JP2000099355A - Network computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a processing speed by performing human machine interface control and input-output control independently and parallelly. SOLUTION: An HMI part 1 is constructed by a Java application 12 operating on a Java virtual machine(VM) 11 and controls an HMI input-output device 3 consisting of a display device, a key input device, a communication device, etc., as a human machine interface. A PLC part 20 is constructed by a control program 22 operating on a PLC engine 21 and controls the input-output of an I/O input-output data between an I/O input-output device 5 and itself. The HMI part 1 and the PLC part 20 operate respectively independently and parallelly and the HMI part 1 can read and write data for the PLC data part 23 through an I/F part 50.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network computer, and more particularly, to a network computer capable of improving processing speed by independently operating a human-machine interface control and an input / output control.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 shows a network computer (N).
C (Network Computer)) and a programmable logic controller (PLC (Program
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system that controls a Logic Controller (mover Logic Controller).

Conventionally, a Java virtual machine (VM (Vir
dual machine)) and the PLC
When performing control, the PLC device 4 is connected to the outside. Then, the interface (I / F) unit 2 in the NC is
It is a dedicated interface with the LC device 4, and reads / writes data. In addition, a human machine interface (HMI (Human Machine)
The interface unit 1 controls the PLC device 4 and reads / writes data from / to the I / F unit 2.
Do.

[0004]

However, this prior art has the following problems. The first problem is that the cost increases because a system is constructed by combining hardware. The second problem is that since the PLC device is connected to the outside, the interface is dedicated, and it is necessary to match the interface on the NC side, and there is no versatility with other PLC devices.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and by adding a programmable logic controller (PLC) function to a network computer having a Java virtual machine (VM), the network computer has an I / O interface. It is intended to enable control and improve the processing speed of I / O processing and MHI processing.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network computer having a programmable logic controller function and performing input / output control, wherein a processing means functioning as a human-machine interface; Input / output control means for controlling the input / output of the memory, storage means for storing data input via the input / output control means and data to be output via the input / output control means, and storage means from the processing means. Control means for controlling access, wherein the processing means and the input / output control means operate independently and in parallel, and the processing means controls the input / output control means via the control means. Further, the processing means can read and write data from and to the storage means via the control means. The processing means is Java
It can be configured by a Java application running on a virtual machine. Further, the control means can monitor the storage means and notify the processing means when the data stored in the storage means is updated. Further, a display device and a key input device can be connected to the processing means. Further, the control means is constituted by a memory, and the reading and writing of data can be performed asynchronously from the processing means and the input / output control means. In the network computer according to the present invention, the processing unit functions as a human-machine interface, the input / output control unit controls input / output of data, and the storage unit stores data input via the input / output control unit and input / output data. Data to be output is stored via the output control means, and the control means controls access to the storage means from the processing means. At this time, the processing means and the input / output control means operate in parallel, and the processing means controls the input / output control means via the control means.

[0007]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an embodiment of a network computer (NC) of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the network computer is a human-machine interface (HM)
I) unit 1 and a programmable logic controller (P
An LC (LC) unit 20 and an interface (I / F) unit 50 are provided.

[0008] The HMI unit 1 is a Java virtual machine (V
M) A Java application program operating on the unit 11 (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a Java application)
12, and controls the HMI input / output device 4 including a display device, a key input device, and a communication device as a human-machine interface.

The PLC unit 20 is constructed by a control program 22 operating on a PLC engine 21.
The input / output of I / O data with the I / O input / output device 5 is controlled. The PLC unit 20
Has a PLC data section 23 for storing PLC data.

[0010] In the embodiment shown in FIG.
The I unit 1 and the PLC unit 20 operate independently and in parallel, and the HMI unit 1 can read and write data from and to the PLC data unit 23 via the I / F unit 50. Similarly, the PLC unit 20 also has a PLC data unit 23
Can read and write PLC data. Therefore, the reading and writing of the PLC data with respect to the PLC data unit 23 can be performed bidirectionally from the HMI unit 1 and the PLC unit 20.

