JPH04216102A - Program developing device for programmable controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a user who can understand a ladder language only to program a user program in a sequential function chart language using the ladder language only. CONSTITUTION:A ladder type program mode is provided in addition to an ordinary chart type program mode for generating a program developing environment in which steps, actions, and transitions are inputted in accordance with the rule of a sequential function chart language and, in the ladder type program mode, one step and one action associated with the one step are automatically generated so that a program developing environment can be generated in the ladder language by one action and the one action is given to users as a programming space in the ladder language.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a program development apparatus for a programmable controller, and more particularly to a program development apparatus for a programmable controller that executes a user program in a sequential function chart (SFC) language.

0002

[Prior Art] As a programming language for user programs in programmable controllers, sequential function charts (sequential function charts) can express process steps in the conventional ladder language description format, and can be used to illustrate and program process flows. SFC) language has been proposed.

[0003] Programming a user program using a sequential function chart language is a C
Steps as program elements, actions accompanying the steps,
The process flow can be visualized using transitions and the like in a graphic environment with excellent visibility, and exhibits excellent operability, especially when programming large user programs.

0004

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, programming a user program using a sequential function chart language cannot be done only using the ladder language. Must be able to understand the function chart language and require the user to learn the sequential function chart language.

[0005] Due to the above-mentioned problems, programming a user program using a sequential function chart language tends to be avoided by users who have already learned how to program a user program using a ladder language. This has hindered the use of sequential function chart language for programmable controllers, and manufacturers are now offering advanced programmable controllers in a sequential function chart language and programmable controllers in only a ladder language for users with traditional ladder languages. It becomes necessary to produce a controller.

[0006]Also, it is conceivable to convert a user program written in a ladder language into a user program written in a sequential function chart language by software processing for users using a ladder language, but in this case, it is difficult to develop software for the converter. The present invention, which is necessary and increases the software development capacity, was made by focusing on the above-mentioned problems in programming the user program of the conventional programmable controller, and only the ladder language can be understood. It is an object of the present invention to provide a program development device that allows users to program a user program in a sequential function chart language using only a ladder language.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] According to the present invention, the above-mentioned object is to have steps, actions accompanying the steps, and transitions as program elements, and to evaluate the transitions provided between each step. A program development environment is created in which steps, actions, and transitions are input according to the rules of the sequential function chart language in a program development device for a programmable controller that executes a user program in a sequential function chart language that controls the progress of the In addition to the normal chart type program mode, there is a ladder type program mode. In the ladder type program mode, one step and one accompanying action are automatically created.
This is achieved by a program development device for a programmable controller, which is configured to create a program development environment using a ladder language with one action.

[0008]

[Operation] According to the above-described configuration, when the ladder program mode is selected, one step and one action accompanying it are automatically created, and the automatically created action is transferred to the programming space using the ladder language. will be given to the user as

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a program development apparatus for a programmable controller according to the present invention. The program development device 1 includes a microprocessor 2, a system program memory 3 that stores a system program for programming user programs, a data memory 4 that stores programmed user programs in a readable and writable manner, a keyboard interface 5, and a system program memory 3 that stores a system program for programming user programs. It has a keyboard 6, a display interface 7, a CRT 8, an FDD interface 10, a floppy disk driver 11, an HDD interface 12, a hard disk unit 13, and a PC (programmable controller) interface 14. 15 and the PC
A user program is transferred to and from the main body 15.

The PC main body 15 has the following program elements:
It is configured as a programmable controller that executes a user program in a sequential function chart language that has steps, actions accompanying the steps, and transitions, and controls the progress of the steps by evaluating the transitions provided between each step. .

The system program for user program programming stored in the system program 3 of the program development device 1 has a chart type program mode and a ladder type program mode. , create a program development environment in which actions and transitions are input according to the rules of the sequential function chart language, and in the ladder program mode, one step and one accompanying action are automatically created, and one action A program development environment using the ladder language is now created.

