Parameter setting device

• US 20060253838A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Fujii, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

This invention provides a parameter setting device which can meet a case where the version of an actual machine is inconsistent with the version of a tool for setting the unit parameter and which allows user to set the parameters without being conscious of consistency or inconsistency of the version between the both. This parameter setting device comprises a device (a function for executing S31 and S32) for acquiring unit configuration information indicating what units constitute the same device and information about types of the respective units and their version and a device (a function executing S34-S39 and S42 to define a file to be used) for specifying a machine type information definition file which can be met based on that acquired the unit of the actual machine type and version information and a device for reading out that specified machine type information definition file which can be met and displaying the parameter setting screen based on that file. As a consequence, user can set up parameters suitable for the actual machine only by inputting the parameters to a displayed parameter setting screen.

Claims

1. A parameter setting device having a plurality of machine type definition file that defines a parameter for setting each of units constituting a programmable controller and being designed to set up a parameter for a unit having upper compatible in version based on the machine type definition file, comprising:

a means for displaying a parameter setting screen based on the machine type definition file corresponding to a unit for inputting a parameter for the unit;

a downloading means that executes a downloading of the parameter set with the parameter setting screen to the programmable controller including the unit;

a means for comparing a version of the machine type definition file with a version of the unit;

a means for displaying an error message when the downloading is prohibited.

wherein the means for downloading executes the downloading when the version of the machine type definition file with a version of the unit are same or the version of the unit is newer, while prohibits the downloading when the version of the unit is older.

2. The parameter setting device of claim 1, wherein the downloading means executes the downloading of the parameter to make the unit operate corresponding to the version of the machine type definition file without handling as an error when the version of the unit is newer.

3. The parameter setting device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of machine type definition file includes different versions of machine type definition files and the parameter is set with the machine type definition file corresponding to a newest machine type in the machine type definition files, and wherein the means for comparing compares a version of the machine type definition file with the version of the unit to be set up, prohibits the downloading when the version of the unit is older, retrieves the machine type definition file suitable for the unit from the plurality of machine type definition file, sets up the parameter based on the retrieved machine type definition file and executes the downloading of the parameter.

4. A parameter setting device that has a plurality of machine type information definition file corresponding to different versions of each of units constituting a programmable controller so as to set up a parameter to each of the units based on one of the plurality of machine type definition files, comprising:

a means for acquiring information about the machine type of the unit constituting the programmable controller by online-connecting to the programmable controller;

a means for specifying a corresponding machine type definition file from the plurality of machine type definition file based on the acquired machine type of the unit;

a means for displaying a parameter setting screen about the unit based on the specified corresponding machine type definition file; and

a downloading means for executing a downloading of the parameter set with the parameter setting screen to the programmable controller including the unit.

5. The parameter setting device of claim 4 designed to set up the parameter to the unit having a upper compatible version based on the machine type definition file;

wherein the plurality of machine type definition file includes different versions and the version of the corresponding machine type definition file is “

older”

than the version of the unit.

6. The parameter setting device of claim 4 designed to set up the parameter to the unit storing its machine type definition file based on the plurality of machine type definition file;

further comprising;

a storage means for storing the plurality of machine type definition file corresponding to different versions of the unit;

a means for determining whether or not the version of the machine type definition file corresponding to the unit for setting parameter is stored in the storage means;

a means for uploading the machine type definition file stored in the unit when the result of the means for determination shows not stored; and

a means for displaying a parameter setting screen for the unit based on the machine type definition file acquired by the means for uploading.

7. A parameter setting device for setting a parameter to a unit based on a machine type definition file that defines the parameter for each type and each version of units constituting a programmable controller, comprising:

a means for displaying a parameter setting screen based on the machine type definition file of a predetermined version of the unit when editing the parameter to be set up in the unit;

a means for executing a downloading of the parameter set with the parameter setting screen to the programmable controller which includes the unit;

a means for controlling to compare the version of the unit used when the parameter is edited with the version of the unit at the downloading, to execute the downloading when the version of the unit used when the parameter is edited and the version of the unit are same or the version of the unit is newer and to prohibit the downloading when the version of the unit is older.

8. A parameter setting device comprising:

a means for acquiring a type and a version of a unit constituting a programmable controller by connecting to the programmable controller online;

a means for specifying a machine type definition file corresponding to the unit based on the type and the version of the unit acquired by the means for acquiring; and

a means for displaying a parameter setting screen based on the specified machine type definition file corresponding to the unit.

9. The parameter setting device of claim 8, wherein the machine type definition file corresponding to the unit is of the same type as the unit which version is older than the version of the unit.

10. The parameter setting device of claim 9, wherein the means for displaying the parameter setting screen displays a default value stored in the machine type definition file for displaying the parameter setting screen.

11. The parameter setting device of claim 8, further comprising:

a means for acquiring a parameter set in the unit constituting the programmable controller by connecting to the programmable controller online, wherein the means for displaying the parameter setting screen checks the type and the version in the acquired parameter for displaying the parameter setting screen and prohibits to display as an error when the type in the acquired parameter is not same to the type in the machine type definition file.

12. The parameter setting device of claim 8, further comprising:

a means for acquiring a parameter set in the unit constituting the programmable controller by connecting to the programmable controller online;

wherein the means for displaying the parameter setting screen checks the type and the version in the acquired parameter for displaying the parameter setting screen and for displaying the parameter setting screen without changing the version in the parameter setting device when the type in the acquired parameter is same to the type in the machine type definition file and the version in the acquired parameter is newer.

13. The parameter setting device of claim 8, further comprising:

a means for acquiring a parameter set in the unit constituting the programmable controller by connecting to the programmable controller online;

wherein the means for displaying the parameter setting screen checks the type and the version in the acquired parameter for displaying the parameter setting screen and displays the parameter setting screen based on the machine type definition file corresponding to the version of the unit when the type in the acquired parameter is same to the type in the machine type definition file are same and the version in the acquired parameter is older.

14. The parameter setting device of claim 8, further comprising:

a means for acquiring a parameter set in the unit constituting the programmable controller by connecting to the programmable controller online;

wherein the means for displaying the parameter setting screen checks the type and the version in the acquired parameter, displays an inquiry screen inquiring whether or not adapting the version in the machine type definition file to the version in the acquired parameter when the type in the acquired parameter is same to the type in the machine type definition file and the version in the acquired parameter is older, and displays the parameter setting screen based on the machine type definition file which version corresponds to the version of the unit under a condition of a user approval for the inquiry.