The present invention lowers possibility of producing a malfunction or an abnormity. A processor (2) receives a forwarding instruction of update data from an operation apparatus (10), determines whether the forwarding instruction is valid or invalid, and in a case in which the forwarding instruction is determined to be valid, forwards update data of a second memory (4) to a first memory (3) to update a user program.

To simplify and/or more flexibly implement a process control by means of a control device, a method is provided for process control in which at least one first and one second data processing module are executed by a control device during operation, wherein an operating program of the control device automatically implements an exchange of data between assigned data objects of the first and the second data processing module, and wherein the assignment between the data objects of the first and the second data processing modules is modified during operation of the control device in order to modify the process control. In addition, the control device is designed to carry out the method, as well as an operating program for such a control device, which can particularly be saved on a data storage device.

A PC, which is an information processing device, simulates a control program and displays the result of the simulation on a monitor. The PC acquires a value, and identification information identifying a variable for at least one variable at an arbitrary time during the simulation. The PC modifies the control program in accordance with an instruction from a user. The PC simulates the modified control program with the value of the variable identified by the acquired identification information as the value of the acquired variable. The PC displays the result of simulating the modified control program on the monitor.

In a control device which can execute a first program entirely scanned in each control cycle to update a command value, and a sequentially interpreted second program, an environment for realizing higher control performance is provided. The control device includes a first program execution part scanning the entire first program in each control cycle to update a command value and a second program execution part updating the command value in each control cycle according to a sequentially interpreted second program. The second program execution part includes an interpreter generating an intermediate code and a command value operation part calculating the command value in each control cycle according to the intermediate code. The command value operation part outputs the command value in each control cycle so that the command value can be used in other processes.

A ladder-program managing device includes: a database that has a ladder-program-storing region in which ladder program for individually controlling a plurality of pieces of machinery are stored, and that contains ladder-program-history information storing, in association with each other, identification information for identifying contents of alterations that have already been applied to the plurality of pieces of machinery and correction programs required to perform the alterations; and a database managing portion that manages the database, wherein the database managing portion is provided with an identification-information-searching portion that searches for, in the ladder-program-history information, identification information corresponding to an alteration content to be applied to an alteration-target machinery, and a merging portion that identifies the correction program corresponding to the searched identification information in the ladder-program-history information, and that merges the correction program with the ladder program for the alteration-target machinery.

In a control device which can execute a first program entirely scanned in each control cycle to update a command value, and a sequentially interpreted second program, an environment for realizing higher control performance is provided. The control device includes a first program execution part scanning the entire first program in each control cycle to update a command value and a second program execution part updating the command value in each control cycle according to a sequentially interpreted second program. The second program execution part includes an interpreter generating an intermediate code and a command value operation part calculating the command value in each control cycle according to the intermediate code. The command value operation part outputs the command value in each control cycle so that the command value can be used in other processes.

A device and a method for common type conversion of a PLC control program are disclosed. The device for common type conversion of a PLC control program according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a common command library construction unit for constructing a common command library by generating, using a common command generation algorithm, a common command for commands used in text-based PLC control programs having different types; and a common type conversion unit for converting an arbitrary text-based PLC control program into a common type PLC control program by using the common command library, in accordance with the arbitrary text-based PLC control program requested to be converted into a common type being able to be converted into a common type PLC control program.

A ladder-program managing device includes: a database that has a ladder-program-storing region in which ladder program for individually controlling a plurality of pieces of machinery are stored, and that contains ladder-program-history information storing, in association with each other, identification information for identifying contents of alterations that have already been applied to the plurality of pieces of machinery and correction programs required to perform the alterations; and a database managing portion that manages the database, wherein the database managing portion is provided with an identification-information-searching portion that searches for, in the ladder-program-history information, identification information corresponding to an alteration content to be applied to an alteration-target machinery, and a merging portion that identifies the correction program corresponding to the searched identification information in the ladder-program-history information, and that merges the correction program with the ladder program for the alteration-target machinery.

A method for reproducing the sequence of a program provided for process control in an automation device, wherein a program that corresponds to the program in the automation device with regard to process control is provided for processing using a backup device, where suitable measures can be used to image the complete history of the automation device and to reproduce the sequence of the program so that with regard to the processing of the program, it becomes possible to subsequently and repeatedly approach any desired time in the past and to reproduce all associated data.