C
Hi all
I am hoping to pick brains here and survey how far we have come and how much is known by the group as a whole.
As the old timers know. I want very much to use Linux in automation. Indeed I have used it in many unusual ways, to integrate robots and CNC and conveyors and even a Linux based automation system project and a tiny but workable Linux PLC program (more my style). Not bad for a old C hack, I suppose.
What's been banging around in my head for a little while now, is how to use Linux with PLCs in the _usual_ way. I'm assuming many of the wonderful new generation of tiny, fanless, powerful, all in one embedded processor boards could be morphed into a PLC.
We are all familiar with today's PLC tools, good and bad. Some of these come from vast corporations and often that shows. Some have no doubt been kinda shoestring efforts and often that shows. All have been based on Windows or DOS before that. As the old timers also know, I'm not a GUI guy. But, practically everyone younger, (and some older) is. So, rather than pore through the thousands of possible ways and then do things my way :^). I thought I'd get the consensus of the people who are involved in automation and are of the GUI world, on the best tools and practices to develop a new Generic PLC Ladder Editor using the best FOSS tools available. In order to be taken seriously, this would have to be a GUI tool. I've looked at Glade and Kdevelop, etc. Some say, Python, some TCL and friends. What would be the best RAD tool for ladder?
Output would be some sort of table that could be fed to a code generator for download to a PLC. I've looked at Glade and Kdevelop, etc. I don't know if I'll have the time to code it, but it's beginning to look that way :^). Or for that matter, as long as it happens, I don't even need to be involved.
If such a thing existed, it might well induce someone with the money to do the whole thing to do the right thing.
Soon.
Regards,
cww
I am hoping to pick brains here and survey how far we have come and how much is known by the group as a whole.
As the old timers know. I want very much to use Linux in automation. Indeed I have used it in many unusual ways, to integrate robots and CNC and conveyors and even a Linux based automation system project and a tiny but workable Linux PLC program (more my style). Not bad for a old C hack, I suppose.
What's been banging around in my head for a little while now, is how to use Linux with PLCs in the _usual_ way. I'm assuming many of the wonderful new generation of tiny, fanless, powerful, all in one embedded processor boards could be morphed into a PLC.
We are all familiar with today's PLC tools, good and bad. Some of these come from vast corporations and often that shows. Some have no doubt been kinda shoestring efforts and often that shows. All have been based on Windows or DOS before that. As the old timers also know, I'm not a GUI guy. But, practically everyone younger, (and some older) is. So, rather than pore through the thousands of possible ways and then do things my way :^). I thought I'd get the consensus of the people who are involved in automation and are of the GUI world, on the best tools and practices to develop a new Generic PLC Ladder Editor using the best FOSS tools available. In order to be taken seriously, this would have to be a GUI tool. I've looked at Glade and Kdevelop, etc. Some say, Python, some TCL and friends. What would be the best RAD tool for ladder?
Output would be some sort of table that could be fed to a code generator for download to a PLC. I've looked at Glade and Kdevelop, etc. I don't know if I'll have the time to code it, but it's beginning to look that way :^). Or for that matter, as long as it happens, I don't even need to be involved.
If such a thing existed, it might well induce someone with the money to do the whole thing to do the right thing.
Soon.
Regards,
cww