StateWORKS Newsletter 4/04

Topics:

  1. Welcome
  2. StateWORKS Studio 5.3
  3. Runtime system for Beckhoff
  4. New service

1. Welcome

In my last newsletter I promised you some interesting news in autumn. So, here they are:

  • We have new version of StateWORKS Studio.
  • The StateWORKS run-time system runs on Beckoff equipment using Windows XP Embedded.
  • We offer a new service: specification of state machines and a promotion action for this service to the end of the year.
Details are below.

Regards
F. Wagner

2. StateWORKS Studio 5.3

We have a new version 5.3 of the StateWORKS Studio. This version contains several improvements. To mention only the most visible changes:

  • the XML Import menu command completes the Export command introduced in the previous version,
  • the SMS diagram shows IO-Unit in addition to state machines and Cmd/State interface among them,
  • the interface lines on the SMS diagram may be positioned also by hand,
  • Open/Save commands for Project and Files are merged,
  • the content of the "Configuration Error Message" window can be copied into clipboard,
  • the ESC key does the Undo function for the last change.
We offer now three Monitors:
  • Our basic Monitor SWMon got some cosmetic changes, as for instance Connect/Disconnect buttons on the toolbar.
  • In the SWTerm Monitor we improved the command set - the Help contains the details.
  • We added a new Monitor SWQuick. This Monitor comes from the GUI interface. It got a better user interface and a complete set of commands. I personally find it very useful in situation where I want to investigate an object completely i.e. to display/change/understand all its properties.
There are other numerous improvements and corrections which make the use of StateWORKS Studio more convenient and reliable.

The LE variant of the new version is available to free download on our web site.

3. Run-time system for Beckhoff

Beckhoff AG company in Germany delivers hardware and software for industrial control systems. It uses principally Windows platform for their systems. Among others they offer a Windows XP Embedded system.

We have developed an I/O interface which can access the entire Beckhoff hardware world via TwinCAT software. We can run now the StateWORKS run-time system on Beckhoff Windows XP Embedded. Hence, we are able to offer a true alternative to C-coded control systems for Beckhoff hardware based applications.

4. New service

In addition to the realization of complete software projects, our software consulting offers now extended support by introducing a service "Specification of State Machines". With this service we would like to ease the first step into the world of state machine based control systems. You may try the power of state machine solutions by putting us in charge of your control problem. You send us the informal specification of the control requirements and we produce the formal specification using StateWORKS Studio. The specification will be tested and documented. It is up to you what you do with the result: you may use it to code the control or you may do the next step - to implement the application on StateWORKS run-time system.

To promote the new service we offer a promotional price for specification of one state machine to the end of 2004.

You find more about this service and the promotion action on our web site.