PLC Abnormality Guidance Using Time-Matched Operation Logs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing programmable logic controllers (PLCs) face challenges in creating a manual for handling abnormalities, such as those in the PLC itself, equipment, or network issues, simultaneously and synchronously, making it difficult for users with limited knowledge to easily eliminate these abnormalities.
Innovation Solution
A control system with a programmable logic controller that includes an abnormality detector, a command processor, and an output unit. The system writes log elements for abnormalities and operation commands, allowing the output unit to generate assistance information by extracting relevant log elements based on the type and timing of abnormalities, providing users with detailed information to facilitate easy elimination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a manual for handling abnormalities is explicitly stored in advance, then users with limited knowledge can easily eliminate abnormalities, but it is difficult to create and maintain such manuals for PLC abnormalities due to the complex and varied nature of abnormality types and their timing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically collecting and storing operation logs during normal operations, and by pre-processing abnormality data when abnormalities occur. This prepares the data infrastructure in advance so that when a new abnormality occurs, the system can immediately query and provide relevant operation information without requiring manual manual creation
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically generating assistance information without human intervention. When an abnormality occurs, the system autonomously queries operation logs, identifies relevant operations, and generates guidance information, eliminating the need for manual creation and maintenance of handling manuals
2Loss of information
If operation logs are stored for all operation commands, then relevant operations can be retrieved to assist abnormality elimination, but data storage and processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary information from operation logs by querying with specific conditions (abnormality type, time period). Instead of storing and processing all operation data uniformly, it selectively retrieves relevant operation records, reducing unnecessary data storage and processing load while maintaining information availability for abnormality handling
Data Source
AI summary
The PLC is provided that outputs assistance information for assisting elimination of a target abnormality by using abnormality history data having written thereto an abnormality log element containing type information, occurrence time, and elimination time of an abnormality and operation history data having written thereto an operation log element containing content information and execution time of an operation. The output unit extracts, from the abnormality history data, an abnormality log element containing the type information showing a type identical to a type of the target abnormality. The output unit extracts, from the operation history data, an operation log element containing the execution time falling within a period from the occurrence time to the elimination time contained in the abnormality log element thus extracted, and generates the assistance information based on the extracted operation log element.