JPH05224706A - Method and device for automatic production of control program - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically produce a proper control program in accordance with the constitution of the relevant control subject by inputting the target operation related to the function specifications of the control subject through a user. CONSTITUTION:An operational processor 1 automatically selects an operating element accordant with the constitution of a control subject based on the target operation of the control subject inputted from an input device 2. Then the executing order of those selected operating elements is automatically decided for supplement and correction of these elements. Thus a control program is automatically produced. If some information is needed for production of the control program, the guidance is shown by a display device 3 and the due processing is carried on. In such a constitution, it is possible to extremely reduce the burden on a designer required for decision of the proper executing order of operations accordant with the constitution of the control subject.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically generating a control program of a programmable controller with the support of a computer, and more particularly, to automatic generation of a control program for generating an intended control program from a rough operation of a control target. A method and apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A programmable controller used for controlling various plants outputs an input signal to an operating device of a plant according to a control program from output signals from a detector of a plant or a host computer. The control program describes the operating sequence and operating conditions of various equipment according to the plant status to achieve the desired processing, and the creation of complicated processing corresponding to the controlled object is required. Becomes That is, the designer needs to determine a different processing procedure depending on the configuration and specifications of the equipment of the intended processing plant or the specifications of the intended processing. In order to facilitate the creation of such a control program, various computer utilization techniques have been developed. JP-A-1
In the device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 245305, knowledge related to constraint relation information such as satisfaction condition, stop condition, and constraint of each operation of a controlled object is stored in association with the state of the controlled object or system is stored. Control object knowledge, input means for inputting outline information of the target motion of the object, and target knowledge about the corresponding motion from the outline information of the target motion input via the input means, the object knowledge And a program generation unit that searches the storage unit, determines transition conditions between the target actions based on the knowledge of the object, and generates a target control program. The outline of the target actions is given through the input unit. Then, the program generation control means retrieves the object knowledge related to the target motion, determines the transition condition between the target motions based on this knowledge, and determines the target control program. To generate. Generally, the control operation of various controlled objects is composed of a combination of a plurality of operation elements in order to perform a desired function. Further, the execution order of these operation elements differs depending on the device configuration and functional specifications of the controlled object. In the method of determining the transition condition between the target actions based on only the control object knowledge and generating the target control program, only the transition condition is generated.
It is necessary for the designer to input the selection of the control elements and the determination of the execution order in order to achieve the intended function. Therefore, in order to automatically generate a control program from a higher-level control specification, a plurality of operation elements for fulfilling the intended function are selected, and further, operation elements according to the device configuration and the functional specification of the controlled object are selected. A means for determining the execution order of is required.

[0003]

As described above, the prior art is as follows.
To create a control program that meets the specified control specifications, the designer selects the multiple operating elements necessary to perform the desired functions, and further operates according to the device configuration and functional specifications of the controlled object. Since it is necessary to determine the execution order of the elements, there is a problem that human work is involved, the program generation efficiency is low, and human error is likely to occur. The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and the purpose thereof is to specify a control specification at a functional specification level as input information, and to specify a plurality of functions necessary for performing a desired function. Control program automatic generation that enables automatic generation of control programs by automatically selecting the operating elements of the control object and automatically determining the execution order of the operating elements according to the device configuration and functional specifications of the controlled object. It is to provide a generation method and apparatus.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, in the control program automatic generation method according to the present invention, operation element information in which information regarding a control function is determined according to a device configuration and a device functional specification. And an executable condition of the operating element and an execution order determination criterion of the operating element, the control specification and the executable condition of the operating element and the execution order are generated when a control program that satisfies the specified control specification is generated by using the information. It includes a process of determining operation elements that satisfy the control specifications and their execution order from the decision criteria, and a process of generating a control program in accordance with the determined execution order.

[0005]