As a result, the I / O control function becomes
0, and the HMI unit 1 can monitor and instruct I / O input / output data via the I / F unit 50.

Next, another embodiment of the network computer of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
HMI input / output device 80 including an idCrystal Display 81 and a touch panel (TP) 82
, An I / O input / output device 90, an HMI control device 30 for controlling the HMI input / output device 80, and an I / O input / output device 90
Control device 40 and HMI control device 30
, An I / F unit 50 for accessing the PLC data of the PLC data unit 43.

The HMI control device 30 includes a Java virtual machine (VM) 31, a Java class library 3
2 and a Java application 33 running on the VM 31. The Java virtual machine 31
This provides an environment in which the ava application 33 can be executed without depending on hardware. Jav
a class library 32 is a Java that can be added and deleted.
a is a component collection of the application 33, and can be accessed from the Java application 33 to the I / F unit 50 via the Java class library 32.

The PLC control device 40 includes a PLC engine 4
1 and a control program 4 operating on the PLC engine 41
2 is provided. The PLC engine 41 analyzes the control program 42 and accesses an actual I / O control device. The control program 42 is a program in which logic for performing I / O control is written. Also, the PLC data section 43 defined by the control program 42
Is actual image data input / output by the I / O input / output device 90 via the PLC engine 41.

The I / F unit 50 actually reads and writes the data of the PLC data unit 43 specified by the Java application 33 via the Java class library 32 via the PLC engine 41.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the Java application 33, a program for displaying an I / O control command button and I / O control data on the HMI input / output device 80 is created. Further, these command buttons and display data are defined with the same names (same labels) as those defined in the PLC control program 42.

In the control program 42, the command button is used as input data, the display data is used as output data, and the PLC
It is defined as PLC data in the data section 43. Also, a program for controlling the output to the I / O input / output device 90 including other I / O conditions for the command button, and an I / O
A program for processing input data from the input / output device 90 for display data is registered in the control program 42.

The I / F unit 50 writes or updates PLC data in the PLC data unit 43 in response to a change notification from the Java application 33 for a command button as input data. In addition, for display data that is output data, the PLC data section 43 is periodically monitored, and when the PLC data is updated, the Java application 33 is notified.

As described above, in the present embodiment,
The following effects can be obtained.

The first effect is that the HMI controller 30 and the IMI
Since the PLC control devices 40 that perform the / O control operate independently and in parallel, the PLC control device 40 does not depend on the operation of the HMI control device 30 and the execution performance of only the dedicated operation is guaranteed. It is.

The second effect is that the I / F unit 50 controls the I / O
Control data (PL data stored in the PLC data unit 43)
The monitoring function of C data) eliminates the need for the I / O control data monitoring program in the HMI controller 30.
That is, the processing speed of the input / output control processing for the HMI input / output device 80 can be improved.

In the above embodiment, the HMI control device 30 has an H
Although the MI input / output device 80 is connected to monitor and issue I / O input / output data, it may be extended as shown in FIG.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, FIG.
In the embodiment, the communication control device 60 and the external control device 70 are further provided.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the HM
Java application 3 configuring I control device 30
A Java application 73 and a Java class library 72 having the same screens and functions as the screens and functions of the external control device 3 operate on the Java virtual machine 71 of the external control device 70. Then, the communication control device 60
External control device 70 through the control program 61 of the HM
Communication with the I control device 30 is enabled. Thus, monitoring and commanding of I / O input / output data can be performed remotely via a network.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of still another embodiment of the network computer of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, the I / F unit 50 in the embodiment shown in FIGS.
Is an I / F memory unit 51 constituted by a memory instead of a processor.

