Factory-automation-cell control language based on Petri nets and its application to PC-based controller

A novel programming method named Cell Control Language (CCL) for factory automation systems is proposed. Its main advantage over other programming methods lies in that it is very easy to write programs in CCL because its description is exactly like conventional design methods used in the upper phases of a program development cycle. In CCL programming, an action sequence of each functional unit in each operation mode is described as a net module. The net module is a subclass of Petri nets and this subclass is equivalent to a state transition diagram, which is one of the conventional design methods. Moreover several net modules are automatically merged and translated into an internal code program, which is executed in our newly developed PC based controller. Therefore, CCL will enable us to increase the productivity and maintainability of programs for factory automation systems.