B&R, a division of ABB Group, introduces Safety+, an open and innovative approach to programming safety functions. Developers can now also use the latest software engineering tools and methods for safety applications. An innovative data structure with a fingerprint makes source code freely accessible while meeting the special requirements of functional safety. In this way, B&R has overcome an obstacle that was previously a barrier to innovation in programming safety.
Programming safety is agile and transparent
“With Safety+, we are for the first time providing customers with an open programming system, enabling them to use advanced tools and methods already known from standard programming,” explains Franz Kaufleitner, product manager for safety at B&R, ABB’s machine automation division. “Safety applications can be developed much more efficiently and flexibly.”
There are three main features that make this productivity boost in safety-oriented application programming possible: an innovative data architecture, a flexible choice of language and data type, and the use of standard programming tools and processes.
Every file has a fingerprint
A key new feature of Safety+ is its innovative data architecture. Data are stored in a freely accessible format, and every change is documented. Source files are stored in an open text-based code repository in formats such as XML or JSON. To ensure the integrity of the program code despite being open, each file is assigned a fingerprint that indicates when something changes. With the addition of detailed metadata, what was changed, when and by whom it was done is completely transparent.
What is new about security programming systems is that this metadata does not just refer to the entire security application. Engineers can now track every change down to the level of function blocks and parameter sets, which allows them to optimize code in a more targeted way. This results in a more agile design of safety functions, which can be more easily adapted to the changing needs of users.
Standards make programming more productive
In addition to the new data architecture, the new openness of Safety+ enables engineers to create and manage safety applications using third-party tools and platforms. “By integrating safety programming into common tools such as GitHub and Jenkins, developers can work with a high degree of flexibility,” Kaufleitner says. “This simplifies the development process and also promotes collaboration and exchange within the developer community.”
A command-line interface (CLI) is available for automatic build generation and continuous integration, allowing developers to interact directly with the software in headless mode and process program code efficiently.
Additional programming options and data types
As a third major innovation, Safety+ also offers new freedom in the choice of programming language and application-specific tuning when programming with data types. Previously, developers were limited in their choice of programming languages and data types for functional safety applications, which had a negative impact on development time and flexibility.
Safety+ offers engineers a wider range of programming options, including function blocks, ladder diagrams and structured text. Safety+ removes previous restrictions on data types and supports elements such as arrays, structs and real data types that are standard in unsafe programming. “With Safety+, we give developers the freedom they need to create innovative and efficient safety solutions,” Kaufleitner points out. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration when we talk about a small revolution in safety feature programming.”
Previously, proprietary encrypted file systems were used in systems for engineering functional safety applications. While they protected applications from unauthorized modification, they also prevented the use of common software tools and methods to improve productivity.