Sigma “Zero Code” Program Generator

Introduction

At the manufacturing level, the device-servers constitute the heart of any production acquisition system.  As such they represent a prime example of mixed applications involving collection of manufacturing outputs or alarms, barcode readings, Ethernet services to exchange these information between your industrial equipments and the company IT and finally remote calls to SQL servers to store them.

How can you create rapidly and easily such complex applications? The solution is the “zero-code” based Sigma Program Generator. Sigma allows you to generate, in one single environment, any applications combining automation, data acquisition and Ethernet services using your favorite browser.

Sigma is built around four key concepts:

1. PLC signals, SQL exchanges, data processing and TCP/IP services are all treated likewise.
2. There are no instruction set nor syntax, hence no language to learn.
3. Sigma doesn’t use a compiler or libraries.
4. Finally Sigma is a standard NetCube application remotely programmable within any standard browser through its web interface.

Benefits

• Speed up your development and eliminate maintenance hassles
• Necessitate no language to learn
• Eliminate compiler and libraries
• Everything you need is available in your web browser

How it works

Sigma is a modular, event driven framework with a central engine assuring the collaboration between all mod-ules.
When you describe an automation process you think in terms of inputs, actions performed and outputs. Irrespective whether they are TCP/IP datagrams, barcodes or balance values, digital Inputs/Outputs, e-mails, etc.
You proceed exactly the same within Sigma: any application consists of a chain of actions (modules) linked to-gether through inputs and outputs (variables).

User interface

The user interface is web based and consists of three programming pages, one page listing debug informations and one administrative page to save, backup and restore applications. Each page offers detailed contextual help as well as numerous examples for copy and paste.

The three programming pages are respectively

Create variables, where you list all the variables.

Create modules, where you declare the actions you want to perform using the standard modules and describe their “scenarios”.

Application overview, where you test your application. Here all modules used and their respective variables are displayed graphically. As soon as you change a value all the dependent variables are updated accordingly and change colors allowing easy control of the cycle.

Standard modules