DESCRIPTION

LOGGING SETTING DEVICE, LOGGING SETTING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a logging setting device and a logging setting method for performing logging setting of a programmable controller (PLC), and a recording medium that records therein a program for causing a computer to execute the logging setting method.

Background

[0002] Conventionally, there is a type of PLC having a function of logging device values. As to which device is a logging target is set in the PLC by using a programming device (a logging setting device). When a user creates a user program by referring to a description example of an instruction manual (hereinafter, simply "manual"), in order to compare the user program to an operation example described in the manual, there is a case where the user wishes to log a value of a device that is the same as a device described as an operation example of the referred part.

[0003] Meanwhile, there is another type of PLC constituted by a CPU module that controls the overall operation of the PLC in an integrated manner and a sub-unit that is appropriately selected according to its usage purposes and is attached to a base module . In a case of this type of PLC, a device allocation address is changed according to the attaching position of the sub-unit. Accordingly, at the time of logging setting, the user needs to perform a job of finding a device corresponding to a device described in the manual. Particularly when operation examples of a plurality of related devices for a program example are described in the manual, devices corresponding to the related devices need to be found one by one and thus a logging setting job is very troublesome for the user.

[0004] As a technique of supporting device setting by a user, for example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique in which when a user specifies a device such as a solenoid or a coil that the user wishes to monitor, devices related to the specified device from a user program are searched and a state including all the related devices is monitored.

Citation List

Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application

Laid-open No. 2007-11936

Summary

Technical Problem
[0006] However, according to the conventional technique described above, because respective related elements are extracted by checking a user program, when a module operated based on a program that is different from the user program such as an intelligent module is used, there is a problem that a device used by the module as a storage area of intermediate data cannot be extracted. [0007] The present invention has been achieved in view of the above problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a logging setting device and a logging setting method capable of performing logging setting in a quick and simple manner, and a recording medium that records therein a program for causing a computer to execute the logging setting method.

Solution to Problem

[0008] In order to solve the above problem and in order to attain the above object, a logging setting device of the present invention includes: a module-information acquisition unit that receives an input for specifying a device and acquires, from a module information list created in advance in which a correspondence between a model name of a module that constitutes a programmable controller (PLC) serving as a logging setting target and a head address in a device address space used by the module is described, a model name of a module that uses the specified device and a head address of the module; a logging-setting-item group database that stores therein, for each module, a correspondence between a name of a typical example of a control operation and a related device group according to the control operation along with a head address dependency indicating a relationship between a device address and a head address for respective devices that constitute a related device group; a related-item-group extraction unit that searches the logging-setting-item group database by using the model name of a module acquired by the module-information acquisition unit as a search key, and extracts a list of names of typical examples of the control operation according to the module; a device changing unit that receives an input for selecting one name among the extracted list of names of the control operation from a user, and changes addresses of respective devices that constitute a related device group corresponding to the selected control operation based on a head address dependency stored in the logging-setting-item group database and the acquired head address; and a logging-setting output unit that sets the changed respective devices that constitute a related device group as logging targets.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0009] According to the logging setting device of the present invention, a user can perform logging setting of devices related to a selected device at a time, and thus logging setting can be performed in a quick and simple manner.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0010] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a S configuration example of a PLC serving as a logging setting target.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a user program according to control of an intelligent module
(a positioning module) described in a manual. ) FIG. 3 is a timing chart of an operation example of an intelligent module according to a program example shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a program example when a head XY is 20 and a shaft 3 is a driving target. 3 FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration example of a programming device serving as a logging setting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a functional ) configuration of a programming device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a data structure example of a logging-setting-item group DB.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a logging setting method according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an example of an edit screen of a user program.
FIG. 10 is an example of a logging setting screen.

FIG. 11 is an example of a screen of listing logging setting item groups.

FIG. 12 is an. example of a screen of listing related devices after device addresses thereof are changed.

FIG. 13 is an operation example of an intelligent module when changed devices are logging targets.

