JPH0424722B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for verifying software that is incorporated into a process control device and determines the operation of the process control device.

In a process control device whose operation is determined by software, the quality of the software verification method is one of the important factors that influences the performance of the process control device.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a general system configuration when verifying software using a conventional method. As shown in the figure, a simulated input device 5 is connected to the input section 3 of the process control device 1, and an output display device 6 is connected to the output section 4. First, a certain input pattern is input from the simulated input device 5 to the process control device 1.
Enter. Thereafter, the process control device 1 performs processing based on this input, and the output section 4
The output pattern obtained is read by the output display device 6, and it is checked whether the output pattern is a predetermined output pattern corresponding to the input pattern.

By the way, in this method, it is necessary to separately prepare the input simulation device 5 and the output display device 6. Additionally, if there is a defect in the software, it is necessary to comprehensively judge which part of the software is defective based on the state of the input/output signals, and a certain degree of skill is required to detect the defect. becomes. Furthermore, if the software is changed after the process to be actually controlled is connected to the input and output parts of the process control device, the process to be controlled should be connected to the process control device for verification. It is necessary to disconnect the input simulation device and the output display device, and after verifying the software, the process must be reconnected to the process control device.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a software verification method that eliminates such drawbacks and allows software verification to be easily performed without connecting a special device. .

According to the present invention, this purpose is to divide the entire control processing content into a plurality of control functions, and to create an input data section for storing input data to be processed and an input data section corresponding to each control function. Control consisting of a function description section that describes and stores the content to be processed in an optimal description language, a function description language type storage section that indicates the type of the description language, and an output data section that stores the results of processing input data. A control block, a connection table that instructs the transfer of the data of the control block, a transfer of the data of the control block according to the connection table, and a description language of the function description section with reference to the function description language type storage section. A process control device is configured from an arithmetic processing device that decodes and executes the data, and after giving a command to disable data transfer of the control block according to the connection table,
For each control block, a predetermined input pattern is added to the input data section and processing is performed according to the contents of the function description section, and the data in the output data section obtained as a result of this processing is a predetermined input pattern corresponding to the input pattern. This is achieved by checking the output pattern of each control block and verifying the software of each control block.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

First, the configuration of a process control device to which a software verification method according to the present invention is applied will be described. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a process control device to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, 7 is an arithmetic processing unit, 8 is a common bus, 9 is a main memory, and 10 is a process input/output device. There is. The arithmetic processing unit 7, main memory 9, and process input/output device 10 are connected to each other via a common bus 8. In such a configuration, software is created in the following steps.

1 Understand the overall control processing content and divide it into multiple control functions.

2. Assign one control block to each control function.

3 Create a connection table between control blocks and specify data transfer between blocks.

4. Select and describe the processing content of each control block by selecting the most suitable description language for each process. For example, a sequence table is used for relatively simple sequence control, a problem-oriented language is used for sequence control that involves many complex judgments, a combination of function modules is used for processing that mainly involves feedback control and analog calculations, etc. Furthermore, we choose assembler language for very specific control processing.

Software creation is completed through these steps, and a conceptual diagram of this software creation is shown in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, control blocks A, B, C, and D assigned to each control function are
Input data sections 11a to 11d store the input data to be processed, respectively, and output data section 12a stores the results of processing the input data.
to 12d, a function description section 14 that describes and stores contents for processing input data in various description languages;
a to 14d, functional description language type storage units 13a to 13d indicating the type of the description language,
The overall control processing content is realized by connecting the input data portions 11a to 11d and output data portions 12a to 12d of each control block on software in correspondence with the control processing content. Then, a plurality of control blocks as shown in FIG. 3 (Four control blocks are shown in FIG. 3, but of course the number is not limited to this number) are contained within one shelf. are stored to configure a process control device. Input/output cards are inserted into this shelf. In addition, in order to configure a highly functional system, multiple shelves may be used to connect the control blocks within each shelf. The entire system with such a configuration will be explained using FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, if there are four control blocks A, B, C, and D in one shelf 15, the input data sections and output data sections of these control blocks A, B, C, and D are as follows. It is connected to the input control section 16 or the output control section 17, or further connected to the input data section 15a or output data section 15b of the shelf 15, and then to the control blocks in other shelves. In addition,
Depending on the shelf, the control block and input control section 1
6. Some devices do not have a connection to the output control section 17.

