Programmable controller with ladder diagram macro instructions

A programmable controller for operating a machine to perform functions defined by a control program formed by a plurality of ladder logic instructions, the programmable controller comprising:

• a ladder logic processor for executing a subset of the plurality of ladder logic instructions;
• microprocessor for executing ladder logic instructions which said ladder logic processor is unable to execute;
• a first means, coupled to said microprocessor, for storing a machine language program executable by said microprocessor for interpreting ladder logic instructions;
• a second means, coupled to said ladder logic processor and said microprocessor, for storing the control program which contains a ladder logic instruction that causes said microprocessor to execute the machine language program, and which contains another ladder logic instruction that is a macro instruction executable by said ladder logic processor and that specifies an operation code, a first file containing data to be processed by the macro instruction, a second file containing control data, and a storage location for results produced by execution of the macro instruction;
• a third means, coupled to said ladder logic processor, for storing the first and second files;
• and
• a fourth means, coupled to said ladder logic processor, for storing a macro instruction routine having a plurality of ladder logic instructions which are to be executed by said ladder logic processor in response to execution of the macro instruction.

A programmable controller, for operating a machine in response to execution of a control program including ladder logic instructions, comprising:

• a ladder logic processor for executing ladder logic instructions;
• a first means, coupled to said ladder logic processor, for storing the control program in which some of the ladder logic instructions are macro instructions, with each macro instruction specifying a different operation code, a first file containing data to be processed by the macro instruction and a storage location for results produced by execution of the macro instruction;
• a third means, coupled to said ladder logic processor, for storing the first file for each macro instruction;
• and
• a fourth means, coupled to said ladder logic processor, for storing a library file having a ladder logic routine for each macro instruction, and storing a directory containing a designation of the operation codes for each macro instruction and associated with that designation an address of a starting location of a routine in the library file.