Method and apparatus for operator interrogation of simulated control circuits

In a computer system of the type including an operator console for communicating with a computer, a method of effecting the display of specified program data comprising the steps:

• a. storing in a store of said computer a program serving to,
• 1. direct communications between said computer and said console,
• 2. simulate a control circuit having a format comprised of left and right buses defining left and right boundaries respectively and a plurality of logic strings connected between said buses, each of said logic strings including a plurality of logic elements at least one of which is a switch element of definable type and condition and another of which is a continuity status element, the condition of which is indicative of the condition of the switch elements of its associated logic string, and
• 3. direct the additional storing of data respecting the instantaneous conditions of the logic elements of each of the logic strings;
• and
• b. employing said console to,
• 1. specify to said computer the identity of a desired logic element to cause said computer to access said store to retrieve information therefrom with respect to the identified logic element for transmittal to said console, said information defining the type of element specified and the then existing condition of that element,
• 2. display a representation of the identity of the specified element in conjunction with representations defining the type and instantaneous condition of that element, and
• 3. selectively displaying similar representations of other logic elements of a logic string by the actuation of operable means associated with the console, which means, with each actuation, changes the identity of the logic element specified to the computer by stepping to define another logic element of the string, the direction of stepping being determined by the operable means.

In a control system of the type including a programmable controller and an operator console, a method of displaying program data and control information on said console provided thereto from said controller comprising the steps:

• a. storing in a memory of said controller a program serving to,
• 1. direct communication between said controller and said console,
• 2. simulate an electrical circuit having a format of at least one series connected string of control elements, at least one of said control elements being a switch element having a logical condition and another being a relay having a conducting condition controlled by the states of the control elements connected in series therewith, said relay serving to effect the generation of output control signals from said controller to equipment external thereto, and
• 3. store data related to the instantaneous states of the control elements in each string of control elements;
• and
• b. utilizing said console for,
• 1. specifying a string and a relay in said string,
• 2. communicating to said controller the specified string and relay whereby said controller retrieves information relative thereto from said memory and communicates said information to said console,
• 3. displaying said information on said console in the form of indicia identifying the specified relay and its condition;
• 4. directing said controller to retrieve information relative to selected ones of the other control elements of the specified string from said memory by stepping along the elements of the specified string while changing the identity of each control element at each step whereby the controller communicates the information related to each element to said console for display.

A method of locating and displaying data in a data processing system of the type including a programmable controller and an operator console comprising the steps:

• a. storing in a memory of said controller a program serving to,
• 1. direct communication between said controller and said operator console,
• 2. simulate a control circuit having a format comprised of a plurality of logic strings having left and right boundaries, each logic string comprised of at least one switch element of an identifiable type and condition and a continuity status means the condition of which is controlled by the condition of the switch elements of its associated logic string;
• and
• b. utilizing said operator console for,
• 1. specifying to said computer a continuity status means defining the right boundary of a selected logic string,
• 2. displaying the condition and type of logic element represented by said continuity status means in conjunction with indication to an operator of said console of the right boundary and the existence of switch elements in the selected logic string residing between the left boundary and said continuity status means,
• 3. directing said controller to step across the selected logic string toward the left boundary switch element by switch element by the actuation of operable means on said console,
• 4. displaying representation of the identity, condition and type of each switch element in the specified logic string as it is stepped to while providing indication to the operator of said console of the existence of switch elements residing between the right boundary and the switch element presently being displayed and further providing indication of the left boundary of the specified logic string when the left most switch element of that string is stepped to.

A method of communicating with a computer from an operator console comprising the steps:

• a. storing in a memory of said computer a program serving to,
• 1. direct communication between said computer and said console,
• 2. simulate an equipment control circuit having the format of an electrical ladder type diagram, the diagram being comprised of a plurality of strings of control elements, at least one of which is a switch element having a logical condition and another of which is a continuity status means having a condition controlled by the conditions of the switch elements of its associated string, said continuity status means serving to effect output control signals from said computer to equipment external thereto, and
• 3. store data related to the instantaneous conditions of the control elements in each of the strings;
• and
• b. utilizing said console for,
• 1. specifying a string and a control element in said string,
• 2. communicating to said computer the specified string and control element whereby said computer retrieves information relative thereto from said memory and communicates said information to said console,
• 3. displaying said information in the form of indicia identifying the specified control element and its condition, and
• 4. selectively communicating indexing signals to said commputer whereby said computer retrieves information relative to additional control elements in the specified string from said memory and communicates information relative thereto to said console for display thereon.