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At the shipping test stage for controllers, actions of a large-scale automatic conveyor transport system have been primarily checked on-site. The on-site check is required mainly because the operations of many devices and the complex flow of objects on conveyors cannot be viewed thoroughly through the screen on a test panel, which displays only the positions of switches and indicator lamps.
We have developed a real-time conveyor simulator that will be connected to the control unit of an automatic conveyor transfer system. The simulator will reproduce actions and conditions of devices and objects on conveyors following command signals, and also respond properly to the dummy signals of sensors. The simulation features a real-time process that synchronizes with control periods of a control unit. By making use of the simulator, a user can pick an object up from any conveyor and turn on/off any emergency signal for emergency shutdown or any dummy input/output signal by entering commands. The actions and the control state are easily checked through the screen display. As a result, a single programmer can implement a shipping test for controllers; otherwise, scores of personnel are required on-site for confirming the actions of individual devices.
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