Setting assistance device, control system, setting assistance method, and program

Abstract

A setting assistance device (10) assists setting of a control device that communicates with a device to be controlled at a constant cycle. A setting support device (10) is provided with: a reception unit (14) that receives a user's designation of a function of a control device; a period determination unit (15) that determines the communication period of the control device on the basis of the designation received by the reception unit (14); and a setting unit (16) that sets the communication cycle determined by the cycle determination unit (15) for the control device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a setting assistance device, a control system, a setting assistance method and a program. Background Art

[0002] In the field of control devices such as motion controllers and programmable logic controllers, the control devices usually communicate with controlled devices at a constant cycle.

[0003] The communication cycle is preferably short, but due to restrictions such as communication protocols and specifications of controlled devices, if the communication cycle is too short, normal communication may not be possible. Therefore, a technique for setting an appropriate communication cycle is required.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a control device that inquires about a settable communication cycle for each controlled device and determines the communication cycle based on parameters such as the communication cycle setting and communication overhead of each controlled device.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-149439 Summary of the invention

[0006] However, the control device described in Patent Document 1 does not take internal processing of the control device into consideration, and therefore cannot necessarily set an appropriate communication cycle.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a setting support device or the like capable of determining a communication cycle of a control device in consideration of internal processing of the control device.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the setting assistance device involved in the present invention assists in the setting of a control device that communicates with a controlled device at a constant period, wherein the setting assistance device comprises: a function receiving unit that receives the specification of a function of the control device made by a user; a period determination unit that determines the communication period of the control device based on the specification received by the function receiving unit; and a setting unit that sets the communication period determined by the period determination unit to the control device.

[0009] Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the communication cycle of the control device can be determined in consideration of the internal processing of the control device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of a function selection screen presented by the setting support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing the functional structure of the setting support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of an execution schedule stored in the storage unit of the setting support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the setting support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of determining the communication cycle performed by the setting support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of a program selection screen presented by the setting support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a block diagram showing the functional structure of a setting support device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0019] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing an example of a function correspondence table stored in the storage unit of the setting support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Fig.10 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of determining the communication cycle performed by the setting support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Fig.11 This is a diagram showing an example of a function selection screen presented by the setting support device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Fig.12 This is a diagram showing an example of a case where a function is automatically selected on a function selection screen presented by a setting support device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0023] Fig.13 This is a block diagram showing the functional structure of the setting support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Fig.14 This is a diagram showing an example of an execution schedule stored in the storage unit of the setting support device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Fig.15This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of determining the communication cycle performed by the setting support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Fig.16 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of determining the communication cycle performed by the setting support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Below, while referring to the attached Figure 1 In the drawings, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0028] (Implementation Method 1)

[0029] One side reference Figure 1 Next, a control system 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described. The control system 1 includes a setting support device 10, a control device 20, and one or more controlled devices 30. The control system 1 is an example of a control system according to the present invention.

[0030] The setting support device 10 is connected to the control device 20 so as to be communicable. The control device 20 is connected to the controlled device 30 so as to be communicable. Figure 1 The controlled devices 30 are connected in a daisy chain, but two or more controlled devices 30 may be directly connected to the control device 20 so as to be communicable.

[0031] In the control system 1, the setting support device 10 performs settings on the control device 20, and the control device 20 controls the controlled device 30. The control device 20 controls the controlled device 30 by communicating with the controlled device 30 at a constant cycle.

[0032] The setting assistance device 10 is a setting assistance device for performing settings required for the control device 20 to control each controlled device 30. The setting assistance device 10 is, for example, a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer), a PC for FA (Factory Automation), a smart phone, or a tablet terminal. By installing a program of an engineering design tool on the computer, the computer functions as the setting assistance device 10. The setting assistance device 10 is an example of a setting assistance device according to the present invention.

[0033] The setting support device 10 sends various parameter values, control programs executed by the control device 20, and the like to the control device 20. In particular, the setting support device 10 sends data indicating a communication cycle to the control device 20, and sets the communication cycle for the control device 20. The setting of the communication cycle will be described later. In addition, the functional structure of the setting support device 10 will also be described later.

