IEC 61131

What is IEC 1131?

IEC 1131 is an international standard for programmable controller languages. Completed in
1993 after twelve years in the making, IEC 1131 was developed in response to industry
pressures for greater compatibility among programmable controllers. The goal was to develop
a portable, extendable language that would eliminate proprietary barriers and their associated
training costs. The resulting multilanguage specification combines modern software
engineering principals with the best of existing programming languages.

The IEC 61131 Standard was developed with the input of vendors, end-users and academics,
IEC 1131 consists of five main parts:
1. General information
2. Equipment and test requirements
3. PLC programming languages
4. User guidelines
5. Communications

The third part IEC 61131-3 is the international standard for programmable controller
programming languages. This standard for programmable controller languages specifies the
syntax, semantics and display of the PLC programming languages:

Ladder diagram (LD)

Sequential Function Charts (SFC)

Function Block Diagram (FBD)

Structured Text (ST)

Instruction List (IL)

One of the primary benefits of the standard is that it allows multiple languages to be used
within the same programmable controller. This allows the program developer to select the
language best suited to each particular task. Via decomposition into logical elements,
modularization and modern software techniques, each program is structured, increasing its reusability, reducing errors and increasing programming and user efficiency

Where is IEC 1131 headed?

The IEC 1131 standard, which originated in Europe, is gaining presence in North America as
industries push for open, modular standards. The US auto industry, in particular, is promoting
IEC 1131. Ford, Chrysler, and GM have issued what is known as the OMAC (Open Modular
Architecture Controller) document. This important document outlines the automation needs
and requirements of the automotive industry and sets the direction automakers will be taking
with control systems. Its intent is to encourage control vendors to develop open rather than
proprietary products. The OMAC document requires that either IEC 1131 or another flowchart programming language be used to program all control logic. Many companies are in
various stages of development of IEC 1131 compatible products. Open architecture is clearly
the way of the future, and IEC 1131 will help to bring that future about.
What are the five programming languages?
IEC 1131 defines two graphical languages (Ladder Diagram and Function Block Diagram),
two text-based languages (Instruction List and Structured Text), and a fifth language
(Sequential Function Chart) that is an organizational tool for the others. These languages are
closely related to classical counterparts, but are richer and have been integrated seamlessly
into a powerful editing environment within ISaGRAFR. Ranging from low to high level, the
languages give programmers broad capabilities to match their skill with the requirements of
the application. Different parts of an application can be programmed in different languages,
then linked into a single executable file and downloaded to the PMC.The five languages are:
Sequential Function Chart (SFC):
The core of the IEC 1131 standard, SFC is an organizational language for breaking a
program into well-defined steps and transitions to form a sequential control algorithm.
While SFC defines the building blocks and how they are interconnected, the other
four languages are used to actually code the actions performed within each step as
well as the logical conditions for each transition.

Function Block Diagram (FBD):

FBD is a graphical language that lets users easily assemble complex procedures onscreen by simply wiring together function blocks, much like drawing a circuit
diagram. This graphical approach is ideally suited for applications involving
information or data flow. The IEC 1131 standard includes a wide range of standard
function blocks for performing a variety of operations, and both users and vendors can
create their own. UNICO supplies a library of powerful motion-control function
blocks that form the core for the programming the drive.

Ladder Diagram (LD):

Ladder Diagram is an advanced version of traditional ladder logic, the popular
language familiar to most plant electricians and programmable controller users. LD
uses a standardized set of symbols to represent logical equations and actions. Those
who understand relay controls will find this language comfortable. LD and FBD
programs can be mixed in the same program.

Structured Text (ST):

Much like C programming language, ST is a high-level structured language designed
for expressing complex statements not easily handled in a graphical format. ST has a
rich set of data types to accommodate analog and digital values, times, dates, and
other data suited to automation projects. ST uses typical structured programming
constructs such as "IF...THEN...ELSE," "CASE," "WHILE...DO," and
"REPEAT...UNTIL."

Instruction List (IL):

A low-level language similar to programmable controller textual languages, IL is
useful for relatively simple applications or for optimizing small parts of a program.
Only one operation per line is allowed.