JPH02190908A - Programmable operation control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operability and to attain high functioning by allowing a control means to control both sequencer and operation display functions in common. CONSTITUTION:Since operation switches 8 to be presently used and name plate character data can be displayed on a screen to be a console panel 6b, the operability can be sharply improved. Both the sequencer function and console panel function an be simultaneously executed by a controlling microcomputer system 1 and those program processing can be time-sequentially divided. Although the sequencer function and the console panel function are executed through a communication means in an ordinary method, the communication control time of the device can be sharply shortened. Consequently, an operation control device suppressing the drop of performance in the sequencer function for executing machine control and having high performance can be obtained.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention is a programmable operation control device that serves as an operation panel for a mechanical device, etc., and in particular, a programmable operation control device that combines a sequence function for controlling a mechanical device and a control function of an operation display panel. This invention relates to a programmable operation control device.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional operation control device.

As can be conceptually understood from the figure, conventional operation control devices are made up of a combination of many pushbutton switches, operation indicator lamps, etc. for controlling mechanical devices, etc. Each switch and lamp is assigned a unique object (for example, a motor, a noise relay, etc.) and an operating function.

For example, objects and operating functions are individually assigned, such as a switch consisting of a switch is a switch for controlling a motor, a lamp consisting of a lamp indicating the operating status of a motor, and the like.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In this way, with conventional operation control devices, as the machine to be controlled becomes more complex, the number of parts that make up the machine also increases, so the number of switches and lamps assigned to each part increases, resulting in an increase in size. I had no choice but to do it.

Therefore, with such conventional operation control devices, manufacturing costs increase as the size increases, and the number of switches and lamps to be operated increases, making it difficult to select the switches and lamps to be operated. Similarly, when a failure or abnormality occurs, you have to judge what to operate by looking at the entire large panel, which is not easy to operate, and as the controls become more complex, the operation functions also become more complicated. As a result, panel design takes time and production delivery times are extended.
There were problems such as.

Incidentally, in recent years, even in machine control, a control circuit using a relay wiring method is individually created for each machine, and the trend has recently become mainstream to program control functions using a sequencer.

On the other hand, a changeable operation panel display screen is constructed using a CRT (cathode ray tube) or liquid crystal panel, and as the display contents of the display screen are changed, the functions of lamps and switches as display objects are changed accordingly. The technology to change this has already been realized. A typical example is the display/operation unit (operation console) of a computer or measurement device.
For example, Computer Aided Desi
GN (CAD, workstation, etc.), the contents of the display screen are changed one after another through operations, and the same display screen is used multiple times.

However, in devices with this type of changeable display screen for the operation panel, the content of the display screen is preloaded by the manufacturer in the form of a program, and the user simply uses it at any time. The user was not able to freely change the displayed screen content, so there was a lack of ease of use (degree of freedom), and the details of the operation were input to the CPU in the device in data format, and the CPU could perform control according to the input data. Since the main function was to perform operations and not to directly output the operation contents to external devices, it lacked applicability and lacked the basic functions as an operation control device for controlling mechanical devices, etc. It was insufficient.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a highly functional operation control device that has good operability, is easy to use, and has sufficient basic functions.

[Means to solve the problem]

a reading means for reading external signals; a storage means for storing screen data corresponding to the operation screen or display screen; a display panel for displaying switch items according to the screen data read from the storage means; The switch includes a switch that generates and outputs information on the item each time it is operated corresponding to a switch item, and a control means that controls each of the parts, and the control means reflects the operation data from the switch in the operation procedure. At the same time, control of external devices and control of the operation display panel are executed in chronological order using a built-in program.

[Effect]

By controlling the sequencer function and the operation display function in common by a control means, operability is improved and high functionality is achieved.

