Released on: September 10, 2008, 2:29 am

Press Release Author: Itris Automation Square

Industry: Software

Press Release Summary: Itris Automation Square announced that PSA Peugeot Citroën
has decided to use the PLC Checker coding rules verification tool systematically.
Usage of PLC Checker is also mandatory for PSA Peugeot Citroën suppliers.

Press Release Body: Thousands of PLCs control the assembly lines of PSA Peugeot
Citroën. To ensure the quality of programs that operate those PLCs, PSA Peugeot
Citroën has decided to put in place coding rules. Such rules allow a better
readability and consistency and a more efficient maintenance. Assembly line
interruptions are less frequent and shorter, while code modifications are easier,
thus generating huge savings. Respecting those rules is also mandatory for PSA
Peugeot Citroën suppliers: it is a criterion during acceptance testing.

Such a quality approach is allowed by the deployment of PLC Checker, a tool that
checks automatically and consistently the compliance with the rules defined by PSA
Peugeot Citroën. The acceptance tests are both less costly and more thorough.
Formalizing the rules is easier so the suppliers have a clear vision of the goal
they have to reach. At last, having developers use PLC Checker during the coding
process allows an immediate self correction and a quick learning of the rules.

\"We have recently updated our automation design rules: this is the ACTIF project
(Guide to the technical design of manufacturing facilities – in French: Aide à la
Conception Technique des Installations de Fabrication). The goals of ACTIF are:
quicker projects, a better quality of the diagnostic and the troubleshooting, faster
fixing and easier modification of the facilities. The PLC program is the brain that
controls everything, it must be well structured and our rules must be followed by
our suppliers, especially the rules that enable a thorough and reliable diagnostic
on the Human Machine Interfaces. Up to now, quality wasn\'t always there and our
control methods were cumbersome. PLC Checker smoothens our control methods and also
gives suppliers a sense of responsibility.\" explains Laurent Mauguy, Automation
Standards Manager at PSA Peugeot Citroën.

\"Indeed, adds Patrick Sudan, Automation Manager at PSA Peugeot Citroën, everything
that allows better quality and productivity, for us and our suppliers, is key to our
offering of reliable and efficient automation technologies. These technologies
enable competitive costs and shorter delivery terms.\"

\"Developing programs for the car industry is more and more complex because of the
constantly increasing performance and quality requirements. To control this
complexity, PSA Peugeot Citroën has put in place coding rules. It is a very
interesting initiative and it guarantees better control of the maintenance costs.
However this initiative leads to a need for tools that can ensure a thorough and
systematic verification of the compliance with the rules. Such tools are essential
as the financial consequences of a lack of quality may be extremely heavy due to a
long and costly maintenance of the programs.\" explains Daniel Pilaud, Itris
Automation Square CEO. \"The recent choice of PSA Peugeot Citroën to systematically
use PLC Checker proves that automatic verification tools are indispensable. We are
very pleased to support PSA Peugeot Citroën in its quality improvement process.\"

Beyond coding rules specific to a given industrial such as PSA Peugeot Citroën, PLC
Checker can also check generic coding rules, valid for all industries. It can
analyze programs written for multiple PLCs, including the one offered by Schneider
Electric and Siemens. It is sold through a Software as a Service (SaaS) model.

About Itris Automation Square
Itris Automation Square offers highly innovative development tools for Programmable
Logic Controllers. Its solutions, based on advanced computer science techniques,
allow the automatic translation of PLC programs as well as the improvement of their
quality and their reverse engineering. Itris Automation Square is a French company
based in Grenoble.

Web Site: http://www.automationsquare.com

Contact Details: 95, Rue General Mangin
38100 Grenoble
+33 476234320
contact@automationsquare.com