01/20/2006 • Automation • IT and automation

M1 goes MATLAB / Simulink

Sophisticated, fully automatic processes, high cycle levels, on-going reduced production tolerances and a demand for flexibility all combine to define the challenge the mechanical engineering industry faces as seldom before. Proven standard control algorithms can only be used to an ever-diminishing degree to control the mostly highly dynamic systems. The consequence is that companies have no choice but to design individual, tailor-made controllers which are then verified in simulation tools and implemented in the control program. Bachmann Electronic has now significantly reduced this both demanding and time-consuming process. Thanks to the complete integration of the M1 ‘family’ of control systems and the MATLAB/Simulink simulation tool, avoidable interim programming steps now belong to the past.

The development and programming of controller systems for memory-programmable control systems and motion controllers probably number among the most sophisticated elements in the entire field of automation technology. For approximately the past 20 years, the American company ‘The MathWorks’ has been supplying the products MATLAB and Simulink, the leading tools for the analysis, modelling and simulation of dynamic systems. The key advantage this program package offers is that it enables dynamic systems to be modelled in their entirety and the impact of changes in sub-systems to be evaluated prior to them having been realised in practice.

Controller development without programming
It was absolutely clear to us at Bachmann Electronic, the need to make this powerful, globally practically standardised tool usable for modelling controllers and motion controllers on the M1 control system.

Thanks to its direct integration into the ‘family’ of M1 systems, the technician no longer requires a command of programming control systems in languages set out in IEC 61131 or C, but can instead focus fully on working in his usual model and simulation environment. The various input and output assemblies of the M1 control system are available in the form of a module library and can be directly linked into the graphic modelling process.

Automatic program code generation
Fig. 1 shows the described process of program generation. Users model their systems in their usual Simulink environment (1). The process of generating the executable M1 code (2) is started. ‘Real-Time-Workshop’ (3) generates the model code from MATLAB that is translated by the ‘Target Language Compiler’ (4) and Target System Compiler (5) into a program code (6) that can run directly on the M1 control system. In doing so, Bachmann have achieved something that no other control system supplier has achieved or offered in this form before, as namely the user only has to create the Simulink model and start the transfer process to the control system. No further interaction is required.

Full access via online connection
The development environment and the control system are connected via communication links that are created automatically. Process values, variables and parameters in the control system can be observed in dynamic operation from the Simulink development environment or recorded over a period of time. Again, the entire MATLAB package is available for analysis of the data received. The implementation carried out by Bachmann electronic also enables the values, controller or module parameters to be written to the control system from Simulink during the course of the program. Users can adapt the parameters ‘online’ and immediately generate the executable object code on the M1 – without coming into contact with the program code.

Seamless integration into the classic control area
“Our many years’ of experience both with motion control as well as with classic control applications has among other things taught us how enormously important it is to be able to realise ‘hybrid’ systems”, Michael Ebnicher mentioned, and added: “It was clear to us from the very outset that we also had to be in a position with the MATLAB solution of being able to simultaneously run programs in all IEC 61131, C/C++ and Java languages cooperatively on one and the same control system.”

A comprehensive solution is our aim
With the complete integration of the M1 control system as its target, Bachmann electronic is providing a convenient and highly efficient tool for programming M1 control systems.
The user is able to focus exclusively on his or her work in the familiar Simulink development environment, model the system there in its entirety and simulate the impact of changes prior to them being transferred to the control system. The generation of the program for the M1 control system then occurs completely in the background without any knowledge of other programming languages being needed.

This full integration has key benefits:

  • faster implementation of control systems thanks to shorter controller design phases
  • reduced commissioning time due to reliable, automatic code generation and online data communication
  • maximum correspondence of machine and controller model
  • convincing flexibility via direct communication with other software modules (program languages IEC 61131, C/C++ or Java) on the control system.
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Bachmann electronic GmbH

Kreuzäckerweg 33
6800 Feldkirch

Phone: +43 (0)5522/34 97-0
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