Description of Embodiments

[0011] Exemplary embodiments of a logging setting device, a logging setting method, and a recording medium according to the present invention will be explained below in detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

[0012] Embodiment.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration example of a programmable controller (PLC) serving as a logging setting target. As shown in FIG. 1, a PLC 1 is configured such that a CPU module 2 and an intelligent module 3 serving as one of sub-units are connected to a bus module 4.

[0013] The CPU module 2 is a module that controls the overall PLC 1 in an integrated manner based on a user program 25. The intelligent module 3 is a module that includes a CPU 31 different from the CPU module 2 and operates as a slave of the CPU module 2 based on its specific program (a module program 33). Examples of the intelligent module 3 include a positioning module that calculates a drive command with respect to a servo

amplifier that drives a motor mounted on a drive shaft or the like based on a command from the user program 25. According to usage purposes, the CPU module 2 can be further added to the bus module 4 so as to duplicate the CPU module 2, and other sub-units, in addition to the intelligent module 3 can be attached to the bus module 4.

[0014] The CPU module 2 includes a CPU 21, a storage device 22, and a communication interface 23. These elements are connected to each other by an internal bus.

[0015] The storage device 22 is constituted by a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory) and stores therein a module information list 24, the user program 25, and logging setting data 26. A device memory area 27 where a device address is allocated and a device value is stored and a log-data storage area 28 where log data is stored are included in the storage device 22. The module information list 24 is a list of module information in which a model name of a sub-unit attached to the bus module 4 and a head XY serving as an offset address of a destination to which a device used by the sub-unit is allocated are described. The head XY changes depending on an attaching position of the sub-unit. The logging setting data 2 6 is setting information in which a logging target device is described. The module information list 24 and the logging setting data 26 are set by a user using the user program 25 and a programming device. It is sometimes configured that the CPU module 2 automatically acquires the attaching position and a model name from an attached module and automatically creates the module information list 24 based on acquired information. Alternatively, there is a case where a user edits the module information list 24 by using the programming device, so that the head XY for each sub-unit is arbitrarily set by the user.

[0016] The CPU 21 executes the user program 25 to control a sub-unit included in the same PLC 1. Specifically, the CPU 21 acquires an input value written in an input device allocated to the device memory area 27 for a sub-unit from the sub-unit... and calculates an output value for the sub-unit by using the acquired input value. The CPU 21 stores the calculated output value in a predetermined output device allocated to the device memory area 27 for the sub-unit. The CPU 21 not only performs inputting and outputting with respect to the sub-unit via a device but also stores intermediate data in a device different from the input device or the output device in the device memory area 27. The device address is also allocated to a buffer memory area 34 included in the intelligent module 3 to be explained later and the CPU 21 can specify the device address allocated to the buffer memory area 34 to directly access the buffer memory 34.

[0017] Furthermore, the CPU 21 sequentially acquires a device address value set in the logging setting data 2 6, and accumulates and stores the acquired device value in the log-data storage area 28 as log data. A user can acquire the log data sequentially input in the log-data storage area 28 from a programmable display device in substantially real time to monitor a control operation of the PLC 1 or can acquire the log data accumulated and stored in the log-data storage area 28 at a time from the programming device or the programmable display device at a predetermined timing to supply it for a subsequent analysis.

[0018] The communication I/F 23 is a communication interface for connecting external machines. A user can connect a programming device according to the present embodiment to the communication I/F 23 to set the user program 25 and the logging setting data 26.

[0019] The intelligent module 3 includes the CPU 31 and a storage device 32. The CPU 31 and the storage device 32 are connected to each other by a bus.
[0020] The storage device 32 is constituted by a ROM or a RAM and stores therein., the module program 33. The buffer memory area 34 is included in the storage device 32. The module program 33 is a program operated by a command from the user program 25 and is executed by the CPU 31, thereby realizing a function required for the intelligent module 3. For example, in a case where the intelligent module 3 is a positioning module, when a position command is input from the user program 25, the CPU 31 calculates a drive command that is more detailed than the input position command based on the module program 33. The CPU 31 stores intermediate data generated when the module program 33 is executed in a predetermined area in the buffer memory area 34. Inputting and outputting between the CPU module 2 and the intelligent module 3 are performed by using a device allocated to the device memory area 27 or the buffer memory area 34. The CPU module 2 can use a device allocated to the buffer memory area 34 to acquire the intermediate data explained above stored in the buffer memory area 34. In the following explanations, it is assumed that the intelligent module 3 is a positioning module that can control driving of a plurality of shafts and the shafts can be identified from each other by shaft numbers being applied thereto from 1 in an ascending order.

