B&R Introduces Safety+ Platform for Enhanced Safety Programming Efficiency and Flexibility

B&R Introduces Safety+ for Efficient Safety Programming

B&R, a division of ABB, introduces Safety+, an open platform for programming safety functions. Developers can now use modern software engineering tools and methods for safety applications. Safety+ provides an innovative data structure with a digital fingerprint, ensuring transparency while meeting functional safety requirements.

B&R Introduces Safety+ Platform for Enhanced Safety Programming Efficiency and Flexibility

Agile and Transparent Safety Programming

Safety+ allows customers to use familiar advanced tools and methods for safety applications. Franz Kaufleitner, Product Manager at B&R, explains, “With Safety+, we offer an open programming system that increases efficiency and flexibility.” Developers can now create safety applications more efficiently and with greater flexibility.

Key Features of Safety+

Three main features drive this productivity boost in safety programming:

• Innovative data architecture
• Flexible choice of language and data types
• Integration with standard programming tools and processes

Digital Fingerprint for Code Integrity

Safety+ uses an innovative data architecture to store data in an open format. Every change to the code is documented with a digital fingerprint. This fingerprint indicates when a change occurs, ensuring transparency. Metadata tracks who made the change, when, and what was changed. Engineers can now track changes at the function block and parameter set level, making code optimization easier.

Enhanced Flexibility with Third-Party Tools

Safety+ allows engineers to use third-party tools for managing safety applications. The system integrates with tools like GitHub and Jenkins, offering high flexibility. This integration simplifies the development process and fosters collaboration among developers. A command line interface (CLI) supports automatic build generation and continuous integration, improving efficiency.

Expanded Programming Options and Data Types

Safety+ provides more freedom in choosing programming languages and data types. Developers are no longer limited in their options for functional safety applications. Safety+ supports function blocks, ladder diagrams, and structured texts. It also supports arrays, structs, and real data types, commonly used in non-safe programming. This flexibility accelerates development and fosters innovation in safety solutions.

Overcoming Previous Barriers in Safety Programming

Traditional safety programming systems used encrypted proprietary file systems to protect applications. While this ensured code integrity, it also limited the use of common productivity tools. Safety+ removes these restrictions, allowing engineers to use modern software tools for improved productivity. This opens up new possibilities for more efficient safety function programming.