The chart type program mode and the ladder type program mode are selected and set by the user's key input on the keyboard 6.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of the programming mode in the program development apparatus according to the present invention. In the programming mode of the program development apparatus according to the present invention, first, it is determined by the user's key-in on the keyboard 6 whether or not it is the ladder-only mode, that is, the ladder type programming mode (step 10). .

When not in the ladder-only mode, that is, when in the chart type program mode, SFC programming screen display processing is performed to display the SFC programming screen on the CRT 8, and the program development device 1
provides the user with a program development environment in which program elements such as steps, actions, and transitions can be input freely from the keyboard 6 according to the rules of the sequential function chart language (step 20). This allows the user to input program elements such as steps, actions, and transitions from the keyboard 6, and the user creates an SFC program as shown in FIG. 3 (step 30).
), and necessary actions are generated by the user according to each step (step 40).

Next, the user issues a key operation to instruct the transition to the ladder program development environment for each action (step 50), and the ladder programming screen display process is performed to display the ladder programming screen on the CRT 8. is carried out, and the program development device 1
provides a program development environment in which the user can freely input a ladder relay circuit using the keyboard 6 according to the rules of the ladder language for each action (step 60). This allows the user to freely input a ladder relay circuit using the keyboard 6 according to the rules of the ladder language, and the user creates a ladder program for each action as shown in FIG. 5 (step 70). . The completed program is transferred to the PC main body 15 (step 80).

When the ladder only mode, that is, the ladder type program mode is selected, the program development device 1 automatically creates one program step in the sequential function chart language, as shown in FIG. (Step 90), and one action accompanying this one step is automatically generated, and a ladder program development environment is automatically prepared (Step 100). As a result, the ladder programming screen display process is performed, and the ladder programming screen is displayed on the CRT 8, and the program development device 1 can use the keyboard without requiring any other key operations, simply by selecting the ladder programming mode. From Step 6, users are provided with a program development environment in which they can freely input ladder relay circuits according to the rules of the ladder language (Step 6).
0).

[0018] As a result, the user recognizes the ladder programming area within one action as a program space in the ladder language, and all programs are created here only in the ladder language, and the programming of the user program is performed using sequential functions.・It can be done without requiring any knowledge of programming using the chart language. In this case, the PC body assumes that the SFC program has only one action and executes this user program in the same way as other general SFC programs without changing the processing sequence.

[0019]

As can be understood from the above description, according to the programmable controller program development apparatus according to the present invention, if the chart type program mode is selected, program elements such as steps, actions, and transitions can be converted into sequential functions.・Provides the user with an SFC program development environment in which input can be made freely according to the rules of the chart language, and if the ladder program mode is selected, one step and one accompanying action are automatically created, and the SFC program development environment is automatically created. One created action is given to the user as a programming space using the ladder language, and an entire program can be created here only using the ladder language. This allows users who only understand ladder language to program user programs in sequential function chart language.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a program development device for a programmable controller according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a programming mode of the program development device for a programmable controller according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an SFC program.

[Figure 4] Automatically created SFC in ladder program mode
An explanatory diagram showing an example of a program.

[Figure 5] Explanatory diagram showing an example of a relay circuit of a ladder type program

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Program development equipment 2. Microprocessor 3. System program memory 4 Data memory 5 Keyboard interface 6 Keyboard 7 Display interface 8 CRT 10 FDD interface 11 Floppy disk driver 12 HDD interface 13 Hard disk unit 14 PC interface 15　PC body

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: Program elements include steps, actions accompanying the steps, and transitions;
In a program development device for a programmable controller that executes a user program using a sequential function chart language that controls the progression of steps by evaluating the transitions provided between each step, steps, actions, and transitions are In addition to the normal chart program mode, which creates a program development environment where input is performed according to the rules of the chart language, there is also a ladder program mode, in which one step and one accompanying action are executed. A program development device for a programmable controller, characterized in that it is configured to automatically create a program development environment using a ladder language with a single action.