JP2009146229A - Programmable controller system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve an address problem of a programmable display unit when the address of a variable in a sequence control program is changed. <P>SOLUTION: When a compile part 11 compiles a sequence control program and downloads the sequence control program to a PLC, a PLC loader 10 downloads variable name cooperation information being address allocation information to each variable during compiling together with the sequence control program and stores the variable name cooperation information in a storing part 31. An address updating part 41 of the programmable display unit 40 acquires the variable name cooperation information stored in the storing part 31 at an optional time and changes the address of each variable in screen data downloaded previously and stored in the storing part 42 on the basis of the variable name cooperation information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to variable address assignment for programmable controllers and programmable displays.

  An industrial control device called a programmable controller (PLC) has a hardware part centered on a CPU and a memory and a software part that controls the control in order to realize various controls including sequence control. ing. The software part includes design of a sequence control flow for operating the PLC in accordance with the control system at the time of design, conversion of the control flow into an instruction word, writing of the instruction word into a memory, and the like. In general, this series of operations is called programming.

In such programming, a unique language is used so that it is easy to create a program without having expertise in computers, and various programming languages that are easy to use for users will be developed one after another. became. Currently, a standard programming language has been established in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) (IEC 61131-3). SFC (Sequential Function Chart), LD (Ladder Diagram), IL (Instruction List), FBD (Function Block Diagram) and ST (Structured)
Text).

  As described above, an environment is being prepared so that program development can be performed using various programming languages. For example, a ladder diagram (LD) is a programming language that has been widely used since the ladder circuit can be designed relatively easily using a relay symbol, and is still the most commonly used programming language. Programming software such as a ladder editor has become widespread as a programming tool used in such programming work using a programming language. Since this software can create a ladder diagram or the like in a form including a ladder symbol in a computer device such as a personal computer, it is easy to create and edit a program.

  In addition, in order to execute the created program, the input number and output number (I / O address) assigned in advance to each of the PLC input terminal and output terminal, and the control target connected to each input / output terminal It is necessary to make assignments with devices. For this reason, the above-described programming software (editor) can be set and registered for the assignment.

In the IEC-compliant editor, there are two types: a variable that does not correspond to an address and a device that assigns a device and an address via a variable.
Here, in the program development environment compliant with IEC61131-3, a function is known in which an arbitrary address is automatically assigned by compilation or the like only by specifying an arbitrary variable name. In this case, since an address corresponding to a variable is not designated, this corresponds to the above-mentioned “variable not corresponding to an address”. On the other hand, there is a case where it is difficult to assign an address arbitrarily. For example, in a PLC, normally, output information (various sensor output information, etc.) from a control target device is stored at each predetermined address in an internal memory. When using this information, this predetermined address must be specified. I must. For this reason, the user designates an address corresponding to a variable in the form of “variable name address”, for example. This corresponds to the above-mentioned “assignment of devices and addresses via variables”.

  In other words, the above two types of variables are, in other words, a variable whose address is fixedly specified (a variable whose address is fixed) and a variable whose corresponding address is arbitrarily assigned by compiling (a variable whose address is variable). It can be said that. The variable address variable may change its address each time it is compiled.

  On the other hand, a programmable display as an HMI (Human Machine Interface) device is for operation including a dot display screen, an operation input switch, a program memory for control such as operation input on an interface screen with a PLC, and the like. It is a display. In general, since the programmable display performs graphic display, it can be provided with functions such as an operation panel, a switch, an indicator light, etc., and can be used for various monitors and devices for management such as device operating status and work instructions. It has a function as a terminal for inputting set values. As a programmable display, for example, there is POD (registered trademark) which is the product of the applicant.

  Control screen data (display content program) displayed on such a programmable display can be created by the user by using screen creation software (drawing editor). When creating a screen, a user configures a desired control screen by using a switch, a lamp, a numeric keypad, a meter display, a part such as a meter display, a graph display, etc., a drawing function, and the like provided by drawing software in a personal computer or the like.

