Microcontroller implementation of lookup table-based control functions with special emphasis on sequential control according to IEC 61131-3

Abstract

This paper covers the possibility of retraining for those electrical engineering undergraduate students already having some basic digital knowledge. It gives a solution to lead the students to the microcontroller-based program control of complex industrial tasks with a uniform approach. It presumes that the students are familiar with combinational and sequential logic, know the hardware and software basics of microcontroller systems, and have experience in the use of C program language. Building upon these, it presents a lookup table-based control description system for simple combinational solutions to complicated sequential controls. It separately details this kind of implementation of sequential controls according to the Sequential Function Chart (SFC) program language corresponding with the standard IEC 61131-3. For the processing of the tabular data describing the controls, it provides interpreter programs independent from the current tasks. Teaching outcomes are discussed in the final part of the paper.