This project provides a good example on how an automation project can be successfully approached, programed and tested. The methods used here were to firstly brake the project into hieratical states, then to define each task within each states into a sequential manner using a software such as ARGOUML and finally wrote all the ladder logic codes using the Siemens TIA portal. Because the physical apparatus couldn’t be tested during the construction of the automation program our group created a development board that can be used to simulate the switches and functions of the codes. Our group communicated via a DropBox and found that its commenting and date stamps features made it efficient for us to keep into date with each others work. It allowed us to work very efficiently together and resulted finishing writing the program well ahead of time.
Learning outcomes:
- We learnt that by compartmentalising the project it made it relatively simple to implement as opposed to one big program.
- We found that using a state machine design approach made it easier for us to convey the information about the program between us.
- We also found that by using a hierarchical state machine design we could reuse existing codes, the memories can be reuses and/or cleaned up, the bugs were easy to debug as they are contained within their states and finally the state behaviours can adapt based on inherited conditions.
- This project gave us a deeper understanding on what it’s like to design a program for a machine without being able to actually test it. It meant that we had to get a confirmation for all of our assumptions and we had to design to a specific design. It also meant that we had to find others methods to test our program and confirm the codes.
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