  The generated control screen data is transferred to and stored in a programmable display. When the PLC is in operation, the programmable display device displays each component or figure on the control screen according to the operation state of the control target device based on data exchanged with the PLC.

  Incidentally, the creation of a control procedure program (programming) using a ladder editor or the like and the creation of a display content program (screen creation) using a drawing editor are generally performed independently. For example, when creating a display content program based on the created control procedure program, create a design document in which the names and addresses entered for each device at the time of creation of the control procedure program are written down in the form of a table. In addition, while referring to the design material, a display content program including I / O address definition is created. Similarly, when creating a control procedure program based on the created display content program, work is performed based on design materials prepared in advance.

  In the above program creation method, although both programs are created independently in association with a common device, they are created independently, so input operations for assigning device addresses, ladder instructions, and parts are performed separately. is necessary. In addition, the above-described program creation method requires creation of design materials, and all program creation is performed by user input operations. Therefore, the above-described program creation method has a problem that work efficiency is low and a long time is required for creating the program. In addition, since the program creation is performed by the user's input operation, when creating the other program after creating one program, an erroneous input may occur in the input operation while referring to the design material. Further, when such an erroneous input occurs, there is a problem that the debugging work of the program further increases.

  Conventionally, in order to eliminate such inconvenience, each variable (corresponding to the address of the device) is used as data common to a sequence control program (control procedure program) such as a ladder program and control screen data (display content program). Attempts have been made to import information between the editors, that is, information relating to the variables and variables not corresponding to the addresses), that is, the variable names of the variables and the corresponding address information.

Further, there is a conventional technique described in Patent Document 1. The invention of Patent Document 1 shares variables between both programs without importing, and includes a symbol editor that creates variables in common with a ladder editor and a drawing editor.
JP 2003-44105 A

  In the above conventional handling method, when generating a machine language by compiling an arbitrary control procedure program created by a ladder editor or the like, an arbitrary address is assigned to each “variable address variable” as described above. . The designated address is directly assigned to the “address-fixed variable”. This variable information (address corresponding to the variable name, etc.) is imported from the ladder editor to the drawing editor.

  Although the ladder editor and the drawing editor may exist on one computer as in the configuration of Patent Document 1, they may exist on different computers. For example, a configuration in which a ladder editor exists in a separate computer device (such as a personal computer) is known, such as a PLC loader (control procedure program creation support device) and a drawing editor as a POD loader (screen creation support device).

  A single programmer may create both the control procedure program and the control screen data (display content program) using both the ladder editor and the drawing editor. Not a few. Particularly in such a case, the programmer in charge of creating the control screen needs to know the variable information, and therefore performs the import. The programmer in charge of creating the control screen refers to this variable information and creates a control screen. That is, variable names and addresses of variables to be associated with the components are assigned to the components (switches, lamps, meters, etc.) on the control screen.

  The control procedure program (machine language) is downloaded from the PLC loader to the PLC, and the control screen is downloaded to the POD (programmable display) after being compiled by the POD loader.

  There is no particular problem so far. However, after that, for example, the control procedure program may be changed. In this case, even if there is no change regarding the variable, there is a possibility that the address corresponding to each of the above “address variable variables” may be changed by compiling the control procedure program after the change. For this reason, if the control procedure program (machine language) after this change is downloaded to the PLC and executed, the PLC itself operates without any problem. However, in the POD (programmable display), the corresponding address is the same as that at the time of import. There arises a problem that display of screen data relating to a variable different from the address cannot be displayed correctly.

  The problem of the present invention is that even if the address corresponding to the “address variable” is changed as a result of recompiling by changing the control procedure program, the programmable display automatically corresponds to its own program. It is an object of the present invention to provide a programmable controller system or the like that can solve the problem that screen data cannot be correctly displayed without updating the address by updating the address.

