Automatic timed automata extraction from ladder programs for model-based analysis of control systems

Control systems are used to produce a certain result with little or no human supervision. The principal aim of such systems is to ensure that resources are used efficiently and that the desired product quality is achieved. Moreover, for critical systems such as oil and gas plants, it is important to guarantee the safety and reliability of the operation. Therefore, it is necessary to verify whether what is running in the device is in accordance with what was defined in the specification documents. The goal of this work is to present a method that automatically generates the timed automata models from the specification ISA 5.2 Binary Logic Diagrams, and the implementation Ladder programs, for model-based analysis, in order to increase the dependability in the behavior of critical control systems. This approach is based on the use of the Uppaal tool and the Uppaal-TRON testing tool.