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An agile software development approach for embedded systems has been transferred to automation and process control. With using UML 1.4, an approach was developed, which allows to generate IEC 61131-3 code from an UML-model and to import it into soft-PLCs, automatically. The generated IEC 61131 code consists of ST and SFC. Besides, the system architecture is part of the UML-model, which bridges the gap between hard and software engineering. This approach was evaluated by using a sorting machine and by automation experts. The work is embedded in a development of UML for process automation and usability test of UML with automation engineers.
Vogel‐Heuser et al. (Tue,) studied this question.