JP5785130B2 - Program generator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a program generation device, and more particularly to a program generation device that supports creation of a measurement monitoring control program executed by an industrial controller or a microcomputer.

  Conventionally, for the purpose of measurement monitoring control of various facilities, a programmable controller (PC), a motion controller (MC), a numerical controller (NC), an inspection controller, a display (Graphic) Industrial controllers such as Operation Terminal (GOT) are used. Languages used in the measurement monitoring control program executed by the industrial controller include a language conforming to the IEC61131-3 standard with a ladder as a representative example, a language dedicated to the controller, and the like.

  Hereinafter, a programmable controller (hereinafter referred to as PC) will be described as an example of a representative industrial controller. The PC executes a measurement monitoring control program (hereinafter referred to as a program), grasps the state of the measurement monitoring control target, and instructs the operation. The program is created using a predetermined program creation support device (for example, a ladder creation support device), and is mainly described using variables, devices, and numerical values.

  The device here refers to a device in which input / output between a PC and a measurement monitoring control target connected to the PC is assigned to a memory address of the PC, and a memory address used internally by the PC. For example, in a PC corresponding to a program creation support apparatus (ladder creation support apparatus) as shown in Non-Patent Document 1, an input device is assigned an X device, an output assignment is a Y device, and an internal The device character is determined in advance according to the data type, such as bit data (internal relay) used for the M device and word data (register) used internally for the D device and R device. A device is represented by a device character and an address. For example, an input device having an address of 0 is represented by “X0”.

  The program creation support device is generally provided as a software tool that operates on a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer), and supports the editing of a program for the PC to measure, monitor, and control the facility. Is connected to a personal computer, and a program edited by the personal computer (or an executable code obtained by compiling it) is transferred to the PC. Non-Patent Document 1 is an example of such a program creation support apparatus. There is also a display (GOT) equipped with a program editing function provided by the program creation support device. As a result, the program can be edited from the GOT that is always connected to the PC.

  The specifications and programs of the equipment that is the object of measurement, monitoring, and control are converted into electronic data by being described using a software tool that runs on a personal computer. Since there is no correlation, the measurement monitoring control program is manually created using a program creation support device based on the specifications. For this reason, a great deal of effort was required to create a program that can operate without any deficiencies in the functions described in the specifications.

  In recent years, frequently used programs are converted into program modules (Program Organization Units; POUs) as parts, and a program creation support apparatus that can construct a program from a plurality of POUs while reusing POUs that match equipment specifications. There is also. If the programming language is a ladder, the POU corresponds to a subroutine or function block (FB), and if it is structured text (ST), the POU corresponds to a subroutine or function.

  Furthermore, there is also a program creation support apparatus having a macro function that allows an arbitrary program pattern made up of a plurality of program parts to be registered with a name (macro name) registered and called up and reused (macro diversion) when creating the program. is there. By using the program creation support apparatus that can reuse program parts in this way, the effort for program creation is reduced.

  For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-260688, a user describes a place indicating a device in a program part with an abstract name for reuse, and the abstract name is instantiated by part instantiation information. However, there is only a simple relationship between the part insertion part described by the abstract name and the entity to be inserted. No specific method for constructing the circuit is described.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-49651

"GX Developer Version 8 Operating Manual" Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, manual number SH-080356

  As described above, the program is manually created after the creator, that is, a person understands the specification description of the measurement monitoring control target. In recent program creation support devices, the program creation effort can be reduced to some extent by reusing program parts. However, in order to create a program that conforms to the specifications, which program parts are selected, It was difficult to determine how to combine the two, and further reduction of the labor was desired.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a program generation apparatus that can improve the efficiency of program creation.

  The program generation apparatus according to the present invention includes a parts list indicating a hierarchical structure of parts constituting a program, a partial description of the program, and a description indicating an insertion position of the child template in the hierarchical structure. A template including a parameter for specifying a target at a relative position in the hierarchical structure is provided, and a part list and a template are input, and the target specification of the template parameter is specified in the hierarchical structure of the template in which the parameter is described. A program generation unit is provided that generates a program by replacing a position and a target part interpreted at a relative position starting from an element at the same position in the hierarchical structure of the parts list.

  The program generation apparatus according to the present invention interprets the target specification of a template parameter based on a position in the template hierarchical structure in which the parameter is described and a relative position starting from an element at the same position in the hierarchical structure of the parts list. Since the program is generated by substituting with the target part, the efficiency of program creation can be improved.