[Operation] Selection of an operation element that conforms to the equipment configuration and functional specification of the control target object that satisfies the target control specification by having the operation element information determined according to the equipment configuration and the equipment functional specification Is possible. In addition, by having the information about the control function including the executability condition of the operation element and the execution order determination criterion of the operation element, the execution order according to the device configuration of the control object of the selected operation element and the function specification of the device can be obtained. It is possible to make a decision, and by complementing / correcting the action elements so as to match the decided execution order of the action elements, automatic generation of the control program can be realized.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, the configuration of the control program automatic generation device according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows the configuration. According to this, reference numeral 1 is an arithmetic processing unit which serves as a control program generating means, and includes an arithmetic unit 1a, an intermediate data storage unit 1b, a processing procedure storage unit 1c, a display device interface 1d, an input device interface 1e, a communication control unit 1f and An external storage device input / output interface 1g is provided, and 1a to 1g are connected via a bus 1h. The processing procedure stored in the processing procedure storage unit 1c is called from the sequential operation unit 1a and executed. The arithmetic processing device 1 is connected to the input device 2 via the input device interface 1e.
Control specifications and other information are input from the input device 2. Further, the arithmetic processing device 1 is connected to the display device 3 via the display device interface 1d. The display device 3 displays the generated control program, information about intermediate products obtained in the process of generating the control program, request for insufficient information, and the like in the form of graphics or text. Also,
The arithmetic processing unit 1 is connected to a controlled object information storage unit 4, a plant control knowledge storage unit 5, a control program module storage unit 6 and a control program module selection / correction knowledge storage unit 7 via an external storage unit input / output interface 1g. The necessary information is read and written according to the processing procedure stored in the processing procedure storage unit 1c. In addition, the arithmetic processing device 1
Can be connected to the programmable controller 8 that controls the controlled object 9 via the communication control unit 1f. The programmable controller 8 controls the controlled object 9 according to the control program output from the arithmetic processing device 1.

FIG. 2 shows a processing procedure executed in the arithmetic processing unit 1. The operation of the control program automatic generation device according to the present invention will now be described. << Step 11 >> A target operation serving as control specification information is input via the input device 2. << Step 12 >> The target operation information corresponding to the target operation input in step 11 is referred to the plant control knowledge. The plant control knowledge is stored in the plant control knowledge storage device 5
3 is stored in the form of a frame 21 as shown in FIG. 3, and the motion element corresponding to the target motion can be referred to from the item: "related motion element". In this example, it is shown that the target operation “coil automatic insertion” has the operation elements of “coil diameter measurement”, “height adjustment”, “coil width measurement” and “coil insertion”. In other words, in order to perform the target operation of "automatic coil insertion", that is, to automatically insert the coiled material into the reel of the processing device from a predetermined position, the diameter of the coil is measured and the center of the coil in the radial direction is the reel. Adjust the height to match the height of the coil, measure the width of the coil, and insert so that the center of the coil is at a predetermined position on the reel. As described above, it is shown that "coil diameter measurement", "height adjustment", "coil width measurement", and "coil insertion" are necessary as operating elements. << Step 13 >> Whether or not there is target motion information corresponding to the target motion is determined from the result of reference in step 12. << Step 14 >> When there is target operation information, an operation element corresponding to the target operation is searched from the plant control knowledge,
Read. << Step 15 >> When there is no target motion information, it is displayed on the display device 3 that the motion element corresponding to the target motion is not registered, and the motion element corresponding to the target motion is input via the input device 2. It << Step 16 >> The target operation and the operation element input in Step 15 are written and stored in the plant control knowledge storage device 5 as the target operation information of the plant control knowledge in a format such as the frame 21 of FIG. << Step 17 >> The number of motion elements corresponding to the target motion is evaluated. << Step 18 >> If there are multiple motion elements,
Performs processing to determine the execution order of operation elements based on control program module selection / correction knowledge and control object information.

