QCX\BLENDEXPERT V8

PLC INTERFACING
GENERAL DESCRIPTION

SUMMARY
This document describes the interaction between a plant
PLC and BLX v8 system for high level control of blending
quality.
This document can be used as a requirement of the PLC
programming prior to installation of QCX\BlendExpert
system.
This document version is from 14th Feb. 2016, last edited
by JPME.

F.L.Smidth - Automation A/S

Vigerslev All 77
DK-2500 Valby
Copenhagen
Denmark
+45 36 18 27 00
Fax: +45 36 18 27 99
Printing History:
Version
Last modified
Author
Last modified by
Name of Word File
Index Range

$Revision:: 1
$Modtime:: 14/Feb/2016 11:24a
$Author::
$Author:: Javier Pigazo Merino
$Workfile:: BlendExpert PLC Interface
0-1000

$
$
$
$
$

Disclaimer:
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by
F.L.Smidth A/S. F.L.Smidth assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.
In no event shall F.L.Smidth be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages of any nature or
kind arising from the use of this document, nor shall F.L.Smidth be liable for incidental or consequential damages arising
from use of any software or hardware described in this document.
Options specified and described in the F.L.Smidth documentation as part of the general description - but initially neither
ordered by the customer nor confirmed by the seller - will not commit the supplier to any further and future supply and/or
installation.
The software described in this document is furnished under a license and may be used, copied, or disclosed only in
accordance with the terms of such license.
Copyright F.L.Smidth A/S.
All rights reserved.

Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 4
BlendExpert Operating Principle ................................................................................................... 4
Heartbeat and Watchdog in BlendExpert Applications ............................................................ 4
Programming Watchdog function in PLC ..................................................................................... 5
BlendExpert: Interface signals ........................................................................................................ 7
BlendExpert Logic: Interface diagram........................................................................................... 8

Introduction
The purpose of this document is to describe the interaction between a plant PLC and v8 QCX\BlendExpert system (also
called BLX) for high-level control of the blending quality. Thus, the document can be used as a requirement of the PLC
programming, prior to the installation of the BlendExpert system.

BlendExpert Operating Principle

In a global perspective, QCX\BlendExpert system can control one or more mills, also called PlantSection. A Plant Section
can be configured to contain all the required elements and components to control the mix.
Each of these Plant Sections can be switched ON-Line to control the specific mix (mill feeders) independently to the rest of
the Plant Sections, and can also be switched OFF-Line without affecting the current status of the rest.

Heartbeat and Watchdog in BlendExpert Applications

In computer science, a Heartbeat is a periodic pulse signal generated by hardware or software to indicate normal
operation or to synchronize other parts of a system. Usually a heartbeat is sent between machines at a regular interval on
the order of seconds. If a heartbeat isn't received for a timeusually a few heartbeat intervalsthe machine that should
have sent the heartbeat is assumed to have failed.
By definition, a Watchdog is an embedded timing device that automatically prompts corrective action upon system
malfunction detection.
In fact, the communication between QCX\BlendExpert as high level controller and the plant Control System, PLC or similar
should follow the standard rules to detect communication failures, commonly implemented with Heartbeat and
Watchdog.
As a heartbeat is intended to be used to indicate the health of a machine, BLX will generate one Heartbeat signal
(oscillation pulse) per Plant Section. In case a QCX system has two or more BLX, it will be generated two or more
independent Heartbeat signals. The Heartbeat is a digital (binary) signal normally called BLXWatchdog.
This BLXWatchdog signal will be a pulse oscillating between 0 and 1 every 10 seconds. The signal is sent out and received
by a third system, normally an Industrial PLC that handles in a lower level all the process signals of that specific part of the
process.
Normally, it is easy to implement in these kinds of industrial PLCs a small program (watchdog logic) to supervise the
Hearbeat signal and make actions in case an error in the communication is detected.
There are many different ways of programming a Watchdog supervision inside Industrial PLCs, but all these ways have to
follow one basic rule: Switch BLX to OFF-Line and return the control to Human operators in case a communication failure
is detected during the Heartbeat supervision. A communication failure is normally detected if the Hearbeat oscillation is
not received by the PLC within a limited interval time (for example, 60 seconds).

