The document discusses DACHSview++, a graphical programming environment that combines function block programming and C/C++ programming. It allows developing real-time and GUI applications for industrial automation. DACHSview++ supports multicore CPUs, distributed systems, advanced graphics, and integrates C/C++ code through a JIT compiler. It addresses limitations of traditional PLC programming and supports future requirements for industrial automation through its event-based modeling, advanced OS features, and ability to integrate different programming languages.

1. COMBINING THE 2 WORLDS OF
FUNCTION BLOCK- & C/C++ PROGRAMMING
THE GRAPHICAL PROGRAMMING
ENVIRONMENT
FOR REAL-TIME- AND GUI-APPLICATIONS

2. Function Block Programming is part of IEC61131-3
What is IEC61131-3 ?
• The IEC61131-3 standard with its 5 programming languages
defines a programming environment for
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).
• The first draft standard of IEC1131-3 is
more than 22 years old and
- replaced partly the DIN 19239 standard from 1983 and
- replaced fully the draft standard DIN IEC(SEC)67 from 1987

3. What are the Roots of IEC61131-3 ?
The roots of IEC61131-3 are at least 22 years old.
The included 5 programming languages are much older, e.g. :
•LD (Ladder Logic) has been introduced by Reliance Electric in 1970
and was used for MODICON’s “084” PLC (44 years old)
•AWL (IL) is based on standard DIN19239 from 1981 (33 years old)
•SFC is based on GRAFCET, first implementation 1977,
first standard paper 1990 (NF C03-190) (37 years old)
•Structured Text as a subset of the C language (~20 years old)
•FBD (Function Block Display)

4. Which Common Features
are missing in IEC61131-3 today?
The 5 standard IEC61131-3 languages have been sufficient for PLC
hardware platforms 20 years ago, but they don’t fit to high performance
PC hardware from today.
These following features are not supported by IEC61131-3:
•event oriented processing (only polling support by IEC61131-3!)
•distributed processing by multiple processes
•distributed processing on multiple CPUs, CPU cores, and systems
•dynamic extension of the target systems
•direct access to hardware resources
•recursive calls of functionblock procedures

5. OS related Features, missing in IEC61131-3 today:
• threads as system threads
• real-time scheduling of threads (only internal cooperative scheduling)
• suspended (blocking) wait on events
(hardware IRQs, messages, signals ...)
• access to OS services or external application level libraries
• access to network infrastructures
(Message Passing, client/server services …)

6. What is special in DACHSview++ ?
• innovative and advanced real-time Soft PLC
- supporting the newest generation of multi-core PC hardware
- running in hard real-time w/o all restrictions, introduced by the
IEC61131-3 standard !
• seamless all-in-one IDE for the graphical development of
real-time 2D/3D graphics and real-time control applications,
based on a graphical function block language.
The function block language is used by DACHSview++ as a
general purpose development language.
The code of the DACHSview applications becomes uploaded
into their remote real-time Soft PLC Targets.

7. What is special in the DACHSview++ Targets?
• The DACHSview++ target system is
open for integration of C/C++, LUA and DLL based applications
• DACHSview++ is a tool for processing
- I/O ports
- physical memory
- fieldbus I/O points
- SQL data bases
- single pixels on the screen of a visualization

8. Important design features
• DACHSview++ is based on Function Block Display (FBD) and
works strictly event oriented by using system level threads and
processes. Polling is just an optional behavior!
• FBD is “Turing complete”, that means
every algorithm can be implemented with FBD.
• The usage of system processes and threads allows using the
advantages of the services of operating systems, as well as real-time
operating systems together with their real-time scheduling.
This leads e.g. to response times in the range of microseconds!

9. Advanced Features of DACHSview++
1. operating in real-time and event orientation
- event oriented processing requests the CPU only when there is
something to process, that means no waste of CPU time happens
- predictable reaction time in the range of microseconds, not millisec.
- blocking function calls are allowed
- polling threads are optionally possible
2. distributed systems are supported
- applications based on multiple targets can be realized

10. Advanced Features of DACHSview++
3. extended support of services of real-time operating systems
- freely integration of C-coded APIs are supported
(e.g. libC, OpenGL/ fieldbus)
4. multicore CPUs are supported
- real-time system threads are scheduled by the operating system,
that means multi-core CPUs are very well supported
5. import of C/C++ code as function block code
- every C/C++ code which is compileable by gcc/c++ can be imported

11. The Real-Time Target
1. multi-threaded remote real-time target system
- up to 15 threads, selectable as system threads or polling threads
- support of online test and online change of parameters
- single step and power trace possible with system threads
- consistency of application code is CRC checked
after upload, and before autonomous application start
- multi-core support by system threads

12. The Real-Time Target
2. high performance interprocess communication by
message passing
- message exchange in micro seconds
- allows secure design of multi target, client/server applications
- allows also communication with C-coded tasks
3. import of additional C-APIs is easily possible
- existing C/C++ code can be integrated by a JIT compiler

13. Graphics Features
extended graphics support for 2D and 3D graphic applications
•high efficient subset of OpenGL for non accelerated embedded
video interfaces
•thread safe graphics APIs
•object oriented (instantiation) handling of graphics objects
•rich support of standard widgets (buttons, slider, a.s.o)
•graphics applications are working on the remote target system
and not on the workbench,
•import of e.g. Qt based graphical C++ applications
by embedded JIT compiler

14. Graphics Features / SDL

15. Graphics Features / SDGL

16. Graphics Features / True Type Fonts

17. Graphics Features / FLTK

18. Embedded JIT C Compiler

19. Embedded JIT C++ Compiler

20. Embedded Scripting by LUA

21. Message Passing Communication

22. Dynamic Loading Features

23. Data Base Features
embedded SQL Database
the complete handling
of the embedded database
SQLite is supported

24. Process I/O Interfaces - Fieldbus Systems
extended support of fieldbus systems
• PROFIBUS master and slave
• INTERBUS master
• MODBUS master and slave
• CAN layer 2
• CANopen master and slave
• Ethernet PowerLink
• EtherCAT master and slave
• PROFINET controller and device

25. Process I/O Interfaces - Drivers
driver for new hardware interfaces can be realized
• interrupt handling by the blocking InterruptWait function block master
• access to physical memory and I/O ports
• access to shared memory allows the fastest communication with
other tasks

26. DACHSview++ is
the answer on increasing complexity & development costs
It‘s perfect for
•reliable and event-oriented industrial automation applications,
•distributed systems,
•multicore CPUs, and
•future based requirements.

27. DACHSview++ is future based
• no need to handle the overhead of a textual language
• integration of C/C++-code by JIT compiler
• easy to understand and to learn
• excellent support of the design phase by pseudo function blocks
• easy to test by excellent online test support
• very efficient and fast development, means rapid time to market
by decreasing costs of the software development
• development of complex real-time control and HMI applications
in a simplified, but powerful environment
• shorter application development time, at least 30% less

29. © 2014, STEINHOFF Automation & Fieldbus-Systems
DACHSVIEW++ COVERS FUTURE BASED
REQUIREMENTS FOR RELIABLE
APPLICATIONS
IN THE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION INDUSTRY!