Towards a new control synthesis method for p-time Petri nets

Petri nets are a powerful formalism for the specification and verification of concurrent systems such as sequential and manufacturing systems. To take into account efficiently the time parameter different extensions have been developed in the literature, each one being dependent on the application considered. In this paper, a new control technique for p-time Petri nets is proposed. It is based on the firing instant notion and it consists in determining a system of inequalities generated for a possible evolution (in terms of a feasible firing sequence for the untimed underlying Petri net) of the model considered. This system can be used to check reachability problems as well as evaluating the performances of the model considered and determining the associated control for a definite functioning mode. Furthermore, the proposed approach is not restricted to subclasses or safe Petri nets. © 2010 Lavoisier, Paris.