JPH0439082B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved graphical programming apparatus for programmable controllers.

As is well known, this type of CRT graphical programming device is provided in medium-sized or larger programmable controllers, and is used to operate key input devices.
By simply displaying a ladder circuit diagram with circuit element symbols such as A contacts and B contacts, and connection symbols such as horizontal connections and vertical connections on the CRT screen, users can easily perform the specified programming. It has been devised in such a way.

That is, programming is performed as follows. First, use the cursor movement keys to move the cursor to the display section on the CRT screen where you want the symbol to be displayed. Next, by operating an arbitrary symbol key, numeric key, etc., a desired symbol and its number are displayed in the display section specified by the cursor. After confirming that there are no errors, operate the write key to input a completion signal. When this completion signal is input, the display state of the symbol display in the display section designated by the cursor on the CRT screen changes from low brightness to high brightness, for example. This allows the user to easily distinguish between confirmed symbols and unconfirmed symbols during the program creation process.

By the way, in ladder circuit diagrams configured on a-contacts and b-contacts, a-contacts are generally used frequently. This shows that in the above programming, the a-contact symbol key is used more frequently among the operation keys of the key input device.

However, this type of CRT graphical programming device is a device in which the user creates a program while interacting with the programmable controller by operating the key input device as described above, that is, a man-machine interface that connects the programmable controller and the user. Since the key input device is provided as a face, it is desirable that the operation of the key input device be as simple as possible for the user.

Therefore, this invention focuses on the frequently used A contact in a ladder circuit diagram, and when the cursor movement key is operated, the A contact symbol is automatically displayed in the display area indicated by the cursor in a correctable state. At the same time, if the cursor movement key is operated without using the a-contact symbol, the a-contact symbol at the old cursor position will be automatically deleted, while if the write key is input, the a
A diagram with good operability that displays the contact symbol in a corrected state, displays the NO contact symbol in a confirmed state without operating the NO contact symbol key, and reduces the frequency of operation of the NO contact symbol key. The purpose of this invention is to provide an expression programming device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a CRT graphical programming device according to the present invention. This device consists of a CPU (microprocessor) 1 and a ROM 2 that stores programs executed by CPU 1.
and a RAM 3 used as a temporary storage area for various variable data by the CPU 1, a key input device 4, a CRT display device 5,
An interface circuit 6 to which a programmable controller 7 is connected is provided.

The above-mentioned CRT display device 5 is a CRT that performs overall synchronization control, cursor display position control by key input, symbol display control, etc. with the CRT 51.
Control circuit 52 and character generator 53
a data memory 54 in which data to be displayed on the CRT 51 is stored in the form of a character code; a flag memory 55 in which control flags are set in one-to-one correspondence with each data in the data memory 54; For flag memory 55
multiplexers 56 and 57 that switch whether the CRT control circuit 52 or the CPU 1 accesses; a parallel-to-serial conversion circuit 58 that converts parallel data read from the character generator 53 into serial data; and a CRT control circuit 52 and It operates in response to a control signal from the flag memory 55 and converts the video signal output from the parallel-to-serial conversion circuit 58.
It also includes a video control circuit 59 that supplies information to the CRT 51 for display.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of the key arrangement in the key input device 4. As shown in FIG. The key input device 4 is used to input symbol keys 41 corresponding to each circuit element symbol used when creating a program and connection symbols indicating connection/release of each circuit element, as well as numerical data such as circuit element numbers and program addresses. numeric keypad 42 and 1 key when creating a program.
A write key 43 is used to input a completion signal when symbol creation is completed, and is used to change or delete the display contents of the relevant display section on the CRT screen after pressing the write key 43. A correction key 44 is used to change the display state to a correctable display state, a delete key 45 is used to delete the display of the display section in a correctable state, and a cursor is pressed to move the display section on the CRT screen up, down, left and right. and a cursor movement key 46 for moving the cursor.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the display screen of the CRT 51. As shown in the figure, the display section where the ladder circuit diagram is displayed consists of 192 display sections specified by coordinates X0, Y0 to X15, Y11, and each display section displays one symbol and its number above and below. It's becoming like that. As a specific example, one display section is composed of a total of 10 character areas, two in length and five in width, for example. The character generator 53 stores numerical patterns to be displayed in one character area and display patterns of symbols such as a contacts, b contacts, relay coils, connection lines, etc., in an appropriately divided form. A pattern code (including a character code, of course) is determined for each of these display pattern data, and the display data is stored in the data memory 54 in the form of this pattern code. At this time, the display data of the a-contact is set in the data memory 54, and the symbol of the a-contact is automatically displayed in a correctable state in the display section indicated by the cursor. Further, in response to a symbol key input or a numeric key input, respective display data is set in the data memory 54, and a predetermined display is made respectively in the display section indicated by the cursor. A control flag (consisting of a plurality of bits) corresponding one-to-one with each pattern code in the data memory 54 is stored in the flag memory 55. These control flags are used to set various control signals (the video control circuit 49 operates based on these) that determine the manner in which the display pattern of the corresponding pattern code is displayed on the display screen of the CRT 51. includes a flag (referred to as a brightness flag F1 in this embodiment) for controlling the display state of each display section. In other words, the display status of this display section is that there is a write key input and the symbol displayed in the display section has been confirmed, and the symbol that has not yet been confirmed and is displayed in the display section is There is a state indicating that correction is possible. In this embodiment, when the brightness flag F1 is F1=0, low brightness indicates that the symbol can be corrected, and when F1=1, high brightness indicates that the symbol has been confirmed. The symbol of the a contact point, which is displayed brightly by the above-mentioned cursor movement key input, is displayed with low brightness.

