Information processing apparatus, information processing program, and information processing method

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed, enable a computer to perform processing for setting parameters to be used in a control system for controlling a control target, the control system comprising a master device and one or more slave devices connected to the master device via a network, each slave device comprising a plurality of functional units, each functional unit comprising a transmission unit configured to transmit an output value to the control target and a reception unit configured to receive a status value from the control target, the processing comprising:

• calculating parameters for controlling input timing of inputting the status value and output timing of outputting the output value for each of the plurality of functional units included in each slave device in accordance with a mode selected from a plurality of available modes;
• and
• setting the calculated parameters in the control system,
• the plurality of modes comprising:
• a first mode in which, in each of a plurality of control cycles, the calculated parameters are calculated such that:
• obtaining the respective status values from the control target by every one of the plurality of functional units begins simultaneously;
• and updating the respective output values for the control target by every one of the plurality of functional units completes simultaneously, wherein the updating the respective output values for the control target by every one of the plurality of functional units completes before the obtaining the respective status values from the control target by every one of the functional units begins, and
• a second mode in which, in each of the plurality of control cycles, the calculated parameters are calculated such that:
• obtaining the status values from the control target by selected ones of the plurality of functional units begins simultaneously;
• and updating the respective output values for the control target by the selected ones of the plurality of functional units completes simultaneously, wherein the updating the respective output values for the control target by the selected ones of the plurality of functional units completes before the obtaining the status values from the control target by the selected ones of the plurality of functional units begins.

An information processing method for setting parameters to be used in a control system for controlling a control target, the control system comprising a master device and one or more slave devices connected to the master device via a network, each slave device comprising a plurality of functional units, each functional unit comprising a transmission unit configured to transmit an output value to the control target and a reception unit configured to receive a status value from the control target, the information processing method comprising:

• calculating parameters for controlling input timing of inputting the status value and output timing of outputting the output value for each of the plurality of functional units included in each slave device in accordance with a mode selected from a plurality of available modes;
• and
• setting the calculated parameters in the control system,
• the plurality of modes comprising:
• a first mode in which the calculated parameters are calculated such that:
• obtaining the respective status values from the control target by every one of the plurality of functional units begins simultaneously;
• and updating the respective output values for the control target by every one of the plurality of functional units completes simultaneously, wherein the updating the respective output values for the control target by every one of the plurality of functional units completes before the obtaining the respective status values from the control target by every one of the functional units begins, and
• a second mode in which the calculated parameters are calculated such that:
• obtaining the status values from the control target by selected ones of the plurality of functional units begins simultaneously;
• and updating the respective output values for the control target by the selected ones of the plurality of functional units completes simultaneously, wherein the updating the respective output values for the control target by the selected ones of the plurality of functional units completes before the obtaining the status values from the control target by the selected ones of the plurality of functional units begins.