Project format, suitable to define functions and/or characteristics of an operator interface device or of a PLC of an operating machine, more generally of an industrial device. The project format comprises a base layer and a plurality of additional layers disposed in order on the base layer from the oldest to the newest.

Applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial automation have focused mainly on the runtime phase due to the availability of large volumes of data from sensors. Methods, systems, and apparatus that can use machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI) to complete automation engineering tasks are described herein.

The present invention provides an information processing device, a recording medium, and a support system. With respect to a second program having a call instruction that designates an actual argument and calls a first program defined by using a dummy argument, a display means included in a support device associates the content of the first program defined by using the dummy argument according to a user operation with the call instruction in the second program and displays the associated result. In this case, the display means reflects the actual argument designated in the call instruction to the dummy argument in the first program, and displays the reflected result.

An information processing apparatus includes a display portion, a storage portion, and a processing portion. The processing portion is configured to display an operation-process identifying information that indicates an operation process of a plurality of operation processes, and a figure information that represents a flow-path structure, on the display portion. The processing portion is configured to display a flow-path portion used as a flow path of the flow-path structure in an operation process indicated by the operation-process identifying information, on the display portion by using the figure information. The processing portion is configured to associate the flow-path portion with the operation-process identifying information and store the flow-path portion associated with the operation-process identifying information, in the storage portion, as flow-path setting information.

A method for calling a program module in a programmable logic controller (PLC) ladder programming environment comprises: determining a first feature to be called in a PLC ladder programming environment and a second feature not to be called from features implemented by an artificial intelligence (AI) module compiled by a computer programming language; configuring the first feature as an interface conforming to an interface specification of the PLC ladder programming environment; configuring the second feature as a non-call method; packaging the non-call method and the interface into a dynamic link library (DLL); importing the DLL into the PLC ladder programming environment.

The present invention relates to generally to programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and more particularly to a system and method to enables a user to accelerate the generation of PLC programs. The system includes a set of specific keywords and an internal algorithm that in combination with the industrial process information provided by the user, creates a methodology for PLC program generation, which is flexible enough to adapt to the user, PLC programming strategies, and other standards and practices.

The present invention relates to a method, device, and system for transmitting a program and parameter to a PLC. An adapter connecting to a port of a PLC allows an operator to simply (i) log in on a cloud server with use of a mobile terminal on which an APP is installed, (ii) download a written program or parameter, and (iii) transmit the program or parameter directly to the adapter wirelessly to transmit the program or parameter to the PLC via the adapter. An alternative embodiment may be arranged such that the cloud server transmits, to an APP of the mobile terminal over a mobile network, an instruction on what data to sample and that the APP accesses the PLC via the adapter, obtains the data, and feeds back the data to the cloud server. This simplifies the operation for updating and maintaining a program and/or parameter of a PLC and reduces costs.

Apparatus and methods for flexible input/output signaling over a same signaling channel are described. A programmable interface circuit includes a signaling channel that can be adapted, prior to use or during operation, for transmission and/or reception of different types of analog and digital signals. The interface circuit can be used for communications between an isolating communication controller and components of a machine that use diverse signaling types.

An information processing method includes acquiring a time chart indicating operation lines corresponding to operations of a plurality of control objects and interlocking modes between the operations, and generating a sequence program corresponding to the operations of the plurality of control objects based on the time chart.

A programmable discrete input module is described. In one or more implementations, the programmable discrete input module comprises a pulse width modulation module configured to generate a pulse width modulated signal based upon an input signal and a pulse width demodulation module configured to generate a demodulated pulse width signal. An isolator is configured to isolate the pulse width modulation module and the pulse width demodulation module and to generate isolated modulated pulse width signal based upon the pulse width modulated signal for the pulse width demodulation module to generate the demodulated pulse width signal. The programmable discrete input module also includes a first comparator and a second comparator for comparing the demodulated pulse width signal with a respective programmable reference and a digital filter configured to filter a comparison signal output by the first comparator or the second comparator to generate a discrete input signal.