Each such control block is specifically
It is stored in the main memory 9 shown in the figure. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of this main memory 9, and each control block A, B, C, D has an input data section 11a to 11d shown in FIG. 3, an output data section 12a to 12d, and a functional description language. Type storage section 13a to 1
3d, and function description sections 14a to 14d are provided. In addition to such control blocks, the main memory 9 is also provided with an inter-control block connection table 9. This control block connection table 1
Reference numeral 8 designates data transfer between each control block, and a table is constructed for each input data in the input data section of each control block. In addition, the control block, output control section 17, and shelf 1
In order to specify the transfer of data between the output data section 15b of 5 or between the Shelf 15, the output control section 17 and the input data section 15a of the Shelf 15,
The output data section 15b is regarded as a control block, and a connection table 19 for each input data of the output control section, a connection table 20 for each data of the output data section 15b of the shelf 15, and a connection table 20 for each data of the output data section 15b of the shelf 15 are provided.
A connection table (inter-shelf connection table) 21 is configured for each data in the input data section 15a. Note that the connection between the input control section 16 and the control block is unnecessary because it is specified in the control block connection table for each input data in the input data section of the control block.

Input data section 11b of control block B in FIG.
An example of the connection table is shown in FIG. Third
In the figure, the second input data of control block B,
The 4th and 32nd output data are connected to the 34th output data of control block C, the 33rd output data of control block A, and the 63rd output data of control block A, respectively. Therefore, the connection table is composed of a control block number section 22 and an output data number section 23.
2 and the second input data of the output data number section 23,
Control block numbers C, A, and A output data numbers 34, 33, and 63 are stored in locations corresponding to the 4th and 32nd blocks, respectively. When the input data section of the control block is connected to the input data section or input control section of the shelf, the number of the shelf or the number of the input control section is written in the control block number section. Further, the numbers of other shelves are written in the control block number section of the connection table in the input data section of the shelf 15. Note that a data area (not shown) is provided in the main memory 9 so that the input control section 16, the output control section 17, and the input data section and output data section of the shelf are regarded as control blocks.

In such a configuration, the arithmetic processing unit 7 sets the data of the output data section of the connection destination in the input data section of each control block according to each connection table. Note that the input data section of the shelf is set with the data of the output data section of another shelf, and the output control section is set with the data of the data section of the control block to which it is connected. After that, the arithmetic processing unit 7 refers to the function description language type storage section, learns in which language the function description section is written, processes the data in the input data section according to the description, and outputs the result. Set it in the data section. The arithmetic processing unit 7 executes this series of procedures for each control block in numerical order of the control blocks, thereby realizing the entire control processing content. Note that the input control section 16,
The processing of the output control unit 17, control blocks corresponding to the input data section and output data section of the shelf, takes in input from the controlled object, outputs output, and also takes in data from other shelves and control blocks. things will be done. In order to realize such a procedure, the arithmetic processing unit 7
has built-in software to decipher and execute each functional description language.

Next, a method for verifying the software of the process control device configured as described above will be explained.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system when a device for verifying software is connected to a process control device. In the figure, 24 is a process control device, 25 is a man-machine interface device, and 26 is a CRT device. , 27 indicate a hard copy device. Man-machine interface device 2
5 is what the process control device 24 normally has. A method for verifying software in such a system will be explained using FIGS. 8a and 8b. FIGS. 8a and 8b show conceptual diagrams of the process control apparatus when software verification is not performed and when software verification is performed, respectively. In addition, in FIG. 8, it is assumed that there is no connection between the shields. If the software is not verified, see Figure 8a.
As shown in the figure, the input card 28, output card 29, and control block 30 in the process control device 24 are connected, and the process control device 24 transfers commands and information from the man-machine interface device 25 to the interface section 33. The arithmetic processing unit 31 performs overall control processing according to the connection table 32.

