Output Signal Behavior for a PLC in an Automation System
The present disclosure describes output signal behavior for a programmable logic controller. The output signal behavior may be modeled in an electrical sequence flow of an automation system. The modeling including a visual representation of the output signal behavior. After the modeling, at least one programmable logic controller of an automation system may be programmed based on the model.
1 . A method for defining output signal behavior in a modeling of an automation system via a modeling tool, comprising:
displaying an electrical sequence flow of the automation system, the electrical sequence flow comprising a plurality of electrical steps;
identifying a first electrical step from the plurality of electrical steps;
identifying a signal line of an output signal;
coupling the identified first electrical step to the identified signal line; and
displaying the electrical sequence flow after coupling the identified first electrical step to the identified signal line, the displaying the electrical sequence flow after coupling the identified first electrical step to the identified signal line includes a visual representation of the coupling wherein
the displaying the electrical sequence flow is on an electronic display device.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a user interface effective to receive input from a user, wherein
the identifying the first electrical step includes receiving input from the user which indicates the first identified electrical step, and
the identifying the signal line includes receiving input from the user which indicates the identified signal line.
3 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the receiving input from the user which indicates the identified electrical step is a result of the user placing a cursor pointer over the identified electrical step and clicking a mouse or the user pressing a predefined keyboard key or the user touching the identified electrical step,
4 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the receiving input from the user which indicates the identified signal line is a result of the user placing a cursor pointer over the identified signal line and clicking a mouse or the user pressing a predefined keyboard key or the user touching the identified signal line.
5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the visual representation of the coupling includes a line drawn from the identified first electrical step to the signal line.
6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
at least a portion of the signal line is reset by a user.
7 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein
the reset is at the end of the first electrical step.
8 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein
the reset is at the beginning of a second electrical step.
9 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein
the reset is at the end of a second electrical step.
10 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
at least a portion of the signal line is set by a user.
11 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein
the set by is at the beginning of the first electrical step.
12 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein
the set by is at the end of the first electrical step.
13 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein code for a programmable logic controller is produced from the model,
14 . A computer-usable medium including computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method for defining output signal behavior in a modeling of an automation system via a modeling tool, the method comprising:
displaying an electrical sequence flow of the automation system, the electrical sequence flow comprising a plurality of electrical steps;
identifying a first electrical step from the plurality of electrical steps;
identifying a signal line of an output signal;
coupling the identified first electrical step to the identified signal line;
displaying the electrical sequence flow after coupling the identified first electrical step to the identified signal line, and
producing code for a programmable a logic controller from the model, wherein
the displaying the electrical sequence flow is on an electronic display device.
15 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:
providing a user interface effective to receive input from a user, wherein
the identifying the first electrical step includes receiving input from the user which indicates the first identified electrical step, and
the identifying the signal line includes receiving input from the user which indicates the identified signal line.
16 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim 15 , wherein
the receiving input from the user which indicates the identified electrical step is a result of the user placing a cursor pointer over the identified electrical step and clicking a mouse or the user pressing a predefined keyboard key or the user touching the identified electrical step, and
the receiving input from the user which indicates the identified signal line is a result of the user placing a cursor pointer over the identified signal line and clicking a mouse or the user pressing a predefined keyboard key or the user touching the identified signal line.
17 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim 14 , wherein
the displaying the electrical sequence flow after coupling the identified first electrical step to the identified signal line includes a visual representation of the coupling.
18 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim 14 , wherein
at least a portion of the signal line is reset by a user.
19 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim 14 , wherein
at least a portion of the signal line is set by a user.
20 . An arrangement in a 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:
an electrical sequence flow of the automation system created via the modeling tool and displayed via the user interface,
the electrical sequence flow comprising a plurality of electrical steps:
a first electrical step from the plurality of electrical steps is identified via the user interface;
a signal line of an output signal is identified via the user interface, the electrical sequence flow is displayed visually showing a coupling between the identified first electrical step and the identified signal line; and
a PLC runtime software is produced with the coupling, wherein
the at least one PLC is programmed with the produced PLC runtime software via the network.