FIG. 4 shows the processing of step 18 in more detail. The control program module selection / correction knowledge is stored in the control program module selection / correction knowledge storage device 7, as shown in FIG.
It is stored in the format. In this example, the module name “r_
"lift_msr_01", "r_lift_hset
_01 ”,“ r_coilcar_msr_01 ”,
"R_coilcar_pset_01", "r_li
"Operation" of "ft_msr_02", "used device / type", "used detector / type", "executable condition",
"End state", "post-execution generated data", and "module correction data" can be referred to. The control object information is stored in the control object information storage device 4 in the form of a table 43 or a table 44 as shown in FIG. In this example, the table 43 is a detector type of detector numbers 1 to 6, a detector name, a format, a device name, a value indicating a moving distance per digit in the case of a PLG (pulse generator type) detector, and The mounting position and height of the detector with respect to the reference point in the controlled object are items: “type”, “use”, “type”, “device”, “mm / d”
“Igit”, “position”, and “height” can be referred to. Further, in the table 44, the device type, the device name, the device format and the device name of the operation device of the device numbers 1 and 2 are items: “type”, “device name”, “format”,
It can be referred to from the "device". Now,
The processing procedure shown in FIG. 4 will be described. <Step 22> In the program module corresponding to each operation element, the presence / absence of an object that matches the device configuration of the information control object is checked by referring to the selection / correction / correction information of the program module. That is, the target operation shown in the frame 21 of the plant control knowledge, that is, "coil automatic insertion"
When searching for a program module candidate corresponding to the operating element “coil diameter measurement” of FIG.
The frame corresponding to the selection / correction knowledge of the program module “r_lift_msr_01” with reference to the item: “operation” from the control program module selection / correction knowledge of ˜42, and the usage used is “coil diameter measurement”. 38 and "r_lift_msr_0
The frame 42 corresponding to the selection / correction knowledge of "2" is selected. Next, in order to check whether the information control target of the program module matches the device configuration, the information corresponding to the item: “Used detector / type” is referenced in frames 38 and 42. In the case of the frame 42, a lifter position detector and a coil diameter detector are used as detectors, and NL and CMD are read as detector types. Further, in the detector list stored as the control object information table 43, a search is performed for items whose information of "detector name" is a lifter position detector and a coil diameter detector, and detection corresponding to the detector list is performed. When there is a detector having a device name, the type of the corresponding detector is referred to as the information of the item: “type” and compared with the detector type read from the frame 42. After the above processing, there is a detector having a detector name corresponding to the control object information, and a program module having the same detector type is selected. That is,
In this example, “r_lift_msr_02” is selected. Similarly, the program module is searched for other operation elements, and "r_lift_msr_01",
"R_lift_hset_01", "r_coilc
ar_msr_01 "," r_coilcar_pse "
t_01 ”is selected. When a plurality of program modules are selected for the same operating element, one having a large number of devices and detectors to be used may be selected. <Step 23> Examine the existence of usable program modules corresponding to all operation elements required for the target operation. <Step 24> When there is no program module corresponding to the action element, the action element name for which the program module does not exist is displayed on the display device 3, and the program module and its selection / correction information are input via the input device 2. .. <Step 25> The information input in step 24 is added to the control program module selection / correction knowledge storage device 7 and stored as control program module selection / correction knowledge. <Step 26> Control program module storage device 6
To the program module input in step 24. <Step 27> A candidate for an action element that satisfies the executable condition of the program module is selected. That is, the program module “r_lift_msr_01”,
"R_lift_hset_01", "r_coilc
ar_msr_01 "," r_coilcar_pse "
"t_01", "r_lift_msr_02" selection
The item of frames 38 to 42 which is the correction knowledge: “executability condition” is referred to. The item: “executability condition” holds information such as device status and input data as conditions to be satisfied before execution of the program module. The executability condition of the frame 39 corresponding to the program module "r_lift_hset_01" is that the data corresponding to the coil diameter is required as input data before the program module is executed, and that the position of the carriage is the lifter height adjustment position. Show. The operating element satisfying the executability condition of the program module does not need the input data at the time of execution, or selects the one output by the already executed program module by referring to the intermediate state information.
The intermediate state information is stored in the intermediate data storage unit 1 of the arithmetic processing device 1.
In FIG. 7B, the final state of the controlled object and the output data when the operation element whose execution order has already been determined are held in the format shown in the "intermediate state information" frame 45 of FIG. It can be referred to in "previous state" and "outputted data". Therefore, in this example, the program modules “r_lift_msr_01”, “r_coilca”
r_msr_01 ”is selected as a candidate. <Step 28> The action element execution order decision criterion corresponding to the action element candidate executable condition is searched from the action element execution order decision criterion information. The operation element execution order determination reference information is held in the plant control knowledge storage device 5 in a format as shown in the "operation element execution order determination reference information" frame 46 of FIG. 8, and the order determination reference corresponding to the executable condition of the module is stored. In this example, if the executable condition is the position, the order determination criterion is that the distance (Z-Yi) between the position (Z) in the previous state and the position (Yi) of the executable condition is the minimum. Is the next operating element. In addition, X represents a device name, and in this example, a dolly. <Step 29> The presence or absence of the action element execution order determination criterion corresponding to the executability condition of the action element candidate is determined. <Step 30> If there is no action element execution order determination criterion, the display device 3 displays the action element candidate executability condition, and the action element execution order determination criterion is input via the input device 2. <Step 31> The control element data is searched for the determining element information of the execution order of the action elements. That is, in the case of the present example, the feasible condition is that the carriage is located at the position of the diameter detector and the width detector, and the "operation element execution order determination reference information"
When the feasible condition is the position in the frame 46, the order determination criterion is the next action when the distance (Z-Yi) between the position (Z) in the previous state and the position (Yi) of the feasible condition is the smallest. Since it is shown that the elements are elements, the determining element information of the execution order is the positions of the diameter detector and the width detector. From the detector list 43 of the control object information, the position of the diameter detector and the width detector, 2000 And 8000 are searched. Further, the previous state of the intermediate state information frame 45 is searched to evaluate the position of the vehicle in the previous state, and the vehicle position is found to be the reference point (0). <Step 32> The presence or absence of the determining element information of the execution order in the control object information is determined. <Step 33> When there is no determinant element information of the execution order, the deficient decision criterion information is displayed on the display device 3, and the determinant element information is input through the input device 2. <Step 34> The execution order of the action elements is evaluated from the execution order determination criteria and the determination elements. In this example, the distance between the reference point of the truck and the diameter detector position, which is the execution order determining element of the program module "r_lift_msr_01", that is, 2000, and the distance between the reference point and the width detector position that is the execution order determining element of "r_coilcar_msr_01", that is, 8000 is calculated. <Step 35> Only one motion element to be executed is determined according to the “motion element execution order determination criterion information” frame 46, that is, in this example, the program to be executed by the program module “r_lift_msr_01” having the smallest distance. Selected as a module. <Step 36> The intermediate state information changed by the execution of the program module determined in Step 35 is updated. That is, the items of the "intermediate state information" frame 45:
The program module name determined in step 35, ie, "r
_Lift_msr_01 "is added, the information of the item:" end state "of the frame 38 of the control program module selection / correction knowledge is written in the item:" previous state ", and the item of the frame 38:" execute "in the item:" output data " Information of "Post-generation data" is added. <Step 37> It is determined whether there is an action element whose execution order is undecided. If there is an action element whose execution order is undecided, the process returns to step 27 and the execution order of the remaining action elements is determined. If there is no action element whose execution order is undecided, the action element execution order determination process ends.

