JPH0784914A - Link unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a link unit which can confirm a link area and link data by itself and facilitates debugging, etc. CONSTITUTION:When a switch SW1 is OFF and the status of a port A is 'H', a CPU 5 reads out the head address and the tail address of the link area stored in a memory 2 and displays them on a display unit 3. When the switch SW1 is turned ON and the status of the port A becomes 'L', the CPU 5 determines the address of the link data with the count value of an up/down counter 4, reads the link data out of the address of the memory 2, and displays the link data and corresponding link address on the display unit 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a link unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 shows a network constructed by a plurality of programmable controllers 1. This network is a link of a link unit 11 incorporated in a motherboard of a CPU unit 10 of the programmable controller 1 together with an I / O unit 10. With the function, data can be exchanged between the programmable controllers 1 by communication.

When it is desired to check the link area (transmission area) and the link data in each programmable controller 1 that constructs a network, a tool such as a programmer capable of programming and various operations is connected to the programmable controller 1, The range of the link area of the programmable controller and the link data have been displayed on the operation switch and the display provided for the tool.

[0004]

However, if the number of programmable controllers 1 constructing a network increases, it becomes difficult to debug the program related to the link.
When checking the link area, the work itself was extremely troublesome, making debugging more difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a link unit in which the link area and the link data can be confirmed by the link unit itself and which is easy to debug. is there.

[0006]

The present invention provides a link unit provided with a programmable controller, which has a link function for exchanging data between a plurality of programmable controllers or between a programmable controller and a computer through a network. A memory for storing the data indicating the range of the link area and the data for each link area, a display unit for displaying the data indicating the range of the link area read from the memory and the link data, and a switch for switching the address of the link data And means for reading data from the memory and controlling the display means.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the range of the link area and the link data can be displayed by the display means provided in the link unit, so that it is not necessary to connect a tool such as a programmer to the programmable controller one by one. It is easy to debug the program related to.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The link unit 12 of the present embodiment has a memory 2 for storing the link area and link data of a programmable controller connected as shown in FIG. 1, a display 3 for displaying data by 7-segment display, and a memory 2 for reading. It is provided with a CPU 5 and the like that performs control processing that is performed based on the operation of _two switches SW ₁ and SW ₂ and that causes the display device 3 to display the data read from the memory 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 3 is provided at the center of one side of the front surface of the link unit 12, and has two upper and lower display spaces 3a and 3b, and the range of the link area is defined by these display spaces 3a and 3b. Alternatively, the link data can be switched and displayed. The switches SW ₁ and SW ₂ are arranged side by side on the front surface of the link unit 12 below the display unit 3, and one of the switches SW ₁ is whether the data to be displayed on the display unit 3 is the link data or the link area. Is a switch for switching between the ranges of, and is connected to the port A of the CPU 5. The other switch SW ₂ is a switch for switching the address of the link data to be read and displayed. By operating this changeover switch SW ₂ , the up / down counter 4 counts up or down the clock, and the count value is linked. The data is given to the CPU 5 as an address.

When displaying the link area on the display unit 3, the top of the link area is displayed in the upper display space 3a.
Also, the end of the link area is displayed in the lower display space 3b. When displaying the link data, the upper display space 3a displays the target link address, and the lower display space 3b displays the link data of the address.

In FIG. 2, L ₁ is an LED indicating link operation, L ₂ is an LED indicating transmission, L ₃ is an LED indicating reception, and L ₄ is an LED indicating a communication error. If the switch SW ₁ is off and the status of the port A is “H”, the CPU 5 reads the start address of the range of the link area and the end address of the link area stored in the memory 2. It is displayed by the display device 3.

FIG. 3A shows a display example in this case. In this display example, the programmable controller 1
Indicates that the range of the link area is from "L0" to "L63". Next, when the switch SW ₁ is turned on and the status of the port A becomes “L”, the CPU 5
Reads the link data stored in the memory 2.
In this case, the address of the link data to be read is determined by the count value of the up / down counter 4, the link data of that address is read, and the link address and the read link data are displayed on the display unit 3.

FIG. 3B shows a display example in this case. In this display example, the link data of "L0" is "FFF".
F ". It is possible to switch to the display of the link data of each address by operating the switch SW ₂ to move the address up or down. In the above embodiment, the display 3 has two display spaces. 3a,
Although the display is switched by using 3b, it is possible to use four display spaces to dedicate one pair of display spaces to display the range of the link area and another pair of display spaces to display only the link data. If so, the switch SW ₁ for switching the display becomes unnecessary.

By the way, at the stage of creating a sequence program on a tool and transferring it to the programmable controller, no conventional measures have been taken to prevent the programmable controller from using the link area of another station as an output. Therefore, when a program is actually downloaded to the programmable controller and the program is operated, a program error is confirmed, and time is spent for debugging work and an efficient system cannot be created.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, a sequence program is created on the tool, and then the status (including information about the link area) is read from the program body to use the link (transmission) area. Whether or not to do so is determined, and if not, the program is transferred to the programmable controller (described as the PC main body in FIG. 4). When using the link area or when checking the link area and not using the link area of another station, it is transferred to the programmable controller, but when using the link area of another station, a warning message is displayed. Disable transfer. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the program from being defective due to the misuse of the link area.

Similarly, there is a method shown in FIG. 5 as a method of preventing a program defect due to the misuse of the link area of another station. This method inputs the sequence program to the programmable controller, judges whether to use the link area at that time, shifts to steady processing when not using it, and when it is used, it is made in advance in the program The routine jumps to the link area determination routine, collates the link areas, and when the link areas of other stations are not used, determines that the sequence program input is good and shifts to regular processing. When using the link area of another station, the sequence program cannot be input.

As described above, in the method shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, the programmable controller itself performs processing such as collation with the link area, and the input sequence program is finally fetched or not fetched for actual use. It is decided.

[0018]

The present invention has a link function for exchanging data between a plurality of programmable controllers or between a programmable controller and a computer through a network. A memory for storing the data indicating the range and the data of each link area, a display unit for displaying the data indicating the range of the link area read from the memory and the link data, a switch unit for switching the address of the link data, and a memory Since at least the control means for reading data from and controlling the display means is provided, the display area provided in the link unit can display the range of the link area and the link data, and therefore a tool such as a programmer can be used. One by one There is no need to be connected between Bull controller, there is an effect that it is easy to do debugging of programs for the link.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit configuration diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the above link unit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of the display device of the above.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a link area misuse prevention method.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of another example of the link area misuse prevention method.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a network.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Memory 3 Display 4 Up / Down counter 5 CPU 12 Link unit SW ₁ , SW ₂ switch

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A link unit for linking data between a plurality of programmable controllers or between a programmable controller and a computer through a network, and a data indicating a range of a link area in a link unit attached to the programmable controller. And a memory for storing the data of each link area, a display means for displaying the data indicating the range of the link area read from the memory and the link data, a switch means for switching the address of the link data, and a data reading from the memory. And a control unit for controlling the display unit.