Finite State Machines as PLC design/documentation

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Thread Starter

David Doerschuk

I'm looking for a Finite State Machine (FSM) State Chart graphic editor with nice FSM integrity-checking features that will create a standard (ISA S-1331 ?) ladder diagram or some representation reasonably close to that. We use Allen-Bradley PLC-3's, -5's, and the new 1756 Control Logix machines here, but any ladder-ish output would probably be sufficient.

I'd also be interested in comments on successful documentation methods other than FSM State Charts.

Thanks for your help!
David Doerschuk
 
I Know one from Siemens, S7 program has Engineering Add In Features that allow you to have FSM. I know you can have it with S7 300 and 400 Series PLCs.

Farzin
 
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Andrew Janiak

David,
Have a close look at SFC - Sequential Function Chart, one of the languages of IEC 61131-3. This is the best and most powerful method of describing FSMs that I know. Any IEC 61131-3 package worth its money will support SFCs.

Andrew
 
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Vladimir E. Zyubin

Try Visio. It has ISO 1028 set of symbols. Also Acad is enough flexible (you just will have to create a set yourself).

As I understand, the "FSM state chart" is the IEC 61131-3 subset of symbols (aka SFC). IMO, the ISO 5807-85 (former ISO 1028) set of flowchart symbols is more acceptable tools in order to design and maintain control algorithms. As well there is a set of specialized means for this kind of tasks in the UML... It has nothing fundamentally different AFAIK... It is just an alternative means (perhaps the UML authors do not know about the standard)

Regards. Vladimir.
 
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