Fairmount Automation

Design Pad G4

DESIGN PAD G4

Design Pad G4 is a fourth-generation graphical design tool used to program and configure Fairmount Automation’s family of hybrid Programmable Automation Controllers (PAC). It is a Windows-based software package that relies on intuitive drag-and-drop, undo-redo, and cut-copy-paste functionality to enable the rapid development of sophisticated control strategies and automation schemes. It sharply reduces development time by combining the design, testing, and documentation cycle into a single integrated process.

Programming in the Design Pad G4 environment simply involves creating familiar function block and state-transition diagrams in graphic form. The resulting control programs—called schemas—can be compiled into machine-executable form and downloaded into the desired devices over a wireless link or network connection with just a click of the mouse. Future schemas will also incorporate structured text programming (in the standard C language) and ladder-logic diagrams. They will allow all of these languages and constructs to be freely intermixed to suit application needs.

Design Pad G4 provides a comprehensive set of field-proven function blocks, including:

• Controller Blocks (e.g., PID controller, lead-lag)
• Signal Conditioning (e.g. characterizer, limiter)
• Signal Comparator (e.g., high alarm, equality)
• Mathematical (e.g., addition, natural log, sine)
• Logic Functions (e.g., NAND gate, RS flip flop)
• General Purpose Operators (e.g., timer, ramp profile, multiplexer, A/B switch)
• Hardware Access (e.g., analog input, bargraph display, pushbutton)
• Networking Operators (e.g., broadcast, receiver, parameter synchronization)
• Diagnostic Operators (e.g., data recorder, hardware status monitor)
• Text Manipulation (e.g. string constants, concatenation, left, right, etc.)

It places no restrictions on the number of blocks that a program can contain or the manner in which the blocks are interconnected.  The links between function blocks can be made by softwire connection or by using signal reference tag names.  Once all connections are made, Design Pad automatically determines the execution order of the function blocks, further reducing development time.