[0021] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a user program according to'control of the intelligent module (a positioning module) 3 described in a manual. The manual is created while assuming that the head XY of an allocation address of the intelligent module 3 is zero and driving of a shaft 1 is controlled. In this manual, a positioning start signal Y10, a start completion signal X10, and a positioning-start command pulse M104 are used in the user program.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a timing chart of an operation example of the intelligent module 3. according to the program example shown in FIG. 2. An operation example of, not only a device used in the program example, but also a device that is closely related to the program example such as a device in which intermediate data when the program example is executed is stored, is usually described in the manual so that whether a user is creating a user program correctly can be checked. According to the timing chart of FIG. 3, it is shown that an operation in which, in addition to Y10, X10, and M104 used in the user program, a sequencer ready signal Y0, a module ready signal X0, a BUSY signal XC, a positioning completion signal X14, an error detection signal X8, and a feed rate U0¥G804 are closely related to each other, is performed by the program of FIG. 2.

[0023] Specifically, when the CPU module 2 switches on the sequencer ready signal Y0, the intelligent module 3 switches on the module ready signal X0. Thereafter, when the CPU module 2 switches on the positioning start signal Y10, the intelligent module 3 starts drive control of the shaft 1 and switches on the start completion signal X10 and the BUSY signal XC. Every time the shaft 1 reaches a position instructed by a position command, the intelligent module 3 switches on the positioning completion signal X14 in view of a pulse. When a series of operations defined by the module program 33 is completed", the intelligent module 3 switches off the BUSY signal and when it is confirmed that the BUSY signal is switched off, the CPU module 2 then switches off the positioning start signal. After confirming that the positioning start signal is switched off, the intelligent module 3 switches off the start completion signal X10.

[0024] During the operation, the intelligent module 3 sequentially outputs the current feed rate to a position to which a device UQ.¥G£LO4 is allocated as the intermediate data. The device U0¥G804 is a device for storing therein the intermediate data allocated to the buffer memory area 34 and is not usually used in the user program 25. When the intelligent module 3 detects an error during the operation, the intelligent module 3 switches on the error detection signal X8.

[0025] As explained above, Y10, Y0, X0, X10, XC, X14, X8, and U0¥G804 are exemplified as devices closely related to the program example of FIG. 2 and the operation example is described for each device. To confirm an operation of a part of the program example in the user program created by using the program example of FIG. 2, it suffices that a user sets Y10, Y0, X0, X10, XC, X14, X8, and U0¥G804 as logging targets. In the following explanations, a plurality of devices with operation examples thereof being described in the manual for a program setting example such as X10, Y0, X0, X10, XC, X14, X8, and U0¥G804 are called "related device group", and respective devices that constitute the related device group are called "related devices".

[002 6] When the head XY is not 0 depending on the attaching position of the intelligent module 3 or when a shaft other than the shaft 1 is a control target, an address of the related device needs to be changed and used. ' FIG. 4 is a program example when the head XY is 20 and a shaft 3 is a driving target.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, the positioning start signal is changed from Y10 used in the manual to Y32. "32" of Y32 is a value provided by adding an offset "22" provided by adding a value "20" of the head XY to a value "2" obtained by subtracting 1 from the shaft number to "10" of the address Y10 in the manual. As in the case of Y32, the start completion., signal is changed from X10 used in the manual to X32 to which the offset "22" is added. When these changes are made in this manner, addresses of respective devices that constitute the related device serving as logging targets need to be also changed. Furthermore, whether a number part of the device address depends on the head XY or it depends on the shaft number is different for each device. Accordingly, a job of changing the address for each related device and setting it as the logging target is a troublesome job for a user. A logging setting device according to the embodiment of the present invention is mainly characterized such that a related device is registered in advance for each related device group and the address of each related device can be automatically changed so that a user can set the device address serving as the logging target in a simple manner.