1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a minimum configuration of a program generation device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an extended configuration of a program generation device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the ladder program showing a self-holding circuit. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram expressing the ladder program of FIG. 3 by a logical expression. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram expressing the ladder program of FIG. 3 in a tree structure. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a component list of a first hierarchy and a second hierarchy according to the first embodiment. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a template of two layers and one layer according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing parameters according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing reference designation / duplication designation and duplication restrictions according to the first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the correspondence of the hierarchical structure of the template and component list which concern on Embodiment 1, and the produced | generated program. 4 is a flowchart showing sequential processing of template hierarchies according to the first embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process which replaces the parameter of the template which concerns on Embodiment 1 with the element in a parts list. It is explanatory drawing which expressed the ladder program of FIG. 10 with the ladder diagram. It is explanatory drawing which shows the template which contains the program which concerns on Embodiment 1 inside, and the example of a program production | generation using the same. It is explanatory drawing which shows the template containing the parameter which refers the parent which concerns on Embodiment 1, and the example of a program production | generation using the template. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram representing the ladder program of FIG. 15 in a ladder diagram. It is explanatory drawing which shows the template containing the replication designation | designated which concerns on Embodiment 1, and the example of a program production | generation using the same. It is explanatory drawing which shows the template containing the some replication designation | designated which concerns on Embodiment 1, and the example of a program production | generation using the same. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram representing the ladder program of FIG. 18 in a ladder diagram. It is explanatory drawing which shows the template with a replication designation | designated and replication index which concern on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the template containing the replication restrictions which concern on Embodiment 1, and the example of a program production | generation using the same. FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram expressing the ladder program of FIG. 21 in a ladder diagram. 6 is a flowchart of template processing including duplication designation / duplication constraints according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a template and a parts list expressing the interlock circuit according to the first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which duplicated the template by the 1st replication designation | designated of FIG. FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a replication index is added to a state where a template is replicated by a second replication designation for the leftmost subtree in FIG. 24. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which duplicated the template by the 2nd replication specification and replication restrictions with respect to the partial tree of the left end of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the program produced | generated from the structure of FIG. FIG. 29 is an explanatory diagram expressing the interlock circuit generated in FIGS. 24 to 28 in a ladder diagram. It is explanatory drawing which shows the components list | wrist of a 5-element interlock circuit corresponding to the template of FIGS. FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram in which an interlock circuit generated using the parts list in FIG. 30 is represented by a ladder diagram. It is explanatory drawing of the template expressing an on-priority interlock circuit. FIG. 33 is an explanatory diagram expressing an on-priority interlock circuit generated from the template of FIG. 32 in a ladder diagram. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an implementation example of a template editing screen according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an implementation example of a program editing screen according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the components list | wrist of FIG. 6 described by XML. It is explanatory drawing which shows the components list of FIG. 6 described by S type | formula. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an implementation example of a program editing screen having a template display area and a program display area according to the first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the screen and operation of a system which produce | generate a program using operation specific to the spreadsheet software which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a program generation apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
The program generation apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a template 1, a parts list 2, and a program generation unit 3. The template 1 is composed of a partial description of the program and a description indicating the insertion position of the child template in the hierarchical structure, and includes a parameter for designating a target at a relative position in the hierarchical structure as the partial description of the program. . The parts list 2 shows a hierarchical structure of parts constituting the program. The program generation unit 3 receives the parts list 2 and the template 1 as input, and designates the target of the parameter of the template 1 in the hierarchical structure of the template 1 where the parameter is described and in the hierarchical structure of the part list 2. The program 4 is generated by replacing the parts list 2 at the same position with the target parts interpreted at the relative positions starting from the parts list 2. This configuration is the minimum configuration of the present invention, but various functional units may be further provided.

  Note that the program generation device is realized by using a computer, and the program generation unit 3 includes software corresponding to the function, and hardware such as a CPU and a memory that execute the software. Further, the program generation device includes an input unit for the user to perform various inputs, and a display unit for displaying the template 1, the component list 2, the program 4, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating an extended configuration of the program generation device.
The illustrated program generation apparatus includes a template holding unit 5 that holds a template 1 and a parts list holding unit 6 that holds a parts list 2, and a program generation unit 3, a template editing unit 7, and a template similar to those in FIG. A display unit 8, a component list editing unit 9, a component list display unit 10, an automatic generation unit 11, a program editing unit 12, and a program display unit 13 are provided.

The template editing unit 7 is a processing unit that edits the template 1, and the template display unit 8 is a display that displays the information of the template 1 that is edited by the template editing unit 7 and the template 1 that is held by the template holding unit 5. Part. The parts list editing unit 9 is a processing unit that edits the parts list 2 in accordance with an instruction from the program editing unit 12. The parts list display unit 10 is a display unit that displays information about the parts list 2. The automatic generation unit 11 is a processing unit that automatically generates the component list 2 from the template 1. The program editing unit 12 is a processing unit that calls the parts list editing unit 9 and the program generation unit 3 to perform program editing. The program display unit 13 is a display unit for displaying the program 4 edited by the program editing unit 12 and the program 4 generated by the program generation unit 3. The template display unit 8, the parts list display unit 10 and the program display unit 13 may be independent display units or partial areas on the screen.
As described above, in the first embodiment, the functional units illustrated in FIG. 2 can be configured in any combination.