As shown in FIG. 4, this embodiment employs LC
An HMI control device 30 that controls an HMI input / output device 80 including a D81, a touch panel 82, and the like; a PLC control device 40 that controls an I / O input / output device 90;
It comprises a control device 30 and an I / F memory unit 51 accessible from the PLC control device 40.

The HMI control device 30 includes a Java virtual machine (VM) 31, a Java class library 32, and a Java application 33 running on the VM 31. The Java virtual machine 31 provides an environment in which a Java application 33 can be executed without depending on hardware. The Java class library 32 is a collection of components of a Java application 33 that can be added and deleted. The Java application 33 sends a Java application to the I / F memory unit 51.
It can be accessed via the class library 32.

The PLC control device 40 includes a PLC engine 4
1 and a control program 4 operating on the PLC engine 41
2 is provided. The PLC engine 41 analyzes the control program 42 and accesses an actual I / O control device. In the case of this example, the I / O input / output device 90 is accessed.

The control program 42 is a program in which logic for performing I / O control is written. Also, the PLC data section 43 defined by the control program 42
Is actual image data input / output by the I / O input / output device 90 via the PLC engine 41.

The I / F memory unit 51 is provided in the PLC controller 4
This is a memory area secured on the 0 side, and can be accessed from the Java application 33 via the Java class library 32. The PLC engine 41
Access from is also possible.

As described above, the Java application 33 and the PLC engine 4
1 allows both the Java application 33 and the PLC engine 41 to operate asynchronously,
Data can be read from and written to the I / F memory unit 51. Therefore, the processing can be speeded up.

In the above embodiment, the network computer of the present invention is constructed using a Java virtual machine. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0033]

As described above, according to the network computer of the present invention, the processing means functions as a human-machine interface, the input / output control means controls data input / output, and the storage means serves as the input / output control means. And data to be output via the input / output control means, and the control means controls access to the storage means from the processing means. At this time, the processing means and the input / output control means operate independently and in parallel, and the processing means controls the input / output control means via the control means, and thus has a Java virtual machine (VM). By adding a programmable logic controller (PLC) function to a network computer, I / O control can be performed by the network computer, and the processing speed of I / O control and the processing speed of a human-machine interface can be improved. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an embodiment of a network computer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of another embodiment of the network computer of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of still another embodiment of the network computer of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of still another embodiment of the network computer of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an example of a conventional network computer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 HMI unit 2 I / F unit 3 HMI input / output device 4 PLC device 5 I / O input / output device 11, 31, 71 Java virtual machine (VM) 12 Java application 20 PLC unit 21, 41 PLC engine 22, 42 Control program 23, 43 PLC data unit 30 MHI control unit 32, 72 Java class library 33, 73 Java application 40 PLC control unit 50 I / F unit 51 I / F memory unit 60 Communication control unit 61 Control program 70 External control unit 80 HMI input Output device 81 LCD 82 Touch panel (TP) 90 I / O input / output device

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshikazu Kumagai 1-1-1, Shinurashima-cho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside of NEC Robot Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Toru Nakano Shibago, Minato-ku, Tokyo 7-1-1, NEC Corporation

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A network computer having a programmable logic controller function and performing input / output control, comprising: processing means functioning as a human-machine interface; input / output control means controlling data input / output; Storage means for storing data input via output control means, and data to be output via the input / output control means, and control means for controlling access to the storage means from the processing means; A network computer, wherein the processing unit and the input / output control unit operate independently and in parallel, and the processing unit controls the input / output control unit via the control unit. 2. The network computer according to claim 1, wherein said processing means reads and writes data from and to said storage means via said control means. 3. The network computer according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured by a Java application running on a Java virtual machine. 4. The network according to claim 1, wherein the control unit monitors the storage unit and notifies the processing unit when data stored in the storage unit is updated. Computer. 5. The network computer according to claim 1, wherein a display device and a key input device are connected to the processing unit. 6. The network computer according to claim 1, wherein said control means is constituted by a memory, and data is read and written asynchronously from said processing means and said input / output control means.