Today was a productive day spent refining and structuring the MPS digital twin. The focus was on improving model behavior in Siemens NX, ensuring clean communication with TIA Portal, and building out modular, station-specific control logic. I primarily worked on the Distribution Station, laying the groundwork for clean automation and better scalability in future stages.

Signal Mapping and PLC Tag Structure in TIA Portal

Once the NX side was stable, I moved on to refining the PLC interface in TIA Portal. I imported all relevant signals as PLC tags, and restructured their names using a consistent format:

StationName_Signal/ActuatorName

This naming convention not only improves clarity but also enables smooth automatic signal mapping between NX and the PLC. After updating the names, I re-did the signal mapping process in Siemens NX, which is now complete cleanly and logically, thanks to the improved structure.

Building Modular Function Blocks

I plan to create separate Function Blocks (FBs) for each station to improve maintainability and scalability. Each FB is linked to its own data block, keeping variables isolated and organized. This approach will make debugging and logic development more manageable as the system grows.

Today, I concentrated on programming and simulating the Distribution Station, which is the first station in the process. This station is responsible for dispensing a single workpiece. With the new function block and data structure, I’ve begun programming its behavior step-by-step, including actuator control and sensor feedback.

Building Modular Function Blocks

Today's progress was all about tightening up the digital twin environment: fixing unstable physics in NX, establishing clean and reusable structures in TIA Portal, and beginning modular logic development. With the Distribution Station’s control foundation laid, I can now move on to integrating the rest of the stations in a similar structured way. The workflow is becoming smoother and more professional with each iteration.