[0028] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration example of a programming device serving as the logging setting device according to the present embodiment. While the logging setting device is explained as it is implemented as a function of the programming device according to the present embodiment, the logging setting device can be configured as a device different from the programming device. As shown in FIG. 5, a programming device 5 is configured' as a general computer including a CPU 51, a RAM 52, a ROM 53, a communication I/F 54, an external storage device 55, a CD-ROM drive 56, an input device 57, and an output device 58. The CPU 51, the RAM 52, the ROM 53, the communication I/F 54, the external storage device 55, the CD-ROM drive 56, the input device 57, and the output device 58 are connected to each other by a bus.

[0029] The CPU 51 executes a logging setting program 62 serving as a computer program for performing logging setting. The output device 58 is a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor and displays output information for a user such as an operation screen based on an instruction from the CPU 51. The input device 57 is constituted by a mouse and a keyboard and operations from the user to the programming device 5 are input to the input device 57. Operation information input to the input device 57 is transmitted to the CPU 51. The communication I/F 54 is a connection interface for communicating with the CPU module 2. The user program 25 and the logging setting data 26 are set in the CPU module 2 via the communication I/F 54. The ROM 53 stores therein boot information for activating the programming device 5. At the time of boot, the CPU 51 activates a system program (not shown) stored in the external storage device 55 that is constituted by, for example, a hard-disk drive based on the boot information, and the programming device 5 activates.

[0030] The logging setting program 62 is stored in the external storage device 55. When activation of the logging setting program 62 is instructed by an input from the input device 57, the logging setting program 62 is loaded in the RAM 52 by a bus line. The CPU 51 executes the logging setting program 62 loaded in the RAM 52. A module information list 60 and a user program 61 are stored in the external storage device 55 in advance. The user program 61 is created by using, for example, the programming device 5 and the module information list 60 is acquired from, for example, the PLC 1. The CPU 51 executes the logging setting program loaded in the RAM 52 to perform various steps to be explained later and output logging setting data.

[0031] It is also possible to configure that the logging setting program 62 is stored in a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and then provided or distributed by being downloaded via the network. Furthermore, the logging setting program 62 can be configured to be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Further, it is also possible to configure that the logging setting program 62 is incorporated in the ROM 53 or the like in advance and then provided to the programming device 5.

[0032] The CD-ROM drive 56 is a device for reading information recorded in a CD-ROM 59. It is possible to configure that the logging setting program 62 is stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as the CD-ROM 59 or the like and then provided or distributed. The logging setting program 62 recorded in the CD-ROM 59 can be read via the CD-ROM 59 to be installed in the external storage device 55 or can be directly loaded in the RAM 52.

[0033] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a functional configuration of the programming device 5 realized by the logging setting program 62 loaded in the RAM 52 being executed. As shown in FIG. 6, the programming device 5 includes a module-information acquisition list 70, a related-item-group extraction unit 71, a logging-setting-item group database (DB) 72, a related-item-group display/selection unit 73, an offset reflection unit 74, and a logging-setting output unit 75. These functional constituent elements are formed in the RAM 52, for example. [0034] The module-information acquisition unit 70 searches the module information list 60 based on an input from a user via the input device 57 to acquire module information (a module model name and the head XY) according to a logging target module. While the module information is acquired from the module information list 60 stored in the external storage device 55 in advance, when the programming device 5 is connected to the PLC 1, the module information can be acquired from the module information list 24 set in the CPU module 2.

[0035] The logging-setting-item group DB 72 is a database that manages a correspondence between a logging setting item and a list of related devices related to the logging setting item for each module. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a data structure example of the logging-setting-item group DB 72.

[0036] As shown in an upper part of FIG. 7, the logging-setting-item group DB 72 has a data structure in a table format having the model name, a logging-setting item name, and a field in which related devices are described. The logging-setting item name is a name for identifying the related device group. Because it is assumed that the related device group is defined for each program example described in the manual, a name that can easily identify a program example described in the manual can be used for the logging-setting item name. For example, a logging-setting item name "block start control" is applied to the related device group according to the program example of FIG. 2. The number of logging-setting item names registered for a module model name is not particularly limited. There is a case where the same device address is registered for related devices of a plurality of logging setting items.

