Paully's5.0,
1. I'm sort of familiar with S88, but not how it relates to ControlLogix. I'm used to having an external recipe editor with its data downloaded to the Controller, but that's for an entirely different system. I've also written "modules" running under "Process Units", so it's mostly S88 compliant, but again - different from however ControlLogix implements it.
2.) So "Phase Manager" is the interface in ControlLogix for receiving Recipe data from Factory Talk Batch?
3.) Of course I will be modularizing my logic as much as possible. I like to work from the outside in, meaning - establishing the input and output connectivity first (the actual I/O points & recipe connections), then maybe the common device controllers, then common macros (such as mode decoding for bit control, any transfer logic, PIDs, Dosing, and alarming), then finally the remaining "inner" logic unique to the module that ties it all together. With the system I'm familiar with, a Module is designed in a common structure of nested, hierarchical "trees" of function block logic. At the highest level you have just the Module's macro face as it connects to the outside world (the Process Unit logic that sequences the individual modules and provides recipe data). From there you can 'drill down' into a 'sheet' below that partitions the logic into sub-trees for Devices, Alarming, and Control Logic. Some of the logic at these levels is "common" (or instanced) across all modules. I would probably try to implement a similar structure with this new system. Just not sure exactly *how* in ControlLogix framework. I supposed I could do Function Blocks, but I don't think it'd be quite the same. My inclination, actually, is to use Structured Text because that's what I'm most comfortable with, but I'm not sure how well that's implemented in ControlLogix. If I go that route, I will still probably need some Function Block, and maybe even the dreaded "Ladder Logic" because not all functionality is available in every programming model, right?
4.) I guess I just (initially) need to understand the linkage from ControlLogix to FT Batch, so I can make sure I've got that interface right in the logic, correct? I mean - I may not even *write* the recipes ...
5.) Haven't heard yet if FT View will be the front-end. Does it necessarily go hand-in-hand with FT Batch, or can RS View be used? Is FT View difficult to work with?
6.) Yeah, I know I'll need to do a Functional Spec later, but we're on the URS right now, gutting the detail out of it. While we're doing this, I thought I'd suggest some of the added functionality I'm asking about here. For example - Maintenance Displays that might show all I/O at a glance and whether or not calibration may be needed.