Alternate Sequence Descriptions For Producing Alternate Execution Paths In An Automation System
The present disclosure provides alternative paths of execution in an automation system. In one aspect, a sequence flow of sequence elements are displayed from which an alternative section is identified and an alternate path is created within When programming the at least one PLC in an automation system, each of the paths provides a different execution path for the at least one PLC in an automation system.
1 . A method for providing alternative paths in a modeling of an automation system via a modeling tool, comprising:
displaying a mechanical sequence flow comprising a plurality of mechanical sequence elements;
identifying an alternative section from the plurality of mechanical sequence elements, the alternative section including an original path;
creating an alternative path within the alternative section, wherein
the displaying the mechanical sequence flow is on an electronic display device.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the identifying an alternative section includes:
identifying a starting point for an alternative section, and
identifying an ending point for the alternative section, wherein
the alternative path is created starting from the starting point and ending with the ending point.
3 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the starting point is identified from a start or end of one of the plurality of mechanical sequence elements, and
the ending point is identified from a start or end of one of the plurality of mechanical sequence elements, the ending point occurring after the starting point relative to a time scale.
4 . The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein
the displaying the mechanical sequence flow further comprises a plurality of symbols each of which represents a starting point;
the starting point is identified from one of the plurality of symbols, the method further comprises:
displaying the mechanical sequence flow after the indentifying the starting point, the mechanical sequence flow comprises a plurality of symbols each of which represent an ending point, wherein
the ending point is identified from one of the plurality of ending points.
5 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a user interface effective to receive a first and second input from a user, wherein
the identifying the starting point includes receiving the first input from the user, the first input indicating the identified starting point, and
the identifying the ending point includes receiving the second input from the user, the second input indicating the identified ending point.
6 . The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein
the receiving the first input is a result of the user placing a cursor over the identified starting point and clicking a mouse or the user pressing a predefined keyboard key or the user touching the identified starting point, and
the receiving the second input is a result of the user placing a cursor over the identified ending point and clicking a mouse or the user pressing a predefined keyboard key or the user touching the identified ending point.
7 . The method as claimed in claim further comprising:
receiving input indicating a mechanical sequence element that is new to the alternative path, wherein
the creating the alternative path includes adding the new mechanical sequence element to an alternative mechanical sequence flow of the alternative path.
8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying the mechanical sequence flow in response to creating the alternative path, the displayed mechanical sequence flow excludes the original path, the original path defined by a portion of the mechanical sequence flow for the identified starting point to the identified ending point.
9 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein
the display of the mechanical sequence flow in response to create the alternative path includes a gap in the mechanical sequence flow, the gap relative to a time scale, the gap formed starting at the starting point of the identified mechanical sequence element and ending at a time greater than the starting time of the gap.
10 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising
receiving input indicating to finish the creating the alternative path; and
displaying, after receiving the input indicating to finish the creating the alternative path, the mechanical sequence flow such that the gap is removed from the display.
11 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein
the receiving the input indicating to finish the creating the alternative path is an indication to cancel, the method further comprising:
displaying the mechanical sequence flow such that the gap is removed from the display, the mechanical sequence flow is restored to comprise the mechanical sequence elements that existed before the creating the alternative path.
12 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein
the receiving the input indicating to finish the creating the alternative path is an indication to complete the alternative path, and
an original path is defined by the mechanical sequence elements from the starting point to the ending point.
displaying the mechanical sequence flow such that the gap is removed from the display, the mechanical sequence flow includes the alternative path and excludes the original path.
13 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein
an electrical sequence flow is not displayable after the creating the alternative path u the receiving input effective to finish the replacing.
14 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
an electrical sequence flow differentiates the different paths.
15 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the mechanical sequence flow includes a plurality of resources,
a plurality of alternative paths are created, and
at least a portion of the plurality alternative paths are defined for different resources of the plurality of resources.
16 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
a user identifies a path from the original path and the alternative path to be displayed or
a user identifies a path from a plurality of alternative paths to be displayed, and
the displayed mechanical sequence flow includes only the identified path in the alternative section of the mechanical sequence flow.
17 . The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the modeling produces code for a programmable logic controller.
18 . A computer-usable medium including computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method for providing alternative paths in a modeling of an automation system via a modeling tool, the method comprising:
displaying a mechanical sequence flow comprising a plurality of mechanical sequence elements;
identifying an alternative section from the plurality of mechanical sequence elements, the alternative section having an original path;
creating an alternative path within the alternative section, wherein
the displaying the mechanical sequence flow is on an electronic display device.
19 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim 18 , wherein
the identifying an alternative section includes:
identifying a starting point for an alternative section, and
identifying an ending point for the alternative section, wherein
the alternative path is created starting from the starting point and ending with the ending point.
20 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising:
displaying the mechanical sequence flow in response to creating the alternative path, the displayed mechanical sequence flow excludes the original path, the original path defined by a portion of the mechanical sequence flow for the identified starting point to the identified ending point.
21 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim 18 , wherein
the displaying the mechanical sequence in response to create the alternative path includes a gap in display of the mechanical sequence flow, the gap relative to a time scale, the gap formed starting at the starting point of the identified mechanical sequence element and ending at a time greater than the starting time of the gap.
22 . An arrangement in an automation system, comprising:
a computing device comprising a central processing unit and a memory,
a modeling tool residing in the memory and executing on the central processing unit;
a user interface coupled to the computing device, the user interface effective to display output and receive input;
a network interface coupled to the computing device and at least one PLC;
a mechanical sequence flow of the automation system created via the modeling tool and displayed via the user interface, the mechanical sequence flow comprising a plurality of mechanical sequence elements;
a section from the plurality of mechanical sequence elements is identified as an alternative section, the mechanical sequence flow is displayed with the section removed;
input indicating to create a alternative path in the section is received via the user interface,
a mechanical sequence element that is new is received via the user interface, the alternative path includes the new mechanical sequence element to the mechanical sequence flow, the mechanical sequence flow which includes the alternative path is displayed via the user interface, wherein
a PLC runtime software is produced at least based on the mechanical sequence flow, wherein
the at least one PLC is programmed with the produced PLC runtime software via the network.