[0034] The control device 20 controls the controlled device 30 by communicating with the controlled device 30 at a constant cycle. The control device 20 acts as a host of the controlled device 30. The control device 20 is, for example, a control device such as a motion controller or a programmable logic controller. The control device 20 communicates with the setting auxiliary device 10 to set various parameters received, update the received control program, etc. In particular, the control device 20 sets its own communication cycle based on the data indicating the communication cycle received from the setting auxiliary device 10. The control device 20 is an example of a control device according to the present invention.

[0035] The controlled device 30 communicates with the control device 20 at a fixed cycle, thereby being controlled by the control device 20. The controlled device 30 operates as a master, that is, a slave of the control device 20. The controlled device 30 is, for example, a servo amplifier that drives an actuator not shown. The controlled device 30 is an example of a controlled device according to the present invention.

[0036] One side reference Figure 2 The setting of the communication cycle to the control device 20 by the setting support device 10 will be briefly described. Figure 2 This is a user interface screen that the setting support device 10 presents to the user. Figure 2 The screen shown is a screen for presenting an overview of the functions of the control device 20 that affect the communication cycle, so that the user can select the function required by the control device 20. In the "Function" column, the internal processing of the control device 20, namely, control processing 1, control processing 2, control processing 3, etc., is displayed for each item. The function of the control device 20 is realized by each internal processing of the control device 20. In addition, in each item in the "Function" column, the method, specific control content, whether it is effective, etc. are displayed as sub-items. The user selects the desired function by selecting the check box set in the "Select" column and selecting the determination button, thereby setting the auxiliary device 10 to determine the communication cycle based on the selected function and setting the determined communication cycle to the control device 20.

[0037] One side reference Figure 3The functional configuration of the setting support device 10 will be described. The setting support device 10 includes an operation unit 11, a display unit 12, a presentation unit 13, a reception unit 14, a cycle determination unit 15, a setting unit 16, a measurement unit 17, a communication unit 18, and a storage unit 19.

[0038] The operation unit 11 receives an operation performed by a user. The operation unit 11 is, for example, an input device such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel.

[0039] The display unit 12 displays Figure 2 The screens shown are representative screens. The display unit 12 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display. In addition, when the operation unit 11 is a touch screen, the display unit 12 may be integrated therewith.

[0040] The communication unit 18 communicates with the control device 20. The communication unit 18 is implemented by, for example, a network interface.

[0041] The storage unit 19 stores data indicating a list of functions executable by the control device 20 and an execution schedule described later. These data and tables are created in advance by, for example, a manufacturer of an engineering tool related to the setting support device 10 .

[0042] The prompting unit 13 generates Figure 2 The screen shown in FIG. 1 is displayed on the display unit 12, thereby presenting a list of functions of the control device 20 that affect the communication cycle for the user to select. The presenting unit 13 generates a list of functions by referring to the data showing the list of functions stored in the storage unit 19. Figure 2 The user operates the operation unit 11 to Figure 2 The user selects a desired function on the screen shown, thereby designating a function of the control device 20. The presentation unit 13 is an example of presentation means according to the present invention.

[0043] The receiving unit 14 receives the user's operation of the operating unit 11. Figure 2 The selection of the function performed on the screen shown is regarded as the designation of the function of the control device 20. The receiving unit 14 is an example of a function receiving means according to the present invention.

[0044] The cycle determination unit 15 determines the communication cycle of the control device 20 based on the specification of the function of the control device 20 received by the reception unit 14. The cycle determination unit 15 includes an execution time calculation unit 151, a cost calculation unit 152, and a cycle calculation unit 153. The cycle determination unit 15 is an example of a cycle determination means according to the present invention.

[0045] The execution time calculation unit 151 calculates the time required for the control device 20 to execute the function selected by the user and received by the receiving unit 14. The execution time calculation unit 151 refers to the data stored in the storage unit 19 described later. Figure 4 The execution timetable shown calculates the time required for execution.

