JPH0377522B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a programmable controller, and particularly to a technique for monitoring and displaying input/output data convenient for checking operation.

As is well known, many general programmable
In the controller, an input/output status indicator is provided on the terminal board of the input/output device that connects external input/output devices, with indicator lamps corresponding to each terminal on a one-to-one basis. The logical states of the input and output signals that are input or output are displayed by blinking the corresponding display lamps. This allows the user to visually check the input/output signal status, which changes moment by moment depending on the operating status of the programmable controller, from the display.

However, the above-mentioned input/output status display has a large number of indicator lamps corresponding to a large number of input/output terminals, for example 64 or 128 points, all arranged centrally on the terminal board surface, so it operates as follows. This is extremely inconvenient when visually checking.

When trying to check the interrelationship of on and off timings of two or three input/output signals that are closely related by the user program from the input/output status display, the input/output signals of those several points There is no problem if the signal indicator lamps are adjacent to each other in the display. However, if the several indicator lamps you want to visually check are scattered among many lamps in the display and are located far from each other, the display will not be affected by the flashing of many other lamps. It is extremely difficult to visually check the blinking states of several target indicator lamps.

In addition, recent programmable controllers do not only handle logical operations on 1-bit input/output data, but also handle numeric data as input/output data, as typified by timer instructions and counter instructions. It has become possible to incorporate external device control into a user program by performing calculations related to data, calculations between numerical data, and comparing the magnitude of numerical data. In a programmable controller that handles this type of numerical data, the data in the input/output memory is divided into bit input/output data and byte input/output data representing numerical values. The monitor for checking the operation as described above not only monitors bit input/output data, but also byte input/output data. In particular, it would be extremely convenient in practical use if it could not only monitor changes in one byte input/output data, but also monitor other input/output data that are related to that byte input/output data, as well as their mutual relationships. . For example, byte input/output data, which is the count value in a counter instruction,
It would be convenient if the bit input data that becomes the input signal of the counter instruction and the bit input/output data that becomes the count-up output signal of the counter instruction can be displayed together on the monitor.

Centrally displaying multiple input/output data including numerical data as described above on a monitor (this is called a multi-point monitor) makes it possible to display a user program on a CRT screen, etc. in the form of a sequence control circuit diagram. This can be done conventionally with a programmable controller equipped with a so-called CRT programming panel. However, a device capable of displaying a monitor display in the form of a sequence control circuit diagram is extremely complex, sophisticated, and very expensive. Therefore, medium-sized and smaller programmable controllers do not have such programming panels, and in such cases, the above-mentioned multipoint monitoring cannot be performed.

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a method for input/output data (including bits and bytes) at arbitrarily selected points using a simple configuration of both hardware and software. An object of the present invention is to provide a programmable controller equipped with a multi-point monitor display function that allows changes and their relationships to be easily confirmed. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention sequentially reads a sequence control program arbitrarily set by a user from a user program memory, and performs bit operations and operations between input and output data at specified input and output addresses in accordance with each user instruction. In a programmable controller that performs arithmetic processing on byte data and updates specified bit output data and byte output data based on the results of the arithmetic processing, any number of bit input/output addresses and byte input/output addresses can be monitored. monitor input means that can be set as an address; monitor data reading means that reads bit input/output data or byte input/output data of each input/output address set by the monitor input means for each execution cycle of the user program; The logic state of each input/output data read by the data reading means is input/output as a bit to each 1-byte display element group of the display device, which is arranged in close alignment for each 1-byte display element group. The present invention is characterized by comprising: display control means for displaying data and displaying byte input/output data on display elements corresponding to each of the input/output addresses.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a programmable system to which this invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of the controller. This programmable controller is
CPU1 (Central Processing Unit) serves as the center of overall control, system program memory (ROM) 2 stores system programs executed by CPU1, and is used by CPU1 as a temporary storage area for various variable data. A working memory (RAM) 3, a user program memory (RAM) 4 in which a sequence control program arbitrarily set by the user is stored, and an input buffer and external memory to which external input signals (including bit data and byte data) are applied. The input/output device 5 (general term for input device and output device) includes an output buffer that sends out output signals (including bit data and byte data), and the input/output data (bit data and byte data) corresponding to the input/output device 5. including)
Input/output memory (RAM), which serves as buffer memory for
6, and a program console 7 through which various operating commands are given to the CPU 1, user program creation input and monitor command input are performed, and displays at the time of input, monitor display, etc. are provided.

