Itris Automation launches real-time diagnostics solution for PLC-based control systems


Itris Automation, a French software developer providing tools for improving the quality and efficiency of PLC programs, has launched its newest solution, ICS Monitoring, internationally.

ICS Monitoring is a real-time diagnostics solution for PLC-based control systems to help facilitate and accelerate the identification of the causes of a machine breakdown.

After the initial launch on the company’s home soil in September 2017, Itris is launching the real-time diagnostics solution, ICS Monitoring, internationally. 

This solution supports the troubleshooting of PLC-based control systems, by facilitating the understanding of the system and by helping to find the origin of a problem more quickly.

With their customers’ needs in mind, Itris Automation put to use their expertise in computer science and automation to create a solution that will allow users to quickly identify the causes of a machine breakdown.

To do this, ICS Monitoring simplifies the representation of the program’s data flow and logic, while displaying the real-time values of the variables.

This representation, with the live values and its dynamic navigation, makes troubleshooting a PLC program easier, with no need to use the development environments or to be a PLC code expert.

The solution ICS Monitoring allows operators and experts to quickly find the origin of a problem and to reduce downtime.

Compared to other diagnostics solutions, ICS Monitoring is unique in its capacity to support a number of different PLC makes and models. Furthermore, no code instrumentation is required when setting up the solution, as the only reference is the code.

ICS Monitoring can integrate seamlessly into the production environment. On the one hand, the solution can connect directly to the process data via Modbus TCP or OPC, communication protocols allowing data to be shared in real-time.

On the other, it can work with version management tools, to keep the program information up-to-date, and with supervision systems, from where the solution can be launched directly.

Sylvain Jacques, production manager at Soitec, a supplier of semiconductor materials, spoke about his experience with the first version of ICS Monitoring at the solution’s launch event in September 2017.

Jacques said: “ICS Monitoring has fitted perfectly into our infrastructure. It especially complements our SCADA systems which raise alarms and provide information about potential breakdowns, while ICS Monitoring allows us to see the current status of our installation so that we can quickly make the right decisions to maintain its operation and availability.”

ICS Monitoring is now available for programs based on PLCs from Schneider Electric, Siemens, Rockwell Automation, and Codesys, among others.