Component Numbering Scheme - Explanation

The drawings following show the layout and interconnections of the various components, electrically, pneumatically and mechanically. The component numbering system is not obvious and requires explanation.

The heart of the machine is an electronic control system with various inputs and outputs (I/O’s). There are a fixed number of these for any given installation (although extra I/O’s can be added). These I/O’s are connected to various devices (photoswitches, valves, cylinders motors etc), which make the machine work. A controller program reads the inputs and controls the outputs according to its program.

The controller card I/Os have a fixed numbering system, with inputs starting at 0000, 0001, 0002 etc and outputs starting at 0500,0501,0502 etc. The I/O’s are labeled in this way on the circuit card LED’s, also on the I/O page of the machine display.

The function of a particular I/O number may be different depending on the configuration of machine supplied. There are so many options and configurations that it would be very wasteful to dedicate an I/O for the same function on all machines. Instead, I/O’s are allocated by the controller program for a particular machine configuration, more or less sequentially.

To avoid having to make individual electrical, pneumatic and layout drawings for each machine combination, Universal Function Numbers have been defined. I/O numbers are related to Function Numbers by a single table in the product manual. Function specific parts (e.g. the Test Head Cylinder) are given a number according to that function (in this case, Cylinder 10). This will be the same in any PCS product that has a Test Head Cylinder; it will always be Cylinder 10, CYL10 etc. The photoswitch that actuates the test head could also be called Photoswitch 10, PS10, etc. The actual I/O number can vary between machine types (although will be the same for two machines of the same model)

The above scheme allows quick on site modifications and upgrades to a machine to be easily documented and incorporated into the manual, without having to alter all the drawings.

To identify the function of an I/O number, e.g. Output 0500, look it up in the I/O table. To identify a device labeled by a function number, e.g. Valve 1, look up that number in the Function Numbers Table.