As is well known, the execution operation of a user program in this type of programmable controller involves sequentially reading out user instructions from the user program memory 4, and changing the input/output data stored in the input/output memory 6 according to each user instruction. It performs bit operations and byte data operations, and updates specified bit output data and byte output data based on the results of the operation processing, and also updates the input/output device 5 in synchronization with the execution of this user program. The input data given to the input/output memory 6 is written to a predetermined area of the input/output memory (input update), and the output data of the predetermined area of the input/output memory 6 is transferred to the input/output device 5 (output update). In the relationship between the input data given to the input/output device 5 and the output data outputted from the input/output device 5, a sequence state specified by the user program is created. As is well known, the subject of calculation processing in the user program is not only the input/output data of the input/output device 5, but also data stored in the memory 3 or memory 6, which is called an internal relay or auxiliary relay. It is. It is also well known that the memory 3 or the memory 6 is used to process so-called timer instructions and counter instructions.

The input/output device 5 includes a terminal board 5A to which external input/output devices related to the controlled device are connected, and an input/output status indicator 5B having indicator lamps corresponding one-to-one to each terminal of the terminal board 5A. We are prepared. As mentioned above, the input/output status display 5B is connected to the terminal board 5.
Input signal (input data) applied to each terminal of A
Alternatively, the light is turned on or off depending on the logic state of the output signal (output data) sent from the terminal.

The program console 7 includes a keyboard 7A that includes a numeric keypad, command code keys, and other function keys, a numeric display 7B that displays addresses and data, and a numeric display 7B that displays various error states and command words for user commands. It is equipped with a dot display 7C that displays . The dot display 7C has 32 display lamps arranged in a matrix of 4 lines with 8 lamps per line, and each display lamp has ``AND'', ``OR'', ``NOT'', ``OUT''... Each mnemonic of the instruction word (instruction code) of a user instruction such as ``parity error'', ``CPU error'', ``I/
The descriptions of various error states such as "O error" are supported.

As is well known, an input operation for writing an arbitrary user command into the user program memory 4 is performed using the program console 7, and at this time, the command word of the user command being input is displayed on the dot display. 7C, and addresses and data are displayed on the numeric display 7B. Similarly, a monitor function for reading and displaying user commands set in the user program memory 4 is usually provided, and the monitor display in this case is performed by the dot display 7C and the numeric display 7B. . The basic functions and control operations related to these program consoles 7 are well known.

The input/output status monitoring function allows you to arbitrarily set multiple bit input/output addresses and byte input/output addresses as monitor target addresses, and the bit input/output data or byte input/output data of each set input/output address is monitored by the user. The logical state of each read input/output data is read every execution cycle of the program, and the logical state of each read input/output data is displayed on the display element corresponding to each input/output address of the display device, which is formed by arranging a plurality of display elements in close alignment. It will be displayed. In this case, the dot display 7C in the program console 7 is also used as the display in this embodiment. Further, the keyboard 7A of the program console 7 is also used as an input means for inputting the monitor target address, so that when the monitor target address is input, the address is displayed on the numeric display 7B.

In general programmable controllers, input from the program console 7 is sent to the CPU 1.
It is now accepted through interrupt processing.
This interrupt processing for accepting input is well known.

Further, a monitor control area is set in the working memory 3, as shown in FIG. 2, in order to realize the above-mentioned input/output state monitoring function. In this embodiment, four input/output addresses can be set as monitor targets, and MA0, MA1, MA2, and MA3 in FIG. 2 are areas in which monitor target addresses are stored, respectively. Further, setting flags MF0 to MF3 are set corresponding to each address area MA0 to MA3.
These set flags MF0 to MF3 are set when a monitor target address is stored in the corresponding address areas MA0 to MA3, respectively.
Also, any one of the setting flags MF0 to MF3
When set at any time, the multipoint monitor flag MF
is set.