On the other hand, when verifying software, the connections between the input control section 28, output control section 29, and control block 30 are disabled and the input/output data of each control block is Avoid forwarding. Specifically, the process control device 24 is connected to the man-machine interface device 25.
An instruction to invalidate the connection is given to the program, and the invalid connection flag, which is referred to during program execution, is set to "1". The arithmetic processing unit 31 refers to this connection invalid flag as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, and if this flag is "0", it newly imports the data of the connection destination according to the connection table and then executes the process. performs processing and writes output data as the processing result,
If this flag is "1", no input data is taken in, the data that has already been taken in is used for processing, and output data as a processing result is written. By doing so, only the processing described in the functional description language is performed without passing data between the input control section, output control section, and control block.

In such a state, the data of the control block in the main memory mentioned above is read out according to instructions from the man-machine interface device 25, and is transferred to the CRT device 26 (FIG. 7) on the CRT screen 34 of FIG.
As shown in the figure, the data in the input data section 36, output data section 37, function description language type storage section 38, and function description section 39 are displayed in the form of a control block 35 (note that the function description section 39 is not displayed in the form of a control block 35). (omitted if applicable). Then, after writing the input pattern in the input data section 36 of the control block by the man-machine interface device 25, processing according to the function description section 39 is performed, and the processing result is written in the output data section 37. CRT screen 3
Display on 4. This processing result is read by the man-machine interface device 25 to check whether it is a predetermined pattern corresponding to the input pattern. By performing such processing for each control block, it is possible to verify the software for each control block. If necessary, a CRT screen showing the software verification results can be captured on the hard copy device 27. After the verification of each control block is completed, the man-machine interface device 25 gives a connection enable command to the process control device 24 to set the connection invalid flag to "0", and the state shown in FIG. Start control.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to set verification data and check calculated data from the man-machine interface device, so there is no need to prepare a separate device. Also,
By structuring the software of the process control device in such a way that the control blocks are connected by wires, and by disabling those connections during software verification, the connection between the process to be controlled and the process control device is not severed. Verification of software can be performed at the same time. Furthermore, since verification can be performed for each control block, even if there is a problem with the software, the location can be easily detected.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram using a conventional software verification method, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a process control device to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of software creation for the process control device, and FIG. The figure is an overall system diagram of the process control device, Figure 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the main memory, Figure 6 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a connection table between control blocks, and Figure 7 is a system using the software verification method of the present invention. 8 is a conceptual diagram of the process control device in the software verification method according to the present invention, FIG. 9 is an operation flowchart of the arithmetic processing device during software verification according to the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a diagram during software verification. of
Shows a CRT screen. 7... Arithmetic processing unit, 8... Common bus, 9...
Main memory, 10...Process input/output device, A,
B, C, D...control table, 11a to 11
d...Input data section, 12a to 12d...Output data section, 13a to 13d...Function description language type storage section, 14a to 14d...Function description section, 15...Sielf, 16, 28...Input control section , 17, 29...output control section, 18, 19, 2
0, 21... Connection table, 25... Man-machine interface device, 26... CRT device, 27
...Hardcopy device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Divide the overall control processing content into multiple control functions, and create an input data section that stores input data to be processed in correspondence with each control function, and an optimal description language for processing the input data. A control block consisting of a function description section that is written and stored in a function description language, a function description language type storage section that indicates the type of the description language, and an output data section that stores the results of processing input data, and the data of the control block. a connection table for instructing the transfer of the data; and an arithmetic processing unit that executes the transfer of control block data according to the connection table, and decodes and executes the description language of the function description section by referring to the function description language type storage section. This is for verifying the software of a process control device equipped with a Add a predetermined input pattern to the function description section, perform processing according to the contents of the function description section, and check whether the data in the output data section obtained as a result of this processing is a predetermined output pattern corresponding to the input pattern. A software verification method for a process control device, characterized in that software of each control block is verified by checking.