JPS62151905A - Monitor device for programmable controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the quantity of information serially transmitted by registering information, prior to monitoring, and reading on/off information regarding a relay registered in a table from a programmable controller side with respect to monitoring. CONSTITUTION:If data r1...rn used for specifying elements such as the relay regarding the monitor processing are registered in a registering means 220, they need not to be newly specified for the monitor processing, and the states of the elements which a state signaling means 210 signals can be displayed based on the registered contents. Thus both the communication efficiency at the time of serial transmission, and an updating speed for display can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a programmable controller monitor device that is connected to a programmable controller and displays operating states such as on/off of its internal relays.

[Prior Art] As a conventional monitor device for a programmable controller of this kind, one is known that has a loader that allows programming and monitoring, for example, by displaying the programmable controller's progress in a ladder diagram representation. .

FIG. 8 shows an example of a display in a ladder diagram representation or a range display, where S and C are symbols representing contacts and coils, respectively. Furthermore, the numerical value written above each symbol is the address (relay number) of the corresponding symbol. Note that a symbol displayed with a thick line indicates that the symbol is on, and other symbols displayed with a thin line indicate that the symbol is off.

In a conventional device, when displaying as shown in Fig. 9,
In order to monitor the on/off state of the relay symbol, it is necessary to read out the on/off information corresponding to each relay number being displayed from the programmable controller. That is, when displaying as shown in FIG. 9, it is necessary to read information for each of 20 contacts and 2 coils.

However, when transmitting and receiving this information between the programmable controller and the loader, conventionally, multiple cables were used to transfer relay address signals, data signals, and control signals exclusively, so the total number of these cables was limited. The number of wires reaches as many as several dozen, which poses the problem that not only does the wiring become complicated, but it also becomes difficult to construct the monitor device at a low cost.

On the other hand, in view of the progress in serial communication technology, we focused on the fact that cable installation costs could be reduced by transmitting the signals involved in sending and receiving in series, and we started converting parallel signals into series and converting serial signals into parallel. There is a monitoring device in which a converter for converting the signal is placed in both a programmable controller and a rotor, and signals are serially communicated between them.

FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B) are examples of transmission formats of signals exchanged between the programmable controller and the loader in such a monitor device. The same figure (A
) is a transmission format that is transmitted from the loader side to the PC side. For example, an 8-bit monitor command MC for requesting monitoring is placed at the beginning, followed by an 8-bit signal for notifying the number of relays involved in reading. An area NR is provided, followed by a 16-bit signal area RA for specifying the relay number (address) related to reading.
The signal string LP is constructed by adding the following.

In addition, in the same figure (B), as a response to the signal train LP, the PC
Indicates the transmission format transmitted from the side to the loader side,
For example, response information MR to each 8-bit monitor command MC, number of on/off data ND, and on/off data
A signal train PL is constructed by including a data group RD corresponding to each relay including off information, and in response to the supply of this signal train PL, the loader side extracts relay on/off information to determine the symbol. Update the display.

During the monitoring process, the monitor device repeats the above operations on the loader side and the programmable controller side.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] A conventional monitor device using such a loader uses the above-mentioned serial communication method when the line transmission speed is not a problem, such as when writing a program to a programmable controller. is also sufficiently practical. However, when monitoring each relay of a programmable controller, updating the display on one screen not only causes the operator to feel that the display is delayed due to the mutual communication time between the loader side and the programmable controller side, but is also sometimes impractical. There are times when it cannot be provided.

For example, when monitoring a ladder diagram as shown in FIG. 8, many contacts and coils are displayed on one screen, so the amount of information such as relay addresses and on/off data related to transfer becomes large. It takes several 10 to several 100 m5 to update the on/off information of each relay. Therefore, conventional monitoring devices are highly inadequate for monitoring programmable controllers operating at high speeds.

On the other hand, it is conceivable to improve the serial data transmission speed in order to eliminate such problems, but this generally causes an increase in cost and is not a good idea.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention solves these conventional problems and provides a programmable controller that can monitor relays inside the programmable controller at high speed without increasing the price of the device. The purpose is to provide a monitoring device.

