Automation suite offers more powerful programming
A
System Devices product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Jul 9, 2002
The new FactoryFloor 4.0 software is designed for use with Opto 22's widely deployed line of powerful, stand-alone industrial controllers.
The new FactoryFloor 4.0 software is designed for use with Opto 22's widely deployed line of powerful, stand-alone industrial controllers (including the popular M4 series) typically combined with the company's Snap Ethernet I/O and Snap Serial I/O products.
Using FactoryFloor 4.0, users can develop control programs, design easy-to-use human-machine interfaces, expand their manufacturing systems' connectivity, and complete their control automation projects faster, cheaper, and more easily than ever before.
Priced at under GBP 300, Opto 22 FactoryFloor 4.0 software comprises four powerful, integrated components: OptoControl, OptoDisplay, OptoServer and OptoConnect.
OptoControl is a flowchart-based control programming environment that allows users to develop control and data acquisition applications quickly and easily; OptoDisplay is the graphical HMI package for designing human-machine interfaces; OptoServer provides OPC and DDE connectivity between Opto 22 systems and Microsoft Windows-based computers; and OptoConnect creates a bi-directional data transfer link between the Opto 22 controller database and Microsoft's SQL Server or Access databases.
A major enhancement included in this latest version of FactoryFloor is the addition of OptoScript, a new scripting tool that provides an alternative way to program within OptoControl's flowchart environment.
Built into OptoControl, OptoScript offers a new procedural type of programming language similar to C and Pascal that gives FactoryFloor users greater programming versatility.
OptoScript significantly reduces program development time by providing an easier method of creating math expressions, defining control loops, performing conditional branching, and manipulating strings.
Additionally, OptoScript delivers ease of use by providing scripting assistance in choosing commands and strategy variables and performing subsequent script syntax checking.
Other enhancements found in FactoryFloor 4.0 include improvements to the debugger that enable line stepping into blocks when performing full debugs.
Previously, debugging could only be performed on blocks as a whole.
Also noteworthy is a new runtime logging security feature within OptoDisplay that allows users to log all actions and modifications resulting from operator driven dynamic attributes.
Actions that can be logged include changing process values or discrete items, downloading or uploading recipes, launching applications, running menu commands, and detaching or attaching controllers.
Modifications to alarm point values can also be logged.
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