AUTOMATED ACTION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE)

AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) is a specialized user control designed to perform operations, unlike conventional display controls in EOS SCADA. Depending on its configuration, it can initiate operations at specified intervals, run at a specific time, write data, or execute scripts and programs.

One of the key strengths of the AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) is its ability to establish a bidirectional workflow between data in SCADA and external computation or application environments. Data selected by EOS SCADA can be passed to a script or external program as input parameters; the resulting output parameters can then be associated with SCADA data again.

Such an architecture can provide an integration point for periodic calculations, data transformation, custom algorithms, external analysis software, and user-developed decision-support applications. Within the design approach specified by the user, it also enables external computational components, such as artificial intelligence software, to be used in scenarios that interact with SCADA data.

The basic configuration properties of the AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) user control are listed in the table below. These properties cover the main parameters that determine the control's operating cycle, operation behavior, threshold value, command type, and authorization level.

FMForceType is the primary enumeration that determines what the AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) does. Its functionality is not limited to issuing commands. In particular, the Runscript and Runprogram options provide a powerful operating model that integrates EOS SCADA with external computational and application components.

ForceInterval determines how frequently the AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) performs an operation. The same control can therefore run on a scan-cycle basis, every few minutes, hourly, daily, or at a specified hour and minute.

When At a Specific Time is selected, the OperationHour and OperationMinute fields are used. The default values in the source code are 0 hours and 0 minutes.

One of the most notable features of the AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) is its ability to establish data exchange through input and output parameters between EOS SCADA and a script or external program. This allows the external software to do more than simply run as a standalone program: it can receive and process SCADA data, then feed its results back into the SCADA workflow.

The purpose of the AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) is not limited to initiating operations at fixed time intervals. Automatic command or operation scenarios can also be created according to operating logic defined by the user. The LevelThreshold field in the source code indicates that the control has a level value that may be used for threshold-based behavior.

However, the supplied source code does not show all conditional expressions or the details of the condition-evaluation algorithm. Therefore, no implementation details absent from the source have been assumed regarding the exact logic by which a particular process condition is converted into a command.

Runscript and Runprogram are the two operation types that most clearly distinguish the AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) from an ordinary command control. These options allow automation logic within EOS SCADA to work together with software components outside SCADA.

Runscript — Run Script

Runscript executes the script specified by ScriptName. SCADA data can be passed to the script through InputParams, and the resulting outputs can be used in the SCADA workflow through the OutputParams mechanism.

Runprogram — Run Program

Runprogram provides a bridge for initiating operations between EOS SCADA and an external application. This model can be used to integrate specialized computational software, data-transformation tools, analysis applications, or other programs developed by the organization.

AuthorizationLevel is a critical configuration field for the AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE). Its default value in the source code is Monitor; however, because the control can generate commands and initiate operations, the authorization model must be defined carefully according to operational requirements in the actual project environment.

In industrial HMI/SCADA applications, separating command sources, implementing authorization, and using signature/approval mechanisms where appropriate are important security design considerations. Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx documentation also treats operator, program, and external control sources as distinct concepts and documents security mechanisms requiring signatures for HMI commands, along with interlock/permissive checks. citeturn0search32turn0search34

Because the AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) can initiate automatic operations, configuration should not be considered complete merely by checking whether it "works." The following checklist summarizes key points that engineering and operations teams can review together, especially for critical processes.

AUTOMATIC OPERATION EXECUTOR (FORCE MACHINE) provides functionality that can be considered one of the most powerful automation-oriented specialized user controls in EOS SCADA. Its five operation types—Write Data, Write Time, Write Scheduled Data, Run Script, and Run Program—clearly demonstrate that it is more than a command-issuing object.

In particular, combining Runscript and Runprogram with the InputParams / OutputParams approach makes it possible to establish interactive data flows between EOS SCADA data and external computational and application components. This structure can be used to build more advanced automation architectures involving custom algorithms, data analysis, external applications, and AI-based scenarios.