rsdoran
Lifetime Supporting Member
This is a topic I have thought about alot recently because of having to deal with IEC 1131 conventions.
I have been accused of wanting to DUMB down code so the maintenance/electricians can understand it.
A post was made earlier about Siemens and STL, one of the reasons I have come to like Siemens is that it combines ladder and STL..ie gives you the option of using either to perform what is needed or transforming STL into ladder and vice versa...at least as much as possible.
What I (as a maintenance/electrician) do not understand is the need to use languages that are totally foreign to us.
I understand that ladder has limits BUT
Ladder is graphical...all electricians and most maintenance personnel have to deal with drawings. LD a AND b OR c = x is NOT graphical. A BTR/BTW is within some of our grasp, thats just reading and writing...most of us learn how to do that kinda young.
On a daily basis I have to deal with plc's and the code that I can not obtain...thats another issue. What I would like to see is graphical representation (ladder representation) of items that arent existing now but are in things like STL, IL , SFC etc etc al.
I do NOT want the code DUMB nor the code to make the PERSONNEL made DUMB because they cant understand it. I seek a fair medium...maybe prejudiced to the ladder/graphical side.
NOTE: The fact of documentation is not an issue here...no matter how a program is written, if not documented well then even the best can be kinda DUMB.
I know for OEM's etc the issue is to protect (another issue)...but is there a way to PROMOTE a graphical/ladder combination of the methods used today?...ie combine the advantages of ladder with STL, IL, stage, etc etc al
For alot of OEM's this wouldnt be feasible because some of your income comes from parts/service...but for some of us end users this would make life alot easier. NOTE PERSONAL RANT NOW: You dont know how much it aggrevates me not to be able to do my job because a company withholds vital info (of course the company that buys a machine with that limitation has to deal with that fact) BUT at the same time it makes me look incompetent.
Just curious why some of the best couldnt be combined with the OLD.
I have been accused of wanting to DUMB down code so the maintenance/electricians can understand it.
A post was made earlier about Siemens and STL, one of the reasons I have come to like Siemens is that it combines ladder and STL..ie gives you the option of using either to perform what is needed or transforming STL into ladder and vice versa...at least as much as possible.
What I (as a maintenance/electrician) do not understand is the need to use languages that are totally foreign to us.
I understand that ladder has limits BUT
Ladder is graphical...all electricians and most maintenance personnel have to deal with drawings. LD a AND b OR c = x is NOT graphical. A BTR/BTW is within some of our grasp, thats just reading and writing...most of us learn how to do that kinda young.
On a daily basis I have to deal with plc's and the code that I can not obtain...thats another issue. What I would like to see is graphical representation (ladder representation) of items that arent existing now but are in things like STL, IL , SFC etc etc al.
I do NOT want the code DUMB nor the code to make the PERSONNEL made DUMB because they cant understand it. I seek a fair medium...maybe prejudiced to the ladder/graphical side.
NOTE: The fact of documentation is not an issue here...no matter how a program is written, if not documented well then even the best can be kinda DUMB.
I know for OEM's etc the issue is to protect (another issue)...but is there a way to PROMOTE a graphical/ladder combination of the methods used today?...ie combine the advantages of ladder with STL, IL, stage, etc etc al
For alot of OEM's this wouldnt be feasible because some of your income comes from parts/service...but for some of us end users this would make life alot easier. NOTE PERSONAL RANT NOW: You dont know how much it aggrevates me not to be able to do my job because a company withholds vital info (of course the company that buys a machine with that limitation has to deal with that fact) BUT at the same time it makes me look incompetent.
Just curious why some of the best couldnt be combined with the OLD.