Algorithm Design | AseptSoft Documentation

Algorithm Design defines when and how the execution transitions from one Step to the next. Each Step contains an Algorithm — a sequence of Conditions that must be fulfilled before the process can move on.

💡 Think of it this way: Process Design defines what the valve positions are. Algorithm Design defines when to move from one set of positions to the next — based on sensor readings, timer expirations, operator confirmations, or any combination of these.

📋 Overview

Concept	Description
Algorithm	A sequence of conditions attached to a Step, defining the transition logic
Condition	An atomic decision point in the algorithm (e.g., wait for a sensor reading, timer, or operator input)
SFC Editor	The visual Sequential Function Chart editor for managing conditions — see SFC Editor

✅ Key relationship: Each Step has exactly one Algorithm, and each Algorithm belongs to exactly one Step.

🔧 Conditions

A Condition is a single decision point within an Algorithm. It contains the information that operators and automation systems need to evaluate before proceeding.

Condition Fields

Field	Description	Example
Type	The kind of condition	"Operator input", "Sensor check", "Timer"
Description	Human-readable explanation of the condition	"Wait for the operator to confirm WFI quantity"
Prompt	Text displayed to the operator at this step	"Confirm that T01 is filled to target level"
Condition	Formal logic expression for the automation system	Temperature reading ≥ Target pressure value
Success Action	Action taken when the condition is met	Store the current flow reading into a variable
Fail Action	Action taken when the condition fails	Increment the alarm counter
Success Transition	Next step to go to on success	Next step in sequence (default)
Fail Transition	Next step to go to on failure	Return to previous step or abort

💡 Tip: The Condition and Action fields support formal expressions. Use the Condition Builder and Action Builder for guided construction of these expressions.

Condition Action Types

When working with the SFC Editor, each condition has a type that determines when and how it executes:

Type	What It Means	When It Runs
Transition condition	A gate that must be satisfied before moving to the next step	Evaluated continuously until true
Continuous action (runs while step is active)	An action that executes repeatedly while the step is running	Every scan cycle while the step is active
Conditional continuous action	A continuous action that only runs when its condition is true	Every scan cycle, but only when the condition evaluates to true
Execute on step activation	An action that runs once when the step first becomes active	Once, at the moment the step activates
Execute on step deactivation	An action that runs once when the step is about to end	Once, just before the step deactivates
Execute on event trigger	An action that runs when a specific event occurs	When the specified event fires
Custom action	A user-defined action type for special use cases	Depends on the custom configuration

Custom Fields

You can add custom fields to conditions for each project. This allows you to tailor the condition form to your specific documentation needs — adding fields like "Timeout", "Safety Class", "Reference Document", or any project-specific data.

✏️ Condition Editor Window

The Condition Editor is the main interface for creating and managing conditions. Access it from the Conditions panel (formerly "Algorithm" panel) in the Module Ribbon.

Editor Features

Feature	Description
Create	Add a new condition to the current step's algorithm
Duplicate	Copy the current condition as a starting point
Delete	Remove the current condition
Navigate	Move between conditions using Previous/Next buttons
Reorder	Move conditions left/right to change their position in the sequence
Intelligent Suggestions	Auto-complete for instrument names, parameters, variables, and dialogs
Syntax Highlighting	Color-coded text to distinguish different element types

Prompt Field — Dialog Preview

The Prompt field has a special behavior: when you reference a Dialog by name, AseptSoft automatically shows a live preview of that dialog on the right side of the field editor.

How it works:

Type a Dialog name in the Prompt field (e.g., "WFI Fill Dialog")
The referenced Dialog content appears as a preview on the right
Click the preview to open the Dialog editor
Use the Swap button to replace the current Dialog reference with a different one

⚠️ Note: The swap operation preserves any other text in the field — it only replaces the Dialog reference.

📊 SFC Editor (Sequential Function Chart)

The SFC Editor provides a visual flowchart view of the algorithm. You can access it from the Conditions panel in the Module Ribbon.

In the SFC Editor, conditions are displayed as a sequential chart showing:

The flow from one condition to the next
Success and fail transitions
Branch points and parallel paths

This visual representation makes it easier to understand complex algorithms at a glance.

📖 How To: Build an Algorithm for a CIP Step

Follow this workflow to create the transition logic for a CIP step:

Navigate to your Step — In the Process Design view, select the step you want to add conditions to (e.g., "Caustic Wash").
Open the Condition Editor — Click the Conditions button in the Module Ribbon.
Add your first condition — For example, an operator confirmation: set the Type to "Operator Input" and the Prompt to "Confirm CIP solution is prepared".
Add sensor checks — Create conditions that monitor process variables: "Wait for temperature to reach the minimum threshold" using the Condition Builder.
Add timer conditions — "Circulation time must exceed the minimum hold time" to ensure sufficient contact time.
Set success actions — Use the Action Builder to record values when conditions pass (e.g., store the final temperature reading).
Configure transitions — Set where the algorithm goes on success (next step) and on failure (retry or abort).
Review in the SFC Editor — Open the SFC Editor to see the visual flowchart and verify the logic.

🏭 Example: CIP Caustic Wash Algorithm

Here is a typical algorithm for the "Caustic Wash" step in a CIP process:

#	Type	Prompt	Condition	Success Action
1	Operator Input	"Confirm CIP caustic solution is prepared and at correct concentration"	—	—
2	Sensor Check	"Waiting for solution to reach target temperature"	Temperature reading ≥ Minimum temperature parameter	Store actual temperature in RecordedTemp variable
3	Sensor Check	"Verifying flow rate is sufficient"	Flow reading ≥ Minimum flow rate parameter	Store actual flow in RecordedFlow variable
4	Timer	"Caustic contact time"	Timer ≥ Circulation time parameter	—
5	Sensor Check	"Final temperature verification"	Temperature reading ≥ Minimum temperature parameter	Store final temperature in FinalTemp variable

When all conditions are satisfied, the process transitions to the next step (e.g., "Intermediate Rinse").

🔧 Building Expressions

For the Condition and Action fields, AseptSoft provides guided builder tools:

Builder	Purpose	What It Creates
Condition Builder	Build formal condition expressions	Comparisons between instrument readings and parameter values
Action Builder	Build variable assignment expressions	Assignments that store instrument readings into variables

Both builders feature:

Click-based selection of instruments, parameters, and variables
Live preview of the formula being constructed
Logical operators (AND, OR, XOR) for combining atomic expressions
Direct editing for custom values

📐 Process Design — Creating processes and steps
SFC Editor — Visual Sequential Function Chart editor
Build Condition Field — Condition Builder guide
Build Action Field — Action Builder guide
Intelligent Suggestions — Auto-complete in condition fields
💬 Dialog — Reusable operator interaction templates
Module Ribbon — Conditions panel details
📋 Module Data — All module-level data definitions