Deployment and purpose of the ProConOS^® interfaces

The implemented interfaces enable the ProConOS^® adaptations to your own hardware and your own real-time operating system. The following description clarifies what each interface is intended for.

I/O interface

• Field bus driver: You want to use a standard field bus (e.g. Profibus, Interbus, CAN etc.). The used bus interface was developed by our partner.
• Customer-specific I/O system: You plan to use your own I/O system (either a field bus system or direct I/Os).
• DPRAM: You use a resident driver, which communicates via shared memory.

Firmware interface

• You want to execute your algorithms written in C within the context of the PLC application. These C modules are to be available in the IEC 61131 project as functions and function blocks.
• The C modules are your own intellectual property and are not to be publicly accessible.
• You want to prevent change of your algorithms by third parties.
• The C modules are to be part of the PLC runtime system, they must not be transferred to the PLC dynamically.
• Your C modules are to cooperate with additional interfaces of the operating system.

Configuration interface

The configuration interface provides numerous possibilities for specific adjustment

• of the boot process (.INI file).
• of data exchange between the PLC application and firmware modules and I/O drivers (shared memory, system flag).
• of the response to system events, like for example switching of the operating mode (hooks).

Multitasking interface

• You want to create an event task: Independent of a hardware or software interrupt or another condition (I/O driver, firmware), a user task is to be controlled.
• The system task structure is to be extended: Apart from the IEC 61131 PLC application, additional modules are to be executed independently.
• User context task: You want to integrate an own task into the IEC 61131 user task structure, while considering all task priorities and activities (PLC operating modes).

File device driver interface

You have decided to use a non-volatile storage medium (e.g. silicone disk, EEPROM etc.) for data storage. The following data are to be stored on this medium:

• Retain data
• PLC boot project
• Sources of the PLC project (.ZIP file)
• Additional files that are read or written by the IEC 61131 PLC application.

Communication interface

• You have to invoke functions with less performance within a short interval of a user task (e.g. access to the mailbox interface of the field bus interface)? For this purpose, use the queue management of the communication interface for managing current invocations.
• You want to exchange PLC data with another process, which runs on the ProConOS^® hardware at the same time? For this purpose, use the IEC data access functions of the PDD (process data directory).
• You want to create your own communication platform. You can create your own communication drivers with the communication interface.
• You want to create your own client with the ProConOS^® communication services (e.g. because no suitable OPC is available). You will find a detailed description of all services in the Developers Manual.