US 4,292,666 AGranted

Programmable controller

AssigneeModicon Div. Gould Inc.

InventorsLawrence W. Hill, Thomas J. Stoodley III, Ronald Malcolm

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A small, low cost, programmable controller is described capable of solving user programs represented in networks having up to seven rows and eleven columns. A column solver is utilized to provide efficient and fast solution of the user control network. The programmable controller also solves calculate functions having multiple outputs to facilitate use of the output information in the control program. A programming panel using a CRT display shows one or more selected control networks and, in conjunction with the central processing unit of the programmable controller, provides for the insertion of networks between two existing networks. Since the networks are solved by the controller mainframe in a sequential fashion, this network insertion allows the user to optimize his or her control program when solution order of the networks is important. The output coil numbers of network rows may also be assigned by the user independent of their placement in the control program to further facilitate programming the controller. The programming panel includes a movable cursor on the CRT display which, in conjunction with a light-emitting diode (LED), allows the user to monitor the real-time power flow at any particular point in the displayed ladder diagram network. Specialized search features can also be specified by the user to simplify monitoring and de-bugging the control program.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An improved programmable controller of the type having a mainframe including a central processing unit, associated electronics and memory for solving a user control program, an input/output system for communicating input data from external devices to the mainframe and for transferring output data from the mainframe to the external devices for control thereof in response to the control program, and a programming panel for programming, monitoring and displaying the user selected control program, wherein the improvement comprises:

(A) an improved programming panel having first means for allowing the user to generate a control program in a network format, each network comprising up to I rows and J columns, where I and J are positive integers each greater than one, each network comprising up to I.times.J nodes where the location of each node is N.sub.ij, were i=1, 2 . . . I, j=1, 2, . . . J, and where each of at least some of these nodes are designatable by the user as representing an electrical circuit element that can reference other nodes, and having a power output status that is a function of the input power status to the node in combination with the conductivity status of the element, and having second means for allowing the user to generate vertical interconnections between the output of node N.sub.i,j with the output of node N.sub.i-1,j or with output of node N.sub.i+1,j, for all existent nodes N.sub.i-1,j and N.sub.i+1,j, where "or" is used in the inclusive sense, and wherein the power input status from node N.sub.i,j to node N.sub.i,j+1 is represented by the following Boolean equation:
P.sub.IN.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i,j +P.sub.VU.sbsb.i,j +P.sub.VD.sbsb.i,j ( 1)
where
P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.IN.sbsb.i,j-1 .multidot.C.sub.i,j ( 2)
where C.sub.i,j is the conductivity state of node N.sub.i,j,
where
P.sub.VU.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.IN.sbsb.i+1,j .multidot.C.sub.U.sbsb.i,j ( 3)
where C.sub.U.sbsb.i,j is the connectivity state between the output of node N.sub.i,j and node N.sub.i+1,j
where
P.sub.VD.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.IN.sbsb.i-1,j .multidot.C.sub.D.sbsb.i,j, ( 4)
where C.sub.D.sbsb.i,j is the connectivity state between the output of node N.sub.i,j and node N.sub.i-1,j ;
and where P.sub.IN.sbsb.i,0 is equal to logic true;
and
(B) an improved mainframe having means for simultaneously solving equation (1) for each node in each column of the user generated network on a column by column basis.

11 more elements

An improved programmable controller of the type having a mainframe including a central processing unit, associated electronics and memory for solving a user control program, and input/output system for communicating input data from external devices to the mainframe and for transferring output data from the mainframe to the external devices for control thereof in response to the control program, and a programming panel for programming, monitoring and displaying the user selected control program, wherein the improvement comprises:

(A) an improved programming panel having first means for allowing the user to generate a control program in a network format, each network comprising up to I rows and J columns, where I and J are positive integers each greater than one, each network comprising up to I.times.J nodes where the location of each node is N.sub.ij, where i=1,2, . . . I, j=1,2, . . . J, and where each of at least some of these nodes are designatable by the user as representing an electrical circuit element that can reference other nodes, and having a power output status that is a function of the input power status to the node in combination with the conductivity status of the element, and having second means for allowing the user to generate vertical interconnections between the output of node N.sub.i,j with the output of node N.sub.i-1,j or with output of node N.sub.i+1,j, for all existent nodes N.sub.i-1,j and N.sub.i+1,j, where "or" is used in the inclusive sense, and wherein the power input status from node N.sub.i,j is represented by the following Boolean equation:
P.sub.IN.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i,j +P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i-1,j .multidot.C.sub.V.sbsb.i,j +P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i-2,j .multidot.C.sub.V.sbsb.i-1,j .multidot.C.sub.V.sbsb.i,j + . . . +P.sub.OUT.sbsb.1,j .multidot.C.sub.V.sbsb.2,j .multidot.C.sub.V.sbsb.3,j . . . C.sub.V.sbsb.i,j +P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i+1,j .multidot.C.sub.V.sbsb.i+1,j +P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i+2,j .multidot.C.sub.V.sbsb.i+2,j .multidot.C.sub.V.sbsb.i+1,j + . . . +P.sub.OUT.sbsb.I,j .multidot.C.sub.V.sbsb.I,j C.sub.V.sbsb.I-1,j . . . C.sub.V.sbsb.i+1,j ( 1)
where
P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.IN.sbsb.i[-1],j-1 .multidot.C.sub.i,j ( 2)
where C.sub.i,j is the conductivity state of node N.sub.i,j, where C.sub.V.sbsb.i,j is the connectivity state between node N.sub.i,j and node N.sub.i-1,j, and where P.sub.IN.sbsb.i,0 is equal to logic true;
and
(B) an improved mainframe having means for simultaneously solving equation (1) for each node in each column of the user generated network on a column by column basis.

4 more elements

An improved programmable controller of the type having a mainframe including a central processing unit, associated electronics and memory for solving a user control program comprising a plurality of nodes in a network format, the nodes representing user selectable circuit elements that can reference other nodes, an input/output system for communicating input data from external devices to the mainframe and for transferring output data from the mainframe to the external devices for control thereof in response to the control program, and a programming panel for programming, monitoring and displaying on a cathode ray tube (CRT) at least a portion of the user selected control program, wherein the improvement comprises an improved programming panel and mainframe each having interacting means for performing one of a plurality of search functions containing one or more search parameters as designated by the user so as to display on the programming panel CRT the control program network satisfying the search parameters, wherein the search parameters that can be designated by the user include the searching for the first node of a network, the searching for the first occurrence of a particular contact type of a particular circuit element, the searching for the first occurrence of a particular reference number, the searching for the first occurrence of a particular circuit element having a particular reference number, and the searching for the first occurrence of a particular node.

An improved programmable controller of the type having a mainframe including a central processing unit, associated electronics and memory for solving a user control program comprising a plurality of nodes in a network format, the nodes representing user selectable circuit elements that can reference other nodes, an input/output system for communicating input data from external devices to the mainframe and for transferring output data from the mainframe to the external devices for control thereof in response to the control program, and a programming panel for programming, monitoring and displaying on a screen at least a portion of the user selected control program, wherein the improvement comprises an improved programming panel and mainframe each having interacting means for performing one or more search functions containing one or more search parameters as designated by the user so as to display on the programming panel screen the control program network satisfying the search parameters, wherein the search parameters that can be designated by the user include one or more of the following:

the searching for the first node of a network, the searching for the first occurrence of a particular contact type of a particular circuit element, the searching for the first occurrence of a particular reference number, the searching for the first occurrence of a particular circuit element having a particular reference number, and the searching for the first occurrence of a particular node.

(A) an improved mainframe having means for solving calculate functions in the user control program wherein at least some of the calculate functions have more than one discrete output designating information concerning the result of the calculate function;
and
(B) An improved programming panel comprising:
(1) a screen for viewing at least a portion of the control program;
and
(2) means for allowing the user to generate the control program in a network format, each network comprising up to I rows and J columns, where I and J are positive integers each greater than one, each network comprising up to I.times.J nodes where the location of each node is N.sub.ij, where i=1, 2, . . . I, j=1, 2, . . . J, and where each of at least some of these nodes are designatable by the user as representing an electrical circuit element that can reference other nodes, and having a power output status that is a function of the input power status to the node in combination with the conductivity status of the element, and wherein the calculate functions can be displayed in nodes on the screen.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.