Programming Watchdog function in PLC

This chapter has the purpose to indicate some guidelines to implement a Watchdog function inside a PLC that could be
used during BLX system integration.
In the image below it is shown a basic schema of a Watchdog implementation inside a generic PLC program. The example
shows names related to another system called PXP, but the philosophy is practically the same for BLX.
In the first segment of the program, the current Heartbeat signal value is compared with the value of the same signal in
the previous scan. If both values are equal (both 1, or both 0) is an indication that the Heartbeat pulse is not changing.
This condition will start a Watchdog timer. The accumulated time will increase as long as the explained condition is still
fulfilled. If the Heartbeat signal does not change in a period longer than the preset timer (in the example is 60 seconds),
the accumulated time will reach the preset value, and then the output of the Timer (DN) will be triggered.
The second segment in the program is a simple transformation of the Watchdog output into a PLC output. If the timer
output is activated, Watchdog OK bit will be 0, and viceversa.
This PLC output is the signal to be used as condition in the rest of the PLC code to switch BLX to OFF automatically in case
a communication failure is detected between the PLC and the specific BLX mill application.

Just as an example of implementation, down here it is shown a piece of code of a Rockwell (Allen Bradley) PLC handling
the watchdog supervision:

In a similar way, an example of code in Siemens Step 7:

In any case, please refer to the specific PLC supplier documentation in order to implementing the required logic properly.

BlendExpert: Interface signals

As described before, each Plant Section can be put ON-Line to control the specific mill mix quality independently, and can
also be switched OFF-Line without affecting the current status of the rest of the BLX mill units.
In order to make that possible, there are few signals to be communicated between each Plant Section on BLX and the
respective sub-process supervisor interface (Industrial PLC, OPC or others). On the following description is considered PLC
interface.
Down here the description of each required interface signal:
BLXReady: Digital (Binary) signal generated by each PlantSection that will be sent out to the PLC, indicating the
readiness of the BLX to control the quality. A value 1 will be understood as "BLX is Ready", and 0 as "BLX is Not
Ready".
BLXSelection: Digital (Binary) signal that will be received by BLX from the PLC indicating that BLX has been
selected to be switched ON-Line (normally BLXSelection is manually activated by the Control room or Laboratory
operator). A value 1 will be understood as "Command to switched BLX ON" and a value 0 as "Command to switch
BLX OFF".
Internally in the PLC, this Selection signal will be enabled (selectable) ONLY if the 2 next conditions are fulfilled:
o
o

BLXReady value is 1, and

Watchdog timer for the application is NOT active (Communication OK).

Furthermore, BLXSelection will be automatically switched to 0 (Off) in the PLC if at least one of the next
conditions becomes TRUE:
o
o

BLXReady signal changes to 0

Watchdog timer for the application is active (Communication failure).

If any of these 2 conditions are active the control of the quality will be transferred to control room operators.
BLXOn: Digital (Binary) signal generated inside BLX once the BLXSelection is received and still the condition
BLXReady is present. The signal is sent out to PLC indicating that BLX is effectively switched ON.
Once the PLC receives this signal, the PIDs (or other potential controllers) of the relevant actuators will be
changed to a mode that enables to receive commands and setpoints from external systems (in this case, BLX).
From this point, setpoints of the feeders will be handled ONLY by BLX. Any potential action on these setpoints
from normal operator UIs will be disabled or denied.

BlendExpert Logic: Interface diagram

To sum up, it is included in this chapter an interface diagram with all the signals and routes described before.
Even the drawing should not be taken as an exact replica of the real logic inside BLX and PLCs; it can be seen as a good
indication in order to get a better understanding of the global picture about communication interface.