Furthermore, in order to specify whether the monitored address stored in address areas MA0 to MA3 is a bit input/output address or a byte input/output address (generally called a channel), a channel is set corresponding to each address area MA0 to MA3. flag
CHF0 to CHF3 are set, and when the monitored address stored in the address areas MA0 to MA3 is a byte input/output address, the corresponding channel flags CHF0 to CHF3 are set.
Incidentally, the operation of arbitrarily storing a monitor target address in the address areas MA0 to MA3 (including channel flags CHF0 to CHF3) is performed by operating the keyboard 7A of the program console 7, as described above. Further, the keyboard 7A is also used to erase the monitor target address once stored in the address areas MA0 to MA3.

In addition, the address area of the monitor control area above
MA0 is associated with the eight display lamps on the top row of the dot display 7C, and as described later, if the input/output address stored in area MA0 is a bit input/output address, one of the address The logical state of the bit signal is displayed by blinking the display lamp of the most significant digit on the top row of the dot display 7C (the leftmost display lamp), and the input/output address stored in area MA0 is indicated by the byte input/output. If it is an address, the byte data of that address is displayed on the eight display lamps on the top row. Similarly, address area MA1 is associated with the second line of the dot display 7C, address area MA2 is associated with the third line, and address area MA3 is associated with the fourth line. 8 pieces very close together like this
The monitor display is performed by display lamps arranged in four rows.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an overview of the system program executed by the CPU 1. The steps will be sequentially explained below according to this flowchart. The first routine 100 is a user program execution routine in which each user command in the user program memory 4 is executed in sequence and the output data in the input/output memory 6 is rewritten. When the user program finishes executing up to the END instruction,
Proceeding to the next routine 101, the above-described input/output update process for high-speed exchange of input/output data between the input/output device 5 and the input/output memory 6 is executed.

The next step 102 and subsequent steps are monitor processing.
First, in step 102, it is determined whether the multi-point monitor flag MF set in the working memory 3 is set, that is, whether a monitor is designated. Step if no monitor is specified
The process proceeds to other processing on the side of step 103, and when there is a monitor designation, the process proceeds to step 104. In step 104, the above setting flag MF set in working memory 3 is
It is checked whether 0 is set, that is, whether a monitor target address is set in address area MA0. Setting flag MF0
If the address has been reset (the monitored address has not been set), the process advances to step 105, and the eight display lamps in the first row of the dot display 7C are turned off.

In addition, if the setting flag MF0 is set, the process advances to step 105 and the channel flag is set.
It is determined whether CHF0 is set, that is, whether the monitored address set in address area MA0 is a bit input/output address or a byte input/output address. If CHF0="0" and the bit input/output address is being monitored, proceed to step 107, and read the 1-bit input/output data of the bit input/output address stored in address area MA0 from the input/output memory 6. In the next step 108, it is determined whether the 1-bit data is "1" or not, and if it is "1", one display lamp at the left end of the first row of the dot display 7C is lit.

If CHF0="1" in step 106, the process advances to step 109, where the input/output data at the byte input/output address stored in address area MA0 is read from the input/output memory 6, and in the next step 110, the data is read out. One byte of input/output data is displayed on the first row of eight display lamps in the dot display 7C.

After executing step 105, 108, or 110 described above, the process proceeds to step 111. Processing from steps 111 to 117 is set flag MF1, channel flag
The same processing as in steps 104 to 110 above is performed for CHF1 and address area MA1. That is, when a bit input/output address is set in the address area MA1, 1-bit data of this address is read out from the input/output memory 6, and the left end of the second line on the dot display 7C is read out according to the logical state of the data. The display lamp of the address area MA is turned on or off, and the address area MA
When a byte input/output address is set to 1, 1 byte of data at that address is read from the input/output memory 6, and the data is displayed on the 8 display lamps on the second line of the dot display 7C. Ru. Subsequently, similar processing is performed for MF2 and MF3, and then the process returns to the first user program execution routine 100.

By repeatedly executing the above processing operations at high speed, up to four arbitrary points among a large number of input/output data (input/output signals) that change from moment to moment during user program execution operations (during programmable controller operation) The address areas MA0 to MA3 (CHF0 to CHF
3), the latest state of the bit data and byte data of each input/output address is read out and displayed on the 8×4 rows of lamps on the dot display 7C. Therefore, it becomes possible to visually check the interrelationships of signal change timings and numerical data changes at several necessary points of a large amount of input/output data very easily from the closely arranged display lamps.

