CJB PowerPLC Bridge®

WHAT IS PowerPLC Bridge®?

"Soft-PLC" is the term for a set of software modules that transform a standard PC (or a system with an ARM processor or microcontroller) into a PLC and potentially into a Motion Control system as well. This combines the simplicity of a PLC with the standardization, connectivity, and coexistence capabilities typical of a PC/ARM/µC.

PowerPLC-Bridge® is a Soft-PLC compliant with IEC-1131-3. It is the programming software that allows for the design of very powerful control systems and can execute the most sophisticated and critical real-time applications.

SOFTWARE

PowerPLC-Bridge® is a Soft-PLC design system composed of two parts: the Development Environment and the Run-Time. The Development Environment operates on Windows-based systems (x86~x64) and is the tool that allows for the design, debugging, and complete simulation of applications. The Run-Time is the actual engine of the application, installed on the target system that will manage the automation. The Run-Time is available for all CJB hardware. Programming is done using the standard IEC-1131-3 languages, and it is possible to integrate the Run-Time with proprietary applications on the target. CJB® provides libraries on request to connect your software to the PowerPLC-Bridge® Run-Time. The PC hosting the Development Environment is connected to the target system via Ethernet TCP/IP. In the case of distributed applications, the same Ethernet line connects various controllers to multiple instances of the programming software, allowing for overall real-time debugging of the system, enabling the Development Environment to view the application as a single program, even if distributed across different targets. This feature is essential for certain applications, such as Building Automation.

HARDWARE

PowerPLC-Bridge® transforms a CPU board (ARM or PC or µC) into a complete controller. CJB® can also provide a ready-to-use industrial PC platform, consisting of:

• Industrial-PC systems with various types of processors and all typical PC interfaces (LAN, FlashDisk, Serial 232/422/485, expansion slots, etc.)
• Fieldbus interfaces (CANbus, PROFIbus, ETN boards, etc.)
• Motion Control boards (for analog drives, complete with Encoder inputs, analog I/O, DAC outputs, generic I/O)
• Custom-designed interfaces

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

PowerPLC-Bridge® is a Soft-PLC that meets all the functionalities required by the IEC1131-3 standard. Supported languages include:

• Structured Text (ST): A high-level procedural language with a Pascal-like syntax.
• Instruction List (IL): A low-level textual language with a structure similar to assembler.
• Ladder Diagrams (LD): A language that can be considered an evolution of electrical diagrams, providing a programming style typical of electronics.
• Function Block Diagram (FBD): A graphical language where controllers are modeled as data and signal flows through process elements (function blocks).
• Sequential Function Chart (SFC): A graphical language similar to Petri nets, used to organize the structure of a program for logic controllers. In PowerPLC-Bridge®, this language is available only for alphanumeric character programming.

ADVANTAGES OF POWERPLC

• Significantly reduces software development and maintenance times.
• Provides maximum flexibility, ensuring problems can be solved without compromising the system architecture and its robustness.
• For Motion Control functions, it allows for the management of both analog and digital drives (CANopen DS402 and EtherCAT®).
• For I/O functions, it enables the management of various types of fieldbus: CANopen, EtherCAT, DeviceNet, Modbus/TCP, Modbus/RTU, ProfiBus, and ETN.
• The Run-Time can operate in hard real-time environments like QNX® or soft real-time like Embedded-Linux, allowing for selection based on application needs.
• With a single PC, it is possible to integrate the functionalities of a PLC, temperature controller, measurement system, and Human-Machine Interface (HMI).
• Simplifies communication between the Run-Time and the Operator Interface: if a commercial SCADA is used, PowerPLC-Bridge® provides OPC-Server support; alternatively, it is possible to develop a custom HMI application using CJB® communication libraries.

OPEN SYSTEM

PowerPLC-Bridge® is an open system with the highest level of standardization. The hardware platform (target) is a de facto standard (an industrial PC), and the operating system of the target is also a standard such as Linux or QNX.

I/O is already commercially available: CANbus modules, EtherCAT, Modbus, ETN, ProfiBus, etc.

The communication channels to supervisors and human-machine interfaces comply with current standards (MODBUS, 3964R, OPC-Server, OPC-UA).

APPLICATION EXAMPLES

PLC PowerPLC-Bridge® enables the management of even very complex industrial processes with extreme ease and safety.

Measurement Systems PowerPLC-Bridge® is used in photovoltaic plants to control the acquisition and measurement of electricity production parameters, or in process control to measure the current of arc welders for coil terminals on production lines. The possible applications are endless.

Operator Panels PowerPLC-Bridge® allows interfacing with various HMI software, which can be created with commercial SCADA programs that leverage the connection to the Bridge-OPC-Server. Alternatively, CJB® can provide access libraries (“dll”) to the PowerPLC-Bridge® RunTime variables, usable with any development tool like C++ or VB or in .NET environment to create your operator interface application with your preferred language.

WHY WE USE POWERPLC-BRIDGE®?

Because this software design tool provides us with the following significant advantages:

• Increased speed of development, debugging, and maintenance of software.
• Maximum flexibility without compromising the robustness of the system.
• Maximum functional integration.
• Extreme flexibility with the PowerPLC-Bridge® Multi-platform Run-Time.
• A wide range of supported protocols, such as CANopen, EtherCAT, DeviceNet, Modbus/TCP, Modbus/RTU, Profibus, and ETN.
• Real-time debugging on the machine, in Step-By-Step mode or with Source-Level-Control.
• OPC server for creating operator interfaces with other SCADA Software.
• Advanced tools for hardware simulation, even in graphical mode.
• Possibility of integrating custom code (Custom Server) to extend the functionalities of PowerPLC-Bridge® with proprietary C++ code.

PowerPLC-Bridge® is the SoftPLC & SoftMotion IEC-1131-3 from CJB® that provides all the advantages of a powerful and flexible Real-Time design environment and allows for I/O management with CANopen, EtherCAT, and many other protocols.

PowerPLC-Bridge® is a bridge between the world of commercial PLCs and the world of PCs, merging the best features of both worlds into a single application.