects that can be obtained may contain knowledge and application code representing physical plant equipment monitoring automation strategies or higher-level production strategies. A template library can turn application development into an assembly process rather than a programming task, thereby significantly improving the productivity of different projects. IDE is a multi-developer environment that enables companies to utilize their engineering resources by assigning multiple engineers to a single project. By utilizing an efficient registration/unregistration process, the IDE supports multiple developers; it provides a history audit tracking mechanism for each application component, including the user identifier, period and timestamp, as well as detailed summary information regarding the changes. Since the application configuration information is stored in a core project repository (SQL Server database), version control can be applied to the entire application. The registration/cancellation process allows engineers to carry components with them while on travel or away from the site, providing them with maximum flexibility. IAS (Industrial Application Server) has ushered in a new era for the productivity and scalability of industrial automation application development and design. It offers a completely new level of real-time data acquisition, alarm and event management, data processing services, and collaborative development capabilities, all of which are designed from the ground up for use in industrial automation applications. IAS is an infrastructure that simplifies the development, deployment, maintenance, and management of distributed automation applications; it is a new software component built on top of Invensys’ ArchestrATM architecture. The comprehensive ArchestrA plant automation and information architecture is designed from the outset to utilize the latest software technologies to extend the lifespan of traditional systems. Whether automation applications are used in discrete manufacturing, production plants, remote SCADA operations, utilities, or any combination of these operation types, the ArchestrA architecture can cover them all. IAS is built on the ArchestrA architecture, and its obvious advantage lies in its distributed point-to-point architecture ； A globally connected domain name space ； Integrated history, scripting, alarm, and security mechanisms ； Intuitive multi-user development environment ； Component-based factory and application model ； Complies with 21 CFR Part 11 requirements ； It can significantly reduce engineering costs for users ； Reduce ownership costs ； Responds quickly and adapts to growth needs ； Unswerving openness. It provides a foundation for simplifying the development, deployment, maintenance, and management of distributed automation applications. IAS offers a new level of real-time data acquisition, alarm and event management, data manipulation services, and collaborative engineering capabilities – all of which are designed from the outset for industrial automation applications. This enables manufacturers, OEMs, and system integrators (SIs) to significantly reduce the costs associated with the engineering, procurement, and maintenance of automation systems. At the same time, users can build automation systems in a flexible manner, thereby improving their ability to respond to new requirements. IAS is a powerful new application platform built on Invensys’s ArchestrA architecture. The comprehensive ArchestrA factory automation and information architecture was designed from the outset to utilize the latest software technologies to extend the lifespan of traditional systems. Whether it is automation applications in assembly manufacturing plants, refineries, remote SCADA operations, utilities, or any combination of these business operation types, an ArchestrA-based architecture is capable of handling them. From a system-level perspective, modern industrial automation software systems are leveraging advanced software technologies to move toward integration, networking, platformization, and comprehensive management. (1) Integration of industrial automation software: Previous industrial automation software already took into account the need for integrating equipment and multiple systems, but the scope of such integration was usually limited to individual systems or sub-plant systems, without considering integration on a larger scale. New automation software systems, on the other hand, take into account system integration at a broader regional and plant-wide level, providing comprehensive integrated solutions. (2) Networking of industrial automation software: With the decentralization of data and the diversity of networks, the information in industrial automation software systems is moving toward the use of information buses. This approach replaces the previous practice of collecting and processing data centrally; it is equivalent to establishing an information bus at the data monitoring level. By connecting to this information bus, various subsystems can communicate with each other, thereby creating a fully distributed monitoring system. For example, the monitoring system built on Wonderware FactorySuite A2 relies on Platform, which is deployed on each computer within the system, to facilitate information exchange. As there is increasing information exchange between industrial automation software, there is a need for the ability to centrally manage software systems on multiple machines from a single machine; therefore, networked management is also an emerging trend in the development of automation software. Currently, many domestic and international industrial automation software companies have implemented network management; for example, Wonderware’s System Management Console (SMC), which is based on Microsoft’s Management Console (MMC) technology, enables centralized remote management of data acquisition software, log files, and deployed objects. (3) Application of object-oriented technology in industrial automation software. Object-oriented methods feature properties such as encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism, which have contributed to their rapid development in the field of software. In industrial automation, many control objects also possess the characteristics of “objects” as defined in object-oriented technology, which has drawn attention. Control engineers and control software developers have attempted to apply object-oriented techniques to industrial automation, but so far this application is mainly limited to the software design of individual control systems. This indicates that object-oriented technology can be used in industrial automation, yet it has not yet been truly integrated into the overall system design of control systems. This is about bringing the technical advantages of object-oriented approaches into the design of the entire automation system, rather than limiting them to a specific software design. In summary, traditional function-oriented design methods focus on specific aspects of control systems, with the implementation of certain functions as the main focus. In contrast, on the automated software platform Wonderware Industrial Application Server, which incorporates object-oriented technology, monitoring systems are designed using object-oriented principles; this approach takes advantage of the encapsulation and inheritance features of object-oriented technology, while also employing abstract objects to understand the structure of the entire monitoring system. Wonderware has introduced a new product that incorporates object-oriented technology—the Wonderware Industrial Application Server. This product makes full use of the advantages of object-oriented technology, offering a variety of basic templates for automation engineers to choose from. It hides the object-oriented aspects of programming, and through customization and