Programmable logic controller contained on a chip

• US 7,299,099 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Divelbiss Corporation
• Original Assignee: Divelbiss Corporation
• Inventors: Divelbiss, Donald S., Divelbiss, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Thomas K.
• Application Number:
  US11/051,988
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 700/18, 700/7, 700/86, 700/93, 700/121, 326/29, 326/40
• 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

Abstract

Various embodiments of a programmable logic controller and a system for programming a programmable logic controller are disclosed. One PLC embodiment comprises an I/O component, a processor, a memory component and a kernel, all contained within a chip.

Claims

1. A programmable logic controller comprising:

at least one input/output component;

at least one processor in communication with the at least one input/output component;

at least one memory component in communication with the at least one processor and adapted to store a PLC application program; and

an operating system kernel stored in the at least one memory component and providing the at least one processor with an interface layer to run the PLC application program, monitor any inputs associated with the at least one input/output component, and control any outputs associated with the at least one input/output component in response to the PLC application program and the monitored inputs;

wherein the at least one input/output component, the at least one processor, and the at least one memory component are contained within a chip.

2. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the at least one input/output component including:

at least one of a digital input, a digital output, an analog input, and an analog output.

3. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the at least one input/output component including:

a system watchdog output; and

a controls check monitor.

4. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the at least one input/output component including:

at least one of a programming port, a serial port, a CAN port, and an Ethernet interface.

5. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the at least one processor including:

a plurality of processors.

6. The programmable logic controller of claim 5 wherein the plurality of processors work in parallel.

7. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the at least one memory component including:

at least one of a flash memory module, an EEPROM memory module, a volatile RAM memory module, and a non-volatile RAM memory module.

8. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the operating system kernel including:

a plurality of logical components associated with running the PLC application program.

9. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the operating system kernel including:

an interpreter for interpreting the PLC application program in conjunction with running the PLC application program.

10. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the operating system kernel including:

a dynamically linked library for use in conjunction with running the PLC application program.

11. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the operating system kernel including:

a compiler for compiling a PLC application software package to form the PLC application program.

12. The programmable logic controller of claim 11 wherein the at least one memory component is adapted to store the PLC application software package.

13. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the chip including:

a flat pack package.

14. The programmable logic controller of claim 13, the flat pack package including:

any one of the group formed by a quad flat pack package, a low profile quad flat pack package, and a thin quad flat pack package.

15. The programmable logic controller of claim 1, the chip including:

any one of the group formed by a grid array package, a small outline integrated circuit package, a dual in-line package, and a die package.

16. A programmable logic controller comprising:

an input/output component;

a processor in communication with the input/output component;

a plurality of memory modules in communication with the processor and adapted to store a PLC application program; and

a kernel logic stored in at least one of the plurality of memory modules and providing the processor with an interface layer to run the PLC application program, monitor any inputs associated with the input/output component, and control any outputs associated with the input/output component in response to the PLC application program and the monitored inputs;

wherein the input/output component, the processor and the plurality of memory modules are contained within a chip.

17. The programmable logic controller of claim 16, the plurality of memory modules including:

at least one of a flash memory module, an EEPROM memory module, a volatile RAM memory module, and a non-volatile RAM memory module.

18. The programmable logic controller of claim 16, the input/output component including:

a system watchdog output; and

a controls check monitor.

19. The programmable logic controller of claim 16, the input/output component including:

at least one of a programming port, a serial port, a CAN port, and an Ethernet interface.

20. The programmable logic controller of claim 16, the kernel logic including:

a plurality of logical components associated with running the PLC application program.

21. The programmable logic controller of claim 16, the chip including:

a flat pack package.

22. The programmable logic controller of claim 21, the flat pack package including:

any one of the group formed by a quad flat pack package, a low profile quad flat pack package, and a thin quad flat pack package.

23. A system for programming a programmable logic controller contained within a chip, comprising:

a computing device electronically communicating with the programmable logic controller; and

application software creation logic, running on the computing device, for creating a PLC application program for running on the programmable logic controller, such that the programmable logic controller runs the PLC application program, monitors any inputs associated with the chip, and controls any outputs associated with the chip in response to the PLC application program and the monitored inputs;

wherein the PLC application program is electronically communicated by the computing device to the programmable logic controller for execution.

24. The system of claim 23, the application software creation logic including:

a graphical ladder interface providing a user with access to the computing device to create, edit, or modify the PLC application program.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the graphical ladder interface allows the user to create, edit, or modify the PLC application program by creating, editing, or modifying a ladder diagram.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the graphical ladder interface allows the user to create, edit, or modify the ladder diagram by pointing, clicking, and dragging objects.

27. The system of claim 23, further including:

a programmable logic controller, including;

a first input/output component and at least one additional input/output component;

a processor in communication with the each input/output component;

at least one memory component in communication with the processor and adapted to store the PLC application program; and

an operating system kernel stored in the at least one memory component and providing the processor with an interface layer to run the PLC application program, monitor any inputs associated with the at least one additional input/output component, and control any outputs associated with the at least one additional input/output component in response to the PLC application program and the monitored inputs;

wherein the first input/output component, the at least one additional input/output component, the processor, and the at least one memory component are contained within the chip;

wherein the application software creation logic is also for editing or modifying the PLC application program and the computing device is adapted to communicate the PLC application program to the programmable logic controller via the first input/output component.

28. The system of claim 27 further including a compiler for compiling the application program.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the compiler is disposed within the computing device and associated with the application software creation logic.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the compiler is disposed within the programmable logic controller and associated with the operating system kernel.

31. The system of claim 27 further including an interpreter for interpreting the application program.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the interpreter is disposed within the computing device and associated with the application software creation logic.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the interpreter is disposed within the programmable logic controller and associated with the operating system kernel.

34. The system of claim 27, the first input/output component including:

at least one of a programming port, a serial port, a CAN port, and an Ethernet interface.

35. The system of claim 27, the operating system kernel including:

a plurality of logical components associated with running the PLC application program.

36. The system of claim 27 wherein the operating system kernel and the application software creation logic interact to optimize the PLC application program for operation of the programmable logic controller.