JPH03156613A - On-line debugging method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate an on-line debugging operation by providing one or plural on-line debugging computers, enabling these computers to read and write a process input/output device, and transmitting the processing result of each computer via a common transmission line. CONSTITUTION:A 1st data processor 1 storing a completed program is connected to a 2nd data processor 2 storing a program to be tested via a common transmission line 10. Then the processing result of the processor 1 obtained in a prescribed timing is sent to the processor 2 as necessary via the line 10. This transmission data functions to start the program to be tested and confirm the working of this program. Furthermore a process input/output device 3 is connected to the line 10 to treat the process signal. Plural receives of the process signals can be designated and therefore both processors 1 and 2 can read the device 3. Thus a satisfactory on-line debugging operation is faciliated.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention enables an online real-time process control device to easily run a newly modified or newly created test program in parallel with real-time process control execution. This invention relates to an online debugging method that is relatively inexpensive.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, control computers have undergone significant improvements in performance and functionality.
At the same time, computational control technologies such as PID control and DD
C. Process control is becoming more complex, and process information processing associated with control is progressing toward total process control. As a control computing system technology, a system configuration in which a data way system is the core of data transmission is generally adopted. For example, a plurality of data way stations are connected to a transmission path, and each station has a central processing Devices, process input/output devices and general input/output devices are combined. When a central processing unit imports data from an industrial process to be controlled, the process input/output devices connected to the industrial process, the relevant station,
This is done via a transmission line and a central processing unit station. on the other hand.

When outputting a predetermined processing result from the central processing unit to the process, the above-mentioned route is followed in reverse order. Online real-time process control is performed using such a system configuration and processing method.

Conventionally, in such online real-time control devices, due to plant expansion or other reasons, the previous control program (which is called a completed program in the sense that it has already been sufficiently debugged, does not contain bugs, and has been put into practical use) When switching from a new control program obtained by adding a program with another new function to the completed program (this will be called the program under test since it has not been debugged yet). As an online debugging method, in addition to the data processing device for online real-time control, a data processing device for online debugging that shares the process input/output device is provided, and a common memory is provided for both data processing devices. A method of debugging by using memory in two stages has been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 4211/1983).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

There are two problems with the above conventional technology:

First, no consideration was given to the handling of the common memory between data processing devices in the program, and every time a program under test is created, in addition to the original online work, the common memory must be read for debugging. - Handling such as writing is required, and the method of using the common memory is different between the first stage of online debugging (independent debugging of the program under test) and the second stage (combined debugging of the completed program and the program under test). Therefore, there is a problem in that the program for handling the common memory must be changed when moving from the first stage to the second stage. The other problem is a hardware failure of the common memory (failure of the common memory itself), or because semiconductor memory, which is fast from the viewpoint of access time, is generally used as a storage element, the common memory may be damaged due to a power outage. There was the issue of volatility guarantee.

An object of the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems.In an online real-time process control device, while executing real-time process control, it is possible to modify or newly create a target at the same time. An object of the present invention is to provide an online debugging method capable of fully depacking a test program easily online and using relatively inexpensive means.

[Means to solve the problem]

A feature of the present invention that achieves the above object is that in addition to a data processing device (first data processing device i) such as an electronic computer or a sequence controller, a second data processing device that shares a controlled process and a process input/output device is used. A processing device is provided, and a completed program is stored in the first data processing device.
The second data processing device stores each program under test, and transmits the processing results of the first data processing device that executes online real-time process control to the second data processing device via a common transmission path. The object of the present invention is to sufficiently carry out on-line debugging of the program under test by operating the second data processing device while communicating messages accordingly.

That is, the present invention connects two data processing devices, one for online real-time process control and one for online debugging, to a common transmission path, and transmits data between the two data processing devices in the form of message communication via the common transmission path. In this method, the program is started at the appropriate timing after all the data necessary for the program is prepared, and the sending program is not aware of the destination of the data (so-called data-driven broadcast method).
By operating both data processing units as be.

[Effect]

A first data processing device in which the completed program is stored and a second data processing device in which the program under test is stored are connected via a common transmission path. The processing results at the timing are transmitted to the second data processing device via the common transmission path as necessary, and the program under test is activated by the transmitted data and its operation is confirmed. Furthermore, a process input/output device that handles process signals is connected to the common transmission path, and since a plurality of destinations for transmitting signals from the process can be specified, the signals can be read from any data processing device. This allows the program under test to operate in online real time in accordance with the movement of the actual process, making it possible to perform sufficient online debugging.

If it is not possible to provide a second data processing device, the program under test may be stored in the first data processing device, and the processing results of the completed program may be communicated by message to the program under test as necessary. By,
It is clear that online debugging of the program under test can be performed.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an apparatus implementing the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a computer (A), 2 is a computer (B), 3 is a process input/output device that handles process signals, 4 is a display device with a keyboard, 5 is a printing device, and 6 to 9 are data way stations, respectively. ,
Reference numeral 10 indicates a data transmission path.