  The ladder language is a programming language used for describing a PLC program, and is generally expressed by a ladder diagram as shown in FIG. The ladder program represents a relay circuit, and is equivalent to a circuit in which a series / parallel combination of switches and coils is nested. Reference numeral 301 denotes an A contact, which represents a switch that is energized when the device X0 is turned on. Reference numeral 302 denotes a B contact, which represents a switch that is energized when the device X1 is turned off. Reference numeral 303 denotes a coil, which is an electromagnetic switch whose output is turned on when the input is turned on. X0, X1, Y10, etc. are devices, which represent a specific switch / sensor. Hereinafter, the contact connected to the device X0 is referred to as a contact X0 or the like. The contacts X0 and Y10 are connected in parallel. When any of the switches is on, power is supplied and the output is turned on. X1 is connected in series to its output and is energized when X1 is off because it is a B contact. Therefore, the input of Y10 is turned on only when either X0 or Y10 is on and X1 is off.

  That is, the ladder expresses a Boolean expression, and the ladder in FIG. 3 is equivalent to the logical expression shown in FIG. Boolean expressions can be expressed as AND and OR nesting. Similarly, a ladder program can be expressed as a nested series / parallel connection circuit. FIG. 5 shows a hierarchical representation of the ladder of FIG. In FIG. 5, although the relationship between the contact X1 and the coil Y10 is different from the logical AND, the connection relationship can be expressed in the same way because the circuit is a series circuit.

  The circuit in FIG. 3 is called a self-holding circuit and is an important circuit in a ladder program. If there is no 304, the switch X1 is energized when not pressed, so the coil Y10 is turned on when the switch X0 is pressed and turned off when the switch X1 is released. If 304 exists, Y10 is turned on when X0 is pressed, and 304 is also turned on. Therefore, even if X0 is released, 304 is turned on, the output of the parallel combination of 301 and 304 is turned on, and the input of 303 is turned on. Will remain. That is, when X0 is pressed once, Y10 remains on even if released. Pressing 302 in series connection turns off Y10.

In the following, a template 1 that represents the structure of a partial program and that can be reused using the above-described hierarchical structure, and a device that generates a concrete value from the parts list 2 and applies it to the template 1 will be described.
The component list 2 is a list having a component specific value or a component list as an element. FIG. 6 shows an example of the parts list 2. The parts list 2 has a hierarchical structure. FIG. 6A shows an example of one layer, and FIG. 6B shows an example of two layers. When the parts list B is an element of the parts list A, B is a child parts list of A and A is a parent parts list of B. In FIG. 6B, 601 is a parent part list of 602, and 602 is a child parts list of 601. When the user defines a part list 2 having a structure required by the template 1 for the template 1, the program generation unit 3 generates the program 4.

Template 1 is a program part that defines the structure of program 4. For the program 4 having the same structure, the program 4 can be generated by defining different parts lists 2 using the same template 1.
Template 1 includes a description of the program content. The simplest one of the ladder language template 1 is the ladder language itself. For example, the hierarchical structure shown in FIG.
The description of the program content can include the template 1. The included template 1 is called a child template. For child templates, template 1 including itself is a parent template. In FIG. 5, 502 is a child template 501, and 501 is a parent template 502. 7A and 7B show examples of templates, in which FIG. 7A shows a two-level template and FIG. 7B shows a one-level template.

  The description of the program content can include parameters. FIG. 8 shows a template including parameters. Since devices indicated by contacts and coils are parameters, circuits having the same structure (self-holding circuits in the illustrated example) for different devices can be generated from the same template 1. The parameter has a reference designation, and the program generation unit 3 selects a part to be developed at the parameter position according to the designation. Details of the designation will be described later.

  The program generation unit 3 receives the template 1 and the parts list 2 as input and generates a program 4. The program generation unit 3 generates the program 4 by replacing the parameter in the template 1 with the element in the parts list 2 that is referred to by the parameter. FIG. 9 represents the reference designation, duplication designation, and plural constraints. The reference designation will be described below.

