Industrial Controller Shared Variable Mapping for PLC Data Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial controllers, manually assigning addresses to devices is cumbersome and inefficient, especially when dealing with a large number of devices, hindering the execution of communication between programmable logic controllers and peripherals.
Innovation Solution
An industrial controller system that generates a map file and header file to facilitate data sharing between control programs and information programs using shared variables in a shared storage area, eliminating the need for manual address assignment by automatically accessing the shared storage area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual address assignment is performed for device communication, then communication between programmable logic controller and peripheral devices can be implemented, but the operation becomes cumbersome and inefficient when dealing with a large number of devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic address assignment where the programmable logic controller automatically generates and assigns device addresses without requiring manual intervention. The controller extracts variable information from the control program and automatically creates the address mapping, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring operator intervention for each device connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The address assignment is performed automatically during the program execution phase before actual device communication begins. The controller pre-generates the address mapping by analyzing the control program's variable requirements, so that when devices are connected, communication is already configured and ready to operate immediately.
2Reliability
If manual address assignment is performed for each device, then device communication can be established, but development efficiency decreases due to the repetitive nature of the task
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical process of address assignment is replaced by an automated information processing system. The programmable logic controller uses its processing capabilities to automatically extract variable information from the control program, generate address mappings, and configure device communication, substituting human manual operations with automated computational processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The control program itself serves as an intermediary that provides the variable information needed for address assignment. By analyzing the control program's variable declarations and data structures, the system automatically derives the address mapping requirements, using the program as a mediator to bridge the gap between device communication needs and address configuration.
3Productivity
If automatic address assignment is implemented, then development efficiency is improved, but the system complexity increases due to automated file generation and data sharing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The automated address assignment system is divided into distinct functional modules: a control program execution unit that runs the user's control logic, a file generation unit that creates address mapping files from variable information, and a data sharing mechanism that manages communication between devices. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining automation benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a control program extracts variable names of the control program and generates an address map file and a header file. An information program is generated using the generated header file. The information program accesses a shared storage area using the address map file through a shared access unit and accesses data using shared variables.