A meta-model based environment for GRAFCET specifications

GRAFCET is a powerful graphical modelling language and an international standard to specify the behavior of discrete event systems. One of the main advantages of GRAFCET compared to other specification languages is the description of distributed and nested program parts within a control application based on the hierarchical structures enclosing steps, partial-Grafcet and forcing orders. This contribution presents a meta-model based approach for GRAFCET specifications, including hierarchical structures. For this purpose, a suitable static GRAFCET meta-model has been defined. This model is the basis for both, a model-driven implementation of a graphical editor as well as a model-based GRAFCET syntax verification. This meta-model based approach has been made in consideration of the benefits of MDSD and the potential to expand the solution to other issues of formal methods in control system engineering. An integrated software solution is presented using the open-source environment Eclipse.