A Toolset for model checking of PLC software

Antti Pakonen; Teemu Mätäsniemi; Jussi Lahtinen; Tommi Karhela

doi:10.1109/ETFA.2013.6648065

A Toolset for model checking of PLC software

Antti Pakonen
, Teemu Mätäsniemi
, Jussi Lahtinen
, Tommi Karhela

VTT (former employee or external)

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceedings › Scientific › peer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Model checking is a powerful formal verification method that can also be used to evaluate PLC software. A lot of manual work and some expertise are still needed. Proposed methods for automating the process rely on standardised specification languages, but PLC software is often vendor-specific, and the source code for function blocks may not even be available. We propose a toolset for model checking of function block based software. After manually modelling the elementary function block library, the model of any block diagram can be specified with easy-to-use graphical tools. The counterexamples output by the model checker can also be visualised using a "living" function block diagram. Our toolset is based on integrating the popular model checker NuSMV with the open source modelling platform Simantics.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2013 IEEE 18th Conference on Emerging Technologies & Factory Automation (ETFA)
Publisher	IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
Number of pages	6
ISBN (Electronic)	978-1-4799-0864-6
ISBN (Print)	978-1-4799-0862-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ETFA.2013.6648065
Publication status	Published - 2013
MoE publication type	A4 Article in a conference publication
Event	18th IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation, ETFA2013 - Cagliari, Italy Duration: 10 Sept 2013 → 13 Sept 2013 Conference number: 18

Conference

Conference	18th IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation, ETFA2013
Abbreviated title	ETFA 2013
Country/Territory	Italy
City	Cagliari
Period	10/09/13 → 13/09/13

Keywords

model checking
verification and validation
function block diagram

Access to Document

10.1109/ETFA.2013.6648065

https://publications.vtt.fi/julkaisut/muut/2013/OA-a_toolset_for_model.pdf

Cite this

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title = "A Toolset for model checking of PLC software",

abstract = "Model checking is a powerful formal verification method that can also be used to evaluate PLC software. A lot of manual work and some expertise are still needed. Proposed methods for automating the process rely on standardised specification languages, but PLC software is often vendor-specific, and the source code for function blocks may not even be available. We propose a toolset for model checking of function block based software. After manually modelling the elementary function block library, the model of any block diagram can be specified with easy-to-use graphical tools. The counterexamples output by the model checker can also be visualised using a {"}living{"} function block diagram. Our toolset is based on integrating the popular model checker NuSMV with the open source modelling platform Simantics.",

keywords = "model checking, verification and validation, function block diagram",

author = "Antti Pakonen and Teemu M{\"a}t{\"a}sniemi and Jussi Lahtinen and Tommi Karhela",

note = "Project code: 77379; 18th IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation, ETFA2013, ETFA 2013 ; Conference date: 10-09-2013 Through 13-09-2013",

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doi = "10.1109/ETFA.2013.6648065",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-1-4799-0862-2",

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Pakonen, A, Mätäsniemi, T, Lahtinen, J & Karhela, T 2013, A Toolset for model checking of PLC software. in 2013 IEEE 18th Conference on Emerging Technologies & Factory Automation (ETFA)., 6648065, IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, 18th IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation, ETFA2013, Cagliari, Italy, 10/09/13. https://doi.org/10.1109/ETFA.2013.6648065

A Toolset for model checking of PLC software. / Pakonen, Antti; Mätäsniemi, Teemu; Lahtinen, Jussi et al.
2013 IEEE 18th Conference on Emerging Technologies & Factory Automation (ETFA). IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, 2013. 6648065.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceedings › Scientific › peer-review

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T1 - A Toolset for model checking of PLC software

AU - Pakonen, Antti

AU - Mätäsniemi, Teemu

AU - Lahtinen, Jussi

AU - Karhela, Tommi

N1 - Conference code: 18

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Model checking is a powerful formal verification method that can also be used to evaluate PLC software. A lot of manual work and some expertise are still needed. Proposed methods for automating the process rely on standardised specification languages, but PLC software is often vendor-specific, and the source code for function blocks may not even be available. We propose a toolset for model checking of function block based software. After manually modelling the elementary function block library, the model of any block diagram can be specified with easy-to-use graphical tools. The counterexamples output by the model checker can also be visualised using a "living" function block diagram. Our toolset is based on integrating the popular model checker NuSMV with the open source modelling platform Simantics.

AB - Model checking is a powerful formal verification method that can also be used to evaluate PLC software. A lot of manual work and some expertise are still needed. Proposed methods for automating the process rely on standardised specification languages, but PLC software is often vendor-specific, and the source code for function blocks may not even be available. We propose a toolset for model checking of function block based software. After manually modelling the elementary function block library, the model of any block diagram can be specified with easy-to-use graphical tools. The counterexamples output by the model checker can also be visualised using a "living" function block diagram. Our toolset is based on integrating the popular model checker NuSMV with the open source modelling platform Simantics.

KW - model checking

KW - verification and validation

KW - function block diagram

U2 - 10.1109/ETFA.2013.6648065

DO - 10.1109/ETFA.2013.6648065

M3 - Conference article in proceedings

SN - 978-1-4799-0862-2

BT - 2013 IEEE 18th Conference on Emerging Technologies & Factory Automation (ETFA)

PB - IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

T2 - 18th IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation, ETFA2013

Y2 - 10 September 2013 through 13 September 2013

ER -

A Toolset for model checking of PLC software

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

Access to Document

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Cite this