JP4597751B2 - Property setting method and control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is a property setting method for setting a property of an HMI component arranged on a display screen in order to operate an external device controlled by a PLC using a property setting dialog on a personal computer screen, and is used for implementing this setting method. it relates to a control system comprising a personal computer as the display and the programmable controller (PLC).

  A PLC is used to control external equipment such as factory equipment. The display device displays the status of the external device controlled by the PLC and operates the external device (see Patent Document 1). Therefore, a sequence program is installed in the PLC and a display program is installed in the display by an external PC (personal computer).

  The display unit displays operation parts for operating the external device. The operator operates the external device by operating the operation component displayed on the display. For this reason, in this specification, a component displayed on the display is defined as an HMI (Human Machine Interface) component that forms an interface between an external device and an operator.

  Properties (attribute information) such as display color, font, caption, etc. are set in this HMI component.

  Conventionally, property setting for this HMI component has been performed by calling a property setting dialog on the screen of the external PC and operating the called property setting dialog with a mouse or a keyboard.

In this way, when executing the simulation of the setting in the property setting, since it was conventionally impossible to confirm the property immediately or simultaneously unless the property is set, the operator again after confirming the property setting. When it is necessary to change the property again, it is necessary to call the property setting dialog again and perform the operation for changing the property setting for the HMI component, which is troublesome and troublesome for the property setting changing operation.
JP 2004-252920 A

  It is an object of the present invention to make it easy and efficient to perform a property setting change operation by making it possible to immediately check a property setting change for an HMI component in the property setting dialog within the property setting dialog.

The property setting method and control system according to the present invention provides options prepared in advance for each setting item when setting the properties of the HMI parts arranged on the display screen using the property setting dialog called on the personal computer screen. properties by selecting a settable from a displayable preview window only HMI components that set the property placed property setting dialog, immediately change the setting of the properties of the HMI component to the preview window it is characterized in that it has a viable confirmed immediately change the display perilla.

  According to the present invention, when the operator changes the property setting of the HMI part by operating the mouse or keyboard, the property setting status corresponding to the change is immediately displayed in the preview window. The property setting can be changed by checking the status immediately, and the burden of re-changing the property setting is reduced. As a result, not only the property setting change operation for one display unit but also many displays When the operation is performed on the container, the effect of reducing the burden labor and the effect of shortening the execution time required for property setting are extremely great, and the usefulness thereof cannot be measured.

  According to the present invention, the property setting change for the HMI component can be immediately displayed on the preview window and can be immediately confirmed by the operator, so that the change can be performed very simply and efficiently.

  Hereinafter, a property setting method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  With reference to FIG. 1, an external PC (personal computer) 10, a display device 20, a PLC (programmable controller) 30, and an external device 40 are shown in the figure. Thus, a control system for controlling the plurality of external devices 40 installed in the factory is constructed. As the external PC 10, a normal control system PC equipped with a desktop 10a, a keyboard 10b, and a mouse 10c can be used.

  A display program is installed in the display device 20. This installation can be performed from the external PC 10. The display 20 performs a display operation according to the display program. The display device 20 is connected to the PLC 30 that controls the external device 40. The display 20 displays a component 20b1 for displaying the operation status of the external device 40, a component 20b2 for operating the external device 40, and the like on the display screen 20a. Various properties such as various shapes, colors, characters, fonts, and the like are set for the components 20b1 and 20b2. The components 20b1 and 20b2 are HMI (Human Machine Interface) components that form an interface between the external device 40 and the operator. These HMI parts 20b1 and 20b2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as HMI parts 20b) correspond to the external device 40.

  A sequence program is installed in the PLC 30. This sequence program can be installed by the external PC 10. The PLC 30 performs a required control operation on the external device 40 in accordance with the sequence program. The external device 40 includes a sensor, a relay, and other devices. Data indicating the status of the external device 40 is input from the external device 40 to the PLC 30. The PLC 30 can transmit the data to the display device 20 and to the external PC 10 via the display device 20.

  As described above, the property setting for the HMI component 20b of the display device 20 is performed by operating the keyboard 10b and the mouse 10c for the property setting dialog called on the screen 10d of the desktop 10a of the external PC 10.

  The detailed configuration inside the external PC 10, the display device 20, and the PLC 30 described above can adopt a known configuration except for the characteristic configuration of the present embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The external PC 10 can design the display screen of the display 20 as a known configuration. The design of the display screen includes arrangement of the HMI component 20b, property setting, property change, and the like. The external PC 10 can perform display design using a built-in program or a program installed from a recording medium.

  The features of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, when setting or changing the property of the HMI component 20b, a preview window is provided in the property setting dialog opened on the computer screen of the external PC 10, and the property of the above property is displayed by this preview window. The setting change is displayed immediately, and the operator can immediately confirm the change.

