Reconfiguring factory automation applications with FTT-MA

It is well known that modern factory automation applications must be able to adapt to changes in the production requirements. Since most manufacturing applications are distributed, it may be necessary to reconfigure several devices simultaneously. Unfortunately, dealing with reconfiguration is a complex issue for the developers of the applications, especially when applications are time-sensitive or resources are scarce. In this scenario, the use of high-level middleware architectures may provide solutions to these problems in order to avoid reinventing the wheel. This work illustrates how the FTT-MA (Flexible Time-Triggered Middleware Architecture) could be used to reconfigure manufacturing applications by means of a laboratory application.