Method and means of manual input of programs into industrial process programmable controller systems

The method of manually programming a programmable controller system with a predetermined program of operation for controlling an industrial process, in which the predetermined program of operation defines each step of the process in terms of a computer data word that includes the I/O device functions for each such process step, and the system includes a central processing unit, operating system software and user program memory storage means for said unit, means for entering and storing binary notation program defining computer data bits in the memory storage means, circuit means for operatively connecting the process I/O devices to said unit including one or more input modules and one or more output modules, master control panel means including key means for setting said unit to operate in manual and automatic modes, respectively, with the circuit means for operatively connecting the I/O devices to said unit comprising one or more status panel keyboard means integrated with said control panel means and each including for each such I/O functions separate key means and visible off-on signal means therefor, respectively, for controlling the individual I/O switches and electrically connected to provide and indicate visually on said status panel means the status of said I/O device functions for any one step of a program in binary notation system oriented arrangement in accordance with any such program of operation, and with the memory means having a memory map for accepting programs designated by program number, and with the master control panel means further means including and operable when said unit is in its manual mode, a program select key means for locating a desired program slot site of said memory map by program number, a manual programming key means for setting said unit for changing the program entries in said memory means, a program step key for setting said unit to accept into the memory means in a step by step manner the predetermined program transmitted to said unit via said status panel keyboard means, for changing the memory means program entries, key means for setting any selected program entered into said memory means to zero step position and for, by actuating said program step, advancing any selected program entered into said memory means step by step for reviewing visually on said status panel means the status of the program I/O functions entered in said memory means for each such program step, and means for displaying the program and step identities of program sites of the memory means when such sites are the subject of program step entries,

• the method of user entering of such a predetermined program into the memory means when the master control panel means is operated to place said unit in its manual mode, including the steps of:
• locating in the memory means the desired site thereof for said such predetermined program by actuating said program select key means,
• conditioning said unit for changing the program entries in said memory means by setting said unit to accept into the memory means such predetermined program at the site located by the practice of said locating step,
• setting said individual I/O switches in accordance with the computer data word arrangement thereof for the first step of said such predetermined program by manually actuating as needed the respective I/O key means of said status panels keyboard means for transmitting such first step computer data word to said unit,
• entering said first step of said such predetermined program into the memory means at said located site by actuating said program step key,
• repeating the last mentioned I/O switch setting and entering steps for each consecutive step of said such predetermined program for entering same consecutively into said memory means following consecutively said first step thereof,
• and returning said unit to said manual operation mode.

In a programmable controller system for controlling an industrial process, in which the system includes a central processing unit, operating system software and user program storage memory means for said unit for entering and storing binary notation system program defining computer data bits in computer word program step defining form in the memory means, circuit means for operatively connecting the industrial process I/O devices to said unit including one or more input modules and one or more output modules, control panel means including means for setting said unit to operate in manual and automatic modes, respectively, and means for displaying the program and step identities of program sites of the memory means when said unit is operating in one of said modes,

• the improvement wherein:
• said control panel means comprises a master control panel section and one or more status control panel sections,
• with said master control panel section having finger operated operator input sensor means for operator manual communication with said unit for entry and revision of programs entered in said memory means including means for setting the memory means at a desired program site therein, means for conditioning said unit to receive at such memory means site a program entry in step by step form, and, in binary notation fashion step defining form for each such program, and means for returning said unit for process controlling in accordance with one of said modes when said programs have been entered into said memory means,
• said status control panel sections each including input sensor means for operator manual communication with said unit, when said unit is conditioned to receive one of the said programs at such memory means site,
• said input sensor means of said status control panel sections comprising a separate sensor device for each of said I/O devices and off-on indicating means therefor,
• and means for manually off-on actuating the respective sensor devices for manual entry of such program into said memory means, step by consecutive step of the program, using binary notation fashion program step defining computer mode data bit indicia, for each step of such program, so that for each step of such program said indicating means of said status panel sections, respectively shows, binary notation system fashion, the I/O device functions to be activated for each such program step so entered in said memory means.

The method of manually programming a programmable controller system with a predetermined program of operation for controlling an industrial process, in which the predetermined program of operation defines each step of the process in terms of a binary notation system fashion oriented computer data word that includes the I/O device functions for each such process step, and the system includes a central processing unit, operating system software and user program memory storage means for said unit, means for entering and storing binary notation fashion program step defining computer word data bits in the memory storage means, circuit means for operatively connecting the process I/O devices to said unit including one or more input modules and one or more output modules, control panel means including keyboard means for setting said unit to operate in manual and automatic modes, respectively, and with the memory means having a memory map for consecutively accepting such programs designated by program number and step thereof number, and means for displaying the program and step identities of program sites of the memory means when such sites are the subject of program step entries,

• the method of user entering of such a predetermined program into the memory means when the control panel keyboard means is operated to place said unit in its manual mode, including the steps of:
• locating in the memory map the desired site thereof for said such predetermined program,
• conditioning said unit for changing the program entries in said memory means by setting said unit to accept into the memory map such predetermined program at the site located by the practice of said locating step,
• manually effecting transmittal to said unit, for application to said memory means at said memory step site, and as a whole the first step of said predetermined program in binary notation fashion data bit computer word form,
• manually effecting entry of the computer word comprising said first step of said such predetermined program into the memory means at said located site,
• repeating consecutively the manually effected transmittal and entry steps for each consecutive step of said such predetermined program for entering the computer word comprising same consecutively into the memory means following consecutively said first step thereof,
• and returning said unit to said manual operation mode.