The history of production activities in industries is that of automated systems. In this article future business strategy is analyzed and automated systems are examined. Business can be divided into cost-intensive one and software-and-knowledge-intensive one, and the latter, into high-technology-intensive one and needs-oriented one. In future software-and-knowledge intensive business will be of greater importance, where high flexibility is the chief point to be realized. It will be realized with a holonic automated system. A holonic system is a set of intelligent components with intercomponent communication, self-diagnostic and selfrecovery functions.

This article describes the structure of Fuji Electric's automated systems and its basic concept. Computers, programmable controllers (PC) for electrical equipment, and distributed control systems (DCS) for instrumentation-these hierarchical components can be arranged with two levels of LAN to construct an integrated system. This system can apply to factory automation (FA) and computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems using any of personal to general-purpose computers. The typical examples of their application are added.

This article describes an outline of the network systems which are principal components constructing hierarchy in automated systems. The networks constructing CIM's require different functions and performances according to their levels. Fuji Electric can provide overall network systems from LAN's for OA systems to those for FA and PA systems. Also described are the use and features of each LAN and our introduction of MAP now internationally watched with keen interest?

This article describes the development and design concept of Fuji Electric's automation system components and the main specifications of typical components-minicomputers, microcomputers, man-machine device and controllers for instrumentation, industrial programmable controllers, microstations-together with total system configuration.

The increasing use of automated systems in various fields such as process automation (PA), laboratory automation (LA), factory automation (FA), and shop automation (SA) has brought on new directions in softwares-software integration, programmingless software development, the application of distributed systems and artificial intelligence, and so on. This article describes the new concept and features of Fuji's software systems viewed in basic softwares, package softwares, network supports, and artificial intelligence construction tools.

Softwares have become more important and are required by the other departments as well as a computer department. Therefore, software development should be integrated one including not only a computer department but the other related ones. Fuji Electric has constructed a support system for integrated software development, CASE(Computer Aided System and Software Engineering), which covers engineering departments, using its technology resulted from actual experience.

Fuji Electric proceeds with the construction of CASE system for improvement and computerization of engineering work by linking overall control engineering departments. As for the hardware, the networks supporting linkage among departments are connected to a large computer and workstations distributed to departments. General-purpose tools are used as the tools for supporting engineering works of each department. In addition, the methodology of CASE for work analysis, continuous improvement and system construction are the remarkable features of CASE system.

Plant control has become of higher function and of more complexity with the higher function of programmable controllers, and the productivity and quality of control soft wares need to be improved urgently. The softwares for computers also have the same problems, and studies on requirements definition technology and support systems are going forward.
Fuji Electric proceeds with studies on application of support systems for requirements definition introducing knowledge engineering to the field of plant control.

Softwares of process computer systems have recently become complicated and large in quantity as the minicomputers had higher functions and performances. However, their production depends largely on human intellectual activity.
Fuji Electric has developed an automated software production system covering the processes of design, manufacturing and testing, to maintain or to improve quality in software production.
This article introduces the automated software production system for FAINS (Fuji Aqua INformation System) which is applicable to water supply and sewerage processes.

Programmable controllers are such familiar and convenient devices indispensable to control systems that their demand has increased year after year. They are problems now in the production of PC softwares to raise productivity, to improve quality, and to minimize an individual difference among software designers.
This article mainly introduces support systems for software production which mounts new functions-artificial intelligence (AI), sequential function charts (SFC), rationality check, etc.-to solve the above problems.

The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Ltd. and Fuji Electric developed a computer system for power distribution automation in cooperation and installed it at Hiratsuka Office of Kanagawa Branch in March 1986.
This system aims to improve the efficiency of distribution system operation and supervision and the electric supply reliability on the basis of Tokyo Electric Power's integrated automation plan for facilities, regarding power receiving, transformation and distribution as networks. It especially pursues "easy to understand", "easy to use" between man and machine, and "easy date maintenance" against frequent alterations of facilities.