[0046] Figure 4 The execution timetable shown contains Figure 2 The same "Function" column, "Execution time" column, "Is it proportional to the number of connections?" column and "Is it measured?" column are displayed. The "Execution time" column indicates the execution time required when each item is selected. The "Is it proportional to the number of connections?" column indicates whether the execution time increases in proportion to the number of controlled devices 30 connected to the control device 20. The "Is it measured?" column indicates whether it is the object of measurement by the measuring unit 17 described later.

[0047] The overhead calculation unit 152 calculates the overhead caused by factors other than the control device 20. The overhead caused by factors other than the control device 20 refers to, for example, the total delay time such as the delay time caused corresponding to the number of connections of the controlled devices 30 and the delay time caused when the communication frame passes through the controlled devices 30.

[0048] The cycle calculation unit 153 calculates the total time of the time required for the control device 20 to execute the selected function calculated by the execution time calculation unit 151 and the cost calculated by the cost calculation unit 152 as the communication cycle to be set for the control device 20 .

[0049] The cycle determination unit 15 determines the communication cycle calculated by the cycle calculation unit 153 as the communication cycle to be set in the control device 20 .

[0050] The setting unit 16 transmits data indicating the communication cycle determined by the cycle determination unit 15 to the control device 20 via the communication unit 18, thereby setting the communication cycle for the control device 20. The setting unit 16 is an example of setting means according to the present invention.

[0051] The measuring unit 17 sends a command to the control device 20, causing the control device 20 to execute Figure 4 The function that matches "Do you want to measure?" among the functions shown measures the execution time required for the execution of the function. The measuring unit 17 updates the execution schedule stored in the storage unit 19 with the measured execution time. The measurement performed by the measuring unit 17 is performed during the communication cycle set to the control device 20 when the control system 1 is not operating normally, as described later.

[0052] One side reference Figure 5An example of the hardware configuration of the setting support device 10 will be described. Figure 5 The setting support device 10 shown is realized by a computer such as a PC, a FA PC, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal.

[0053] The setting support device 10 includes a processor 1001 , a memory 1002 , an interface 1003 , and a secondary storage device 1004 , which are interconnected via a bus 1000 .

[0054] The processor 1001 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and realizes each function of the configuration support device 10 by reading a program of an engineering tool stored in the secondary storage device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executing the program.

[0055] The memory 1002 is a main storage device composed of, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 1002 stores the program of the engineering design tool read by the processor 1001 from the secondary storage device 1004. In addition, the memory 1002 functions as a working memory when the processor 1001 executes the program.

[0056] The interface 1003 is an I / O (Input / Output) interface such as a serial port, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, a network interface, etc. The functions of the operation unit 11 and the display unit 12 are realized by connecting an input device and a display device to the interface. In addition, the function of the communication unit 18 is realized by the interface 1003.

[0057] The secondary storage device 1004 is, for example, a flash memory, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The secondary storage device 1004 stores the program of the engineering design tool executed by the processor 1001. The function of the storage unit 19 is realized by the secondary storage device 1004.

[0058] One side reference Figure 6 An example of the operation of determining the communication cycle performed by the setting support device 10 will be described.

[0059] The presenting unit 13 of the setting support device 10 Figure 2 The function selection screen shown is presented to the user (step S101).

[0060] The receiving unit 14 of the setting support device 10 waits for a function selection by the user (step S102 ). If the receiving unit 14 receives a function selection by the user, the operation from step S103 onwards is continued.

[0061] The execution time calculation unit 151 of the cycle determination unit 15 of the setting support device 10 refers to the execution schedule stored in the storage unit 19 to calculate the execution time required for the control device 20 to execute the function selected by the user (step S103 ).

[0062] The cost calculation unit 152 of the cycle determination unit 15 calculates the cost generated by factors other than the control device 20 (step S104).

[0063] The cycle calculation unit 153 of the cycle determination unit 15 calculates the total value of the execution time calculated in step S103 and the overhead time calculated in step S104 as the communication cycle to be set. The cycle determination unit 15 determines the calculated communication cycle as the communication cycle to be set (step S105).

[0064] The setting unit 16 of the setting support device 10 sets the communication cycle determined in step S105 in the control device 20 (step S106 ).

