TASK-CONFIGURATION OF A PEARL-BASED PROGRAMMABLE CONTROLLER FOR PROCESS AUTOMATION

This paper describes the configuration of real-time tasks using a PEAR L-based programmable controller (''PEARL-PLC''). It will be shown that tasks can be consistently configured with function-blocks for logic, sequence and feedback control. Furthermore, the synchronization of coo perating tasks, controlling interdependent sub-processes, can also be configured using communication function-blocks based on Multicomputer- PEARL. Moreover, using the explicit task-scheduling offered by PEARL, the needed processor-time can be reduced to a conceptual minimum. Deta ils of the configuration of a sequence-control task and a fuzzy-contro l task, the latter as a representative of a feedback-control task, are presented. Finally, trends of future developments of the ''PEARL-PLC' ', e.g. the implementation of fault-tolerance, are pointed out.