Rapid Development of Process Control Systems Using a Model-Based Approach

Developing a control system rapidly and cost effectively requires a disciplined approach that exposes design limitations early so they can be corrected before the costs and schedule go out of control. A trial-and-error development approach is utilized primarily when the control system is presumed to be simple or when there is insufficient time to conduct a full development cycle. This approach is characterized by a relatively small investment in up-front planning, followed by multiple iterations of build and test.