The programmable controller system of the present invention includes a programmable controller, a programmable display connected to the programmable controller, a first programming device connected to the programmable controller and generating a control program for the programmable controller, and the programmable display. A programmable controller system configured to generate a display content program for the programmable display device connected to a display device, the first programming device being the control program executed by the programmable controller First editor means for newly creating or updating the control program, and compiling the control program and each of the control program at the time of compilation Compiling means for generating variable name linkage information that is address allocation information to numbers, and first download means for downloading the compiled control program and variable name linkage information to the programmable controller The programmable controller has first storage means for overwriting and storing the downloaded control program and variable name linkage information every time the download is performed, and the second programming device is configured to display the programmable display. An editor for creating the display content program to be executed by a container, and importing the variable name linkage information generated when the control program is newly created, Address assignment to each variable corresponding to address assignment 2nd editor means for creating the display content program that has been performed; and second download means for downloading the display content program to the programmable display, wherein the programmable display comprises the second programming A second storage means for storing the display content program downloaded from the apparatus; and the variable name linkage information stored in the first storage means at any time from the programmable controller; Address updating means for updating address assignment to each variable in the display content program stored in the second storage means based on name association information.

  In the above system, each time the control program is compiled, the variable name linkage information is also downloaded to the programmable controller and stored, so that the programmable display automatically addresses each variable in the display content program. Update assignments. As a result, even when the address assignment to the “address variable” in the control program is changed, the address problem can be solved without the user's trouble, and the screen data can be displayed correctly.

  According to the programmable controller system and the like of the present invention, even if the address corresponding to the “address variable” is changed as a result of recompiling by changing the control procedure program, the programmable display device automatically By updating the corresponding address of the program, it is possible to solve the problem that the screen data cannot be displayed correctly without user trouble.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration and functions of the entire programmable controller (PLC) system of this example.

  The illustrated system includes a PLC loader (control procedure program creation support device) 10, a POD loader (screen creation support device) 20, a PLC (programmable controller) 30, and a POD (programmable display) 40.

  The PLC 30 and the POD 40 are connected by the communication line 1 as in the conventional case, and can transmit and receive data to and from each other. As in the prior art, the POD 40 performs monitoring according to the control program execution in the PLC 30. Similarly, the PLC loader 10 and the PLC 30, and the POD loader 20 and the POD 40 are also connected by the communication lines 2 and 3, respectively, so that data can be transmitted and received between them.

The hardware configuration of each device of the PLC loaders 10 to POD 40 may be the same as the existing configuration. Although not particularly illustrated here, for example, the PLC loader 10 and the POD loader 20 are general-purpose personal computers or the like in terms of hardware. A CPU, a storage device / memory, a keyboard, a display, and the like (not shown) are provided. The PLC 30 and the POD 40 also include a CPU (not shown), a storage device / memory, and the like. In any apparatus, the CPU executes a predetermined application program stored in the storage device, thereby realizing the functions and processes of the various functional units illustrated.

  That is, first, the PLC loader 10 is provided with a ladder editor 13, and the ladder editor 13 allows a user to create an arbitrary sequence control program (control procedure program) as in the conventional case. The PLC loader 10 further includes a compiling unit 11 and a downloading unit 12.

  The compiling unit 11 converts the created sequence control program into a format (machine language) that can be executed by the PLC 30 as before, and assigns an address to each variable during the conversion process. As described above, a designated address is assigned to the “address fixed variable”, and an arbitrary address is automatically determined and assigned to the “address variable”. The compiling unit 11 further creates address information (variable name linkage information) corresponding to the variable name for each variable based on the result of the address assignment.

  The download unit 12 downloads the machine language and variable name linkage information created by the compiling unit 11 to the PLC 30. Previously, only machine language was downloaded, but this method also downloads variable name linkage information.

  The PLC 30 stores the machine language and variable name linkage information downloaded from the PLC loader 10 in the storage unit 31 such as a memory (not shown) or an external memory (compact flash (registered trademark)) in the PLC 30. . Conventionally, the machine language to be downloaded is stored and executed, but in this example, variable name linkage information is further downloaded and stored.

  Here, when an arbitrary sequence control program is first created, the variable name linkage information is imported to the POD loader 20 (drawing editor) side as in the conventional case. This may be transferred via a communication line (not shown), or may be transferred via a portable storage medium such as an FD or a memory card.

