Ladder Logic Interface Synchronization via Mediator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in synchronizing edits between graphical and textual ladder logic programming interfaces, preventing concurrent use that could leverage the unique advantages of each for creating and editing executable code bases for programmable logic controllers.
Innovation Solution
A processor dynamically synchronizes both graphical and textual ladder logic programming interfaces to an executable code base, ensuring that edits made in one interface are propagated and reflected in the other, allowing for concurrent editing and maintaining consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If users attempt to use both graphical and textual programming interfaces concurrently, then programming efficiency and versatility are improved, but synchronization difficulty and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary synchronization mechanism that mediates between the graphical and textual programming interfaces. This mediator captures editing operations from one interface and translates them into corresponding operations in the other interface, resolving the synchronization complexity by centralizing the coordination logic in a dedicated component rather than implementing complex bidirectional synchronization between both interfaces directly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and maintains synchronized copies of the programming code across both graphical and textual interfaces. When an edit is made in one interface, the system generates and applies the corresponding copy of that edit to the other interface, ensuring consistency while allowing users to work with the interface that best suits their current task.
2Ease of operation
If users are restricted to using only one programming interface at a time, then synchronization difficulty is reduced, but programming versatility and efficiency are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal programming system where both graphical and textual interfaces can be used concurrently for the same programming task. The system provides multi-functionality by allowing users to switch between or combine the advantages of both interfaces (visual clarity of graphical vs. precision of textual) without restriction, thereby enhancing overall programming efficiency and ease of operation.
3Reliability
If graphical and textual interfaces are synchronized in real-time, then code consistency is improved, but processing overhead and system resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing and buffering editing operations before immediately applying them to both interfaces. This approach allows the synchronization mechanism to process edits in batches or at optimized intervals rather than continuously, reducing processing overhead while maintaining real-time consistency perception for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization mechanism applies partial updates only to the portions of code that have changed, rather than re-synchronizing the entire program. This selective synchronization reduces processing overhead and resource usage while maintaining code consistency, applying excessive action only where necessary to ensure reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
For ladder logic graphical programming and textual programming synchronization, a processor dynamically synchronizes a graphical ladder logic programming interface to an executable code base of ladder logic instructions. The processor further concurrently dynamically synchronizes a textual ladder logic programming interface to the executable code base.