Providing a Proxy Step in a Model of an Automation System
The present disclosure describes the insertion of proxy steps in a model of on automation system. A location is identified to insert the proxy step. The proxy step is inserted at the location. In one aspect an icon is displayed where a proxy step may be inserted, in which case the icon is replaced by the proxy step. A programmable logic controller may be programmed based on the model.
1 . A method for altering a modeling of an automation system via a modeling tool, comprising:
determining at least one valid position in an electrical sequence flow of the automation system in which a proxy step could be inserted into the electrical sequence flow;
displaying the electrical sequence flow pertaining to a plurality of resources, the electrical sequence flow comprising:
a plurality of electrical sequence elements including a first electrical step and an electrical transition, and
an icon for each of the determined at least one valid position,
identifying, from the display, an icon to be replaced by a new proxy step;
replacing the identified icon with the new proxy step;
adding electrical transitions effective for the new proxy step to be parallel to the first electrical step; and
displaying the electrical sequence flow after the replacing the icon and the adding electrical transitions, wherein
the displaying the electrical sequence flow is on an electronic display device.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the adding the electrical transitions comprises adding a first electrical transition and a second electrical transition,
the first electrical transition visually connects a second electrical step to the new proxy step such that the first electrical transition is effective to transition from the second electrical step to the proxy step or the first electrical transition visually connects a global start step to the new proxy step such that the first electrical transition is effective to transition from the global start step to the proxy step, and
the second electrical transition visually connects the proxy step to a third electrical step such that the second electrical transition is effective to transition from the new proxy step to the third electrical step or the second electrical transition visually connects the proxy step to a global end step such that the second electrical transition is effective to transition from the new proxy step to the global end step.
3 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the second electrical step is immediately previous to the proxy step according to a time scale.
4 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the second electrical step is immediately previous to the proxy step respective to the resource associated with the newly added proxy step.
5 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the third electrical step is immediately after the proxy step according to a time scale.
6 . The method as claimed in claim [0011], wherein
the third electrical step is immediately after the proxy step respective to the resource associated with the newly added proxy step.
7 . The method as claimed in claim [0011], further comprising:
altering a third electrical transition from the first electrical step by changing the third electrical transition to visually connect the first electrical step to the global end step, the third electrical transition effective to transition from the first step to the global end step.
8 . The method as claimed in claim [0011], further comprising:
altering a third electrical transition from the first electrical step by changing the third electrical transition to visually connect the first electrical step to a fourth electrical step related, the first electrical step and the fourth electrical step associated to a same resource, the third electrical transition effective to transition from the first step to the fourth electrical step.
9 . The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
deleting the new proxy step and removing the added electrical transitions to and from the deleted proxy step.
10 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the proxy step is not related to a mechanical step.
11 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the adding the electrical transitions is done automatically by the modeling tool.
12 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the adding the electrical transitions is done manually by a user of the modeling tool.
13 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
providing a user interface effective to receive input from a user, wherein
the identifying the icon includes receiving input from the user which indicates the identified icon.
14 . The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein
the receiving input from the user which indicates the identified icon is a result of user placing a cursor over the identified icon and clicking a mouse or the user pressing a predefined keyboard key or the user touching the identified icon.
15 . A computer-usable medium including computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method for altering a modeling of an automation system via a modeling tool, comprising:
determining at least one valid position in an electrical sequence flow of the automation system in which a proxy step could be inserted into the electrical sequence flow;
displaying the electrical sequence flow pertaining to a plurality of resources, the electrical sequence flow comprising a plurality of electrical sequence elements and an icon for each of the determined at least one valid position, the plurality of electrical sequence elements including a first electrical step;
identifying, from the display, an icon to be replaced by a new proxy step;
replacing the identified icon with the new proxy step;
adding electrical transitions effective for the new proxy step to be parallel to the first electrical step; and
displaying the electrical sequence flow after the replacing the icon and the adding electrical transitions, wherein
the displaying the electrical sequence flow is on an electronic display device.
16 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim 15 , wherein
the adding the electrical transitions comprises adding a first electrical transition and a second electrical transition,
the first electrical transition visually connects a second electrical step to the new proxy step, the first electrical transition effective to transition from the second electrical step to the proxy step or the first electrical transition visually connects a global start step to the new proxy step, the first electrical transition effective to transition from the global start step to the proxy step, and
the second electrical transition visually connects the proxy step to a third electrical step, the second electrical transition effective to transition from the new proxy step to the third electrical step or the second electrical transition visually connects the proxy step to a global end step, the second electrical transition effective to transition from the new proxy step to the global end step.
17 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim [0041], wherein
the second electrical step is immediately previous to the proxy step according to a time scale.
18 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim [0041], wherein
the second electrical step is immediately previous to the proxy step respective to the resource associated with the newly added proxy step.
19 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim [0041], wherein
the third electrical step is immediately after the proxy step according to a time scale.
20 . The computer-usable medium as claimed in claim [0041], wherein
the third electrical step is immediately after the proxy step respective to the resource associated with the newly added proxy step.
21 . 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 programmable logic controller;
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;
an electrical sequence flow of the automation system based on the mechanical sequence flow created automatically via the modeling tool and displayed via the user interface, the electrical sequence flow comprising a plurality of electrical sequence elements and an icon for each valid position in which a proxy step could be inserted into the electrical sequence flow, each of the plurality of electrical sequence elements is an electrical step or an electrical transition, the plurality of electrical sequence elements including a first electrical step;
an icon to be replaced by a new proxy step is identified by a user via a user interface;
the identified icon is replaced with the new proxy step,
electrical transitions are added effective for the new proxy step to be parallel to the first electrical step; and
the electrical sequence flow is displayed via the user interface after the replacing the icon and the adding electrical transitions
a programmable logic controller runtime software is produced at least from the electrical sequence flow, wherein
the at least one programmable logic control is programmed with the produced programmable logic controller runtime software via the network.