[0065] The setting support device 10 determines whether the control system 1 is operating normally within the communication cycle set in step S106 (step S107). This determination may be made by the setting unit 16 or the measuring unit 17, for example.

[0066] When the control system 1 is operating normally (step S107: Yes), the setting support device 10 ends the operation of determining the communication cycle.

[0067] When the control system 1 is not operating normally (step S107: No), the measuring unit 17 of the assist device 10 is set to cause the control device 20 to execute each function, and the execution time required for the control device 20 to execute each function is measured (step S108).

[0068] The measuring unit 17 updates the execution schedule stored in the storage unit 19 with the execution time measured in step S108 (step S109). Then, the setting support device 10 repeats the operation from step S103 and attempts to set the communication cycle again.

[0069] The control system 1 according to the first embodiment has been described above. According to the setting support device 10 of the control system 1, the user selects a function of the control device 20, and the execution time in the control device 20 is calculated based on the selected function to determine the communication cycle. Therefore, according to the setting support device 10, the communication cycle of the control device 20 can be determined in consideration of the internal processing of the control device 20. In addition, according to the setting support device 10, by the user selecting the function of the control device 20 in the control device 20, the communication cycle of the control device 20 is determined. Figure 2 The communication cycle is automatically determined by selecting a desired function on the displayed screen, thereby reducing the burden on the user regarding setting the communication cycle.

[0070] (Variation of Implementation Example 1)

[0071] In the first embodiment, the presenting unit 13 Figure 2 When the screen shown in FIG. 1 is displayed to the user, not only the functions but also the degree of influence of each function on the communication cycle may be displayed. For example, the display unit 13 may refer to the execution schedule stored in the storage unit 19 to display the execution time of each function to the user. Alternatively, the degree of influence of each function on the communication cycle may be displayed by qualitatively displaying the number of steps of the command required to execute the function.

[0072] (Implementation Method 2)

[0073] The control system 1 according to the second embodiment is described below. The overall structure of the control system 1 according to the second embodiment is similar to Figure 1 The same is true for the embodiment 1 shown.

[0074] In the second embodiment, the setting support device 10 sets Figure 7 The screen shown is presented to the user, and the user designates the control program executed by the control device 20 as the analysis target. Thus, the setting support device 10 analyzes the control program to identify the functions required by the control device 20, and determines the communication cycle based on the identified functions.

[0075] Figure 7 The screen shown shows the file names and file formats of the control programs to be analyzed and the control programs to be selected. The user selects one of the control programs displayed in the list by selecting a radio button in the "Select" column.

[0076] The setting assistance device 10 according to the second embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that Figure 8 As shown, the cycle determination unit 15 further includes an analysis unit 154. In addition, as described later, the presentation unit 13, the reception unit 14, the execution time calculation unit 151, and the storage unit 19 also have differences from those of the first embodiment.

[0077] The difference between the prompting unit 13 and the first embodiment is that instead of Figure 2 The screen shown will Figure 7 The screen shown is presented to the user. The presentation unit 13 presents Figure 7 The screen shown is presented to the user so that the user can designate a control program to be analyzed. The designated program may be a source file that is the basis of the control program executed by the control device 20 or a binary file of the control program executed by the control device 20 itself.

[0078] The receiving unit 14 is different from the first embodiment in that it receives a designation of a control program by a user as a designation of a function of the control device 20 .

[0079] The storage unit 19 is different from the first embodiment in that it also stores Fig. 9 The function correspondence table is a table that associates functions called by the control program with functions of the control device 20 that require the functions.

[0080] The analyzing unit 154 analyzes the control program received by the receiving unit 14 and identifies the function called by the control program. The analyzing unit 154 refers to the function correspondence table stored in the storage unit 19 and identifies the function required for the control device 20 to execute the control program. The analyzing unit 154 is an example of the analyzing means according to the present invention.

[0081] The analyzing unit 154 analyzes the source file as the basis of the control program, and determines the function called by the control program. The control program is written in a user-recognizable form such as C language, ladder diagram, functional block diagram, etc. Alternatively, the analyzing unit 154 may analyze the control program itself in an executable binary form by decompiling it, and determine the function called by the control program.