[0037] A head XY dependency and a shaft number dependency are further registered in the logging-setting-item group DB 72 for each of the related devices as attribute information of each device. According to a data structure example shown in a lower part of FIG. 7, values added to a number part of the device address when the head XY is indicated by a and the shaft number is indicated by P+l are registered, respectively. For example, it is shown that when the head XY is changed to a and the shaft number is changed to p+l, "Y10" becomes "Y(10+cc+p)" after the device address is changed. Further, it is shown that for "YO", "XO", and "U0¥G804", the device address does not depend on the shaft number. It is shown that for "U0¥G804", a value provided by dividing the head XY value a by a value "10" in a hexadecimal notation is added as an offset. [0038] The related-item-group extraction unit 71 searches the logging-setting-item group DB 72 by using the module model name acquired by the module-information acquisition unit 70 as a search key and extracts a logging setting item belonging to the module model name. [0039] The related-item-group display/selection unit 73 displays items extracted by the related-item-group extraction unit 71 on the output device 58 and receives a selection input of an item desired by a user among the displayed items.

[0040] For each of related devices belonging to the used and selected logging-setting item, the offset reflection unit 74 reflects attribute information of each of the related devices and the head XY acquired by the module-information acquisition module 7 0 and the shaft number of a logging target, thereby calculating a changed device address of each related device.

[0041] The logging-setting output unit 75 outputs logging setting data Dl that the changed device address of each related device calculated by the offset reflection unit 74 is set as the logging target. After the logging setting data Dl is output to the RAM 52 or the external storage device 55, for example, the logging setting data Dl is set in the CPU module 2.
[0042] FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a logging setting method according to the embodiment of the present invention, where the method is implemented by using the programming device 5.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 8, first, a user performs an input for specifying a device (Step SI). It is convenient when a device can be specified by, for example, selecting a device from an edit screen of the user program 61 as shown in FIG. 9. According to the example of the edit screen of the user program shown in FIG. 9, when a cursor is located on "SET Y32" and a predetermine click operation is performed, a pull-down menu including "add to logging setting item" and "add related item to logging setting item" appears. When "add related item to logging setting item" is selected, the programming device 5 recognizes a specification input of the device "Y32". When "add to logging setting item" is selected, "Y32" by itself is specified and input as the logging target without performing steps to be explained later. FIG. 10 is an example of a logging setting screen when "Y32" by itself is specified as a logging target. As shown in FIG. 10, only "Y32" is listed as a logging target.

[0044] When the device is selected and input at Step SI, the module-information acquisition unit 70 acquires module information in which the module model name and the head XY of a sub-unit using the selected device are described (Step S2). The related-item-group extraction unit 71 searches the logging-setting-item group DB 72 by using the acquired module model name as a search key and acquires a list of logging setting item groups (Step S3). The related-item-group extraction unit 71 also calculates the shaft number based on attribute information of related devices registered in the logging-setting-item group DB 72, the input device, and the acquired head XY (Step S4).

[0045] The related-item-group display/selection unit 73 list-displays the acquired logging setting item groups and prompts a user to select and input a logging setting item (Step S5). FIG. 11 is an example of a screen of listing the logging setting item groups. In FIG. 11, in addition to the logging setting item group, the acquired module model name and the acquired head XY are displayed. The "block start control" among the logging setting item groups is actively displayed.

[0046] When a user selects a logging setting item (Step S6), the offset reflection unit 74 reflects an offset according to the head XY and the calculated shaft number to related devices that constitute the related device group of the selected logging setting item and changes device addresses thereof (Step S7). The logging-setting output unit 75 outputs logging setting data with each related device after the device address is changed being the logging target (Step S8), and logging setting is completed. FIG. 12 is an example of a screen of listing related devices after device addresses thereof are changed. As shown in FIG. 12, addresses of related devices according to the "block start control" Y10, Y0, X0, X10, XC, X14, X8, and U0¥G804 are changed to Y32, Y20, X20, X32, X2E, X36, X2A, and U2¥G804, respectively, and listed. When the user determines these addresses as logging targets, the logging setting data with Y32, Y20, X20, X32, X2E, X36, X2A, and U2¥G804, which are set to be logging targets, is output. It is also possible to configure that the user can further choose the logging target from the list display.

