A Conversion Method from an ETSC to a Timed Petri Net to Improve the Matrix-based Discrete Event Controller and its Unified Support System

The matrix-based discrete-event system controller (MDEC) framework, which is a sophisticated framework proposed by Jose Mireles et al., is a promising method for designing control systems for discrete manufacturing systems. In a previous study, we improved the MDEC framework by introducing a timed Petri net and an expanded timed-state-chart (ETSC) that was developed in our laboratory in order to describe complex behavior of discrete manufacturing systems. In the present study, a computer system supporting the design of such control systems was implemented based on the improved framework (MDEC2). ETSC models, which users draw through a GUI, are converted into timed Petri nets in the form of matrices, and such matrices are embedded into controllers of MDEC2. Through a series of experiments, we confirmed that the obtained controllers functioned well.