Method and configuration system for producing an application-specific functional module for a programmable controller

• US 6,973,357 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Humpert, Hans-Dieter, Kleyer, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHUTE, DOUGLAS M
• Application Number:
  US10/442,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20030220703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/18, 700/83, 700/86, 700/87, 717/105, 717/109, 717/113, 717/125, 715/734, 715/735, 715/762, 715/763, 715/965, 715/967, 715/969, 712/36, 712/37, 326/38, 708/230
• US Class Current: 700/87
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23258 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, labview
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

A method and configuration system are used for producing an application-specific functional module from a predefined functional module for a programmable controller. In this context, a marking device is useable to mask out subfunctions of the predefined functional module, so that just the software code for those subfunctions which is required in order to satisfy the functionality of the application-specific functional module are readable into the programmable controller. In this case, it is simultaneously necessary to ensure that only that software code which is not imperatively required for calculating a result for at least one of the unmarked subfunctions is masked out and is therefore not read in.

Claims

1. A method for producing an application-specific function module for a programmable controller from a predefined function module, the predefined functional module including at least two subfunctions implemented by way of software code, the method comprising the steps of:

a) loading a block diagram graphically describing the predefined functional module into data processing system, each subfunction including at least one associated representational block in the block diagram, and the representational blocks each including at least one of at least one signal input and at least one signal output, wherein the blocks are at least one of supplied with prescribed parameters and connected to at least one of at least one signal input and signal output on another representational block, via a connecting line;

b) providing at least one of the representational block and connecting lines which are not needed for implementing a desired functionality of the application-specific functional module, with a respective marketing in the block diagram; and

c) loading the programmable controller, if output values supplied by the signal outputs of the marked representational blocks are not imperatively required by any of the unmarked representational block as input values for at least one of their respective signal inputs for the purpose of calculating a result value for at least one of their signal outputs, only with the software code for subfunctions whose corresponding representational blocks are unmarked, and, loading the programmable controller, if output values supplied by the signal outputs of the marked representational blocks are imperatively required by at least one of the unmarked representational blocks as input values for at least one of the respective signal inputs for the purpose of calculating a result value for at least one of their signal outputs, with the software code for those subfunctions whose corresponding representational blocks are unmarked and with the software code for those subfunctions whose corresponding representational blocks are marked and whose output values applied to their respective signal outputs are imperatively required by at least one of the unmarked representational blocks as input values for at least one of their respective signal inputs.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a subsequent step, at least one of the marked representational blocks and connecting lines are graphically masked out of the block diagram via the data processing system, so that the block diagram modified in this manner is used for graphically representing the application-specific functional module.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the data processing system includes means for archiving the graphical representation of the application-specific functional module.

4. A configuration system for producing an application-specific functional module for a programmable controller from a predefined functional module, the predefined functional module including at least two subfunctions implemented by way of software code, comprising:

a data processing system into which a block diagram graphically describing the predefined functional module is readable, each subfunction including at least one associated representational block in the block diagram, and the representational blocks each including at least of at least one signal input and at least one signal output at least one of supplied with prescribed parameters and connected to at least one of at least one signal input and signal output on another representational block via a connecting line;

a marking device, included in the data processing system and useable to mark at least one of those representational blocks and connecting lines in the block diagram not needed in order to produce a desired functionality of the application-specific functional module; and

a loading device adapted to, if output values supplied by the signal outputs of the marked representational blocks are not imperatively required by any of the unmarked representational blocks as input values for at least one of the respective signal inputs for the purpose of calculating a result value for at least one of their signal outputs, read into the programmable controller only the software code for those subfunctions whose corresponding representational blocks are unmarked, the loading device further being adapted to, if output values supplied by the signal outputs of the marked representational blocks are imperatively required by at least one of the unmarked representational blocks as input values for at least one of their respective signal inputs for the purpose of calculating a result value for at least one of the signal outputs, read into the programmable controller the software code for those subfunctions whose corresponding representational blocks are unmarked and also the software code for those subfunctions whose corresponding representational blocks are marked and whose output values applied to their respective signal outputs are imperatively required by at least one of the unmarked representational blocks as input values for at least one of the respective signal inputs.

5. The configuration system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the data processing system is adapted to graphically mask out at least one of the marked representational blocks and connecting lines from the block diagram by use of the data processing system, so that the block diagram modified in this manner is used for graphically representing the application-specific functional module.

6. The configuration system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the data processing system comprises means for archiving the graphical representation of the application-specific functional module.