Next to the operation element execution order determination processing of step 18 in FIG. 2 described above, a complementary processing between program modules (operation elements) of << step 19 >> is performed. Figure 9
Shows the complementing process in step 19 in more detail. <Step 47> Action element execution order determination process Step 1
According to the program module (operating element) determined in 8, the difference between the end state after the execution of the previous program module and the executability condition of the next program module is evaluated. <Step 48> The presence / absence of the difference evaluated in the previous step 47 is evaluated. If there is no difference, that is, there is no need for complementing between program modules, the complementing process between program modules is terminated, and if there is a difference, step Proceed to 49. <Step 49> The complementary information between the program modules corresponding to the difference is taken out from the control program module selection / correction knowledge storage device 7. <Step 50> The presence / absence of inter-program module complementary information retrieved in step 49 is determined. <Step 51> If there is no complementary information, the display device 3
The difference evaluated in step 47 is displayed on the input device 2
Complementary information between program modules is input. <Step 52> The complementing process is executed according to the complement information between the program modules.

Next, the program module correction process of <Step 20> is performed after the above-mentioned complement process between program modules (operating elements) of Step 19 of FIG.
FIG. 10 shows the correction process in step 20 in more detail. <Step 53> The program module correction data of the program module selection / correction knowledge stored in the control program module selection / correction knowledge storage device 7 corresponding to the program module of the operation element whose execution order is determined in step 18 is referred to. The program module correction data is expressed, for example, as shown in the frame 38 of FIG. 5, and is a constant used when executing the program module, which can be referred to by the variable name depending on the control object. <Step 54> It is determined from the program module correction data retrieved in step 53 whether or not the correction is necessary. If the correction is not necessary, the program module correction process is terminated. If correction is necessary, go to step 55. <Step 55> The program module correction data is referred to from the control object information. <Step 56> The presence or absence of program module correction data is determined for all of the control target object information in step 55. <Step 57> When there is no data, the display device 3 displays the item name of the program module correction data that is insufficient, and the program module correction data is input through the input device 2. <Step 58> A constant used for executing the program module is calculated by substituting the program module correction data, and is set in the program module to execute the correction of the program module.

