Code generator for IEC 61499 function block

Abstract

The IEC 61499 function block is an open standard for distributed control and automation. However, work related to using IEC 61499 as code generator for various programming languages is still lacking. In this dissertation, a methodology for code generation based on XML (extensible Markup Language) and EBNF (Extended Backus-Naur Form) is discussed. Along with this code generator, an intermediate XML (iXML) is proposed to generate the target codes. All the source XML and target language's EBNF are first compiled to iXML and then to the desired output language. That way it is not necessary to translate directly from one

programming language to another which is a very tricky and difficult task. It could

make the solution difficult to be maintained and extended. Meanwhile, iXML gives an

advantage: an XML representation of a computer program is valuable information

by itself: The methodology, which divides the whole code generating process into two

steps, iXML generation through Graphical User Interface (GUI) and iXML parsing,

has a significant feature- each step is independent from the other and both of them

can be extendable for further research purpose. In the end of this dissertation, an

example of converting XML codes generated from function block into SystemC language is demonstrated.