The function blocks of IEC 61499 resp. the automation objects (functions) of PROFInet are the “atomic” elements, . the not more divisible base elements, which are used for the engineering view and as the run time objects. They consists in a body containing the executable algorithms and they have interconnectable external interfaces for input and output data. Furthermore the function blocks resp. the automation objects obtain a new kind of interface which is not existing for the function blocks of the PLC standard IEC 61131-3 | PROFInet Architecture Description Objects in Automation Version January 2003 Ressource Logical Device Function block Automation object Figure 1-9 Resource model with distributed application The function blocks of IEC 61499 resp. the automation objects functions of PROFInet are the atomic elements . the not more divisible base elements which are used for the engineering view and as the run time objects. They consists in a body containing the executable algorithms and they have interconnectable external interfaces for input and output data. Furthermore the function blocks resp. the automation objects obtain a new kind of interface which is not existing for the function blocks of the PLC standard IEC 61131-3. The graphical editor Simatic iMap for PROFInet enables the project engineer to pick the automation objects from a library and places them in his chart on the screen. Then the object types obtain their project specific names and become instances. Afterwards the interfaces of the instances are connected by the graphically drawing of lines between the input and outputs. Thus the communication links over the bus are implicitly projected. The automation solutions with technological modules typically have a fixed association between the devices resources and the function blocks resp. automation objects . the associations are inherently existing in the library elements. Therefore it is possible to load automatically the communication information and the instances without any additional engineering. This loading is of course only necessary if the instances are not yet pre-programmed or loaded earlier into the device. The devices with in the firmware implemented functionality are only loaded with the preset values and the communication information for the interconnections. Figure 1-10 Application model with interconnections of data and events For a concise structuring of a larger application IEC 61499 defines the subapplication containing a subset of .