  FIG. 2 shows a computer screen 10 d of the external PC 10. The computer screen 10d shows an arrangement screen 10e on which the HMI component 20b displayed on the display device 20 is arranged. This arrangement screen 10 e corresponds to the screen 20 a of the display device 20. Various HMI components 20b are displayed on the arrangement screen 10e. Individual descriptions of these various HMI components 20b are omitted.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the property setting dialog A is called on the computer screen 10d. A preview window B is arranged in the property setting dialog A. Arranging the preview window B in the property setting dialog A can be easily performed by a software technique, and details of the arrangement technique are omitted.

  In the following, the effects on the arrangement of the preview window B when the property setting for the HMI component 20b is performed in the property setting dialog A will be described.

  FIG. 4 shows a state in which a character property is set in the property setting dialog A. In the area C surrounded by the solid line ellipse, the character property which is the property setting target is set and displayed as “START”. In the preview window B, the character property “START” is displayed simultaneously or immediately with the setting of the character property. Since the operator can immediately confirm the change in the setting of the character property from the preview display in the preview window B, the change of the property setting can be performed with little effort and high efficiency.

  FIG. 5 shows a state in which the alignment property of the character “START” is set in the property setting dialog A. By clicking the lower left E among the nine alignment settings surrounded by the solid circle D, the alignment property of “START” is changed to the lower left. In this setting change, since the alignment property of “START” is immediately displayed in the lower left in the preview window B, the operator immediately checks the setting change of the character alignment property from the preview display of the preview window B. be able to.

  FIG. 6 shows the setting of the color property of “START”. In the property setting dialog A, among the many color properties surrounded by the solid line circle F, for example, the red property surrounded by the solid line circle G is clicked and the character “STRAT” is clicked. The color property is changed. Since the red property is immediately displayed in the preview window B for this setting change, the operator can immediately confirm the setting change of the character color property from the preview display in the preview window B.

  FIG. 7 shows the setting of the font property of “START”. In the property setting dialog A, the setting of the font property of “START” is changed by clicking 18 points among the plurality of font properties enclosed by the solid line circle H. Is done. On the other hand, since the font property is immediately displayed in the preview window B, the operator can immediately confirm the setting change of the character font property from the preview display of the preview window B.

  FIG. 8 shows that in the property setting dialog A, the lamp shape property of the HMI component 20b surrounded by the solid circle I is set to square, and the corresponding change in the lamp shape property in the preview window B is immediately square. The state that is displayed automatically. Thereby, the operator can immediately confirm the setting change of the character lamp shape property from the preview display of the preview window B.

  FIG. 9 shows that the lamp shape property of the HMI component 20b surrounded by the solid circle J in the property setting dialog A is set to a circle, and the setting change of the lamp shape property in the preview window B is immediately corresponding to the circle. The state that is displayed automatically. Thereby, the operator can immediately confirm the setting change of the character lamp shape property from the preview display of the preview window B.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the operator changes the property setting of the HMI component on the property setting dialog by operating the mouse or the keyboard, the property setting corresponding to the change is displayed in the preview window in the property setting dialog. Since changes are displayed immediately, the operator can immediately check the setting changes, and the property settings can be changed while checking the property setting status in the preview window. Will be greatly reduced.

 The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various changes or modifications within the scope described in the claims.

It is a figure which shows the control system containing external PC, a display apparatus, PLC, and an external apparatus. It is a figure which shows the arrangement | positioning state of the HMI component displayed on a display in the computer screen of external PC. It is a figure which shows the state which called the property setting dialog on the computer screen of external PC. This is a character property setting screen in the property setting dialog. It is a character alignment property setting screen in the property setting dialog. It is a character alignment property setting screen in the property setting dialog. This is a character font property setting screen in the property setting dialog. It is a setting screen of a lamp shape property in a property setting dialog. It is a setting screen of other lamp shape properties in the property setting dialog.

Explanation of symbols

10 External PC
20 Display 20b1, 20b2 HMI component 30 PLC
40 External device A Property setting dialog B Preview window

Claims (2)

A personal computer, a display capable of and manipulate the external device by operating the the HMI component arrangement displayed on the screen status display or HMI components of the external device from the display status of the HMI component by the personal computer And a control system comprising a programmable controller for controlling an external device corresponding to the HMI component, a method for setting the properties of the HMI component arranged on the display screen,
The HMI components of properties that are disposed on the display screen, the time of setting a personal computer screen to the calling property setting dialog, capable of setting a property by selecting from previously prepared choices for each setting item real and then, the HMI component can only display the preview window that sets the property is arranged on the property setting dialog, the change of the immediate display shiso configuration changes of the HMI component properties to the preview window A property setting method characterized in that it can be confirmed. A personal computer and a display capable of displaying and displaying an HMI component on the screen and displaying the status of the external device from the display status of the HMI component and operating the external device by operating the HMI component. And a control system comprising a programmable controller for controlling an external device corresponding to the HMI component,
When setting the properties of the HMI parts placed on the display screen in the property setting dialog called on the personal computer screen , the properties can be set by selecting from the choices prepared in advance for each setting item In the property setting dialog, a preview window capable of displaying only the HMI part for which the property is set is arranged, and the property setting change of the HMI part is immediately displayed in the preview window, and the change is immediately performed. A control system characterized by being able to be confirmed.

Images