PLC tool device

• US 20060206217A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Fujii, Yutaka
• Application Number:
  US11/362,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206217A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/18
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15006 Set configuration from master control station
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15009 Object oriented configuring, graphical display of plant
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15097 Power supply

Abstract

The present invention provides a PLC tool device that can extract a power source unit from current consumption calculated by information of a unit configuration, can let a user to easily know a width of a rack composing a PLC, and can provide information for determining whether the extracted power source unit is appropriate or not. The PLC tool device comprises a unit information storing section that stores “current consumption and width of a unit” and “supply current and width of a power source unit” as associated with each other, extracting section for calculating a total amount of current consumption for every rack composed of plural units integrally coupled, by an access to the unit information storing section based upon the unit configuration for constructing a PLC system selected by a user, and extracting a power source unit that can cope with the calculated total amount of current consumption, and a selection screen (see figures) of a power source unit by which optional power source unit can be selected from the power source units extracted by the extracting section. The width for every rack is obtained by an access to the unit information storing section based upon the width of the selected power source unit and the width of the selected unit from the unit selection screen, and the selected power source unit, current consumption and the obtained width are displayed. When the power source unit is changed, the width is recalculated, and the result is re-displayed.

Claims

1. A PLC tool device used for constructing and designing a PLC system composed of a combination of various units and a power source unit, comprising:

a control section;

a display section; and

a unit information storing section that stores a type information and a current consumption information of all units and a type information and a supply current information of all power source units;

wherein the control section is configured to execute;

a process for inputting type information of a plurality of unit used for a PLC system that is to be constructed and designed;

a process for obtaining the current consumption information of the plurality of unit by an access to the unit information storing section based upon the inputted type information of the unit, and for calculating a total amount of current consumption of the plurality of unit;

a process for extracting type information of a power source unit that supplies the total amount of current consumption based upon the supply current information stored in the unit information storing section; and

a process for displaying the type information of the extracted power source unit on the display section.

3. A PLC tool device of claim 1, wherein the control section further executes:

a process for displaying a list of the type information and the supply current information of the extracted power source units; and

a process for registering the fact that the type information of the selected power source unit can be used in the PLC system that is to be constructed and designed.

4. A PLC tool device of claim 1, wherein

the control section displays on the display section as a default, a power source unit whose current consumption is the smallest in the extracted power source units.

5. A PLC tool device of claim 3, wherein

in the process for displaying the list of the type information and the supply current information of the extracted power source units, the list is displayed in the sorted order based on the supply current of the extracted power source units.

6. A PLC tool device of claim 1, wherein

the unit information storing section stores the type information, the current consumption information and the width information of all units constituting a PLC system and the type information, the supply current information and a width information of all power source units, and

the control section further executes:

a process for obtaining the width information of the selected units and the selected power supply unit used for the PLC system by an access to the unit information storing section, and for calculating the total width of the selected units and the selected power supply unit coupled in a rack; and

a process for displaying the calculated total width on the display section.

8. A PLC tool device of claim 6, wherein

the control section further executes:

a process for displaying a list of the type information and the supply current information of the extracted power source units; and

a process for registering the fact that the type information of the selected power source unit can be used in the PLC system that is to be constructed and designed.

9. A PLC tool device of claim 8, wherein

in the process for displaying the list of the type information and the supply current information of the extracted power source units, the list is displayed in the sorted order based on at least one of the supply current and the width of the extracted power source units.

2. A PLC tool device used for constructing and designing a PLC system composed of a combination of various units and a power source unit, comprising:

a control section;

a display section;

an input section; and

a unit information storing section that stores a type information and a current consumption information of all units and a type information and a supply current information of all power source units;

wherein the control section is configured to execute;

a process for inputting a type information of a plurality of unit used for a PLC system that is to be constructed and designed;

a process for obtaining the current consumption information of the plurality of unit by an access to the unit information storing section based upon the inputted type information of the units, and calculate a total amount of a current consumption of the plurality of unit;

a process for obtaining the supply current information of a power source unit which is selected through the input section from the unit information storing section; and

a process for comparing the obtained supply current information and the calculated total amount of the current consumption, and, in case where the relationship between the supply current information and the calculated total amount of the current consumption does not meet a predetermined condition, for displaying this situation on the display section, and, in case where the relationship between the supply current information and the calculated total amount of the current consumption meets a predetermined condition, for displaying this situation on the display section.

7. A PLC tool device of claim 2, wherein

the unit information storing section stores the type information, the current consumption information and the width information of all units constituting a PLC system and the type information, the supply current information and a width information of all power source units, and

the control section further executes:

a process for obtaining the width information of the selected units and the selected power supply unit used for the PLC system by an access to the unit information storing section, and for calculating the total width of the selected units and the selected power supply unit coupled in a rack; and

a process for displaying the calculated total width on the display section.