  Both the template 1 and the parts list 2 have a hierarchical structure. The parameter in the template 1 has a reference designation. In the reference designation, a reference destination is designated starting from the same position in the parts list hierarchical structure as that of the template hierarchical structure. In FIG. 10A, the template 1 and the component list 2 have the same hierarchical structure, and the contact 1001 is at the same position as the component 1002. The parts at the same position in the parts list 2 can be referred to by reference designation. In FIG. 10, the reference designation “$.” Represents the parameter 1001. As a result, the program generation unit 3 replaces the 1001 component device in the template 1 with the 1002 component X0 in the component list 2. Similar replacement is performed for the other parameters to obtain a ladder program shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the process of tracing the template hierarchy.
That is, first, the current position is set to the top of the template 1 (step ST1), and then processing of the template 1 at the current position such as parameter expansion is performed (step ST2). Next, it is determined whether the template 1 at the current position has a child (step ST3). If there is a child, the current position is moved to the first child template (step ST4), and the process returns to step ST2. On the other hand, if there is no child in step ST3, it is determined whether there is a next sibling in the template at the current position (step ST5). If there is a sibling, the current position is moved to the next sibling template. (Step ST6), returning to step ST2, if not, it is determined whether there is a parent template (step ST7). If there is a parent template in step ST7, the current position is moved to the parent template (step ST8), the process returns to step ST2, and if there is no parent template, the process ends.

  Details of step ST2 in the flowchart of FIG. 11 are shown in FIG. That is, it is determined whether or not there is a parameter that has not been replaced in the template (step ST21). If there is, the parameter indicates the element in the parts list 2 at the same position as the template 1 at the current position. The element at the position is acquired and replaced with a parameter (step ST22).

  FIG. 13 is a ladder diagram representing the program 4 in FIG. Since the two upper and lower circuits are generated from the same template, they have the same structure and use parts from different parts of the parts list 2, so different devices are used. The macro function of the conventional ladder editor also applies parameters to the same structure, and if applied repeatedly, the same result can be obtained, but in this embodiment, parameters of multiple circuits can be given simultaneously. More efficient.

  By specifying the reference, the child elements in the specified order of the components at the same position in the component list 2 can be referred to. Unlike the template shown in FIG. 10A, the template shown in FIG. The element in the parts list corresponding to 1401 is 1402. 1401 has a program inside, and the parameter reference designation is “$ 0”, which represents the 0th child element. Since the 0th child element of 1402 is 1403, the program generation unit 3 expands X0 to the position of this parameter. Similarly, if $ 1 of 1401 is expanded, a program 14 (b) is obtained. This is the same program as FIG.

  By reference designation, it is possible to recursively refer to the parent of a part at the same position in the parts list 2 or the parent. In FIG. 15A, the element in the parts list at the same position as the template 1501 is 1503. Reference numeral 1501 has an internal program definition, and the parameter reference designation is “$$ 0”, but the number of $ represents how many parents go back. One case represents itself, and here it is two, so it represents the parent of 1503, ie 1502. $ 0 is 1503 because it represents the 0th child of 1502. That is, $$ 0 is replaced with X0. Similarly, $ 1 is 1504 and is replaced with Y10. Here, the element in the parts list at the same position as 1505 is 1502, but $ 1 in 1505 represents the first child of 1502, namely 1504. That is, $ 1 of 1501 and $ 1 of 1505 indicate the same element, and a single element in the parts list is expanded at a plurality of locations by such a template expression. In FIG. 15 (b), Y10 appears in two places, which is expressed in a ladder diagram as shown in FIG. This is a self-holding circuit that does not have an off contact. Since it consists of three elements but uses two devices, it was possible to generate a program with a two-element description in the parts list. As a result, it can be created more efficiently than when all the inputs are made, and Y10 is automatically expanded in two places, so that an input mistake that unintentionally puts a different one is reduced.

Next, a case where template 1 has a copy designation will be described.
When the template 1 has a copy designation, the program generation unit 3 copies the template 1. Duplication designation designates an element in the parts list 2 as a duplication target parent. In FIG. 17A, since the template 1701 has a copy designation 1702, the program generation unit 3 copies 1701. In the specification of the parent to be replicated, a parent and a child in a certain order can be designated starting from the same position in the parts list 2 as in the case of parameter designation. In 1702, “$$ ^* ” is specified, and the parent immediately above, that is, 1703 is designated as the parent. Since 1703 has two children, two 1701 are duplicated. At this time, in the two duplicated templates, the corresponding 1703 child is the reference designation starting point. FIG. 17B shows this state. The first child 1705 copied from 1701 is the first child 1704 of the first child 1703, and the reference origin of the zeroth child 1706 is 1707. Since the reference of 1706 is “$.”, That is, the same position, the parameter of 1706 is replaced with X0.

  As a result, the generated ladder program is the one shown in FIG. 13, which is the same as that shown in FIG. In FIG. 10A, the template 1 also has the same number of child templates as the parts list 2. However, since the structure of the child templates is the same, the method by duplication here is sufficient and more efficient. Further, when the number of replicas is 3 or more, the template 1 needs to be changed in the definition of FIG. 10A, but those using replicas can correspond to an arbitrary number.

