Program Generator
The program generator is the instrument for designing the
control programs which will be executed by the Interpreter
program. Sample screenshot can be seen on Picture 1.
Specification languages
The language used for specification of the control programs is
based on a modified Moore automata language and signal
transformation description language. Both languages are
graphical. For describing a state transition graph (STG in
short, this graph describes the states and the transition
conditions between the states of the designed system), the user
draws the states and enters the conditions, on which the
transitions from one state to another, are executed. For each
state the user configures what actions to be executed while the
system is in that state. One type of action is the execution of
a signal transformation graph (also called Signal Flow Graph, or
SFG). Specification of the SFG is done through dragging of
Signal Flow Modules (SFM) and connecting their input/output
ports, each port of a SFM represents a variable of that
module. Overall idea of the Signal Flow Graphs is similar to the
Matlab's Simulink description and any simulink designs can
easily be transfered to SFG graph.
Plans for further development of this toolkit include
implementation of automated conversion procedure which converts
the program generated from Program Generator IDE to appropriate
IEC 61131-3 language which will be able to execute as standalone
program on different PLC controlers (the conversion procedure
will have support for a number of PLC vendors's ladder diagram
language).
Last update: 19 Sept 2006
