Trapezoid language: do not say goodbye - to stay alive PLC industrial automation platform Achievement(2)

Trapezoid language: do not say goodbye

50 years ago, the hard-wired relay logic is replaced by a ladder language that is familiar with the relay logic of technical and engineering staff to bring the convenience, but it also has its limitations, especially in process control and data processing applications.

IEC61131-3 provides industrial controller for another programming language, but a ladder language still has its own advantages, and has been showing its unique charm.While process control, there are continuous function icon, structured text for data processing is good, other IEC languages have their own advantages.But trapezoidal language will continue to be a leader in PLC programming language.

Suppliers and their customers to purchase built a ladder logic programming language of PLC, and the PLC control the use of such a large number of infrastructure.There are also plenty of engineers, technicians, electrical engineers and maintenance workers tend trapezoidal this simple programming language.Regardless of how the hardware development, and this language will be used as the industry standard PLC's last long.

Although the ladder logic language can be used as a simple cornerstone machine control, but the function block programming techniques can reduce the amount of code, especially code that needs to be integrated into the PLC when unified programming environment.

Unified programmingenvironment

ThePLC,motioncontrolandhuman-machine interface(HMI)into oneunifiedprogrammingenvironmentis a trendin the coming years.ThePLCandHMIintegrated on thesame rackmightbe the nexttrend,regardless ofthe display isincludedin the componentoras an externaloption.Whetherthe sameprocessoror integratedintoPLCI / OrackHMImodule,current technologycan supportthe configurationof these two methods.

There is auniqueprogramming environmentisidealfor most users,as long as nottoo complicated.These modulescombinethe benefitsinclude reducingthe learning curveanddevelopment time.But if theprogrammingenvironment is notdesigned,itwill becomeunwieldyanddifficult to operate.

With a unifiedprogramming environmentisan important stepto ensure thatshare the sametagnamedatabasebetween devices.The label name isan importantconnectionbetween the programandthe process.Establishment of a databaseisa time-consumingproject,to reduce theserepetitive taskswill shorten theoveralldevelopment timeandreducethe chance oferrors.

Meet the wireless era

In the past few decades especially in the early 1990s, in the emergence of a large number of industrial applications of different communication networks and protocols.Over time, these different choices gradually few remaining leaders.PC with consumer electronics and its peripherals, this trend will continue, the future will focus on self-configurable Plug and Play scheme.

In fact, it is not necessary to pay attention to whether the communication technology can achieve true real-time, because the original speed Ethernet and many other industrial control network is much faster than the needs of most applications.

About Universal Interface local storage devices and other devices, USB, although available, but has its limitations.USB is plug and play, but to USB integrated hardware and software vendors need additional investment.For this reason, slowly changing industry hardware vendors, such as barcode reader and electronic scales and other hardware vendors in the short term will continue to use RS232 interface.

Currently, high-end PLC communication interface can be adapted to a variety of protocols.With the expected future standardization needs of users, this situation is expected to be improved, possibly with only Ethernet and wireless form, or together with a possible option of industrial Bluetooth.

This is a wireless era, however, before we see the big convergence of commercial and industrial wireless communication protocol for industrial applications really need to have a robust wireless technology in a wider range, and ensure data integrity.

In this area, we have also seen progress: from the latest Wi-Fi (802.11n), ZigBee (802.15.4) protocol to point-to-mesh connectivity and the rise of Bluetooth and near-field communications, but at present they do notbecome mission-critical plant floor suitable solutions.Future wireless applications for remote terminal equipment (RTU), or some non-critical monitoring applications (does not require real-time control), or in more extensive use of wireless technology.

Fully integrated factory

Future PLC of the most dramatic changes should be integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, or other high-level systems and plant floor.In the past, the main task is to extract the integration of machine and process data, and it reached up to those high-level system.Future, using hooks and function like new technology will facilitate this integration.

In view of this, the controller manufacturer in design PLC solution, we need to give more consideration to the needs of users.This program is not only for control, but also enables seamless operation, and provide data to the needs of the user.This may include providing data provided by the browser or mobile app access, including access to databases or tools.

Enhanced communications, increased processing speed and greater storage capacity gives management the ability to generate its own PLC data.This is a natural development trend of PLC.

Although the forms, uses and performance will be a substantial change, but in the future, PLC term will still be a lot of names in industrial automation controllers continue.PLC will continue to reduce the size of the hardware development will also bring new features and functionality PLC.Software and enhance communications capabilities, PLC will give a new name to this long-standing position - Industrial automation platform.