By using replication, it becomes easier to describe a circuit in which circuits having the same structure are arranged.
Template 1 can have multiple copy designations. The program generation unit 3 duplicates the template 1 for each copy designation. The template 1 in FIG. 18A has duplicate designations at two locations 1801 and 1802. Since the replication designation of 1801 designates the parent one above as the replication target parent, and the replication designation of 1802 designates the parent above two as the replication target parent, both specify the same parent 1803. Yes. Since 1803 has two children, there are two children each time it is replicated, and it is expanded into a total of four. Each time, the corresponding child of 1803 becomes the reference origin ((b) → (c in FIG. 18). )). As a result, the program 4 shown in (d) of FIG. 18 is generated. When this program 4 is represented by a ladder diagram, the circuit shown in FIG. 19 is obtained.

  When the program generation unit 3 performs replication, a replication index is generated. The duplicate index can be referenced from within the duplicate and returns the number of the duplicate. In FIG. 20A, 2001 has a copy designation, and the copy designation parent is 2002. Since 2002 has three children, three templates 2003, 2004, and 2005 are duplicated, and each of the three children 2002 has a reference origin. At this time, the replication index in the replication in 2001 of 2001 is 0, 2004 is 1, and 2005 is 2. When duplicates are nested, you can see the duplicate indexes at all stages. In FIG. 21A, since two copies 2101 and 2102 are performed, two sets of duplicate indexes are generated. The replication index 2103 in the replication 2101 is 0. Since 2105 is under 2103, the replication index of 2105 in the replication of 2101 is also 0. Since 2104 is also duplicated by 2102, it again has another duplicate index. The replication index of 2104 in the replication of 2102 is 1.

  A replication specification can have replication constraints. If there is a replication constraint, only the child template that satisfies the replication constraint is replicated. A replication index can be used to specify replication constraints. In FIG. 21A, two copies 2101 and 2102 are performed, but 2102 has a replication constraint 2106. 2105 and 2104 duplicated from 2102 have two duplicate indexes, and a restriction between these indexes is described in a duplicate restriction 2106. “$.” Represents the replication index at this position, that is, 2102, and “$ ..” represents the replication index one position higher, that is, 2101, and the replication constraint “$.! = $. Requires that the two are not equal. In 2105, since “$.” And “$ ..” are both 0, the constraint is not satisfied. For this reason, the program generation unit 3 does not generate 2105. In 2104, “$.” Is 1 and “$ ..” is 0, so the constraint is satisfied. As a result, (d) of FIG. 21 is generated. This can be expressed as a ladder diagram, resulting in the circuit shown in FIG.

  In processing including replication designation / duplication constraints, the processing portion of step ST2 in the hierarchical processing shown in FIG. 11 is the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. That is, the program generation unit 3 determines whether or not the template 1 has a copy designation (step ST201). If there is, the program generation unit 3 selects the first child of the copy target parent designated by the copy designation as a starting point (step ST202). Next, it is checked whether or not the template 1 has a replication constraint (step ST203), and if there is, it is determined whether or not the replication constraint is satisfied (step ST204). In step ST204, if satisfied, the template 1 is duplicated (step ST205). If not satisfied, the next child is selected as a starting point (step ST206), and the process returns to step ST203.

  In step ST205, after the template 1 is copied, it is checked whether there is a parameter that has not been replaced with the copied template 1 (step ST207). Is acquired and replaced with a parameter (step ST208), and the process returns to step ST207. If there is no parameter that has not been replaced in step ST207, it is determined whether or not there are any remaining children (step ST209). If there are any, the process proceeds to step ST206, and if not, the process ends.

  On the other hand, if there is no copy designation in step ST201, the operation is the same as that shown in FIG. That is, it is determined whether or not there is a parameter that has not been replaced in the template 1 (step ST210). If there is, the parameter is set starting from the element in the parts list 2 at the same position as the template 1 at the current position. The element at the indicated position is acquired, replaced with a parameter (step ST211), and the process returns to step ST210. If there is no parameter not replaced in step ST210, the process ends.

  The template shown in FIG. 24 has duplicate designations at two locations 2401 and 2402. The copy designation of 2401 duplicates three templates along the three children of 2403. The portion 2402 has two upper elements, that is, 2403 as a copy target parent, and similarly duplicates three children. Since it is redundant, only the part below 2404 in FIG. 25 is shown in FIG. 26 and FIG. Three templates are duplicated from 2402, but 2405 whose duplication index is 0 is not duplicated due to duplication restrictions. As a result, the circuit of FIG. 28 is generated as a whole. This is a circuit shown in FIG. 29 in a ladder diagram, and is called an interlock circuit. Since the three switches X0, X1, and X2 turn off each other, only one of Y10, Y11, and Y12 is turned on.

  Although the interlock circuit is a highly versatile circuit, it cannot be expressed by a normal simple macro, but can be expressed as a single template 1 in the program generation device of the present embodiment, except for three switches and three coils. Redundant input is not required. 24 includes three sets of parts, whereas FIG. 30 includes five sets of parts. By using the parts list 2 of FIG. 30 for the same template 1, the interlock circuit of FIG. 31 can be generated. It is shown that an interlock circuit with an arbitrary number of elements can be generated from the same template 1 simply by changing the number of elements in the parts list 2.

