All Prima Electro CNC and GMC units include a powerful SoftPLC fully integrated with the system with which it shares the hardware resources and provides the software synchronization needed for real-time multi-tasking execution of cyclic tasks with very short execution time and for event tasks asynchronously activated when a specific function must be performed.

SoftPLC is programmed using 4Control, a graphical development environment based on IEC 61131-3 with which the machine logic is developed  using the language Instruction List (IL), Ladder Diagram (LD), Structured Text (ST), Function Block (FB) Sequential Function Chart (SFC). The tool is equipped with functions for debugging machine logic such as break points, tracing, viewing of variables using point & click operation and utilities such as changing “on the fly” and “warm start” of logic that speed up the commissioning of the machine.
The organization of the integrated real-time machine logic environment permit execution of  up to 250 parallel tasks with 10 different levels of priority and cyclical scheduling time that can be as fast as 1 mSec (on OPENcontrol systems).
The M, S, T (auxiliary functions, spindle speed, tool programming), acknowledgment for motion and  console commands etc., in general, all the asynchronous requests of the system are communicated to the PLC by event tasks. The execution  in a very short time, respecting the set priority, reduces the execution time of the part program increasing the productivity of the machine.

The PLC of Prima Electro systems makes it possible to create real application programs that interact with the system at all levels:

• Data Exchange and syncronization with the HMI and with the processes managing the part-program execution
• Tool and Offset management
• Axes motion from logic (interpolated on OPENcontrol)
• Sharing and motion of Coordinated Axes (program execution)
• Interaction with axis interpolators
• Managements of peripherals and files whether they are in text, binary or XML format
• Communication with other network devices through local network
• and more…

An extensive library of over 300 functions (OPENcontrol and 10 Series) allows effective control of the whole system and the ability to modify  its standard behavior to adapt it dynamically to the application requirements.