  The POD loader 20 has the drawing editor 21 described above, and the imported variable name linkage information can be displayed on an editing screen (not shown) for creating control screen data (display content program) by the drawing editor 21. Thus, when the user who uses the drawing editor 21 creates a control screen corresponding to the sequence control program, it refers to the information displayed by importing each screen component on the control screen. Assign variable names and addresses.

  The POD loader 20 compiles the control screen data (display content program) created in this way, and then downloads it to the POD 40 by the download unit 22. With respect to a compiled program (machine language or the like), the variable name and address may be embedded in the machine language program, or a variable name-address correspondence table (corresponding to the variable name linkage information). May be separately held.

The POD 40 stores the downloaded control screen data (machine language) in the storage unit 42. The control screen data (display content program) is executed by a CPU (not shown) to realize various functions as a programmable display.

  The POD 40 communicates the variable name linkage information stored in the storage unit 31 in the PLC 30 every time the POD 40 is connected to the PLC 30 in the startup process (or in accordance with a predetermined cycle or a predetermined timing). The address update unit 41 executes a process of updating the control screen data stored in the storage unit 42 by using the variable name cooperation information read out via the line 1. This update process is a process for updating an address corresponding to each variable in the control screen data.

  That is, for example, when the control screen data (machine language) is in the form of holding the variable name-address association table described above, the process of updating the variable name linkage information to a new variable name-address association table Will do. Further, when the control screen data (machine language) is in a form in which each variable name and the corresponding address are embedded in the above-described machine language program, the machine language using each variable name in the variable name linkage information is used. The program is searched to find a place where the same variable name is described, and the address corresponding to this variable name is updated to the address of the variable name linkage information.

  As described above, every time the PLC loader 10 compiles, the machine language and variable name linkage information generated thereby are downloaded and stored in the PLC 30, and the address of the POD 40 at any time (for example, every activation). When the update unit 41 executes the above-described processing, for example, even when the arbitrary sequence control program is changed in the PLC loader 10 (such as creation of an upgraded version), the user can perform the import operation or control screen data. There is no need to perform any correction work.

  That is, for example, when the user creates an updated version of the arbitrary sequence control program (partially corrects or creates an upgraded version), the PLC loader 10 compiles the updated version of the sequence control program, The machine language and variable name linkage information created thereby are downloaded to the PLC 30. The storage unit 31 in the PLC 30 stores (overwrites) the new machine language and variable name linkage information.

Here, in the updated version of the sequence control program, it is assumed that a new variable is not added, an existing variable is deleted, or a variable name is not changed.
In addition, here, the case where the sequence control program is updated as described above will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, this method functions effectively even when the program downloaded and stored in the PLC 30 has been lost due to some reason and needs to be downloaded again. That is, in this case, the sequence control program itself does not change, but by recompiling it, addresses are automatically assigned to “variable variables”, so the corresponding addresses may change. Because.

  That is, in the new variable name linkage information, the variable name of each variable has not changed when compared with the old variable name linkage information, but for “variable address variable”, the corresponding address may have changed. is there. However, in this method, after that, the address update unit 41 of the POD 40 reads the new variable name linkage information and updates the control screen data (the address of each variable) as described above. As a result, even when the address corresponding to an arbitrary variable in the new variable name linkage information is different from the address of the old information (here, the address at the time of import), the display of the screen data related to this variable is correct. There is no problem that it cannot be displayed, and it can be displayed correctly.

FIG. 2 shows a specific example of the flow of processing and variable name linkage information in the PLC system.
The flow of this process itself has already been described with reference to FIG. 1, and the PLC loader 10 uses the machine language and variables created by compiling the sequence control program created by the ladder editor (programming tool) by the compile unit 11. Name cooperation information is downloaded to the PLC 30. The PLC 30 stores the machine language (PLC application) and variable name linkage information in the storage unit 31.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the variable relating to the PLC application is assumed to be three variables of variable name = “A”, “B”, “C”, and the variable of variable name = “A” is “ Assume that each variable of “address fixed variable”, variable name = “B”, and “C” is the above “variable address variable”. In the example of the variable name linkage information shown in the figure, the address “0000” for variable name = “A”, and the addresses “0010” and “0020” for variable name = “B” and “C”, respectively. Assume that 'is assigned.

