Method for converting a programmable logic controller hardware configuration and corresponding control program for use on a first programmable logic controller to use on a second programmable logic controller

• US 5,142,469 A
• Filed: 03/29/1990
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Fanuc Automation North America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GE Fanuc Automation North America Incorporated
• Inventors: Weisenborn, Gerald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US07/501,612
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 364/140-147, 364/DIG. 2, 364/DIG. 1, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 395/919, 395/921, 395/922, 395/920, 395/500
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13019 Translate program in order to be used on different plc
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/919 Designing, planning, programming, CAD, CASE

Abstract

A method is provided for converting a hardware configuration and corresponding control logic program for use on a first programmable logic controller (PLC) to an equivalent hardware configuration and control logic program for use on a second PLC. A graphic representation of hardware modules which are usable with the first PLC are displayed for the user'"'"'s consideration. The user selects those modules which are actually employed in a particular hardware configuration for the first PLC and a first hardware configuration file is created therefrom. A determination is then made of those second PLC hardware modules which are equivalent to the first PLC hardware modules contained in the first hardware configuration file. This determination is made by referencing a first data base which includes information as to which hardware modules for use on the second PLC are equivalent to corresponding hardware modules for use on the first PLC. A mapping of I/O points from the first PLC to I/O points of the second PLC is then generated. These determining and generating a mapping steps define the second hardware configuration of the second PLC. The method further includes generating a second control program for use with the second PLC from the statements of the first PLC and the mapping of I/O points. This is accomplished by checking each statement of the first control program with a second data base to determine an equivalent statement for the second control program.

Claims

1. A method for converting a first control program and a first hardware configuration for a first PLC to a second control program and a second hardware configuration for a second PLC, said first and second control programs including a plurality of statements, said method comprising the steps of:

providing configuration information with respect to said first hardware configuration of said first PLC to a processor;

providing said first PLC control program to said processor;

selecting said second hardware configuration to be equivalent to said first hardware configuration by said processor referencing a data base which relates said first hardware configuration to possible second hardware configurations;

generating a mapping of I/O points from said first PLC to said second PLC; and

generating said second control program to be equivalent to said first control program, said second control program being generated by said processor referencing each statement of said first control program and determining a statement operative on said second PLC which is equivalent thereto.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first control program is an ASCII representation of ladder logic constructs of said first PLC.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said second control program is a keystroke file.

4. The method of claim 1 including the additional step of:

flagging for manual conversion predetermined statements of said first control program, such that statements having no exact equivalents and those statements which can be manually optimized for said second PLC can be manually converted.

5. A method for converting a first control program and a first hardware configuration for a first PLC to a second control program and a second hardware configuration for a second PLC, said first PLC including a rack into which a plurality of first PLC hardware modules may be situated, said second PLC including a rack into which a plurality of second PLC hardware modules may be situated, said first control program include a plurality of logic statements, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying a representation of a plurality of hardware modules which are usable with said first PLC;

selecting from said plurality of hardware modules in said displaying step those modules which are actually employed in a particular hardware configuration for said first PLC;

creating a first hardware configuration representation of the hardware configuration selected in said selecting step;

determining those second PLC hardware modules which are equivalent to first PLC hardware modules employed in said first hardware configuration by referencing a first data base which includes information as to which hardware modules for use on said second PLC are equivalent to corresponding hardware module for use on said first PLC;

generating a mapping of I/O points from said first PLC to I/O points of said second PLC, said determining and generating a mapping steps thus defining said second hardware configuration of said second PLC; and

generating said second control program for use with the second PLC from the statements of said first PLC and said mapping of I/O points.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of generating said second control program includes referencing each statement of said first control program to a second data base which relates statements usable on said first PLC to equivalent statement usable on said second PLC, such that each statement of said first control program is referenced to determine an equivalent statement operative on said second PLC.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said first control program is an ASCII representation of ladder logic constructs of said first PLC.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said second control program is a keystroke file.

9. The method of claim 5 including the additional step of:

flagging for manual conversion predetermined statements of said first control program, such that statements having no exact equivalents and those statements which can be manually optimized for said second PLC can be manually converted.