Yokogawa Virtual-M3 simulation software for FA-M3V range-free multicontroller

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has developed Virtual-M3, a simulation software tool for its FA-M3V range-free multicontroller. The multicontroller is a high-performance programmable controller (PLC) that can be mounted on the various types of equipment used to assemble electronic products and components and in the equipment used to produce semiconductor devices.

Virtual-M3 constructs a debugging environment that consists of a virtual CPU module and virtual I/O modules. The former simulates the behaviour of the CPU module on an actual FA-M3V unit and the latter reproduces the behaviour of the I/O modules on the FA-M3V and the target devices. Without having to use the actual devices, the software performs the same kind of simulations done using the conventional debugging technique.

When debugging control programs for the multicontroller, Virtual-M3’s virtual CPU can be linked with the application software for the HMIs of programmable indicating controllers and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software. The programmable indicating controller software can also be debugged in this configuration.

Using a step operation function, the software can perform debugging operations that are impossible using conventional debugging techniques that require the actual hardware. These operations include running repeated tests on selected program segments; the execution of command, circuit and scan operations one step at a time; and the skipping or restarting of programs.

Yokogawa also offers the WideField3 program development tool for writing, debugging and managing FA-M3V applications. Using both Virtual-M3 and WideField3 with Live Logic Analyzer, which is a near real-time logic analysis function, it is possible to display data showing the status of a PLC program as it runs on a sequence CPU module. This improves work efficiency by enabling engineers to monitor a program’s execution status while they collect the program execution data.