  The variable name linkage information is imported into the drawing editor of the POD loader 20, and the control screen data (machine language) is generated and downloaded to the POD 40 as described above. Naturally, as shown in FIG. 2, the address information corresponding to each variable in the control screen data is the address '0000', the address corresponding to the variable name = “A”, “B”, “C”, respectively. It is '0010' and '0020'.

  Thereafter, an updated version of the sequence control program is created in the PLC loader 10, and a new machine language and variable name linkage information created by compiling this are downloaded to the PLC 30. The PLC 30 stores (overwrites) the new machine language (PLC application) and variable name linkage information in the storage unit 31.

  When this new variable name cooperation information is different from the previous variable name cooperation information, there arises a problem that the POD 40 cannot correctly display as described above. In the illustrated example, in the new variable name linkage information, the addresses corresponding to the variable names = “A”, “B”, “C” are the addresses “0000”, “0020”, and “0010”, respectively. ing. As described above, in this example, the variable name = “A” is a “fixed address variable”, so the corresponding address does not change, but the “address variable” is automatically assigned for each compilation. Therefore, the address has changed in this example.

  However, in the system of this example, the address update unit 41 of the POD 40 performs the above-described address update process from this state, so that the address corresponding to each variable in the control screen data is corrected (as shown in FIG. 2). In addition, the addresses corresponding to the variable names = “A”, “B”, and “C” become the addresses “0000”, “0020”, and “0010”, respectively), and the above problem does not occur.

As described above, according to the PLC system of the present example, first, the variable name linkage information related to the created sequence control program is imported to the drawing editor side, so that the control corresponding to this sequence control program is performed. Screen data is created and operation is started. After that, when an updated version of the above sequence control program is created, when compiling it, addresses are automatically assigned for “variable address variable”, so the corresponding address may change. However, new variable name linkage information corresponding to this updated version program etc. is downloaded and stored in the PLC 30 together with the updated version program, and the new variable name linkage information is automatically stored in the POD 40 during the startup process. Obtained from the PLC 30, the control screen data is updated based on this. Therefore, it is not necessary to import the variable name and the address information corresponding to the variable again to the drawing editor, and accordingly, it is not necessary to recreate the control screen data and download it to the programmable display. This saves time and makes it possible to efficiently develop a program.

Of course, as described above, the above-described problem can be solved by executing the process of the present method when compiling for any reason, not only at the time of update.
FIG. 3 shows a hardware configuration of a computer such as a personal computer that realizes the PLC loader 10 and the POD loader 20.

  3 includes a CPU 51, a memory 52, an input unit 53, an output unit 54, a storage unit 55, a recording medium driving unit 56, and a network connection unit 57, which are connected to a bus 58. It has become.

The CPU 51 is a central processing unit that controls the entire computer 50.
The memory 52 is a memory such as a RAM that temporarily stores a program or data stored in the storage unit 55 (or the portable recording medium 59) when executing arbitrary processing. The CPU 51 executes various processes using the program / data read out to the memory 52.

  The output unit 54 is, for example, a display, and the input unit 53 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like. A program editing screen (not shown) is displayed on the display by the ladder editor or the drawing editor 21, and a user (programmer or the like) operates the keyboard, mouse or the like to operate an arbitrary sequence control program on the program editing screen. / Screen data will be created.

  The network connection unit 57 is configured to connect to an arbitrary network / communication line and perform communication (command / data transmission / reception, etc.) with other information processing apparatuses (PLC 30 and POD 40).

  The storage unit 55 is, for example, a hard disk or the like, and stores an application program for causing the CPU 51 to execute processing by each functional unit of the PLC loader 10 or the POD loader 20 shown in FIG. Also, variable name linkage information and the like are stored.