Further, this flag memory 55 is provided with an automatic display flag F2 according to the present invention, and this automatic display flag F2 is set when the a contact symbol is automatically displayed by inputting a cursor movement key. Operation keys 41, 42, 43, 4
It is reset when each input is made by pressing 5 and 46. In other words, this automatic display flag F2 indicates that the a-contact symbol is displayed in a correctable state in the display area indicated by the cursor, and if only the cursor movement key 46 is pressed continuously, the cursor will move. , If there is no symbol displayed in the display section where the cursor is newly located, that is, the new cursor position, the a contact symbol will be automatically displayed when the cursor comes to the new cursor position, and the symbol will be displayed at the new cursor position. The display section where the cursor has been located until now, that is, the a-contact symbol at the old cursor position is automatically erased by resetting the automatic display flag F2 of that display section. Furthermore, if the cursor movement key 46 is pressed to automatically display the a-contact symbol, and then the b-contact symbol key 41 is pressed, for example, the a-contact symbol display is switched to the b-contact symbol display, and the automatic display flag F2 is reset. be done. Further, when the cursor movement key 46 and the write key 43 are pressed successively, the a contact symbol display changes from low brightness to high brightness and the automatic display flag F2 is reset.

This invention aims to simplify the complicated key operations of the key input device 4 by reducing the number of operations of the frequently used symbol key 41 of the a contact point. This will be explained based on the figure and FIG.

Figure 4 shows that when you move the cursor K while creating a ladder circuit diagram by displaying arbitrary symbols in each display section on the CRT screen, the a contact symbol appears at that position with low brightness (the broken line in the figure shows )
This shows the state where the brightness is displayed. In addition,
The display state indicated by the solid line in the figure indicates that the display becomes high brightness due to input of the write key.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an overview of the display control program executed by the CPU 1, and particularly shows the parts related to the present invention. The process will be explained below according to this flowchart.

When the key input device 4 is operated, this is first detected in step 100, and the key input device 4 is detected in step 100.
Routines 2, 103, 104, 105 and 106 are executed to determine what type of key input.

First, if the key input is a cursor movement key input, the process proceeds from step 101 to step 107, and the state of the brightness flag F1 corresponding to the display section at the new cursor position is checked. As a result, F
If 1=1, only the cursor is displayed in the display section because the display section is displayed with high brightness due to the input of the write key as described above.
If F1=0, this indicates that the display section is displayed at low brightness and can be corrected, so the process proceeds to step 108, and the automatic display flag F2 corresponding to the display section at the old cursor position is set to F2=0. 1
It is determined whether or not. As a result, F2=0
If so, the NO contact symbol that was automatically displayed in the display area at the old cursor position has been changed through some process, for example, to display a B contact symbol, by inputting a key other than the cursor movement key or the correction key. The new cursor position is 109.
The location on the CRT display screen is checked. That is, on the CRT display screen shown in FIG. 3, each display section located on the coordinate axis X14 is an area in which only the relay coil, which is an output symbol, is displayed, and each display section located on the coordinate axes X0 to Since this area is defined as the area where input symbols such as connected symbols are displayed, this is determined in step 110.
As a result, when the new cursor position is in the output symbol area, only the cursor is displayed in that display section. Then, when the new cursor position is in the input symbol area, it is checked in step 110 whether or not a symbol is already displayed in the display area. If the result is YES, only the cursor is displayed, and if the result is NO, then Proceeding to step 111, the display data of the a contact is set in the data memory 54. As a result, as shown in Figure 4,
Since the a-contact symbol is automatically displayed in the display section indicated by the cursor K, the automatic display flag F2 is set to F2=1 in step 112 in preparation for the next key input.

On the other hand, if the automatic display flag F2 is F2 = 1 in step 108, the cursor movement key input was continued without any processing being performed on the a contact symbol that was automatically displayed in the display section at the old cursor position. Then, in step 113, the automatic display flag F2 corresponding to the display section at the old cursor position is reset, and the a contact symbol displayed in that display section is erased, and the process proceeds to step 109, where the automatic display flag F2 corresponding to the display section at the new cursor position is reset. Perform each of the above processes.

