Controller including multifunctions

A controller wherein a process value obtained from a process in inputted, a control calculation is carried out based upon a control parameter, and a control output is supplied to the process, said controller comprising

• a container comprising
• a main body (CL) consisting of an open box having four sides, a rear part, and an open front portion,
• a front part (PL) fitted over said open front portion of said main body and containing on a front face thereof display means and key means;
• display means (10) provided in said front part for displaying separately or in combination
• an operating panel wherein values of process and control output are shown as bar graphs,
• a trend graph panel of trend of process values,
• control calculating panel, and
• a tuning panel;
• panel expanding means (KY7) provided in said front part for manually instructing said display means to expand contents of said panels to be displayed in said display means;
• a plurality of key means (KY1-6, 8-10) provided in said front part and positioned besides and beneath said display means for manually setting control operations and various parameters;
• operating panel generating means (81) contained in said main body and operable by one of said plurality of key means assigned such function, for generating signals to cause display of process values and control output values as bar graphs on the operating panel to be displayed in said display means;
• trend graph panel generating means (82) contained in said main body and operable by one of said plurality of key means assigned such function, for generating signals to cause display of transition of the process values as a trend graph on the trend graph panel to be displayed in said display means
• tuning panel generating means (83) contained in said main body and operable by one of said plurality of key means assigned such function, for generating signals to cause display on the tuning panel to be displayed in said display means of
• symbols indicative of functions assigned to said plurality of key means at positions corresponding to said plurality of key means,
• and information used to control a control parameter used in said control calculation;
• display controlling means (9) contained in said main body for selecting for display in said display means
• a combination of said operating panel and said trend graph panel upon receipt of a signal from said panel expanding means,
• and said tuning panel singly upon concurrent receipt of a signal from said panel expanding means and a signal resulting from operation of one of said plurality of key means;
• and
• key function changing means (11) contained in said main body for changing functions assigned to said plurality of key means and symbols displayed in said tuning panel corresponding to the changed functions of said plurality of key means;
• wherein all of the manually operable components and the display means are contained in the front face of said front part of said container for improved appearance and so that any two of said manually operable components can be accessed concurrently with two digits of one hand by an operator.