The interlock circuit described so far is called an off-priority interlock circuit, and has a characteristic that all outputs are turned off when two or more switches are pressed simultaneously. The template 1 shown in FIG. 32 is an on-priority interlock circuit, and has a characteristic that when two or more switches are pressed at the same time, the outputs of the coils corresponding to the pressed switches are simultaneously turned on. Since the parts list 2 corresponding to the on-priority interlock circuit template has the same structure as that of the off-priority interlock circuit, the same parts list as that shown in FIGS. 24 to 28 can be reused. FIG. 33 shows a ladder diagram of the on-priority interlock circuit generated from the parts list 2 used in FIGS.
With such a configuration in the first embodiment, it is shown that the component list 2 can be reused not only for the template 1 but also for the template 1 that requires the same structure.

Next, editing of the template 1 and the parts list 2 described above will be described.
The template editing screen includes a template name input area, a program editing area, and a program element icon display area. An example is shown in FIG.
In the template name input area, a name can be given to the created template, and the template 1 stored in the template holding unit 5 by the program editing unit 12 or the like can be called using the template name.
In the template editing area, the hierarchical structure of template 1 is displayed. A node represents a template and can be selected. For the selected node, editing defined for each node is possible. For example, if it is a contact, it is possible to edit the target. In FIG. 34, “$$$ 0”, “$$ 1”, and the like.

In addition, the template editing screen has buttons for deleting the selected node and moving to the left and right to edit the hierarchical structure. Further, a replication designation / duplication constraint can be added to the selected node by a replication designation addition / duplication constraint addition button. The contents can be edited by selecting the replication specification node and replication constraint node. In the replication specification node, the specification of the parent to be replicated can be edited. FIG. 34 shows nodes that take the value of “$$$ ^* ”. You can edit the replication constraint at the replication constraint node. 34 shows “$.! = $ ..”, that is, the replication constraint that the replication index in this replication is not equal to the replication index in the next higher hierarchy.

  Furthermore, elements that can be used in the ladder program are displayed as icons on the template editing screen. An icon can be added as a child of the selected node by selecting a node in the template editing area and clicking the icon. The user can also add these icons to the target element by performing an operation such as drag and drop on a node in the template editing area. In FIG. 34, five types of AND, OR, A contact, B contact, and coil are displayed, but other elements that can be used in the ladder program can be included.

  In the program editing unit 12, the user can call up the component list editing unit 9 to edit the component list 2. The program editing unit 12 selects the template 1 from the template holding unit 5, edits the component list 2 corresponding to the template 1 by the component list editing unit 9, calls the program generation unit 3, and automatically generates the program 4. be able to.

  The editing screen of the program editing unit 12 includes a template name display area and a parts list editing area. An example of this is shown in FIG. In FIG. 35, the template name display area displays the name of the template 1 used for generation. In FIG. 35, there is a template name display area at the top, indicating that the template 1 of the “interlock circuit” is used. The template 1 to be used may be selected by inputting the template name in the template name display area. Further, the template name display area is a menu, a list of available templates may be provided, and the template 1 may be selected by selecting a menu.

The parts list editing unit 9 is an interface capable of editing the tree structure of the parts list 2, and has a function of adding a list as a list element below the top element of the parts list 2 corresponding to the top element of the template 1. It has a function of adding a concrete value as a list element. Elements can be added with the corresponding icon or entered as text. In the example of FIG. 35, there is a parts list editing area at the bottom, and the hierarchical structure of the parts list is displayed. Each node in the list can be selected, and the contents of nodes representing specific values such as X0 and Y10 can be edited. The parts list editor 9 has buttons for adding and deleting parts list nodes and specific value nodes as children of the selected node, and a button for moving the selected node to the left and right, and can freely edit the list structure.
When the parts list structure is automatically generated from the template 1 by the automatic generation unit 11, the above button group for editing the node structure may not be used, and only a specific value input to the node may be allowed.

The parts list editing unit 9 may use a parts list holding unit 6 that holds the edited parts list 2 for reuse. It is conceivable that the parts list 2 taken out from the parts list holding unit 6 may be further edited, or a part of the parts may be used for editing.
The parts list editing section 9 may have a parts list display section 10 for displaying the parts list 2 being edited or held by the parts list holding section 6. In the example of FIG. 35, the parts list editing area is the parts list display unit 10, and the part list 2 being edited is displayed.

In this embodiment, the script may be written in some script that can express the hierarchical structure. For example, it can be expressed by the XML or Lisp S-expression.
FIG. 36 shows the parts list 2 of FIG. 6B described in XML. FIG. 37 shows the parts list 2 shown in FIG.

