PLC Program Section Hierarchy for Inclusion-Based Code Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing development assistance devices for industrial control systems, such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), do not allow users to manage program sections in a format that reflects mutual inclusion relationships like 'process and function of a device' regardless of logical relationships.
Innovation Solution
A development assistance device that divides programs into sections based on user-defined processing units, allowing users to set hierarchical relationships among these sections, and assigns hierarchy information to each section to reflect their inclusion relationships, enabling sequential execution and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a program is divided into multiple sections for management, then the ease of operation and program organization is improved, but the ability to reflect mutual inclusion relationships (such as process and function hierarchy) is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a hierarchical structure where sections are nested within parent sections, creating a tree-like organization. Each section can contain child sections, allowing the program structure to reflect real-world hierarchical relationships such as process-function-device mappings. This nesting capability preserves inclusion relationships while maintaining manageable section units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a hierarchical dimension to the traditional flat section structure. By introducing parent-child relationships and hierarchy levels, the system transforms from a one-dimensional linear arrangement to a multi-dimensional hierarchical structure, enabling representation of complex inclusion relationships without sacrificing operational ease.
2Loss of information
If sections are organized hierarchically to reflect inclusion relationships, then the information representation is improved, but the sequential execution simplicity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the execution control into two independent parts: hierarchy management (parent-child relationships) and execution order management (sequential processing). This segmentation allows the hierarchical structure to be maintained for information representation while the execution sequence is independently controlled, preventing complexity in the execution control mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically handles the relationship between hierarchical structure and execution sequence. The execution order is determined by the description positions within the program, which can be independently arranged. This dynamic separation allows the hierarchical structure to reflect inclusion relationships while the execution flow maintains simplicity through positional-based sequencing.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention manages a plurality of sections constituting a program in a format that reflects information in a mutual inclusion relationship, e.g. “function and process of a device,” regardless of a logical relationship. In accordance with a user operation, a development assistance device (10) assigns, to each of a plurality of sections (SC) constituting a program (PG), a level number (HN) identifying the level to which each section belongs.