Machine controllers have to fit into an overall system and exchange data with higher and subordinate levels. The range of communication protocols involved here is large. It is therefore necessary for controllers to speak several languages. With the M1 controller system from Bachmann electronic all important communication protocols are supported.
The controller system is suited for use in automation systems: Its core tasks, i.e. the open-loop and closed-loop control of the process, do not depend on the communication protocol in use. The UFB (unified fieldbus) representation enables the application program to access the cyclical data of a fieldbus in exactly the same way as with local I/O modules. If a fieldbus is replaced by another one, an adaption of the application software is normally not required.
The selection of the protocol for the control level is normally part of the specification of the end customer and is therefore modified considerably more frequently than a fieldbus. As the communication is configured and started as a user-defined software module, it is only necessary to map the process data (SVI variables) involved to the information objects of the relevant standard. This means that the required data points with the names of the SVI variables are entered in a CSV file. The logic operations of the application stay the same. This means that the user can respond quickly to customer requirements by simply changing the configuration without having to carry out extensive testing.
