Mitsubishi Electric has announced a significant new extension to its MELSEC System Q automation platform. The QO6CCPU is a ‘C-controller’, a CPU that is simply integrated into System Q, like any other extension, and which provides powerful additional PC functionality. This means, for many applications, considerable timesaving at design/programming by using the higher language – and a saving in the number of interfaces required!
Complex tasks, communications and protocols are all simplified and customers’ investments are protected against obsolescence with the use of the industry standard C++ code. Access is easier too, with direct connection to the office/factory computer network and allows remote access to the controller via Ethernet and FTP support.
Many designers will welcome this new addition, which contains the well-known real time VxWorks operating system. The QO6CCPU builds on this, allowing the user to program the application in C or C++ by using the easy-to-use development environment for the real time operating system – Tornado. This brings System Q into the realm of PC-Based controllers and is the first in the market to do this.
It is generally agreed that there is no more flexible programming method than C/C++. The newer C++ object-oriented general-purpose programming language, in particular, is very widely used and has become the standard for programming. It is regarded as easy-to-learn, extremely powerful, with good memory management and can be used to make small programs or to handle large applications.
This new controller meets a developing market need for C-Controller solutions, especially for applications with a huge amount of data and number crunching. Furthermore, this C-Controller can fulfil every function or protocol that is available as a C-Function e.g. on the RS232 port.
With the launch of this C-Controller, for the first time, the PC is truly embedded – no longer is there a PC versus PLC debate. Users can use each in one integrated environment; PLC for many standard functions or PC programmed with the powerful C++ higher language.