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VEW

VEW is a visual environment for automatic code generation used for winding machine.

Writing a winding machine program is a long task, needing a lot of experience and error prone. Furthermore it is very difficult to make even slightly changes in the program.

VEW goal is to improve all these points and to make the winding machine programming extremely fast.

Problem analysis

Winding machine programs are repetitive sequences of axis movements and position evaluations. They are developed along all the machine life-cycle by the coil manufacturer. On the contrary the methods or primitives wich is made of the program are established and developed when the machine is designed by the machine manufacturer.

We have then two types of code:

• Method (and data) library code
• Winding machine program code

VEW simplifies the code development for booth the situations through two different tools.

Library

For the library development, VEW provides VPL, a expressly designed programming language. VPL is a high level language describing the world where the winding machine operates and permitting to execute commands relating to this world. With VPL it is possible to express operations like "move the pipe 1 cm on the right of pin 1". VPL is compiled in the winding machine PLC language and then sent to the winding machine. VEW compiler generating the PLC specific code can be easily extended to manage PLC languages of different PLC manufacturer.

Winding programs

To develop winding programs, VEW provides a visual environment for automatic code generation. This tool allows to drive the user through the different development phases of a winding model and to specify in a visual way the parts that should be used (coil type, pin type) and the method specifying how to execute the winding (how to wire the different pins, the number of spiraeas, the winding direction etc.). Each choice in the visual environment, implies a call to a library method opportunely parametrized. At the end of these choices, VEW generate a winding program. Visual environment: Visual environment for automatic code generation. This is the only part the coil manufacturer interact with. Compiler: Compiler from VPL language to a specific PLC language. Program: PLC winding program specific to the particular winding machine. Library: Data and Method library written in VPL language. It contains geometrical description of winding machine objects and methods to manipulate them. The library is written by the winding machine manufacturer. Note: Coil manufacturers does not interact with any module inside the hatching area.

Visual environment - Development phases

Bobbin selection

The first operation is the choice of the coil. Coil is the object to wind. The visual environment shows the coils available in the library and it allows to select one of them.

Pin selection

The second step is the choice of the pin to insert in the coil. In this phase the environment only propose pins that are compatible with the coil selected in the previous step. In case the pins can be mounted in different ways (numbers of pins, positions and orientation) the visual environment enables the user to specify this details.

Winding machine selection

Here we select the winding machine model and some machine specific information like the tensioners.

Tool selection

At this moment we select the tools to mount on the winding machine (for instance cutting tools, wire guide pipes, calmps) and we provide information on their positions.

Wrapping

Final phase is the pipes positioning, the wrapping pins selection, entrnce chamber selection, number of turns selection, etc.

Library creation - The VEW programming language

The VEW data and methods library is written by the machine manufacturer using the VEW Programming Language (VPL). The VPL code is then compiled in the specific PLC language of the winding machine. The VPL syntax has been supplied by the customer. The vpl lexical elements are:

Element	Description	Element	Description
;	End Instruction	&&	Instruction Connection
“......”	Literal	number	Digit
x->	Y axis movement	y->	Y axis movement
z->	Z axis movement	[expr]	Find NUM field
{expr or literal}	Connection	(...)	Bracket
+	Aritmetical Operator +	-	Aritmetical Operator -
*	Aritmetical Operator *	/	Aritmetical Operator /
==	Logical Operator Comparison	>	Logical Operator >
<	Logical Operator <	>=	Logical Operator >=
<=	Logical Operator <=	<>	Logical Operator <>
AND	Logical Operator AND	OR	Logical Operator OR
NOT	Logical Operator NOT	IF	Test Condition
THEN	Execute If True	ELSE	Execute If False
ENDIF	End If Condition	CASE	Multiple Test
ENDCASE	End Multiple Test	GOTO Label	Go To Label
Label:	Label	DIM	Declare Local Variable
GLOB	Declare Global Variable	$xxx	Variable Name
=	Assign Variable	SQRT(x)	Square Root

Following are some VPL syntax charts

And finally a VPL example:

DIM $CLAMP_Y;
DIM $TUB_Y;

IF U!SFRCLAMP==2 THEN
   $CLAMP_Y = -SFRCLP{U!SFRCLP}.DY;
   $TUB_Y = -TUB{U!TUB}.DY;
ELSE
   $CLAMP_Y = SFRCLP{U!SFRCLP}.DY;
   $TUB_Y = TUB{U!TUB}.DY;
ENDIF

Compiler

The final step is the compilation of the source code in the executable code. For instance suppose to have the following VPL code:

	X-> 100*(TUB[1].RAGGIO - 20) Y-> 3+5

The compiler relying on the library is able to evaluate the pipe size and to calculate the expression. In this case, the compiler will produce a PLC code equivalent to "Move x axis at position 5 and y axis at position 8. Using GPL, a specific PLC language, the compiler will produce the following code:

	X 5 Y 8

Having a intermediate language like VPL makes easy to use VEW on different PLC simply changing the VPL converter.

VEW in short:

VEW offer:

• A specific language for developing winding machine library
• A visual environment for winding machine automatic code generation

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