Method for debugging flowchart programs for industrial controllers

• US 7,302,676 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Wagner, Peter, Schmitt, Regina
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US09/912,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 717124-149, 717162-166, 708/290, 700/20, 714/38
• US Class Current: 717/132
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration

Abstract

A method for debugging flowchart based computer programs for industrial controllers, in particular motion controllers, wherein suspend commands are assigned to the graphical elements. Through the use of a task control mechanism in the run time system, the user may debug the program on the flowchart level, using a single-step mode and/or a breakpoint mode.

Claims

1. A method for debugging a program for an industrial controller, the industrial controller having an engineering system including an editor and further having a run time system, wherein graphical elements are linked using the editor to form a motion control flowchart that can be visualized on a display, the graphical elements corresponding to respective tasks, the method comprising the steps of:

a) preparing a debugging process for the industrial control program based on the flowchart;

b) assigning a suspend command to each graphical element of the flowchart;

c) commencing the debugging process for the industrial control program;

d) continuing the debugging process until a suspend command is reached;

e) displaying the location of the flowchart element corresponding to the suspend command;

f) continuing a task corresponding to a graphical element of the flowchart, that has been suspended by a suspend command, using a task control mechanism of the run-time system; and

g) proceeding to the next possible suspend command;

wherein a user can switch between structured textual language, contact plan and function plan as forms of representation for formulation conditions.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the task control mechanism of the run time system comprises breakpoint debugging and variables that can be pre-assigned by the user in the engineering system, further comprising the step of pre-assigning variables corresponding to breakpoints.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the variable pre-assignments in the task control mechanism are performed by programs of the run time system other than the task control mechanism.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a debugging interface is available to a user at levels comprising at least two of the group consisting of a structured textual language level, a pseudo-code level, and a processor code level.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein programming language commands are provided in the flowchart editor as a function of configuration of hardware associated with an industrial controller.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein additional graphical elements are generated in the motion control flowchart representation by converting user-defined structured text subprograms of the textual language into graphical elements comprising function interfaces of the corresponding structured text subprograms.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the generated graphical elements are used as language elements of the motion control flowchart.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein structured text according to IEC 6-1131 is used as the structured textual language.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the group consisting of a loop and a parallel branch is present as a programming language command in the motion control flowchart view.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a parallel branch is initiated and wherein individual commands are initiated in a given interpolator cycle within a respective parallel branch.

11. The method according claim 1, further comprising function blocks, wherein parameters can be set for the function blocks by mask input in a display associated with the motion control flowchart.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising function blocks, wherein the function blocks are combined into modules that in turn are presented as function blocks in a display associated with the motion control flowchart.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein modules are interleaved in the display associated with the motion control flowchart.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the function blocks for the allocation of variables in the display associated with the motion control flowchart comprise multiple instructions.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the function blocks representing functions that require a given period of time comprise advance conditions in the display associated with the flowchart.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the graphical elements of the flowchart are positioned automatically.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the graphical elements of the flowchart are linked together automatically.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flowchart is displayed in a form comprising one of the group consisting of a reduced form and an enlarged form.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein steps a) through c) are triggered in a collective step.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein during processing of the flowchart program a currently processed graphical element is displayed.

21. A method for debugging a program for an industrial controller, the industrial controller having a plurality of code levels associated with at least one of an engineering system and a run time system associated with the industrial controller, wherein graphical elements are linked using an editor to form a motion control flowchart that can be visualized on a display, the method comprising the steps of:

a) preparing a plurality of debugging processes for programming code for the industrial controller having the plurality of code levels, the programming code associated with the flowchart;

b) conducting debugging for the plurality of debugging processes;

c) displaying the debugging processes on respective ones of a plurality of debugging interfaces;

d) generating a structured textual language from the flowchart; and

e) converting the structured textual language into a processor-independent pseudo-code;

wherein the programming code comprises a plurality of code levels, at least a subset of the plurality of debugging processes corresponds to respective ones of the plurality of code levels, and the step of displaying debugging processes comprises displaying at least a subset of the debugging processes on respective ones of the plurality of debugging interfaces.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the different code levels comprise at least one of the group consisting of structured text code, processor independent pseudo-code, and object code.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of code levels comprises a pseudo-code level and a debugging process is prepared for the pseudo-code level.

24. A method for debugging a program for an industrial controller, the industrial controller having an engineering system including an editor and further having a run time system, wherein graphical elements are linked using the editor to form a motion control flowchart that can be visualized on a display, the graphical elements corresponding to respective tasks, the method comprising the steps of:

a) preparing a debugging process for the industrial control program based on the flowchart;

b) assigning a suspend command to each graphical element of the flowchart;

c) commencing the debugging process for the industrial control program;

d) continuing the debugging process until a suspend command is reached;

e) displaying the location of the flowchart element corresponding to the suspend command;

f) continuing a task corresponding to a graphical element of the flowchart, that has been suspended by a suspend command, using a task control mechanism of the run-time system;

g) proceeding to the next possible suspend command;

h) generating a structured textual language from the flowchart;

i) converting the structured textual language into a processor-independent pseudo-code;

j) loading the processor-independent pseudo-code into a controller; and

k) convening the processor-independent pseudo-code into executable processor code;

wherein re-translation back into motion control flowchart representation is possible by means of marks in the textual language.