Patent ID: 6529785
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: G05B

Abstract:
In an industrial control system for controlling the operation of a machine, the industrial control system having a communications network connecting a jog button to at least one output device, the communications network introducing a variable delay in the transmission of messages, a method for jogging a machine attached to an output device, comprising the steps of:(a) in response to a pressing of a jog button by a human operator who is observing the operation of the machine, transmitting a predefined jog message on the network, the jog message including a jog duration period defining the beginning and ending of jogging the machine and an address corresponding to the machine; (b) receiving the jog message at the output device corresponding to the machine; (c) at the output device, reading the message to: (i) turn on the machine corresponding to the address for a period equal to the jog duration period; (ii) turn off the machine corresponding to the address such that the time the machine is turned on is the same as the jog duration period despite delay introduced by the communications network.