The CPU 51 implements the various functions and processes described above by reading and executing the various programs / data stored in the storage unit 55.
Alternatively, the various programs / data stored in the storage unit 55 may be stored in the portable recording medium 59. In this case, the program / data stored in the portable recording medium 59 is read by the recording medium driving unit 56. The portable recording medium 59 is, for example, an FD (flexible disk) 59a, a CD-ROM 59b, a DVD, a magneto-optical disk, or the like.

  Alternatively, the program / data may be downloaded from another device via a network connected by the network connection unit 57. Or you may download further what was memorize | stored in the other external apparatus via the internet.

  In addition, the present invention can be configured not only as a portable storage medium recording a program for realizing the various processes of the present invention on a computer, but also as the program itself.

Although the hardware configurations of the PLC 30 and the POD 40 are not particularly shown, they have configurations corresponding to at least the CPU 51, the memory 52, and the network connection unit 57, and further include the storage unit 31 / storage unit 42 shown in FIG. In particular, the POD 40 realizes the above-described functional processing of the address update unit 41 by the CPU executing a predetermined application program stored in advance in the storage unit 42.

It is a figure which shows the structure and function of the whole PLC system of this example. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the flow of a process in the PLC system of FIG. 1, and variable name cooperation information. It is a computer hardware block diagram.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2, 3 Communication line 10 PLC loader (control procedure program creation support device)
11 Compile unit 12 Download unit 20 POD loader (screen creation support device)
21 Drawing Editor 22 Download Unit 30 PLC (Programmable Controller)
31 storage unit 40 POD (programmable display)
41 Address update unit 42 Storage unit 50 Computer 51 CPU
52 memory 53 input unit 54 output unit 55 storage unit 56 recording medium drive unit 57 network connection unit 58 bus 59 portable recording medium 59a FD (flexible disk)
59b CD-ROM

Claims (2)

A programmable controller, a programmable display connected to the programmable controller, a first programming device connected to the programmable controller and generating a control program for the programmable controller, and connected to the programmable display for the programmable display A programmable controller system comprising a second programming device for generating the display content program of
The first programming device comprises:
First editor means for newly creating or updating the control program executed by the programmable controller;
Compiling means for compiling the control program and generating variable name linkage information that is address allocation information to each variable of the control program at the time of compilation;
First download means for downloading the compiled control program and the variable name linkage information to the programmable controller;
The programmable controller has first storage means for overwriting and storing the downloaded control program and variable name linkage information each time the download is performed,
The second programming device includes:
An editor for creating the display content program to be executed by the programmable display device, wherein the variable name linkage information generated when the control program is newly created is imported, thereby enabling the new control Second editor means for creating the display content program in which the address assignment to each variable corresponding to the address assignment according to the program is performed;
Second download means for downloading the display content program to the programmable display,
The programmable display is
Second storage means for storing the display content program downloaded from the second programming device;
The variable name linkage information stored in the first storage means is acquired from the programmable controller at any time, and the display stored in the second storage means based on the variable name linkage information Address updating means for updating address assignment to each variable in the content program;
A programmable controller system comprising: In a programmable controller system comprising a programmable controller, a programmable display connected to the programmable controller, and a programming device connected to the programmable controller and generating a control program for the programmable controller,
The first programming device comprises:
First editor means for updating the control program executed by the programmable controller;
Compiling means for compiling the control program and generating variable name linkage information that is address allocation information to each variable of the control program at the time of compilation;
A first download unit that downloads the compiled control program and the variable name linkage information to the programmable controller;
The programmable controller has first storage means for overwriting and storing the downloaded control program and variable name linkage information each time the download is performed,
The programmable display is
Second storage means for storing an arbitrary display content program;
When the program created by the programming device is running on the programmable controller and the programmable display is running at any time using an address corresponding to each variable in the program, the first storage from the programmable controller Address update for obtaining the variable name linkage information stored in the means and updating the address assignment to each variable in the display content program stored in the second storage means based on the variable name linkage information Means,
A programmable controller system comprising: