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Abstract
The term ”virtual control” is a key concept that swnmarizes computerized
manufacturing activities dealing with models and simulation instead of objects and
their operation in the real world. It is safer, more relevant, and more cost effective
than its physical counterpart. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is an
electronic device used for automation of industrial processes such as control of
machinery on factory assembly lines. The purpose of a PLC is to control a particular
process by producing electrical control signals in response to electrical process-
related input signals. A PLC is an example of a real time system since output results
must be produced in response to input conditions within a bounded time. A ”virtual
PLC”, or soft PLC, is a software program that can replace a real PLC in controlling
an automated system.
Industrial robots are often used to perform various tasks such as material assembling,
painting, or welding. Virtual control of a robot can be achieved by simulating the
robot, the controller, or the whole system, resulting in three types of virtual control.
Furthermore, control of a robotic system requires reading data from its sensors,
calculating control signals based on the sensor data, and then sending these control
signals to the corresponding actuators. Performing such control and data acquisition
tasks requires some planning since robots need much knowledge about objects and
actions.
The goals of this research are: 1) Mastering PLCs and their role in robot-based
industrial automated manufacturing systems, 2) Investigating the possible
performance gain of replacing traditional Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID)
controllers with PLCs, either real or virtual, in both traditional and intelligent robotic
control systems. To achieve the fist goal, PLC hardware and programming languages