expansion, it enables the design and planning of industrial automation systems. This allows engineers to be freed from the complex and time-consuming task of designing program modules, so that they can focus their efforts on the system control models and control algorithms. As a result, the design and deployment time of industrial automation systems is reduced, and the reusability of these systems is improved. (4) Platformization of industrial automation software systems: In the development of industrial automation software systems, due to the need to implement various functions, modularization of these systems was achieved in the late 1980s and 1990s, based on the differences in module functions. And as the scope and breadth of industrial automation system design increase, a unified platform software is needed to ensure the coordinated operation of various functions. Major industrial automation software companies, both domestic and international, run their modular software on their own platforms, which are highly open and scalable; products from related manufacturers can be developed on these platforms. (5) Comprehensive management of industrial automation software systems: Currently, industrial automation software vendors are not only those that provide monitoring software for enterprises; they can also offer a wide range of management software tailored to the requirements of industrial environments, thus transforming into providers of industrial automation solutions. They provide companies with a wide range of software for asset management, quality control, batch management, and more. Moreover, with the advancement of enterprise informatization, MES solutions that provide data support for enterprise ERP systems are being actively offered nowadays. The most obvious example is that many manufacturers have introduced MES solutions based on the S95 standard; for instance, Wonderware’s Production Events Module (PEM) is a solution for tracking and managing production efficiency that adheres to the S95 standard. There have been significant improvements in aspects such as the number of data points supported by industrial automation software, its processing capacity, and its scalability or expandability. Manufacturers are giving increasing consideration to the system’s value enhancement over time and the extension of the project’s lifecycle, in order to improve the overall return on investment for system development. 4. Application examples of industrial automation software systems. The peripheral systems of power plants are important components in the production and operational management of these plants; however, compared to the control of boilers and turbines, their operation mode is relatively simple, with control generally being carried out locally and independently. (1) High labor costs involved, making the expenses too high ； (2) Due to their scattered locations and distance from the control room, they pose many difficulties in the operation, maintenance, and management of the system. Therefore, by adopting advanced network control technologies to achieve centralized control of all peripheral systems, it is possible to address the issues existing in system design and equipment in many aspects, while also creating a solid foundation for building a unified enterprise network and achieving integrated management and control. Below, using the author’s implementation plan in a centralized monitoring system for peripheral equipment at a power plant as an example, this paper introduces a computer-based real-time monitoring system for auxiliary equipment in thermal power plants, implemented with Wonderware’s industrial automation software suite FactorySuite. Practice has shown that this solution has achieved good results from design to implementation. 4.1 Subsystem objects to be monitored by a computer-based real-time monitoring system A real-time monitoring system is composed of the following subsystem objects: (1) Chemical make-up water control system ； (2) Condensate treatment control system ； (3) Soda water sampling and dosing system ； (4) Coal conveying system ； (5) Water purification plant system ； (6) Circulating water pump room system ； (7) Industrial water pump room system ； (8) Fuel pump room system. Although the various subsystems are deployed in different locations, overall, their data acquisition and field control devices consist of three types: multiple SCHNEIDER MODICON QUANTUM series PLCs, AB Company’s Conlogix series controllers, and a Modbus-based remote I/O unit. 4.2 Monitoring System Architecture Considering the specific characteristics of the various peripheral system subsystems in this power plant, and based on the data generated by each subsystem as well as the I/O volume of each system, 4 field I/O Servers were designed to enable centralized monitoring via a network connection with the upper-level computer. An InSQL-based real-time database system is established, an InTouch-based system is used to develop categorized graphical monitoring workstations, ActiveFactory is employed to create the corresponding data analysis clients, and the SuiteVoyager software is used to build an industrial real-time information graphical portal based on these graphical monitoring workstations and data analysis clients. This setup enables remote monitoring of industrial real-time information using a B/S architecture within the factory’s security parameters, facilitating integration with the power plant’s ERP system. 4.3 System Software The monitoring interface for system software is designed with a hierarchical structure, allowing easy switching between various subsystems. It provides an intuitive representation of the operational conditions on site and is user-friendly; its main features are simplicity, intuitiveness, and comprehensive functionality. Adopting a hierarchical structure facilitates operators in accurately switching between multiple subsystems, preventing misoperations caused by a complicated system architecture. Each subsystem also features similar function menus, enabling easy switching and comprehensive capabilities; multiple operations can be performed within the same main screen. The monitoring system includes system screen generation, accident recall systems, various curve displays and printing, and the generation of various reports. The monitoring screens should conform to the design style of the human-machine interface in the power plant monitoring system. The screens are designed following the principles of hierarchical browsing and gradual refinement, and various Windows-standard design methods such as pop-up windows and drop-down menus are used to enable screen switching and display. The process flow, information display (including operating parameters, status, fault conditions, etc.), and various curves on each screen should be arranged in a logical and intuitive manner, with soft color tones. The accident recall system includes all events that enter the control system (such as parameters, feedback, etc.) as well as events that occur within the control system itself (such as component failures or communication issues). All I/O points can be displayed in graphical form, providing abundant data resources for online analysis and diagnosis of the system’s operation. 5. Conclusion: Although industrial automation systems are becoming increasingly complex and the demands on automation software systems are rising, software technology for industrial automation is advancing at a rapid pace. The emergence of increasingly sophisticated new system technologies provides strong technical support for optimizing the control of complex systems and achieving flatter organizational structures, encouraging people to tackle one technical challenge after another. The issues discussed above are some insights gained by the author through years of experience in engineering practice; I am not sure if they are appropriate.