Nematron Pointe Controller - Manual (Page 166)

Chapter 5: Developing Controller Programs Pointe Controller User Guide
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5.8.2 Navigating the Ladder Diagram editor
As a resource of PointeControl, ladder diagrams appear in the resource tree of
the PointeControl framework. Expanding the ladder diagrams entry in the
resource tree shows the diagrams included with the project. Double clicking on
one of the listed diagrams will activate the ladder editor and load the selected
diagram. A new diagram can be defined by selecting the Ladder Diagrams entry
in the resource tree and then clicking the New Object icon in the framework
toolbar. Alternately, select File/New while the Ladder Diagrams entry is selected
in the resource tree. The ladder editor window is shown below:
The window includes a title bar containing the name of the ladder diagram and a
standard system menu bar. A toolbar, found under the title bar, contains a set of
icons for each of the tools available to the ladder editor. A secondary toolbar,
immediately under the main toolbar, provides the ladder objects available for
placement in the workspace. This secondary toolbar changes with the selection of
an object library tool from the main toolbar. The workspace, appearing under the
toolbars, is the area in which the ladder diagram will be constructed. Scroll bars
appear around the workspace as needed based on workspace contents and
magnification level.
The workspace is the scratchpad into which ladder diagram blocks are placed. A
ladder diagram consists of a series of ladder rungs that execute sequentially, from
left to right, and top to bottom. Each rung consists of a left and right power rail
and ladder objects, typically contacts and coils, as well as function blocks. Rungs
may include branches and may also include jumps to other rungs or calls to other
ladder diagrams. Objects are placed in the workspace using the tools contained
on the toolbar and discussed in subsequent paragraphs.