Patent ID: 7062422

Claim:
A Programmable Logic Controller (“PLC”) system construction support tool for simulating a selection of units and a combination thereof on a screen before a PLC system is actually constructed, said PLC system construction support tool comprising: a first screen for displaying a list of various units which can be selected for constructing the PLC system, wherein the list of various units comprises units making up the PLC system; and a second screen for displaying the units selected from the first screen in a configuration as the units would actually be disposed in the PLC system, said second screen being disposed adjacent to the first screen, wherein the second screen displays information in numerical form in an area adjacent to a row of the units on the second screen, the information comprising total values of at least one of current consumption, voltage consumption, width, and weight of each of the units displayed on the second screen; and a unit type data file storing at least one of the current consumption, the voltage consumption, the width, and the weight of each of the units displayed on the first screen, wherein whenever a unit is selected from the first screen, at least one of the current consumption, the voltage consumption, the width, and the weight of the selected unit is read from the unit type data file and displayed on the second screen.