Modeling of discrete event systems using finite automata with variables

Abstract

To get industrial acceptance of supervisory control theory, there is a need to bridge the gap between the signal-based industrial reality and the event-based supervisory control framework. This paper tries to do this by introducing a modeling formalism with automata extended with variables, guard expressions and action functions. The formalism is suitable for modeling plants and specifications in the supervisory control framework. An algorithm that transforms a set of extended automata into a set of ordinary automata with equivalent behavior, is presented. This allows the user to model complex behaviors with a compact representation, and at the same time use existing algorithms for analysis.