Glossary · Engineering, integration and validation
Configuration (automation)
Also known as: Controller configuration, System configuration
German: Konfiguration
In industrial automation, configuration is the set of settings and structural definitions that adapt a generic system to a specific application, such as hardware modules, network addresses, parameters and task assignments. In IEC 61131-3, a configuration is also a language element that represents a complete programmable controller system containing resources, tasks and programs.
- Validation
- Standards
In one sentence
Configuration is the set of settings and structural definitions that adapt an automation system to its application; in IEC 61131-3 also a language element.
Example
The configuration of the packaging line's controller defines two resources, a 10 ms motion task and a 100 ms logic task, and assigns the programs to them.
How it applies
- Engineering: Engineers set up the configuration in the Engineering tool: device selection, addresses, communication settings, task cycle times and parameters. In IEC 61131-3 terms, the configuration is the top level that groups resources and their tasks.
- Commissioning: Commissioning engineers load and adjust the configuration on site; each adjustment should be recorded so the installed state matches the documented one.
- Maintenance: A saved configuration allows a replacement device to be restored quickly. Under Configuration management, the approved configuration becomes part of a Configuration baseline.
- Documentation: The documentation team documents which settings the user may change, which only service staff may change, and where the configuration is stored, and marks parameter tables with the configuration version they describe.
Configuration vs. programming
Programming creates the application logic; configuration adapts the system through settings without changing that logic. The boundary matters for Change control: a parameter change can alter machine behavior as much as a code change and needs the same review where it affects safety functions.