Therefore, in the present invention, the display means 130, the monitor control means 100 that causes the display means 130 to display the states of the elements related to the sequence control by the programmable controller 200, and the monitor control means 100 that is provided in the programmable controller 200 and for specifying the elements related to the display. data rl,...
A registration means 220 for registering . a status notification means 210 that notifies the programmable controller 2;
00 and the monitor control means 100, the transmission means 300 serially transmits signals including information related to notification.

[Operation] That is, according to the present invention, if data rl, . , . . . Since the status of the element notified by the status notification means 210 can be displayed based on the registered contents without specifying Tn, communication efficiency during serial transmission is improved, thereby increasing the display update speed. You will be able to do this.

[Example] Hereinafter, the tree design will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of a monitor device for the programmable controller of the present invention. Here, l is a loader for programming and monitoring the programmable controller, and has a display 13 such as, for example, OR↑, and a keyboard 14 as an input means. 2 is a programmable controller main body, which can be connected to the loader 1 via a connection cable 3.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the internal configuration of the device shown in FIG. In the loader 1, 11 is a CPo in the form of a microprocessor, for example, and 12 is a system memory that stores the operation procedures of the loader 1 executed by the CPυ11, including the processing procedures described later with reference to FIG. 7(A).

In the programmable controller 2, 21 is a CPo in the form of a microprocessor, and 22 is as shown in FIG.
Regarding B), a system memory stores procedures for operating the programmable controller 2 including processing procedures described later; 23 is a user program memory for storing a sequence program written by the loader 1;
24 is a data memory having a work area for input/output with external equipment, etc.; 25 is an input/output card connected to external equipment related to sequence control.

Further, 15 and 2 are converters arranged in the loader 1 and the programmable controller 2, respectively, for mutually converting serial data related to communication and parallel data inside each.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a relay registration table provided in, for example, the system memory 22 on the programmable controller 2 side in order to reduce the time required for monitoring. In this table, the number of relays related to monitoring and the relay numbers (addresses) are registered in the order of transmission based on the registration signal sequence sent from the loader 1 side before the start of monitoring processing. . Note that this table may be provided in a predetermined area of the data memory 24 or the user program memory 23.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the format of a registration signal sent from the loader 1 to the programmable controller 2 when registering a relay. In this example, programmable controller 2
For example, an 8-bit (1 byte) registration command TC for starting the registration process on the side is provided at the beginning, followed by an 8-bit signal range NT for notifying the number of relays being displayed related to registration. , followed by a signal area TA of 16 bits (2 bytes) for specifying the number of the relay to be registered, thereby forming a signal string TS. The programmable controller 2 that receives this signal string TS registers the number of relays and the relay number in the table in the format shown in FIG.

FIGS. 6(A) and 6(CB) show an example of a transmission format of signals exchanged between the loader 1 and the programmable controller 2 in the monitoring process by the monitor device according to the present example. Figure (A) shows, for example, an 8-bit monitor command signal H transmitted from the loader 1 side to the programmable controller 2 side to request monitoring.
Since the number of relays related to monitoring and the relay number are already registered in the programmable controller 2 side in advance, the loader 1 simply sends the monitor command NG to the programmable controller 2 side in this way for monitoring. That will be enough.

In response to this command MC, the programmable controller 2 refers to the registration table and returns the signal sequence disturbance shown in FIG. 6(B), which is similar to FIG. 10(B).

FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) show an example of a monitoring processing procedure by the monitoring device according to this example. At the start of the monitoring process, the loader 1 first sends a registration signal TS as shown in FIG. 5 to the programmable controller 2 in step 911 of FIG. 5A for the group of relays being displayed, for example. At this time, the programmable controller 2
At step S21 in FIG. 4B, table registration as shown in FIG. 4 is performed.

The loader 1 determines whether monitoring is to be performed in step S13. The monitoring execution timing can be given at a predetermined timing, such as every scan of sequence program processing by the programmable controller 2, or in response to a command input by the operator using the keyboard 14.

If monitoring is to be performed, the process advances to step S15, and the loader 1 sends the programmable controller 2 the sixth
Sends a monitor command MC as shown in figure (A),
A reply from the programmable controller 2 is awaited in step S17. In response to this, the programmable controller 2 refers to the registration table during the execution of the sequence program, checks data such as on/off of each relay for a group of registered relays, and in step 823, as shown in FIG. 8(B). Loader 1 transmits the signal string PL shown in
and continue processing the series of sequence programs.

