Patent · US Expired

Controlling process for a controlling apparatus having a CPU and special function units

US5577216A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
1References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 30, 1994
Grant dateNov 19, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 30, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05B2219/13196
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for controlling a control apparatus such as a programmable controller which includes a CPU and special function modules. The CPU conducts sequence control and the special function modules perform control other than sequence control in accordance with commands from the CPU. Each instruction represents a normal or special instruction. Special instructions include a first symbol denoting a special function unit-corresponding instruction and a second symbol denotes a special function type (independent of memory addresses). Once the CPU identifies a special function instruction by identifying the first symbol, the CPU stores the contents of the instruction step into a multi-directional access memory of the special function unit. Thereafter, in one embodiment, the CPU generates an interrupt requesting the special function unit to execute this instruction. In other embodiments, the CPU performs instruction processing to ensure, for example, that the instruction is a correct one for the selected special function module. The special function unit decodes and executes the instruction based upon the second symbol denoting the special function type.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.