〔Example〕

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment performs sequence control of the assembly processing machine, and also controls the operation switches and display section necessary for operation.
1 shows a programmable operation control device. An assembly processing machine consists of a sensor for detecting the workpiece, a transport mechanism for the workpiece, and various processing mechanisms that perform processing on the workpiece. The machine is not only configured to be transported by the transport mechanism and processed by the processing mechanism to complete the product, but also equipped with a control device to cancel operation and adjust the operation of the machine when an abnormal condition occurs. , display of the status of each sensor, step operation by the drive mechanism for transportation, etc. can be performed from the operation panel.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a control microcomputer system as a CPU (central processing unit), 2 is a character generator (CG) that generates display characters, and 3 is a screen memory (EEFROM) for storing graphic data that makes up the screen. )
(Instead of using the above-mentioned CG2, characters may be stored as figures in this screen memory 3.) 4 is a data memory (RAM) for holding quantitative data etc. to be displayed on the screen. By storing the operating status for each screen, it is possible to easily restart the computer after the power is turned off. Also, this memory 4 can be backed up by a battery so that it becomes a non-volatile memory. 5 is a bus, and 6 is a transparent touch key that integrates a display panel and a transparent switch.Of these, the code 6a refers to the transparent switch, and the code 6b refers to the display panel (6a, 6b) (not shown directly in FIG. 1).

The transparent switch 6a is located on the display screen of the display panel 6b, and by touching the switch item displayed on the screen through the transparent body that constitutes the transparent switch 6a, the transparent switch 6a can be activated. The transparent touch key 6 is designed to generate a switch output to
This has been well known for a long time.

7 is a key encoder (which receives the operation output of the transparent switch 6a, encodes it and transmits it to the microcomputer system 1), 8 is an operation switch, 9 is an interface IC, and 10 is a program for normal sequence control. There is a loader for inputting and setting data for screen creation, and IIA is a sequencer function I/O circuit.
Input signals from sensors necessary for sequencer functions or output signals from transport mechanisms, processing mechanisms, etc. necessary to operate the machine are connected. Needless to say, these input/output signals are controlled by the microcomputer system 1. In other words, the machine shown in the figure, in this case an assembly processing machine, is connected to the outside of this I/O circuit, and the assembly processing machine follows the operation procedure (
program) is controlled.

12 is an indicator lamp, 13 is an alarm relay, 14 is a buzzer,
It is.

The display lamp 12 is placed near the transparent touch key 6 as an operation panel, but if the display panel 6b of the touch key 6 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal or a fluorescent display tube, , a problem arises in that the display lamp 12 is difficult to see in a bright place or far away.

Therefore, the display lamps 12 are large-sized lamps that can be turned on individually for alarm purposes, etc., and the lighting control thereof is directly controlled by the microcomputer system 1. In addition, the display lamp 12 has nameplate characters (indicating the purpose of the lamp, etc.) placed on its side on the display panel 6b.
If configured using the screen in , the nameplate character data can be easily changed by commands from the microcomputer system 1, and the function of the display lamp 12 can be used in a number of ways accordingly. Alarm relay 13, buzzer 1
4 is for operating when an abnormality occurs and notifying the outside.

Although not shown, if a part of the operation switch is placed in place of the indicator lamp, it will be possible to
By changing the nameplate character data, the operation switch can be used in any number of ways, just like a transparent switch.

Various operations such as the display lamp 12, alarm relay 13, buzzer 14, and nameplate character display on the side of the display lamp 12 are controlled by the program of the control microcomputer system 1, and are controlled by the operation switch and display function I/O. The microcomputer system 1 controls these operations via the circuit 11B.

When the transparent touch key 6 is operated, the buzzer 14 may be configured to detect this and sound for a short time to inform the operator of the operation.

FIG. 12 is a front view showing a display surface of a programmable operation control device as an embodiment of the present invention.

In this figure, the same parts as in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals. That is, 6 is a transparent touch key, and in this case, it is divided into 16 sections, so it includes 16 switch elements and nameplate characters corresponding to them. A part of the section can also be used for the indicator lamp 12. As the operation switch 8, a large number of switches 8a to which certain functions are assigned, a large emergency stop switch 8b, etc. can be considered.

Since the switch arrangement according to the screen on the display panel 6b constituting the transparent touch key 6 changes every time the screen is switched, there is a problem in that it is difficult for the user to use it for operation in an emergency. Therefore, the above-mentioned large emergency stop switch 8b, etc., which does not depend on the screen on the display panel 6b, is provided.
Be ready to operate quickly in case of an emergency. Note that this type of switch is used for applications that are operated frequently, such as automatic driving.

Various types are conceivable, such as for stopping, fixed point stopping, etc.

It goes without saying that the switch 8a may include a switch for special purposes, such as a function designation switch for testing the functionality of a programmable operation control device, or a designation switch for registering some kind of operation. It is.