A control program is automatically generated by the above processing procedure. The generated control program is stored in the intermediate data storage unit 1b and displayed on the display device 3. Further, the control program is transmitted to the programmable controller connected via the communication control unit 1e.
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Here, for convenience of description, the keyword related to the control specification is used as the input information of the target operation, but the control specification using the predicate logic may be used as the input information.
In addition, in practice, a unique device operation procedure may be taken depending on the control specification of the control object, but such information may also be added to the control program module selection / correction knowledge as control object information. .. It is also possible to use an intermediate language that uses graphic representation as a program module,
In this case, after correcting the program module,
A conversion process to an executable control program is added. In short, the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the designer inputs the target operation relating to the functional specification of the controlled object, so that the operation corresponding to the target operation and adapted to the equipment configuration of the controlled object. A control program can be automatically generated by selecting elements, deciding their execution order, complementing the operation elements and modifying the operation elements. Further, since the control target information is set for each control target,
Even for the same target operation, an appropriate control program can be generated according to the device configuration of the control target, so the designer's burden of determining the appropriate operation execution order according to the device configuration of the control target It is possible to greatly reduce and to improve the reliability and operation rate of the controlled object controlled by the programmable controller using the generated control program by eliminating the disagreement with the design specification of the control program. ..

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a control program automatic generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overall processing procedure for generating a target control program from a given target operation.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a description form of target operation information of plant control knowledge.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an execution order determination processing procedure of operation elements corresponding to a target operation and a device configuration of a controlled object.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a description form of control program module selection / correction knowledge.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a description form of control object information.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a description form of intermediate state information in a program automatic generation process.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a description form of action element execution order determination reference information.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a complementary processing procedure between program modules.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a correction processing procedure according to the device configuration of the control target object of the program module.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 arithmetic processing unit serving as control program generating means 2 input device 3 display device 4 controlled object information storage device 5 plant control knowledge storage device 6 control program module storage device 7 control program module selection / correction storage device 8 programmable controller 9 controlled object object

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] December 16, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Claims]

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yu Wada 5-2-1 Omika-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki Hitachi Ltd. Omika factory

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. In a method of generating a control program satisfying a specified control specification from the equipment configuration of a controlled object, the functional specification of the equipment, and the information about the control function, the information about the control function is the equipment configuration and the function of the equipment. When generating a control program that includes action element information determined according to specifications, action element executable conditions and action element execution order determination criteria, and that satisfies the specified control specifications by using the information, the control specifications And a process for determining an operation element that satisfies the control specification and the execution order thereof from the executable condition of the operation element and the execution order determination criterion, and a process for generating a control program according to the determined execution order. Control program automatic generation method. 2. A method of generating a control program satisfying a specified control specification from information on a device configuration of a controlled object, a function specification of the device, and control function, a step of inputting a target operation from an input device, and a target operation. Of the related operation elements and the step of determining the execution order of the related operation elements. When determining the execution order of the operation elements, refer to the operation element information that is determined according to the equipment configuration and the functional specifications of the equipment. And a process of selecting an action element that satisfies the executable condition from the action element information,
A control program characterized by executing a process of retrieving action element execution order determination criterion information, a process of retrieving action element execution order determination element information, and a process of evaluating and determining the action element execution order. Automatic generation method. 3. In claim 2, when it is not possible to retrieve the action element information, the action element execution order determination reference information, and the action element execution order determination element information, a process of inputting these information from an input device is executed. A method for automatically generating a control program, comprising: 4. An input device, a display device, and action element information determined according to the device configuration of the controlled object and the functional specifications of the device, the executability conditions of the action elements, and the execution order determination criteria of the action elements. A first storage device that stores information about a control function, a second storage device that stores information about a control target including the device configuration of the control target and functional specifications of the device, and an operation that stores a processing procedure. A control program automatic generation device comprising a processing device, wherein the first storage device stores an operation element satisfying a control specification input via an input device, an executable condition and an execution order determination criterion corresponding to the operation element. From the second storage device, and the execution order of the operation elements is determined based on the execution order determination criteria. A control program automatic generation device, which automatically generates a control program in accordance with the executed order. 5. The method for generating a target control program according to claim 4, when the information about the control function necessary for generating the target control program cannot be retrieved from the information stored in the first storage device. An automatic control program generation device having means for guiding the input of information relating to various control functions via a display device. 6. The method for generating a target control program according to claim 4, wherein the information on the controlled object necessary for generating the target control program cannot be retrieved from the information stored in the second storage device. An automatic control program generation device having means for guiding the input of necessary information on a controlled object via a display device. 7. The information according to claim 4, wherein the information regarding the control function includes a program module which is a component of a control program corresponding to an operation element and module correction information, and the operation element and A control characterized by taking out a corresponding program module and module correction information from the first storage device, taking out information necessary for the module correction from the second storage device, correcting the module, and automatically generating a control program. Automatic program generator.