The loader 1 performs step S in response to the reply of the signal train PL.
After proceeding to step S19 and performing display update processing for each relay, the process returns to step S13.

In this way, according to this example, after registering the strange relay in the table, the loader 1 simply issues the monitor command MO
Since monitoring processing can be performed by sending only the data to the programmable controller 2, the time required for monitoring can be reduced accordingly, and the display such as the on/off status of the symbol corresponding to the internal relay of the programmable controller 2 can be updated more quickly. It will be possible.

FIGS. 8(A) to 8(C) show loader 1 during monitor processing.
Another example of the transmission format of signals exchanged between the programmable controller 2 and the programmable controller 2 will be shown. First, the same figure (A
) is a monitor command sent from the loader 1 to the programmable controller 2. If a registration table as shown in FIG. Monitoring processing can be started.

FIG. 8(B) shows a signal string PL' that the programmable controller 2 sends back to the loader 1 in response to the monitor command MO.
This example is intended to further reduce the amount of data involved in transmission. That is, in this example, the on/off information of the relay is, for example, til+ for on and 0 for off.
However, in the above example, the unit of data communicated per relay is 8 bits, and if the byte containing the relay on/off information is sent as is, the remaining This method focuses on the fact that 7 bits are redundant bits, and transfer time is wasted accordingly. In this example, only the bits indicating on/off information are extracted from the 1-byte data containing the on/off information of the relays, and 8 relays are set as one set as shown in Figure (C).
This constitutes byte on/off information RD'.

According to this, the amount of information to be communicated can be further reduced by about 5 to 7 times as compared to the example described with reference to FIG. 6(B), and the display can be updated even faster. .

Note that in this example as well, the monitoring process can be performed using the same procedure as shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B).
In extracting on/off data of each relay and forming on/off information RD' for each relay in units of 8 points,
Such extraction and formation processing may be performed in step S23 of FIG. 7(B).

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a table is provided on the programmable controller side for registering information such as addresses of relays related to monitoring, and the information is registered before monitoring. For monitoring, simply giving a start command allows the programmable controller to read out the on/off information related to the relays registered in the table. It is possible to realize a programmable controller monitor device that can reduce the amount of information to be transmitted and can monitor relays inside the programmable controller at high speed without increasing the price of the device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the present invention. FIGS. 2 and 3 are a perspective view and a block diagram respectively showing an example of the configuration of a monitor device of a programmable controller of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram of the programmable controller of the present invention. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the format of a registration signal for registering in the registration table shown in FIG. 4; FIG. A) and (B) are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the transmission format of signals exchanged between the programmable controller and the loader during monitoring by the device shown in Figure 3, and Figures 7 (A) and (B) are A flowchart showing an example of a monitor processing procedure according to an example; FIG. 8(A) to C) is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a transmission format of a signal exchanged between a programmable controller and a loader; FIG. Figures 10 (A) and 10 (B) are explanatory diagrams showing examples of displaying relays in a ladder diagram representation. Figures 10 (A) and (B) show signals exchanged between the programmable controller and the loader during monitoring by a conventional programmable controller monitor device. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a transmission format. 1...Loader, 2...Programmable controller, 11.21...
・Keyboard, 12.22...CPU, 13...Display unit, 14...Keyboard, 15.28...Converter, 23...User program memory, 24...Data memory, 25. ...I/O card, MC...monitor command, TO...registration command. Example 1 of Registration 〒-7゛ Figure 4 Internal structure of the monitor device Figure 2 Block showing Figure 1 ≧PL' Figure 8 Monitor screen Figure 9

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) Display means; Monitor control means for displaying on the display means the states of elements related to sequence control by the programmable controller; and Monitor control means provided in the programmable controller for specifying the elements related to the display. a registration means for registering data of; a state notification means provided in the programmable controller and for notifying the monitor control means of the state of the registered element by referring to the contents registered in the registration means; A monitor device for a programmable controller, comprising: a transmission means that is disposed between the programmable controller and the monitor control means and serially transmits signals including information related to the notification. 2) In the monitor device for a programmable controller according to claim 1, the monitor control means supplies the data to the registration means in advance to register the data before starting the monitor process, and the status notification is performed during the monitor process. A monitor device for a programmable controller, characterized in that the notification is performed by giving only a notification command of the state to the means.