Glossary · System coordination, integration and orchestration
Coordination controller
Also known as: supervisory controller, master controller
German: Koordinationssteuerung
In industrial automation, a coordination controller is a controller whose main task is to coordinate other controllers or machines, for example by distributing orders, synchronizing sequences and managing shared resources, rather than controlling actuators directly.
- System integration
In one sentence
A coordination controller coordinates other controllers or machines, distributing orders and synchronizing sequences instead of driving actuators.
Example
A coordination controller on a car body line tells each welding cell when a body has arrived and which model variant it is.
How it applies
- Engineering: Keep coordination and machine control separate: the coordination controller sends requests and receives status, and each machine controller decides how to execute them safely. This keeps machines testable on their own.
- Availability: If the coordination controller fails, the connected machines should reach a defined state, not continue on outdated orders. Heartbeat monitoring between the levels detects such failures.
- Documentation: Document the controller's role, its interfaces to each machine and its behavior on communication loss. Use the same controller names in architecture diagrams and HMI texts.
Coordination controller vs. line controller
“Coordination controller” describes a role. A Line controller, Cell controller or Area controller is a coordination controller at a particular level of the plant hierarchy.