3(A) and 3(B) each show an example of the display screen of the transparent touch key 6 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3(A) shows, for example, the sequencer function 110 circuit 1
Since the machine connected to 1A is assumed to be an assembly processing machine, this is an example of a screen that appears when the power is turned on to the assembly processing machine. On this screen, in addition to the "Screen Menu" and 10 frames that have been removed from the frame displayed as "Production Quantity", that is, "Automatic Operation" and "Manual Operation", there are also "Transfer Section" and "Drive Section" which belong to the inspection mode. ", ..."The switch is made up of a total of 10 frames, such as failure inspection j.

Now, if you touch the "conveyance section" with your finger, the microcomputer system 1 switches to the screen for the conveyance section inspection mode, and automatically switches the switch to the function corresponding to the screen. As a result, as is clear in Figure 3 (B), various new operation switches necessary for the transport section inspection mode have been generated, and by operating them, individual elements in the assembly processing machine can be driven. Become.

For example, by pressing two frames (switches) labeled "Solenoid (1)" and "Solenoid (2)," solenoid (1) and solenoid (2) (not shown) can be operated simultaneously.

If you wish to select another screen, you can operate the rRETJ key in FIG. 3(B) to return to the screen in FIG. 3(A), and then operate the desired switch.

Since the programmable operation control device according to the present invention is configured as described above, for example, as shown in FIG. Including, a total of 10 types of screens can be used, and if each screen has an average of 12 keys, a total of 1
20 keys are available, which can be said to be functionally equivalent to an operation panel with 120 keys on one side.

However, if there are 120 keys arranged on the - side, it is not easy to select one of them without error. According to the present invention, only the target operation switch can be selected according to the application. Since it is displayed on the screen, it is easy to make accurate selections, and operability is greatly improved. It also becomes easier to design to make selection easier.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of screen control on the display panel 6b (transparent touch keys 6).

4 while referring to Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 5.
The diagram will be explained.

First, FIG. 5 shows the time course of a program executed by the control microcomputer system 1. Recent sequencers (programmable controllers) have become highly functional, and their processing speed has become a particularly important issue. However, as explained with reference to FIG. 1, since a large amount of data is handled in controlling the screen of the display panel and reading the touch keys, there is a problem in that creating the screen and processing the data takes dozens of copies. For this reason,
Although it is natural to incorporate an auxiliary high-performance LSI for controlling the operation panel 6, the large amount of data to be handled inevitably increases the processing time, and the performance of the essentially important sequence control function deteriorates. It will drop.

However, the control speed for the mechanical device and the control speed for the person operating the operation panel, etc.
Naturally, there are large differences in the level of demand.

For example, even if a mechanical device requires high-speed control of about 1 ms, responsiveness to human operations of about 100 m5 is sufficient. In other words, even if there are more responses than that, humans will not be able to respond, so they may be overlooked and cause inconvenience.

For this reason, in FIG. 5, processing for the operation panel, ie, man-machine interface, is performed for a short time during the program processing period T2 of the control microcomputer system 1, and control is repeated. For example, T.

If is 1 ms, then Tt is 100 μs, and if Δt+ for switching programs and Jtt are each 50 μs, then l cycle will be 1.2+ms in terms of execution.
The ratio of sequence function is 1.0 / 1.2 = 8
3%, and there is no significant functional decline.

In addition, if the performance decreases to this extent, if you use a high-performance microcomputer system, such as a 32-bit microcomputer these days, this itself will not be a problem, and it will be possible to control the sequence along with graphic display control and touch key control. It becomes possible to perform control functions.

In addition, in the operation panel function processing T2, the same thing is not always repeated, but N times in the T2 period, for example, 100 times.
It is sufficient to perform the function by dividing it into ms/1.2=83 times and perform the operation panel function every 100111s in total, so it is sufficient if one function can be executed in 10011sX83=8.3ms. Note that when creating a new graphic screen, it is not necessarily necessary to complete the creation in 100a1s, so there is no problem even if it is executed at several times that number.

In order to facilitate the implementation of such control, FIG. 1 shows a sequencer function I/O circuit 11A and an operation switch/display function I/O circuit 11B so that only the necessary parts can be controlled. There is.

The functions of the flowchart of FIG. 4 will be explained with reference to such functions.

This flowchart shows section T in Figure 5.
The process is performed for a certain period of time or every cycle of the sequencer function, and by executing each part of this flowchart, the entire flowchart operates.

