PLC Variable Replay for Modular Visualization Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing engineering tools require users to modify existing software modules when adding a new module for visualizing device values, leading to time and effort inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system with visualization modules and a reproduction module that allows users to easily add new visualization modules by setting them to acquire reproduced variable values, without modifying existing modules, using a time-series dataset to reproduce variable values for each control cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the display target time is exchanged among multiple software modules through synchronization means, then the display consistency across modules is improved, but the device complexity increases and modification effort is required when adding new modules
Solution Approach 1:
A central server acts as an intermediary between the PLC and multiple visualization modules. The server receives time-series data from the PLC, manages the display target time centrally, and distributes it to all visualization modules. This mediator approach maintains display consistency without requiring direct synchronization between modules, thereby reducing integration complexity when adding new modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The server provides universal data distribution services to multiple visualization modules through a standardized interface. All modules acquire display target time and time-series data from the same server using the same protocol, making the system universally compatible. When new modules are added, they automatically integrate without requiring modifications to existing modules or the server.
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing software modules are modified to enable time exchange with new modules, then the adaptability of the system improves, but the loss of time and effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server is pre-configured with the capability to distribute display target time and time-series data to multiple visualization modules through a standardized interface. This preliminary setup includes establishing the data acquisition protocol and time synchronization mechanism before any modules are added. When new modules are introduced, they simply connect to the pre-established server interface without requiring any preliminary modifications to existing components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into independent functional components: the PLC for data collection, the server for centralized time and data management, and multiple visualization modules for data display. Each segment operates independently with well-defined interfaces. The server segment handles all time synchronization and data distribution, allowing visualization modules to be added, removed, or modified without affecting other segments, thereby enabling rapid module addition without time loss.
3Ease of operation
If multiple visualization modules share the same time-series data through a centralized server, then the ease of operation for adding new modules improves, but the use of energy and computational resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server creates and distributes copies of the time-series data and display target time to multiple visualization modules. Each module receives its own copy of the data for independent processing and display. This copying approach allows modules to be added without requiring the server to maintain complex shared memory structures or perform frequent data validation, thereby reducing computational overhead compared to alternative shared-state approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The server updates and distributes time-series data and display target time to visualization modules at periodic intervals corresponding to the PLC control cycles. This periodic action pattern allows the server to batch process data updates rather than continuously pushing data to all modules, reducing computational energy consumption. Visualization modules receive data at predictable intervals and can optimize their processing accordingly, balancing ease of operation with energy efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
An information processing system includes: one or more visualization modules each configured to visualize a visualization-target variable value representing a control state of a PLC; and a reproduction module configured to sequentially reproduce a variable value held in the PLC for each first control cycle of the PLC in a target period based on a time-series dataset recorded by the PLC in the target period. The one or more visualization modules each acquire, as the visualization-target variable value, the variable value reproduced by the reproduction module. Thereby, a user can easily add a module for visualizing the visualization-target variable value.