[0047] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an operation example of the intelligent module 3 when the changed devices (Y32, Y20, X20, X32, X2E, X36, X2A, and U2¥G804) are logging targets. As shown in FIG. 13, because the addresses of related devices in the program example according to "block start- control" are appropriately converted according to the head XY and the shaft number, whether there is any error in the user program can be examined by comparing the user program to the operation example described in the manual as shown in FIG. 3.

[0048] In the above explanations, while it has been assumed that the programming device 5 automatically calculates the shaft number, the shaft number can be input by a user. For example, Y0 and X0 shown in FIG. 7 do not depend on the shaft number. Therefore, when "Y20" is selected and input, the shaft number cannot be identified. In this case, the shaft number needs to be specified by the user.

[0049] Furthermore, while a positioning module that controls driving of a plurality of shafts has been explained as an example of the intelligent module 3, the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to any module as long as it is a module including a plurality of input/output systems (for example, an A/D conversion unit that A/D converts one or more input systems (channels)) . At this time, each case can be interpreted by reading the shaft number as an identification number of the input/output system.

[0050] Further, in the above explanations, while it is assumed that the related device group is defined for each program example described in the manual, the related device group can be defined not only for each description example of the program but also defined for each typical example of the control operation. With this configuration, the labor of a user to respectively sets a related device according to an operation registered in the logging-setting-item group database 72 can be reduced not only in a case of comparing a manual to an operation but in any cases.

[0051] The logging-setting-item group database 72 can be configured to be editable by a user.

[0052] The programming device 5 can be configured that, when the module information list 24 stored in the CPU module 2 is automatically changed by editing the module information list 60 or changing the attaching position of a sub-unit, the module-information acquisition unit 70 detects editing or a change in the module information list, re-acquires module information for each device, and performs an operation of Step S3 and subsequent steps in the programming device 5, thereby automatically modifying the logging setting data Dl. With this configuration, it is possible to save the trouble of changing the device address of a logging target every time the attaching position of the sub-unit is changed.

[0053] As explained above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is configured that the logging-setting-item group database 72 that stores therein, for each module, a correspondence between a name of a typical example of a control operation and a related device group according to the control operation along with a head XY dependency of respective devices that constitute the related device group is provided, a list of names of typical examples of the control operation according to a module that uses a logging target device is extracted from' the logging-setting-item group database 72, and addresses of respective related devices that constitute the related device group corresponding to a name selected by a user among the extracted list of names are changed based on the head XY dependency. With this configuration, a user can perform logging setting of devices related to a selected device at a time and thus logging setting can be performed in a quick and simple manner. In addition*, a device that is not described in the user program 25 and is used by the intelligent module 3 as an intermediate-data storage area can be also set as a logging target.

Industrial Applicability

[0054] As described above, the logging setting device and the logging setting method according to the present invention are preferable to be applied for a logging setting device and a logging setting method for performing logging setting of a PLC.
Reference Signs List [0055] 1 PLC
2 CPU module
3 intelligent module
4 bus module
5 programming device
21 CPU
22 storage device
23 communication interface
24 module information list
25 user program
2 6 logging setting data
27 device memory area
28 log-data storage area
31 CPU
32 storage device
33 module program
34 buffer memory area
35 CPU
36 RAM
37 ROM
38 communication interface
39 external storage .-device -
40 CD-ROM drive
41 input device
42 output device
60 module information list
61 user program
62 logging setting program
70 module-information acquisition unit
71 related-item-group extraction unit
72 logging-setting-item group database
73 related-item-group display/selection unit
74 offset reflection unit
75 logging-setting output unit