Since these divisional controls can be easily realized using software means, their explanation will be omitted.

In step S1 of FIG. 4, if it is found that a failure has occurred in the assembly processing machine shown by referring to the execution data performed in period T of FIG. 5, then (step S2),
Step S4 displays the failure inspection mode in FIG. 3(A).
Do it with If no failure has occurred, the process advances to step S3, where it is determined whether a menu request is required.

This judgment is based on the fact that when creating a screen for the first time, there is a menu request, and when you return to the original screen (Figure 3 (A)) by operating the RET switch on each screen. , since a menu is requested, it is determined that there is a menu request. The process then proceeds to step S5, and the menu display output at that time becomes a display screen as shown in FIG. 3(A).

In such a display screen, the transparent switch 6a and the second
When the various operation switches 8 whose arrangement is shown in the figure are operated (step S6), apart from when the RET key is operated, not only screen control is performed, but also data can be set to the sequencer function. possible (step S8,
S9.510).

The sequencer function reads the set data input by the above-mentioned switch operation during the T1 period in FIG. It is reflected on the panel side (display panel 6b).

Thereafter, control is repeated according to the same flow.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a data memory that the microcomputer system 1 has. These data are stored in PROM3. RAM
4, and the order and arrangement do not necessarily have to be as shown in the figure.AI is the display screen data whose function is set by the loader lO shown in Figure 1 as screen data, and this data The screen shown in FIG. 3 is created and displayed using the character generator 2.

Further, since the function of the transparent switch, for example, differs depending on the screen, the function of the switch function A2 is similarly set by the loader. A3 has data to be incorporated and displayed according to the screen data of A1, such as the production amount data shown in FIG. 3, extracted and set in a programmatic manner. Further, A4 to A6 are data obtained by reading switch operation results on the operation panel side, and set data is data obtained by, for example, keying in setting values using the display surface.

Among these data, A1-A2 are set by the loader,
A4 to A6 are data created by the operation panel. Also, although the data required for the sequence function is not shown,
It can be created in the same way as a normal sequencer.

Although the system is described as a microcomputer system in FIG. 1, it is of course possible to perform similar functions using a highly functional LSI.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to display as many operation switches and nameplate character data as are needed for the time being on the screen serving as an operation panel, which has the advantage of significantly improving operability. In addition, you can call up other operation switches and nameplate character data by switching screens, which means multiple screens can be used, so the size of the operation panel is smaller than the number of usable operation switches and nameplate character data. It is possible to significantly reduce the size and cost of the device.

In addition, by executing both the sequencer function and the operation panel function together with the control microcomputer system, and dividing the program processing in chronological order, communication between the sequencer function and the operation panel function has improved. Since the communication control time can be significantly shortened compared to the case where the communication control is performed through a means, a high-performance operation control device can be realized without deteriorating the performance of the sequencer function that performs machine control.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a programmable operation as an embodiment of the present invention! Front view showing the display surface of the IJ control device, Figure 3 (A) and Figure 3 (
B) is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display screen of the transparent touch key 6 in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of screen control by the microcomputer system, and FIG. 5 is an explanation of the processing mode of the control microcomputer system. An explanatory diagram for
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a data memory included in a control microcomputer system, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional operation control device. Code explanation 1...Microcomputer system, 2...Character generator, 3...Screen memory, 4...Data memory,
5... Lotus, 6... Transparent touch key, 6a... Transparent switch-f-16b... Display panel, 7... Key encoder, 8... Operation switch, 10... Loader, IIA...Sequencer function I/O circuit, IIB
...Operation switch/display function I/O circuit, I2/
...Indication lamp, 13...Alarm relay 14...Buzzer agent Patent attorney Akio Namiki

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A reading means for reading an external signal, an output means for issuing a control output to an external device, a storage means for storing screen data corresponding to an operation screen or a display screen, and a storage means for storing screen data corresponding to an operation screen or a display screen. A display panel that displays switch items according to read screen data, a switch that is operated in accordance with a switch item on the panel display screen and generates and outputs information on the item each time, and controls each of the above parts. A programmable device comprising: a control means, wherein the control means executes control of an external device and control of an operation display panel in chronological order according to a built-in program while reflecting operation data from a switch in an operation procedure. Operation control device.