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How to create a Device to use in the 4DIAC IDE [message #1776547]

Fri, 17 November 2017 09:56

Eclipse User

Hello,

I have a number of years of experience in programming and commissioning automation solutions and systems. I am very interested in using 4DIAC and forte in future projects, and would like to know the process for creating your own devices to use in the IDE. By this I am referring to what many would call legacy PLC's such as, but not limited to , Omron CP series, Siemens S5 series, Allen-Bradley SLC series (100 and 500), etc... When I look at the documentation I cannot find anything to point me to the answer, and a review of the xml files for existing devices does not seem to help. I would assume there is some layer of the API I am not seeing with respect to device creation.

Re: How to create a Device to use in the 4DIAC IDE [message #1776614 is a reply to message #1776547]

Sat, 18 November 2017 08:17

Eclipse User

hi,

currently to use 4diac for programming a certain device you need to port the 4diac run-time environment (FORTE) to the device. This typically requires a certain openness of the device (nearly all modern PLCs, e.g., Wago, Beckhoff, the new Phoenix Contact, Bosch Rexroth) or support from the device vendor. 4diac already supports quite a number of devices and the list is growing with each release. Currently we are working on 4 new devices. If you have a certain device in mind we are happy to support you in investgating the option and also porting FORTE.

My experience with older PLCs is that they have very dedicated hardware which makes it hard to change anything for them. Here maybe an option could be to develop code generators which would generate legacy PLC code out of 4diac applications. 4diac-ide's plugin concpet would allow this, but it would be quite some work.

Re: How to create a Device to use in the 4DIAC IDE [message #1776617 is a reply to message #1776614]

Sat, 18 November 2017 10:20

Eclipse User

Hello, and thank you for the quick response.

As for specific hardware, a good one in my opinion and also for some of my current solutions I provide would be Rockwell Automation Micro800 series and their associated HMI's the PanelView 800 line. They are purported to be open PLC's, I am sure with a Rockwell twist.

Some of the reasoning behind my question was to eventually eliminate my windows OS based PC's needs in my chosen line of work, which I will very likely retire from before I accomplish that.

Is there a template available for making a device in (I assume FORTE) where I could attempt to build the ones I need as I need them? Is it the same as making an Eclipse Plugin? I have access to hardware usually fairly readily, and in most instances can get a good amount of technical information from the OEM. I would of course freely release it back to the community, in case someone else ran into the same need.

A number of years back, I was working as a contractor at a large automation system integrator, they had developed a C program that would write pallet traffic PLC code for the Siemens S5 PLC, as Function Blocks of statement list.

[Updated on: Sat, 18 November 2017 10:38] by Moderator

Re: How to create a Device to use in the 4DIAC IDE [message #1776618 is a reply to message #1776617]

Sat, 18 November 2017 10:40

Eclipse User

Hi, you are welcome.

the Miro800 seems a good fit for 4diac. What you need to do is to compile FORTE and bring run FORTE directly on the MICRO800. FORTE is written in C++. Therefore you need a C++ compiler for your target device. Depending on the device you need to do operating or device specific adjustments of FORTE. AFAIK Rockwell has typically vxWorks which is already supported by FORTE. I would say for starting it would make sense to get familiar with how to build and run forte for example on a Windows or Linux PC. you can find this in the docs.

Re: How to create a Device to use in the 4DIAC IDE [message #1776619 is a reply to message #1776618]

Sat, 18 November 2017 10:57

Eclipse User

Hi,

There is an answer. I thought perhaps the Micro800 was the logical starting point. As for FORTE compiling, I can do it for one of my Raspberry PI's first, since I have a couple of home projects I have wanted to start anyway.

Thank you.

Re: How to create a Device to use in the 4DIAC IDE [message #1776629 is a reply to message #1776619]

Sun, 19 November 2017 08:11

Eclipse User

As said above having the Micro800 supported would be amazingly great. From my experience when helping people to start with 4diac I noticed using something which is already supported can help a lot. A Raspi is great for that.

[Updated on: Sun, 19 November 2017 08:15] by Moderator

Re: How to create a Device to use in the 4DIAC IDE [message #1777906 is a reply to message #1776618]

Tue, 05 December 2017 19:42

Eclipse User

dear professor,
would you mind share a link about AFAIK Rockwell vxWorks?

Re: How to create a Device to use in the 4DIAC IDE [message #1777931 is a reply to message #1777906]

Wed, 06 December 2017 05:14

Eclipse User

You mean something like this: https://www.windriver.com/customers/customer-success/industrial/rockwell-automation/ ?

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