SUPPORT SOFTWARE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC-CONTROLLER APPLICATIONS

Enhancements to the sofware aids, used for the development of Programmable Logic Controller programs, are proposed in this work. A possible architecture of the software realizing these enhancements and the language constructs required for its configuration to a specific application are also presented. Based on this architecture, experimental software aids have been developed to demonstrate that it is quite feasible to provide the major services considered in this proposal. These services allow the program developer to emulate the dynamic operation of a specific programmable controller to alternative scenarios of input variations and relationships over a defined time horizon, and configure displays of graphics and timing diagrams which may assist him in following up and testing the program execution.