A Platform-Independent Code Model for Operation and Information Technologies Convergences in Industrial Edge Applications

With the increasing computing power of edge devices in industrial automation, programming languages from information and operation technologies can be used to solve new tasks from the shop floor. A virtualized controller can handle both parts due to its flexibility, high performance and lost cost. However, to migrate numerous legacy programmable logic controllers to new edge controllers, massive software development efforts must be put in during the upgrade process due to the variety and complexity of existing programs. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a platformindependent code model to automatically extract existing logic from legacy programs. Subsequently, programs can be generated automatically in the target programming language according to the target platform. This approach enables cross-platform program migration by facilitating programming language conversion, reducing the time and effort required.