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US 8,903,520 B2Granted
Method for executing sequential function charts as function blocks in a control system
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorJohn Michael Karaffa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for converting Sequential Function Chart (SFC) logic to function block logic for execution by a programmable controller. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving Sequential Function Chart (SFC) logic comprising Steps and Transition on a physical computing device, converting the Steps and Transitions of the Sequential Function Chart logic to function block logic on the physical computing device, and uploading the function block logic from the physical computing device to a controller.
Claims17
A method, comprising:
- receiving Sequential Function Chart (SFC) logic comprising Steps and Transition on a physical computing device;
- converting the Steps and Transitions of the Sequential Function Chart logic to function block logic on the physical computing device;
- and
- uploading the function block logic from the physical computing device to a controller, wherein converting the Steps and Transitions of the SFC logic comprises converting the Steps and Transitions of the Sequential Function Chart logic to the function block logic using a block library stored on both the physical computing device and in the controller, the block library comprising a plurality of specific function blocks implementing SFC functionality that provide executable code to convert Steps and Transitions of the SFC logic to the function block logic;
- and
- executing the function block logic in the controller by using the block library stored in the controller.
3 more elements
A physical computing device, comprising:
- a tangible machine-readable medium comprising code adapted to:
- provide a Sequential Function Chart (SFC) editor to a user;
- receive first application code comprising an SFC model;
- convert the first application code to a second application code comprising blockware by using a block library stored on both the physical computing device and in a controller, the block library comprising a plurality of specific function blocks implementing SFC functionality that provide executable code to convert Steps and Transitions the SFC model to the blockware;
- and
- output the second application code, wherein the second application code is configured to be executed by the controller by using the block library stored in the controller.
3 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a programmable logic controller comprising function blocks executable to perform one or more control functions, wherein the function blocks are translated, via a computer, from Sequential Function Chart logic via a block library having a plurality of specific function blocks that provide executable code implementing SFC functionality to convert Steps and Transitions of the Sequential Function Chart logic to the function blocks, wherein the block library is stored in both the programmable logic controller and the computer, and wherein the function blocks are configured to be executed by the programmable logic controller by using the block library stored in the programmable logic controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.