Apparatus for solving ladder logic
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorClyde O. Peterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A logic controller apparatus for solving ladder logic includes first memory locations for storing representations of the ladder logic and second memory locations for storing a plurality of input and output digital logic signals. A processor employs at least some of the digital logic signals for solving the representations of the ladder logic. A representation of ladder logic power flowing from a power rail to a neutral rail flows in a forward direction from a first port to a second port of at least one of a plurality of ladder functional devices, such as contacts. The contacts are organized in a plurality of rows which include at least one of the contacts. The ladder logic power representation also flows in a reverse direction from the second port to the first port of at least another one of the functional devices.
Claims18
A logic controller apparatus for solving ladder logic, said ladder logic including a ladder rung having including a power rail, a neutral rail, and a plurality of devices organized in a plurality of rows, with the rows being in said ladder rung and including at least one of the devices and with the devices having two ports, with power from said power rail to said neutral rail flowing from the left port to the right port of at least one of the devices, and with power flowing from the second port to the first port of at least another one of the devices in at least one of said rows, said apparatus comprising:
- means for storing representations of said ladder logic;
- means for storing a plurality of digital logic signals;
- and
- means employing at least some of the digital logic signals for solving said representations of said ladder logic independent of power flow direction in said at least one of said rows.
A logic controller apparatus for solving ladder logic including a power rail, a neutral rail, and a plurality of devices organized in a plurality of rows, with the rows including at least one of the devices and with the devices having two ports, said apparatus comprising:
- means for storing representations of said ladder logic;
- means for storing a plurality of digital logic signals;
- and
- means employing at least some of the digital logic signals for solving said representations of said ladder logic independent of power flow direction within one of said rows, with a representation of power from said power rail to said neutral rail flowing from the first port to the second port of one of the devices in a first state of said at least some of the digital logic signals, and with a representation of said power flowing from the second port to the first port of said one of the devices in a second state of said at least some of the digital logic signals.
An apparatus for solving ladder logic including a first power rail, a second power rail, and a plurality of devices organized in a plurality of rows, with the rows including at least one of the devices and with the devices having two ports, said apparatus comprising:
- input means for inputting first digital logic signals;
- output means for outputting second digital logic signals;
- means for storing the first and second digital logic signals;
- means for storing representations of said ladder logic;
- and
- processor means including:
- means for moving the first digital logic signals from said input means to said means for storing the first and second digital logic signals,
- means for moving the second digital logic signals from said means for storing the first and second digital logic signals to said output means, and
- means employing at least some of the first and second digital logic signals for solving said representations of said ladder logic independent of power flow direction within one of said rows, with a representation of power from said first power rail to said second power rail flowing from the first port to the second port of at least one of the devices, and with a representation of said power flowing from the second port to the first port of at least another one of the devices.
An apparatus for solving ladder logic, said ladder logic including a first power rail, a plurality of functional devices, a results device, and a second power rail;
- the functional devices and the results device having a first port and a second port;
- the functional devices having an on state, in which the ports thereof are logically connected, and alternatively having an off state, in which the ports thereof are logically disconnected;
- the results device having an on state, in which power flows from the first port to the second port thereof, and alternatively having an off state, in which no power flows from the first port to the second port thereof;
- the first port of at least one of the functional devices connected to the first power rail;
- the second port of the results device connected to the second power rail;
- the functional devices interconnected between the first power rail and the first port of the results device;
- the interconnection of the first power rail, the ports of the functional devices and the first port of the results device defining a plurality of independent nodes;
- at least some of the ports of the functional devices being connected to one of the nodes;
- the first port of the results device being connected to one of the nodes;
- the on state of the functional devices logically connecting a pair of the nodes;
- said apparatus comprising:
- means for storing a representation of said ladder logic;
- means for determining each of the functional devices having the on state;
- means for determining a list of some of the nodes which are logically interconnected with the first power rail by some of said functional devices having the on state, with a first node of said some of the nodes being logically connected with the first power rail by at least one of said functional devices having the on state, with a second node of said some of the nodes being logically connected with the first node by at least another one of said functional devices having the on state, with an Nth node of said some of the nodes being logically connected with an Mth node of said some of the nodes by at least another one of said functional devices having the on state, the Nth node being logically interconnected with the first power rail by at least some of said some of said functional devices having the on state, with power flowing in a row from the second port to the first port of said at least another one of said functional devices, and alternatively, with power flowing from said first power rail through another one of said functional devices having the on state to said second node and with power flowing in said row from the first port to the second port of said at least another one of said functional devices;
- and
- means for determining the on state of the results device in the event that the first port of the results device is logically connected with the Mth node by at least one of said functional devices having the on state and for determining the off state of the results device otherwise.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.