[0082] The execution time calculation unit 151 is different from that of the first embodiment in that the execution time is calculated based on the function of the control device 20 identified by the analysis unit 154 .

[0083] One side reference Fig.10 The operation of determining the communication cycle by the setting support device 10 according to the second embodiment is described. Figure 6 The differences from the case of embodiment 1 are shown.

[0084] The presenting unit 13 of the setting support device 10 Figure 7 The program selection screen shown is presented to the user (step S201).

[0085] The receiving unit 14 of the setting support device 10 waits for the user to select a program (step S202). If the user selects a program, the setting support device 10 executes the operation starting from step S203.

[0086] The analyzing unit 154 of the cycle determination unit 15 of the setting support device 10 analyzes the program selected by the user, and identifies the functions required for the control device 20 to execute the program (step S203 ).

[0087] The execution time calculation unit 151 of the cycle determination unit 15 refers to the execution schedule stored in the storage unit 19 to calculate the execution time required for the control device 20 to execute the function specified in step S203 (step S204 ).

[0088] The subsequent operations are substantially the same as those in Embodiment 1. However, the difference from Embodiment 1 is that the operations starting from Step S204 are executed after the operation in Step S109.

[0089] The control system according to the second embodiment has been described above. According to the setting support device 10 according to the second embodiment, the program specified by the user is analyzed to determine the function required by the control device 20, and the communication cycle is determined based on the determined function. Therefore, as in the case of the first embodiment, according to the setting support device 10 according to the second embodiment, the communication cycle of the control device 20 can be determined in consideration of the internal processing of the control device 20. In addition, according to the setting support device 10 according to the second embodiment, the user does not need to select functions one by one but only needs to specify the program, so the burden on the user can be further reduced compared with the case of the first embodiment.

[0090] (Implementation 3)

[0091] The control system 1 according to the third embodiment is described below. The overall structure of the control system 1 according to the third embodiment is similar to Figure 1 The same is true for the embodiment 1 shown.

[0092] In the third embodiment, the setting support device 10 sets Fig.11 The screen shown prompts the user not only to select the function, but also to input the required communication cycle. Fig.11 The screen shown is the same as that in the case of implementation mode 1. Figure 2 The difference from the case of is that an input field is provided for the user to input a required communication cycle. The required communication cycle refers to the communication cycle requested by the user to the control device 20, and the control device 20 needs to operate with a communication cycle less than or equal to the required communication cycle.

[0093] As described below, the setting support device 10 has the same functions as those of the first embodiment, and further has the following functions: if the required communication cycle input by the user has a margin, the function is automatically selected as long as there is a selectable function. Fig.12 The user is prompted as shown; and the user is prompted that the currently selected function cannot meet the required communication cycle. Fig.12 4 shows that “E control” of “control process 2” is automatically selected. The user can directly confirm the automatic selection or reselect a function based on the result of the automatic selection.

[0094] Below, while referring to Fig.13 The differences between the functional units of the setting support device 10 according to the third embodiment and those of the first embodiment will be described.

[0095] The cycle determination unit 15 is different from the first embodiment in that it further includes an automatic selection unit 155. The automatic selection unit 155 will be described later.

[0096] The difference between the prompting unit 13 and the first embodiment is that instead of Figure 2 The screen shown will Fig.11 The screen shown is presented to the user. In addition, the difference between the presentation unit 13 and the first embodiment is that the presentation unit 13 presents the selected item according to the result obtained by the automatic selection unit 155 described later. Fig.12 The display shown in the figure is presented to the user. The presentation unit 13 is different from the first embodiment in that, when the communication cycle calculated by the cycle calculation unit 153 described later exceeds the required communication cycle, the user is presented with the fact that the currently selected function cannot satisfy the required communication cycle.

[0097] The receiving unit 14 is different from the first embodiment in that it receives not only the function selection but also the input of the required communication cycle. Fig.12 The screen shown, that is, the screen after automatic selection is performed, also receives input. The receiving unit 14 according to the third embodiment is an example of the periodic receiving means according to the present invention.