The editing screen of the program editing unit 12 may have a display area for displaying the selected template 1. In FIG. 38, template 1 is displayed in the template display area.
In order to embody each parameter in the template 1, it is necessary for the parts list 2 to place parts at all of the reference destinations, but the automatic generation unit 11 analyzes the reference designation in the template 1. It is possible to generate the parts list 2 having a structure sufficient for this.

  For example, in FIG. 15, the template 1505 includes a parameter “$ 1”, which points to a child of the index 1 of the list 1502 at the same position in the parts list 2, so 1502 requires a child 1504. Since 1501 includes “$$ 0” and “$$ 1”, 1502 in the same position as the parent 1505 of 1501 in the parts list 2 requires a child 1503 of index 0 and a child 1504 of index 1 . Together, it can be seen that for this template 1, a parts list 2 having a structure of 1502, 1503 and 1504 is necessary. Since it is not possible to determine from the template 1 what specific values are entered in 1503 and 1504, an undetermined value or a temporary default value is entered in the generated component list 2.

  In the program editing, since the shape of the parts list 2 is automatically determined by the automatic generation unit 11, the user does not need to edit the list structure, and only a specific value needs to be described. In the figure, the component list 2 sufficient for program generation can be defined simply by inserting X0 into 1503 and Y10 into 1504.

  The program editing unit 12 can generate the program by giving the selected template 1 and the edited component list 2 and calling the program generation unit 3.

  In practice, the template 1 is often created based on the already completed ladder program. Even in such a case, the element to be parameterized in the ladder program is designated, and the position designation is designated as $. Thus, the template 1 can be created, and the corresponding structure of the parts list 2 can be automatically generated by the function of the automatic generation unit 11 described above. For example, a template 1 and a parts list 2 (ladder program shown in FIG. 13) as shown in FIG. 10 can be automatically generated.

  The editing screen of the program editing unit 12 may have a program display area for displaying the generated program. It may be possible to display what program is generated according to the current state of the edited parts list 2 in response to a user request or whenever the parts list 2 is changed. In FIG. 38, the generated program 4 is displayed in the program display area.

In the conventional program creation support apparatus, different types of programs, for example, the interlock circuits of FIGS. 29 and 31 could not be generated using the same program parts, but this embodiment can do so. Become. As a result, the range in which the program component can be applied is widened, and the program component can be defined so as to more directly match the usage description of the equipment that is the object of measurement monitoring control.
Therefore, the design effort for selecting and combining program parts to create a program that matches the specification description is reduced, and the amount of program creation that includes the functions described in the specification is greatly reduced. it can.

  As described above, according to the program generating apparatus of the first embodiment, the parts list indicating the hierarchical structure of the parts constituting the program, the partial description of the program, the description indicating the insertion position of the child template in the hierarchical structure, As a partial description of the program, a template including a parameter for specifying a target at a relative position in the hierarchical structure is provided, and a part list and a template are input, and the target specification of the template parameter is specified by the parameter Provided with a program generator that generates a program by replacing the position in the hierarchical structure of the described template with the target part interpreted at the relative position starting from the element at the same position in the hierarchical structure of the parts list Therefore, it is possible to improve the program creation efficiency.

  Further, according to the program generation device of the first embodiment, the template has a copy designation for designating a parent to be duplicated at a relative position in the hierarchical structure, and the program creation unit is configured to use a parts list based on the copy designation. The template for each child of the parent to be replicated interpreted at the relative position starting from the element at the same position in the hierarchical structure of, and the target specification of the parameter in the duplicated template is set to the replication target parent used for the replication. Since the program is generated by replacing with the target part interpreted at the relative position starting from the child, the program structure with the same part in multiple places can be made into parts, and by duplicating the part, Multiple parts can be generated from a single description, and program creation efficiency can be improved.

  Further, according to the program generation apparatus of the first embodiment, the copy designation has a copy restriction on whether or not to make a copy for each copy, and the program generation unit copies the template only when the copy restriction is satisfied. Because of this, it is possible to specify whether or not to duplicate a part, and a more complicated program can be made into a part.

  In addition, according to the program generation device of the first embodiment, the replication constraint defines the relationship of which template each copied template is based on the replication designation between different hierarchies. As a result, a more complicated program can be made into parts.

