Delphi Automation!!

Hi all,

For over the last seven months, i had writen a few machine programmes using Mitsubishi, Omron, Keyence PLC and SPLat microcontroller.

I think now im facing a big big challenge. For new project, my senior prompted to do the machine using PC direct control, using Delphi. (since he is expert using Delphi over the past few years in his career.) It was approved by the management team and that mean i will have to control a machine by writing a Delphi programme!!

well, i knew PC has start to (or had been) replace PLC in automation field. but it just sounds new to me, and i were given 6 weeks to do it! and what i was told is we will use an I/O card connecting to the PC and the output (eg. Motors, cylinders, Pneumatics, Indexer etc)

Guys please help. please show me any website where i can quickly learn Delphi in short period (i do have knowledge in C++ and VB where i learnt in the university, but lack experience practise them). i need to do it good and quick. please advise. cheers.

Sounds interesting !!
I wrote control programs in Automation Basic (Similar to VB),C,C++ but never heard of any control system programmed in Delphi.I heard
Delphi combines the user-friendlyness of Visual Basic with the precise control and speed of C++.
You mean you gonna develop standalone Delphi application which will talk to I/O boards inside PC ? Boy its a pain !! I did it using C++ and i can definately say 6 weeks time is not sufficient for you.You will face problems which you never thought of while PLC programming cuz PLC Operating System takes care of all that ugly stuff.Lets start with 10ms Timer.Write a 10ms Timer in Delphi and see how much time it takes to get it work properly.I mean it should give exact 10 ms delay.You will have to write a code for all those readymade function blocks available handy with PLCs and make sure they work properly.I guess this itself will take 6 weeks.What about reliability of your custom application ?? what advantages/benifits you guys will get by doing this ?? Also if you are an OEM it will be very difficult to sell something like this to end users as they will not have inhouse expertise to maintain your Application.I dont mean to discourage you but its worth giving second thought.
If you still go ahead with this let us know how it goes? I mean was it worth trying ??

Search for Delphi Tutorial on Google, i am sure you will find loads of Delphi stuff.

I must agree that 6weeks is not much if you are not
familiar enough with the system. Sure you can get most
of the things working but there are tons of little
things that will come back to bite you which means
longer troubelshoting phase.

It's not bad that someone else pick the system,
it is bad when you are the one to make it work.
I would insist on little bit more time or ask
how badly they want to see this thing running.

panic mode

what a relieve!

hi guys,

you guys are right that 6 weeks is definitely crazy to do a program you never do. I think my senior was out of his mind when he prompted to the management he want me to do a machine using Delphi. And since the management dont understand about program things, they agreed what he said. Of course, it fear me the most as i dont have any clue of how to do that! I was sleepless that night and i came here to seek advise. But good thing the next day my senior came to me and said he decided not to do it with Delphi but to do with PLC, which is something i'm so familize with. It's a big relieve to hear that of course. The reason he told me is that 'You're not good in Delphi yet'. But the real reason is, he couldn't do it either.

I dont know much about IT programming. I learnt C++, VB and Matlab to do engineering program before. I can use Delphi to do some database or web functions but when it comes to automation, I just couldn't think of a better way to do it in a short period. Anyway, it's good for me to start looking into PC based automation control. Hope you guys can show me some ideas of doing that.

well, there are reasons why my senior came out with this silly idea. I had been playing a more important character each time i do PLC program for machines. So my senior who is doing IT programming just wish to take place. It's just about a silly 'human thinking problem'!!

Good to know that you are out of Danger Zone
Rest of the stuff is dirty politics at work so dont think much about it. it will only make your days miserable