JPH10133719A - Programmable controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a programmable controller which can eliminate a user's program memory. SOLUTION: The programmable controller is equipped with an input means 1 which inputs an external signal, a communication means 2 which sends and receives data, a system memory 3 which stores a system program 31, a central arithmetic processing part 4 which performs operation based on a user program, an output means 5 which outputs the operation result to external equipment 1a and an instruction tool 6 which stores a processing program wherein control instructions of a language and processing procedures of the control instructions are described. In this case, the system memory 3 which is rewritable is provided each with a user program storage area 33 which stores a boost program 32 taking in the processing program of a specific control instruction that the user specifies and stores together the taken-in user program and with a processing program storage area 34 which stores the processing program.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a programmable controller for controlling an external device based on a user program created by a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a programmable controller of this type having a configuration shown in FIG. This system includes an input unit A to which an external signal from an external device A1 is input, a communication unit B connected to a personal computer B1 for transmitting and receiving data, and a system program C1 describing a control procedure for controlling the entire system. A system memory C that stores a stored system memory C, a user program memory D that stores a user program D1 created by a user by describing an arithmetic procedure for controlling the external device A1 using control instructions in a predetermined language, and a system program C1. And a central processing unit E for executing an operation based on the user program D1, and an output unit F for outputting the operation result to the external device A1.

More specifically, the user program D1 is described in a predetermined language such as a ladder language that can easily describe a relay sequence, a BASIC language that can easily describe four arithmetic operations, and a C language that has a high processing speed of four arithmetic operations. Here, the ladder language has basic control commands such as load, and, and or, and control commands composed of many applied control commands such as four arithmetic operations, transfer, and signal conversion processing.

The system memory C is a non-volatile, non-rewritable ROM whose specifications are determined by a predetermined language to be described, and processing procedures of each control instruction are described over all control instructions for each specification of the predetermined language. The program C2 is stored. The user program memory D
Is a rewritable memory, which is backed up by a battery.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional programmable controller, a user can select a device having a specification conforming to a predetermined language and control the external device A1 based on a user program D1 described in the predetermined language.

However, since only one type of predetermined language can be used in one specification, the language for writing the user program D1 cannot be changed. Further, a control instruction processing program C2 in the predetermined language is stored in the system memory C over all control instructions. Since it is stored, the system memory C
Had a large storage capacity. Furthermore, since it is necessary to rewrite for each individual user, there is a problem that the user program memory D must be provided separately from the system memory C which cannot be rewritten.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a programmable controller which can eliminate a user program memory without increasing the storage capacity of a system memory. It is in.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an input means for receiving an external signal from an external device, and a personal computer for transmitting and receiving data. Communication means, a system memory storing a system program that describes a control procedure for controlling the entire system, and a control instruction in a predetermined language for controlling the system with the system program and for performing a calculation procedure for the user to control the external device. A central processing unit that executes an operation based on the user program described in the above, an output unit that outputs an operation result to an external device, and a processing procedure of a control instruction in at least one language inserted in a personal computer and described. And a command tool storing a plurality of processing programs. The rewritable system memory stores a boost program for loading the processing program of a specific control command specified by the user from the user program and the control command from the personal computer via the communication unit. In addition, a user program storage area for storing the fetched user program and a processing program storage area for storing the processing program of the specific control instruction are provided.

According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the system memory is a nonvolatile EEP.
The configuration is a ROM or flash ROM.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the instruction tool is configured to store at least the processing program of a ladder language having a basic control instruction and an application control instruction. .

According to a fourth aspect, in the first to third aspects, the instruction tool is configured to store the processing programs in a plurality of languages.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

An input unit 1 is connected to an external device 1a through an input interface, and receives an external signal from a sensor, a switch, or the like provided in the external device 1a. 2 is a communication means, which is an external personal computer 2
a and transmits and receives data based on a communication standard such as RS232C.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a system memory, which is a nonvolatile EEP
The data is rewritten by the ROM or the flash ROM at a predetermined voltage of 5 volts, and a system program 31 describing a control procedure for controlling the system is stored.

Further, a boost program 32 in which an instruction to take in data from the personal computer 2a via the communication means 2 is described is stored. Further, a user program storage area 33 for storing a user program describing a calculation procedure for controlling the external device 1a by a user in a control command of a predetermined language, and a processing program storage area 34 for storing a processing program to be described later are respectively provided. Is provided. This will be described later in detail.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a central processing unit which calls a system program 31 stored in a system memory 3 by a microcomputer and outputs the system program 3
In addition to controlling the entire system based on 1, the user program stored in the user program storage area 33 of the system memory 3 is called to execute necessary calculations.

Reference numeral 5 denotes output means, which is connected to the external device 1a via an output interface and outputs the calculation result from the central processing unit 4 to the external device 1a. 6 is an instruction tool, a ladder language and a BASI using a floppy disk.
Storing a plurality of processing programs describing processing procedures of all control instructions in the C language and a plurality of C languages;
It is inserted into the personal computer 2a.

The handling operation of this will be described. First, the user selects the most appropriate language for the purpose of controlling the external device 1a, that is, a ladder language in which the sequence circuit diagram can be directly programmed. The command tool 6 is inserted into a floppy disk drive of the personal computer 2a, and among a plurality of all control commands in the ladder language stored in the command tool 6, a control command required to describe a user program is written. Specifically, a specific control instruction is selected. Next, using the specific control command, a user program describing an operation procedure for controlling the external device 1a is created.