  In addition, according to the program generation apparatus of the first embodiment, since the automatic generation unit that generates the hierarchical structure of the parts list including all the positions to be specified by all the parameters is provided, the necessary parts for the template The list structure can be automatically generated, and the program creation efficiency can be improved.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
If the element directly under the top-level template has a copy designation, the parts list referenced from this element and below is grouped in one dimension and arranged in the horizontal direction. If this one-dimensional parts list is arranged in the vertical direction, the parts list is Tabular format. Thereby, the parts list 2 can be created with spreadsheet software having an advanced editing function, and the program 4 can be generated by copying and pasting. Further, the tabular interface has an element for expanding and contracting the parts list 2 in the vertical direction, and the number of copies can be changed. At this time, it is conceivable to simplify typical input by, for example, complementing consecutive numbers. For example, in the case of an interlock circuit, if the switch is a continuous address from X0 and the coil is a continuous address from Y0, even if the number of interlock circuits increases, it is only necessary to expand and contract the tabular part list vertically. A number of interlock circuits can be generated. If a label name including a number is used for the name of the switch coil, this method can be used more generally. In the second embodiment, the above functions are realized by the parts list editing unit 9. The configuration on the drawing is the same as the configuration of FIG. 2 in the first embodiment, and will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 39 shows an example of the screen and operation. When the user selects the off-priority interlock circuit on the template display unit 8, the program generation device displays the template 1 on the template / program display screen as shown in FIG. When the user inputs X0 and Y0 to the parts list editing unit 9, the generated program 4 is displayed on the template / program display screen (screen 3901).

  When the user drags the corner of the cell displaying Y0 of the parts list editing unit 9 downward, the parts list editing unit 9 expands the table. First, increase the number of rows in the table according to the drag width. In FIG. 39, the number is increased to four lines. Since X0 has a numerical value 0, numerical values 1, 2, and 3 are generated based on this, and each row is filled with X1, X2, and X3. Similarly, Y1, Y2, and Y3 are generated from Y0. Thus, since the parts list has four children, the program generation unit 3 generates a program composed of four self-holding circuits on the spot and displays it on the template / program display screen (screen 3902).

  Next, when the user selects the on-priority interlock circuit on the template display unit 8, the template 1 given to the program generation unit 3 is switched. Since the parts list 2 required by both templates has the same configuration, the current parts list 2 is used as it is, and an on-priority interlock circuit composed of four self-holding circuits is generated and displayed on the template / program display screen ( Screen 3903). At this time, templates that can be selected in the template display unit 8 may be limited to those that can be applied to the current component list 2. Or you may show to a user by information, such as a color, whether it is applicable.

  As described above, according to the program generation device of the second embodiment, a part list referenced from a specific element or lower is arranged in a one-dimensional horizontal direction with respect to a template in which a specific element has a copy designation. In addition, a one-dimensional parts list is arranged in the vertical direction to provide a tabular parts list, and when receiving an instruction to expand or contract in the vertical direction, the parts list is edited to increase or decrease the parts list by complementing a predetermined numerical value according to the expansion or contraction. Therefore, the parts list structure required for the template can be automatically generated, and the program creation efficiency can be improved.

  In the present invention, within the scope of the invention, any combination of the embodiments, or any modification of any component in each embodiment, or omission of any component in each embodiment is possible. .

  1 template, 2 parts list, 3 program generation part, 4 program, 5 template holding part, 6 part list holding part, 7 template editing part, 8 template display part, 9 part list editing part, 10 part list display part, 11 automatic Generation unit, 12 program editing unit, 13 program display unit.

Claims (6)

A parts list showing the hierarchical structure of the parts that make up the program;
The program includes a partial description of the program and a description indicating the insertion position of the child template in the hierarchical structure. The partial description of the program includes a template including a parameter for designating a target at a relative position in the hierarchical structure. ,
Using the parts list and the template as input, the target specification of the template parameter is based on the element at the same position in the hierarchical structure of the part list and the position in the hierarchical structure of the template in which the parameter is described. A program generation apparatus comprising a program generation unit that generates a program by replacing with a target component interpreted at a relative position. The template has a copy specification for specifying a copy target parent at a relative position in the hierarchical structure,
The program generation unit duplicates a template for each child of the parent to be duplicated interpreted at a relative position starting from an element at the same position in the hierarchical structure of the parts list based on the duplicate designation, and in the duplicated template 2. The program generation according to claim 1, wherein the program generation is performed by replacing the target designation of the parameter with a target part interpreted at a relative position starting from a child of the replication target parent used for the replication. apparatus.   3. The program generation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the copy designation has a copy restriction for determining whether or not to make a copy for each copy, and the program generation unit copies the template only when the copy restriction is satisfied. .   4. The program generation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the duplication restriction defines a relationship regarding to which child each of the duplicated templates is based on designation of duplication between different hierarchies.   5. The program generation device according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic generation unit that generates a hierarchical structure of a parts list including all positions to be specified by all parameters. . For a template in which a specific element has a copy designation, a parts list referenced from the specified element and below is arranged one-dimensionally in the horizontal direction, and the one-dimensional parts list is arranged in the vertical direction to display a tabular part list. And providing
6. A component list editing unit for increasing or decreasing the component list by complementing a predetermined numerical value in response to the expansion / contraction instruction in the vertical direction. The program generation apparatus of any one of them.

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