[0098] The execution schedule stored in the storage unit 19 is different from the first embodiment in that Fig.14 As shown in FIG. 1 , a column of "priority" is newly provided. The higher the numerical value in the column of "priority", the higher the priority. This "priority" is used in automatic selection by the automatic selection unit 155 described later.

[0099] The automatic selection unit 155 first calculates the difference between the required communication cycle received by the reception unit 14 and the communication cycle calculated by the cycle calculation unit 153. The difference indicates how much margin the communication cycle based on the function currently selected by the user has compared to the required communication cycle.

[0100] Next, the automatic selection unit 155 refers to the execution schedule stored in the storage unit 19 and selects each function in descending order of priority within a range where the communication cycle does not exceed the required communication cycle based on the calculated difference. The automatic selection unit 155 is an example of the automatic selection means according to the present invention.

[0101] One side reference Fig.15 as well as Fig.16 An example of the operation of determining the communication cycle performed by the setting support device 10 according to the third embodiment will be described. Fig.15 as well as Fig.16 The flowchart shown shows one process by connecting each figure with "A" and "B". Fig.16 The two "B" shown are Fig.15 1 "B" connection shown.

[0102] also, Fig.16 The actions from step S106 to step S109 are shown as numbers. Figure 6 The situation is the same as that of the embodiment 1 shown, so the description is omitted.

[0103] The presenting unit 13 of the setting support device 10 Fig.11 The required communication cycle input / function selection screen shown is presented to the user (step S201).

[0104] The receiving unit 14 of the setting support device 10 waits for the user to input a required communication cycle or select a function (step S202). If the receiving unit 14 receives the user's input of a required communication cycle or selection of a function, the operation from step S203 is continued.

[0105] The execution time calculation unit 151 of the cycle determination unit 15 of the setting support device 10 refers to the execution schedule stored in the storage unit 19 as in the first embodiment, and calculates the execution time required for the control device 20 to execute the function selected by the user (step S203 ).

[0106] The cost calculation unit 152 of the cycle determination unit 15 calculates the cost generated by factors other than the control device 20 in the same manner as in the first embodiment (step S204 ).

[0107] The cycle calculation unit 153 of the cycle determination unit 15 calculates a communication cycle by adding the execution time calculated in step S203 and the overhead time calculated in step S204 (step S205 ).

[0108] The presenting unit 13 determines whether the calculated communication cycle exceeds the required communication cycle (step S206).

[0109] If the calculated communication cycle exceeds the required communication cycle (step S206: Yes), the presentation unit 13 presents to the user that the required communication cycle cannot be satisfied (step S207). Then, the setting support device 10 ends the operation of determining the communication cycle.

[0110] When the calculated communication cycle does not exceed the required communication cycle (step S206 : No), the automatic selection unit 155 calculates the difference between the required communication cycle and the calculated communication cycle (step S208 ).

[0111] The automatic selection unit 155 selects functions in descending order of priority within a range where the communication cycle does not exceed the required communication cycle based on the calculated difference (step S209 ).

[0112] The presenting unit 13 presents the required communication cycle input / function selection screen reflecting the result of the automatic selection by the automatic selection unit 155 to the user (step S210 ).

[0113] The receiving unit 14 waits for the user to input a required communication cycle or select a function in the same manner as in step S202 (step S211 ).

[0114] The presentation unit 13 determines whether the content received by the reception unit 14 is different from the content received in step S202 (step S212 ).

[0115] When there is a change from the received content (step S212 : Yes), the setting support device 10 repeats the operation from step S203 .

[0116] When there is no change from the received content (step S212: No), the same operations as those in the first embodiment are performed in step S106 and thereafter based on the selected content.

[0117] The control system 1 according to the third embodiment is described above. According to the setting support device 10 according to the third embodiment, the user inputs the required communication cycle, and when there is a margin in the communication cycle of the function selected by the user, the function is automatically selected and presented to the user, so that the user can be given room to reselect the function. Thus, the user can examine whether a more appropriate function selection can be made.