Computer (A) 1 is an online real-time process control computer in which a completed program is stored. Computer (B) 2 is a computer for online debugging, and the program under test is stored there. The process input/output device 3 mainly inputs and outputs interrupt signals, digital input/output signals, and analog input/output signals.The data way station 6 is connected to the computer (A) 1, and the data way station 7 is connected to the computer (B). )2. On the process side there are data way stations 8-9 containing input/output control devices.

Data way station 8 has 1 representative example:
Process input/output bag! ! 3, a display device 4 with a keyboard, and a printing device 5 are connected as input/output devices.

Since the interrupt signal from the process can specify multiple transmission destinations for each bit, it is transmitted to multiple computers (in this example, computer (A) 1 and computer (B) 2). Therefore, digital input signals and analog input signals can be read from any computer. Digital output signals and analog output signals from the computer (B) 2 due to the operation of the program under test are interlocked so that they are not output to the actual process by setting a test mode (described later).

Under the above configuration, online debugging of the program under test can be performed efficiently by using, for example, the following autonomous distributed system technique.

An autonomous distributed system is a data-driven system that has an architecture suitable for distributed processing and aims to eliminate traditional event-driven systems, shared files, and file linkage. In order to achieve this, not only the interface between programs but also the interface between computers is performed by function code communication (broadcast). Since there is no file conflict between programs, it is possible to easily debug a program alone. That is, since it is a data-driven system, once input data to the program under test is generated, output data, which is the result of its operation, can be easily confirmed by checking data with an output function code. Furthermore, since data input/output between programs is unified using data with function codes, it is easy to isolate bugs between programs.

An example of online debugging of a program under test using the above autonomous distributed system will be described below.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of online debugging of a program under test by modifying a part of a completed program. In the figure, numerals 11, 13, and 14 are completed programs stored in the computer (A) 1, and 12 is a test program modified from the completed program 11 and stored in the computer (B) 2. First, in the computer (A) 1, which is an online real-time process control system, the completed program 11 is driven by the function coded data 4 generated by the completed program 14, and generates the function coded data 1 as a processing result. 6 indicates that the completed program 13 is driven by
Next, in the computer (B) 2 which is an online debugging system, the online data 4 with function codes generated from the completed program 14 driven at real data and real timing is transferred from the computer (A) 1 to the common transmission path 10. The program under test 12 is simultaneously transmitted to the computer (B) 2 via
It is used for checking test results without affecting the system. This is because by setting the program under test 12 to the test mode, the output function code attached data 2 of the program automatically becomes a test mode message, and other programs can be prevented from being affected at all.

Also, online messages (data with function codes) can be input even in test mode programs. Further, if the program under test 12 includes signal output processing to a process, it can be locked in test mode so that no actual output is output. However, reading process signals is also possible in test mode. In this manner, it is easy to check the output test mode messages of the program under test 12 and determine the results.

After the online debugging of the program under test 12 is completed, by placing the completed program 11 in the test mode and placing the program under test 12 in the online mode, switching can be performed without changing both programs. Of course, when actual operation begins in this way, an unexpected failure may occur, but in that case, the completed program 11 is placed in online mode, and the program under test 12 is placed in online mode.
You can also return to the original state at any time as quickly as possible by returning to test mode.

Similarly, a newly created test program for a desired function can be easily online debugged without making any changes to the previously completed program.

In the manner described above, the program under test can be sufficiently debugged online easily and by relatively inexpensive means.

It goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to sequence control devices in addition to the process control computer system described above.

Furthermore, even if the program under test 12 is stored in the computer (A) 1, it goes without saying that online debugging is possible by communicating messages within the same computer.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, one or more online debugging computers are installed for a plurality of control computers,
The process input/output device can be read from and written to by multiple computers, and the processing results of each computer can be transmitted via a common transmission path. Online depacking can be easily and relatively inexpensively performed, and furthermore, it is possible to easily migrate to a new system after debugging is completed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of online debugging of the present invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. There is a first program that does not contain any bugs and a second program that may contain bugs that is modified from the first program or newly created, and that stores the first program. When the first data processing device, which had been controlling the process online in real time, stores the second program instead of the first program and controls the same process, In the online debugging method for removing a hug, a second data processing device having the first data processing device, a controlled process, and a process input/output device is provided, and the first data processing device includes the first data processing device. The second program is stored in the second data processing device, and the processing result of the first data processing device that executes online real-time process control is transmitted to the second data processing device via a common transmission path. 1. An online debugging method, characterized in that online debugging of said second program is performed by operating said second data processing apparatus while communicating messages to said second data processing apparatus as necessary.