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AssigneeSteeplechase Software, Inc.
InventorsMichael T. Klein, William Perry Su, Richard Leroy Mahn, Per-Ola Gustav Forsgren
Estimating the term…
A digital computer implemented software system is provided for enabling on-line programming changes of industrial logic controllers using a software package of the type utilizing graphical flowcharts is provided, allowing a user to modify a program and transfer industrial process state information while the program is controlling equipment. A control program has predetermined stop points of execution. Each stop point is assigned a unique index used to retrieve instruction addresses from an array. Each stop point also is associated with industrial process state information. By substituting new addresses pointing to stop points in a new program for the executing program addresses and transferring the state information, the executing program is replaced by a new program when execution continues on the next CPU scan. On-line programming changes take effect by replacing the executing code when all programs have reached a stop point, and by restarting a second program from the corresponding stop point in the second program.
A method of on-line programming changes to a computer implemented software system for programming industrial logic controllers, of the type using a graphical flowchart representation of a controller program, comprising the steps of:
A computer readable storage device used to direct an on-site computer to execute an on-line programming change to a graphical flowchart representation of a control program, the programming change comprising the steps of:
A system for executing an on-line programming change to a digital computer controlled application program, comprising:
In a first executing flowchart control program having a first set of known stop points at which the control program pauses execution between successive scans of the control program, the instruction address locations of each stop point retained in a first stop point table, each of the stop points having industrial program state information associated therewith, a method of on-line programming changes comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.