Here, key input processing will be briefly explained. The programmable controller has various modes, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing such as writing, inserting, deleting, searching, etc. of a user program when the program mode is set by a mode setting means (not shown). It is. 5A and 5B show processing when a key interrupt occurs during execution of the run mode shown in FIG. 3. As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, when writing a program, address, symbol, and data are input using keys. The above data is stored in the auxiliary memory, and the address is displayed on the address display in the numeric display 7B, the data is displayed on the data display, and the selected symbol lamp on the dot display 7C is lit. Then, when the write key is operated, the symbols and data in the auxiliary memory are written to the designated user program address. Then, specify addresses one after another (at this time, the symbol lamp turns off), or use the ↑ and ↓ keys to enter addresses by -1 and +.
1 while writing the program. Note that insertion and deletion are performed by specifying symbols and data, respectively, and searching for addresses in the user program. Further, readout is to read symbols and data by specifying an address, and in each case, the corresponding symbol lamp is selectively lit.

In this embodiment, when the monitor key is operated subsequent to the clear key, a multi-point monitor flag is set to execute multi-point monitor. To register the input/output address to be monitored during multi-point monitoring, press the clear key and monitor key consecutively, then enter the address using the numeric keys in order starting from MA0, and then press the set key.
The addresses are stored in order from 1 to 2, and the corresponding MFi flags are set. Note that when registering a byte input/output address, the corresponding channel flag CHi is set by operating the channel key while inputting the address. To delete the corresponding MFi, operate the reset key in the same way.
Reset the flag. In addition, 8/set, 9/
In addition to the multi-point monitor, the reset key is also used for numeric keys, and for forced set and reset keys during monitoring. The forced set and reset keys forcefully set and reset timers and the like.

In the above embodiment, the monitor display is performed on the dot display 7C for command and error display, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a separate monitor display lamp may be provided. It's okay. Further, in the above description, only the input/output data of the input/output device 5 is displayed on the monitor, but the monitor display of the present invention can also be applied to the outputs of so-called internal relays and timer/counter elements.

As described above in detail, the present invention includes a monitor input means that can optionally set a plurality of bit input/output addresses and byte input/output addresses as monitor target addresses, and each input/output address set by the monitor input means. A monitor data reading means reads the bit input/output data or byte input/output data of the output address every execution cycle of the user program, and the logical state of each input/output data read by this monitor data reading means is read for one byte. Each 1-byte display element group of a display device, which is arranged in close alignment with each display element group, is used to display bit input/output data and byte input/output data,
Display control means for displaying any of the input/output data on a display device corresponding to each of the input/output addresses is provided, so that several input/output display lamps are closely related by the user program. Even if the indicators are scattered among the many indicator lamps in the input/output status indicator and are located far from each other,
Input/output data at multiple arbitrarily selected points, including bit data and byte data, is displayed on display elements corresponding to each input/output address of a display device in which display elements are arranged close to each other. Changes and their relationships can be easily confirmed.

In addition, each display element is arranged in alignment for each display element group for 1 byte, and this one group of display elements can display both bit input/output data and byte input/output data, making the device complicated. This means that each data can be displayed on the monitor without having to do so. Furthermore, extremely sophisticated equipment such as a CRT programming panel is not required.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a programmable controller according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a monitor control area in a working memory, and FIGS. 5A
FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing the contents of the system program executed by the CPU. 1...CPU, 3...Working memory, 4...
...user program memory, 5...input/output device,
5A...Terminal board, 5B...Input/output status indicator, 6
...Input/output memory, 7...Program console, 7A...Keyboard, 7C...Dot display.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Sequentially reads a sequence control program arbitrarily set by the user from the user program memory, and performs bit operations and byte data operations between input and output data at specified input and output addresses in accordance with each user command. A monitor that can arbitrarily set multiple bit input/output addresses and byte input/output addresses as monitored addresses in a programmable controller that updates designated bit output data and byte output data based on the results of arithmetic processing. an input means; a monitor data reading means for reading bit input/output data or byte input/output data of each input/output address set by the monitor input means for each execution cycle of the user program; and a monitor data reading means for reading by the monitor data reading means. The logical state of each bit input/output data is displayed on each 1-byte display element group of a display device, which is arranged in close alignment for each 1-byte display element group. A programmable controller comprising: display control means for displaying output data on a display element corresponding to each of the input/output addresses. 2. The programmable display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a command word display device in which each display element is associated with a command word symbol.
controller.