Further, when a write key input is detected in step 102, it is checked in step 115 whether or not there is a symbol in the display area pointed by the cursor.
If YES, the type of the symbol is checked in step 116. If the symbol is an a-contact symbol, the automatic display flag F2 is reset in step 117, and the brightness flag F1 is set in step 118, so that the display section is displayed with high brightness. That is, the a-contact symbol is displayed in a confirmed state. If the symbol is a symbol other than the a-contact, the process proceeds to step 118 and the symbol is displayed with high brightness.

Next, when a correction key input for correcting the symbol displayed in high brightness is detected in step 103, it is checked in step 119 whether or not there is a symbol in the display area indicated by the cursor.
If YES, the brightness flag F1 is set in step 120.
The display section is reset to a state where it can be corrected, and is ready for the next key input.

Further, when a delete key input to display an arbitrary symbol and delete it before confirming it with the write key 43 is detected in step 104, in step 121 the brightness flag F1 is set to F1=
It is checked whether it is 0 or not, and if YES,
At step 122, all symbols displayed in the display area pointed to by the cursor are erased. At this time, if this delete key input is immediately after the cursor movement key input in the input symbol area, the symbol is an a-contact symbol and the automatic display flag F2 is set, so step 12 is performed.
3 to reset this.

Further, when a numeric key input is detected in step 105, it is checked in step 124 whether the brightness flag F1 corresponding to the display section indicated by the cursor is F1=1, and if YES, the brightness flag F1 is checked in step 125. Then, a number is displayed above the circuit element symbol displayed in the display section as shown in FIG. At this time, if the numeric key input is immediately after the cursor movement key input in the input symbol area, the displayed circuit element symbol is an a-contact symbol, and the automatic display flag F2 is set, so step 126 is executed. Reset this with .

Further, when a symbol key input is detected in step 106, the brightness flag F1 corresponding to the display section indicated by the cursor is set to F1=0 in step 127.
is checked, and if YES,
At step 128, a predetermined circuit element symbol is displayed in the display section. At this time, if the symbol key input is immediately after the cursor movement key input in the input symbol area, the a-contact symbol is changed to, for example, the b-contact symbol, and the automatic display flag F2 is set. 129 to reset this.

Note that steps 115, 119, 121, 12
If the result of the determination at step 4, 127 is NO, an operation error is detected and a key-in error is displayed at step 130.

In this embodiment, the display status of the display section on the CRT display screen can be identified by low brightness and high brightness, but as shown in FIG. The object of the present invention can also be achieved by displaying each status with a dotted line.

As explained above, in the graphical programming device for a programmable controller according to the present invention, as the cursor is moved by inputting the cursor movement key, the frequently used a contact symbol is placed in the display area indicated by the cursor in a state where it can be corrected. If the write key is not input and the cursor movement key is subsequently input at that time, the A contact symbol in that display section will be automatically erased, but when the write key is input, the A contact symbol will be automatically displayed. Since the symbol is displayed in a corrected state, the a-contact symbol is displayed in a confirmed state without operating the a-contact symbol key, and the frequency of operation of the a-contact symbol key can be extremely reduced. As a result, the operability of the key input device is improved and the efficiency of program creation is improved.

Furthermore, since it becomes clear that the display section in which the a-contact symbol is automatically displayed as the cursor moves is the input symbol area, there is an advantage that the efficiency of programming can be improved from this point as well.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a CRT graphical programming device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of the key arrangement in a key input device, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a CRT display screen. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the area, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the a contact symbol is automatically displayed in the display section indicated by the cursor position during program creation, and FIG. 5 is a diagram mainly showing the display control according to the present invention. 3 is a flowchart of a display control program shown in FIG. 1...CPU, 2...ROM, 3...RAM, 4
...Key input device, 5...CRT display device, 6...
...Interface circuit, 7...Programmable controller, K...Cursor, F1...Brightness flag, F2...Automatic display flag.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A symbol key that instructs to display the correctable state of symbols of each circuit element, etc. in a display section on the display screen, and a symbol key that is pressed when moving the cursor to instruct the movement of the cursor and its direction. Receiving each of the above instructions from a key input device having a cursor movement key and a write key that is pressed when the symbol displayed in the display section is in the correctable state and instructs to display the confirmed state of the symbol, Display the circuit diagram that becomes the source program on the display device,
and whether or not the symbol is displayed in the display section where the cursor is newly positioned in accordance with the movement of the cursor by pressing the cursor movement key in a graphical programming device equipped with a function to convert this into a user program. and a display means for automatically displaying the symbol of the a contact in a correctable state in the display section where the cursor is newly located when it is confirmed by the above confirmation means that the symbol is not displayed in the display section where the cursor is newly located. and erasing means for automatically erasing the a-contact symbol in the display section when a cursor movement input is made using the cursor movement key without any instruction using the write key in the display section in which the a-contact symbol is displayed. The symbol of the NO contact is automatically displayed in the display section indicated by the cursor in a correctable state, and when the write key is input, the symbol of the NO contact is displayed in the confirmed state. A diagrammatic method of a programmable controller characterized by: