Automatic Generation of C-code or PLD Circuits under SFC Graphical Environment

TL;DR

This paper presents a framework for automatically generating C-code or PLD circuits from high-level Grafcet specifications, enabling efficient design of control systems with hardware-software integration.

Contribution

It introduces an automated process to translate Grafcet specifications into executable C code or PLD circuits, streamlining control system development.

Findings

Automated translation from Grafcet to C code and PLD circuits.

Supports validation and implementation of control specifications.

Facilitates hardware-software co-design for control systems.

Abstract

This paper proposes a framework for automatic development of control systems from a high level specification based in Grafcet formalism. Grafcet, or Sequential Function Charts (SFC), is a special class of Petri Nets and is becoming the standard representation for sequential control systems. The proposed framework accepts a graphical (through ISaGRAPH) or textual behavioural specification of the control system to be implemented. It follows the usual procedure in software specification: the first step is to formally validate the initial specification. Then the initial specification is translated through automated processes into an implementation. At the moment there are two possible output languages: C and Palasm [1]. The target processor for the C code language are microcontroller based systems that require extended time constrains and access to external peripherals. The goal of including PLD's is the possibility of automatically design mixed hardware and software systems.