[0118] (Variation of Implementation Example 3)

[0119] In Embodiment 3, the automatic selection unit 155 selects a function based on the priority. Alternatively, the automatic selection unit 155 may select a function through machine learning. For example, a learning model may be generated in advance, and the automatic selection unit 155 automatically selects a function based on the learning model, which uses the connection structure of the controlled device 30, the execution time of each internal process of the control device 20, the communication cycle, the function selected by the user, and the required communication cycle input by the user as feature quantities.

[0120] (Other Modifications)

[0121] exist Figure 5 In the hardware structure shown, the setting support device 10 includes a secondary storage device 1004. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the secondary storage device 1004 may be provided outside the setting support device 10, and the setting support device 10 and the secondary storage device 1004 may be connected via the interface 1003. In this method, a removable medium such as a USB flash drive or a memory card may also be used as the secondary storage device 1004.

[0122] Alternatively, you can also replace Figure 5 The hardware structure shown in the figure is that the setting support device 10 is composed of a dedicated circuit using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. Figure 5 In the hardware configuration shown, part of the functions of the setting support device 10 may be realized by, for example, a dedicated circuit connected to the interface 1003 .

[0123] The program used by the configuration support device 10 can be distributed by being stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a USB flash drive, a memory card, or a HDD. Furthermore, by installing the program in a specific or general-purpose computer, the computer can function as the configuration support device 10.

[0124] Alternatively, the program may be stored in a storage device of another server on the Internet, and downloaded from the server.

[0125] The present invention can realize various embodiments and variations without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, but not to limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is not represented by the embodiments, but by the claims. Moreover, various variations implemented within the scope of the claims and the scope of the disclosed meaning equivalent thereto are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0126] Description of the label

[0127] 1 control system, 10 setting auxiliary device, 11 operation unit, 12 display unit, 13 prompt unit, 14 receiving unit, 15 cycle determination unit, 16 setting unit, 17 measurement unit, 18 communication unit, 19 storage unit, 20 control device, 30 controlled device, 151 execution time calculation unit, 152 cost calculation unit, 153 cycle calculation unit, 154 analysis unit, 155 automatic selection unit, 1000 bus, 1001 processor, 1002 memory, 1003 interface, 1004 secondary storage device.

Claims

1. A setting assisting device for assisting the setting of a control device that communicates with a controlled device at a constant cycle, in, The setting aid has: a function receiving unit that receives a designation of a function of the control device by a user; a cycle determination unit that determines a communication cycle of the control device based on the designation received by the function reception unit; as well as A setting unit sets the communication cycle determined by the cycle determination unit to the control device.

2. The setting assisting device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller further comprises a prompting unit configured to present a list of functions of the control device that affect the communication cycle for selection by the user. The function receiving unit receives a selection made by the user via the list presented by the presenting unit as a designation of a function of the control device.

3. The setting assisting device according to claim 2, wherein: The prompting unit further prompts the degree of influence of each function on the communication cycle.

4. The setting assisting device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising: a cycle receiving unit, which receives the communication cycle required by the user, ie, the designation of the required communication cycle; and an automatic selection unit that automatically selects a function of the control device that affects the communication cycle within a range that does not exceed the required communication cycle, The overview of functions further comprises an input field for inputting the desired communication cycle, The presenting unit further presents the user with a list of the functions including the function automatically selected by the automatic selection unit.

5. The setting assisting device according to claim 1, wherein: It also has a parsing unit, The function receiving unit receives, as a designation of a function of the control device, a designation of a control program for controlling the control device by the user, The analyzing unit analyzes the control program to determine the functions required for the execution of the control program. The cycle determination unit determines a communication cycle of the control device based on the function identified by the analysis unit.

6. A control system comprising: The setting assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and The control device.

7. A setting assistance method for assisting the setting of a control device that communicates with a controlled device at a constant cycle, wherein: receiving a designation of a function of the control device by a user, determining a communication cycle of the control device based on the received designation, The determined communication cycle is set in the control device.

8. A program that assists in setting a control device that communicates with a controlled device at a constant cycle, in, The program causes the computer to perform the following processing: receiving a designation of a function of the control device by a user, determining a communication cycle of the control device based on the received designation, The determined communication cycle is set in the control device.

Images