Trouble diagnosis apparatus for controlled device

A trouble diagnosis apparatus for a device controlled by a programmable controller, comprising:

• (a) a mode setting means for selectively setting an operation mode to one of an instruction mode and a diagnosis mode;
• (b) an instruction operation control means for monitoring an output data pattern of the programmable controller when the instruction mode is set, storing in sequence a changed input/output data pattern whenever the output data pattern changes, and deleting an unchanged input/output data pattern of the obtained input/output data pattern series from those to be diagnosed;
• and
• (c) a diagnosis operation control means for discriminating whether each input/output data pattern constituting a stored input/output data pattern series for a designated control device appears within each predetermined monitoring time period when the diagnosis mode is set, diagnosing that the designated controlled device develops trouble when an input/output data pattern which is the same as the stored input/output data pattern does not appear during said monitoring time period, and identifying locations at which the same input/output data pattern does not appear as fault locations.

A trouble diagnosis apparatus for a device controlled by a programmable controller, comprising:

• (a) a mode setting means for setting an operation mode to any one of an input/output designation mode, an instruction mode and a diagnosis mode;
• (b) an input/output designation control means for designating a registration of input-output data to be diagnosed in the programmable controller or a deletion of input/output data to be excluded from diagnosis when the input/output designation mode is set;
• (c) an instruction operation control means for monitoring an output data pattern of the programmable controller for a designated device when the instruction mode is set, storing a changed input/output data pattern for the designated device whenever the output data pattern changes, and deleting input/output data designated for deletion from a obtained input/output data pattern series to be diagnosed;
• and
• (d) a diagnosis operation control means for discriminating whether an input/output data pattern of the programmable controller for a designated device matches each input/output data pattern constituting a stored input/output data pattern series within each predetermined monitoring time period for the designated device when the diagnosis mode is set, diagnosing that the designated device develops trouble when the input/output data pattern does not match, and identifying locations at which the input/output data pattern does not match the instructed and stored input/output data pattern as fault locations.