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Programmable controller

  • US 4,292,666 A
  • Filed: 04/12/1978
  • Issued: 09/29/1981
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1978
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An improved programmable controller of the type having a mainframe including a central processing unit, associated electronics and memory for solving a user control program, an input/output system for communicating input data from external devices to the mainframe and for transferring output data from the mainframe to the external devices for control thereof in response to the control program, and a programming panel for programming, monitoring and displaying the user selected control program, wherein the improvement comprises:

  • (A) an improved programming panel having first means for allowing the user to generate a control program in a network format, each network comprising up to I rows and J columns, where I and J are positive integers each greater than one, each network comprising up to I×

    J nodes where the location of each node is Nij, were i=1, 2 . . . I, j=1, 2, . . . J, and where each of at least some of these nodes are designatable by the user as representing an electrical circuit element that can reference other nodes, and having a power output status that is a function of the input power status to the node in combination with the conductivity status of the element, and having second means for allowing the user to generate vertical interconnections between the output of node Ni,j with the output of node Ni-1,j or with output of node Ni+1,j, for all existent nodes Ni-1,j and Ni+1,j, where "or" is used in the inclusive sense, and wherein the power input status from node Ni,j to node Ni,j+1 is represented by the following Boolean equation;

    
    
    space="preserve" listing-type="equation">P.sub.IN.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i,j +P.sub.VU.sbsb.i,j +P.sub.VD.sbsb.i,j (

         1)where
    
    
    space="preserve" listing-type="equation">P.sub.OUT.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.IN.sbsb.i,j-1 ·

    C.sub.i,j (

         2) where Ci,j is the conductivity state of node Ni,j,where
    
    
    space="preserve" listing-type="equation">P.sub.VU.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.IN.sbsb.i+1,j ·

    C.sub.U.sbsb.i,j (

         3) where CU.sbsb.i,j is the connectivity state between the output of node Ni,j and node Ni+1,jwhere
    
    
    space="preserve" listing-type="equation">P.sub.VD.sbsb.i,j =P.sub.IN.sbsb.i-1,j ·

    C.sub.D.sbsb.i,j, (

         4) where CD.sbsb.i,j is the connectivity state between the output of node Ni,j and node Ni-1,j ;

    and where PIN.sbsb.i,0 is equal to logic true; and

    (B) an improved mainframe having means for simultaneously solving equation (1) for each node in each column of the user generated network on a column by column basis.

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