The central processing unit 4 calls the boost program 32 stored in the system memory 3. Based on the boost program 32, a plurality of processing programs describing the processing procedure of the specific control command selected by the user are fetched from the personal computer 2 a via the communication unit 2, and are stored in the processing program storage area 34 of the system memory 3. Write and store with voltage. Similarly,
The user program is written and stored in the user program storage area 33 at a predetermined voltage.

The operation of the above will be described. The central processing unit 4 calls the user program from the user program storage area 33 of the system memory 3. Then, the processing program of each specific control instruction described in the user program is called from the processing program storage area 34, and the arithmetic processing is sequentially performed based on the processing procedure of the processing program. 1a is controlled.

In such a programmable controller, as described above, the system memory 3 is rewritable. Since the user program storage area 33 and the processing program storage area 34 are provided in the system memory 3, the external controller 1a is selected as appropriate by the user from among a plurality of languages stored in the instruction tool 6 and an optimum language and all the necessary specific control instructions are controlled by the user. The user program is stored in the storage area 34, respectively. Therefore, unlike the related art in which the processing program of all control instructions, which is not always necessary for the user, is stored in the system memory 3 in advance, the user program memory can be eliminated without increasing the storage capacity of the system memory 3 and the cost can be reduced. Can be.

The system memory 3 has a nonvolatile EE
Since it is a PROM or a flash ROM, the data of the processing program of the written specific control command and the data of the user program can be stored in the system memory 3 without providing a backup battery.

Further, since the instruction tool stores at least a ladder language processing program having basic control instructions and application control instructions, when the user selects a ladder language as a predetermined language, a transfer instruction, an arithmetic operation instruction, and a signal From the many application control instructions such as conversion processing instructions, select the minimum required application control instruction, and greatly reduce the storage capacity compared to the conventional case where all the application control instructions are stored. Thus, the use efficiency of the system memory can be improved.

Also, since the instruction tool 6 stores processing programs in a plurality of languages, unlike the related art in which only one language can be selected with one specification, an optimum predetermined language is selected from a plurality of languages. Thus, the external device 1a can be efficiently controlled.

In this embodiment, the system memory 3
Is a non-volatile EEPROM or flash ROM, but the written data may be backed up by a battery as an SRAM, and there is no limitation.

In this embodiment, processing programs in a plurality of languages are stored in the instruction tool 6. However, only a ladder language may be stored, that is, if a processing program in at least one language is stored. Well, not limited.

[0027]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the system memory is rewritable, and since the user program storage area and the processing program storage area are provided in the system memory, it is optimal for controlling external devices. The language and all necessary specific control instructions are appropriately selected by the user from a plurality of languages stored in the instruction tool, and the processing program of the specific instruction is stored in the processing program storage area, and the user program is stored in the user program. In each area to eliminate the user program memory without increasing the storage capacity of the system memory,
It can be cheap.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the system memory is a nonvolatile EEP.
Since the ROM or the flash ROM is used, the data of the processing program of the specific control instruction and the data of the user program can be stored in the system memory without providing a backup battery.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second aspect, the instruction tool stores at least a ladder language processing program having basic control instructions and application control instructions. When the ladder language is selected as a predetermined language, all necessary application control commands are stored by selecting a necessary minimum among a large number of application control commands such as a transfer command, an arithmetic operation command, and a signal conversion command. Compared with the related art, it is possible to greatly reduce the storage capacity and improve the use efficiency of the system memory.

According to the fourth aspect, in addition to the effects of the first to third aspects, since the instruction tool stores processing programs in a plurality of languages, only one language can be selected by one specification. Unlike the related art, it is possible to efficiently control an external device by selecting an optimal predetermined language from a plurality of languages.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Input means 1a External equipment 2 Communication means 2a Personal computer 3 System memory 31 System program 32 Boost program 33 User program storage area 34 Processing program storage area 4 Central processing unit 5 Output means 6 Instruction tool

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An input unit for receiving an external signal from an external device, a communication unit connected to a personal computer for transmitting and receiving data, and a system memory storing a system program describing a control procedure for controlling the entire system. And a central processing unit that controls the system with a system program, and executes a calculation based on a user program in which a user describes a calculation procedure for controlling an external device using a control command in a predetermined language. A programmable controller comprising: an output unit that outputs to an external device; and an instruction tool that is inserted into a personal computer and stores a plurality of processing programs that describe a processing procedure of a control instruction in at least one language. The rewritable system memory includes the user program and A boost program that captures the processing program of the specific control instruction specified by the user from the control instructions from the personal computer via the communication unit, and a user program that stores the captured user program A programmable controller having a storage area and a processing program storage area for storing the processing program of a specific control instruction. 2. The system memory includes a nonvolatile EE
The programmable controller according to claim 1, wherein the programmable controller is a PROM or a flash ROM. 3. The programmable controller according to claim 1, wherein the instruction tool stores at least the ladder language processing program having a basic control instruction and an application control instruction. 4. The programmable controller according to claim 1, wherein the instruction tool stores the processing programs in a plurality of languages.