CLAIMS
1. A logging setting device comprising: a module-information acquisition unit that receives an input for specifying a device and acquires, from a module information list created in advance in which a correspondence between a model name of a module that constitutes a programmable controller (PLC) serving as a logging setting target and a head address in a device address space used by the module is described, a model name of a module that uses the specified device and a head address of the module; a logging-setting-item group database that stores therein, for each module, a correspondence between a name of a typical example of a control operation and a related device, group according to the control operation along with a head address dependency indicating a relationship between a device address and a head address for respective devices that constitute a related device group; a related-item-group extraction unit that searches the logging-setting-item group database by using the model name of a module acquired by the module-information acquisition unit as a search key, and extracts a list of names of typical examples of the control operation according to the module; a device changing unit that receives an input for selecting one name among the extracted list of names of the control operation from a user, and changes addresses of respective devices that constitute a related device group corresponding to the selected control operation based on a head address dependency stored in the logging-setting-item group database and the acquired head address; and a logging-setting output unit that sets the changed respective devices that constitute a related device group as logging targets.

2. The logging setting device according to claim 1, wherein the module information list is stored in advance in the PLC serving as a..logging setting target or a programming device that creates a user program for the PLC.

3. The logging setting device according to claim 1, wherein a module that constitutes the PLC includes a plural-system input/output unit that performs inputting and outputting of a plurality of systems, the logging-setting-item group database stores therein an input/output system dependency indicating a relationship between a device address and an input/output system for each device used by the plural-system input/output unit, and the device changing unit changes an address of a device used by the plural-system input/output unit among respective devices that constitute a related device group corresponding to the selected control operation based on a head address dependency and an input/output system dependency stored in the logging-setting-item group database.

4. The logging setting device according to claim 1, wherein when the module-information acquisition unit detects a change in the module information list, the module -information acquisition unit re-acquires a model name of a module that uses the specified device and a head address of the module.

5. A logging setting method comprising: a device-specification-input receiving step of receiving an input for specifying a device; a module-information acquiring step of acquiring, from a module information list created in advance in which a correspondence between a model name of a module that constitutes a programmable controller (PLC) serving as a logging setting target and a head address in a device address space used by the module is described, a model name of a module that uses the specified device and a head address of the module; a related-item-group extracting step of searching a logging-setting-item group database that stores therein, for each module, a correspondence between a name of a typical example of a control operation and a related device group according to the control operation along with a head address dependency indicating a relationship between a device address and a head address for respective devices that constitute a related device group by using the model name of a module acquired by the module-information acquisition unit as a search key, and of extracting a list of names of typical examples of the control operation according to the module; a control-operation-input receiving step of receiving an input for selecting one name among the extracted list of names of the control operation from a user; a device changing step of changing addresses of respective devices that constitute a related device group corresponding to the selected control operation based on a head address dependency stored in the logging-setting-item group database and the acquired head address; and a logging-setting outputting step of setting the changed respective devices that constitute a related device group as logging targets.

6. The logging setting method according to claim 5, wherein a module that constitutes the PLC includes a plural- system input/output unit that performs inputting and outputting of a plurality of systems, the logging-setting-item group database stores therein an input/output system dependency indicating a relationship between a device address and an input/output system for each device used by the plural-system input/output unit, and at the device changing step, an address of a device used by the plural-system input/output unit among respective devices that constitute a related device group corresponding to the selected control operation is changed based on a head address dependency and an input/output system dependency stored in the logging-setting-item group database.

7. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein a program for causing a computer to execute: a device-specification-input receiving step of receiving an input for specifying a device; a module-information acquiring step of acquiring, from a module information list created in advance in which a correspondence between a model name of a module that constitutes a programmable controller (PLC) serving as a logging setting target and a head address in a device address space used by the module is described, a model name of a module that uses the specified device and a head address of the module; a related-item-group extracting step of searching a logging-setting-item group database that stores therein, for each module, a correspondence between a name of a typical example of a control operation and a related device group according to the control operation along with a head address dependency indicating a relationship between a device address and a head address for respective devices that constitute a related device group by using the model name of a module acquired by the module-information acquisition unit as a search key and of extracting a list of names of typical examples of the control operation according to the module; a control-operation-input receiving step of receiving an input for selecting one name among the extracted list of names of the control operation from a user; a device changing step of changing addresses of respective devices that constitute a related device group corresponding to the selected control operation based on a head address dependency stored in the logging-setting-item group database and the acquired head address; and a logging-setting outputting step of setting the changed respective devices that constitute a related device group as logging targets.