Yokogawa enhances FA-M3V range-free multi-controller with new CPU modules and software

Phil Black - PII Editor 17/11/2011

107 2 minutes read

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Yokogawa Electric Corporation has enhanced the FA-M3V range-free multi-controller – a PLC with the world”s fastest CPU scanning speed – with new CPU modules and software.

Development background

As manufacturing processes become increasingly complex, the programs that run on the controllers embedded in electronic component and equipment assembly systems and semiconductor manufacturing equipment are becoming more advanced. At the same time, equipment manufacturers have to deal with greater complexity in their processes ranging from design and development to maintenance.

To help its customers develop these programs more efficiently, Yokogawa has introduced the WideField3 programming tool for the FA-M3V and Tool Box programming tools for the controller”s temperature control/monitoring and positioning modules. The sampling trace function for the FA-M3V”s two CPU modules has also been enhanced to allow the long-term logging of field data.

With this logging function, any time interval can be specified and many different types of triggers can be set. This greatly facilitates the analysis of problems that can occur at start-up or during normal operation.

These new features allow quick system start-up and reduce the workload associated with processes such as design, development, and maintenance.

Product features

In addition to the newly released WideField3 programming tool, two Tool Box programming tools for the FA-M3V”s temperature control/monitoring and positioning modules have been added to the product lineup. Ever since first releasing these tools in Japan, Yokogawa has worked to enhance them to meet a variety of user needs and to speed up the program development process.

The enhanced CPU modules have a sampling trace function that enables up to 100 traces to be set, allowing highly accurate analysis of large amounts of operation data. By inserting an SD memory card into a slot on the FA-M3V CPU module, users can automatically log data in a trace setting file that can be later used to troubleshoot problems and debug programs. It is not necessary to connect a PC to perform this task. Remote maintenance of the FA-M3V can also be performed by e-mailing trace setting and results files.

About the FA-M3 Series

A PLC is an embedded controller for industrial machines and devices such as electronic component/equipment assembly systems and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In September 1989, Yokogawa entered the PLC market with the FA500 mid- to large-range model. In December 1992, Yokogawa introduced the FA-M3 range-free controller series to cover the full range, from small to large. The FA-M3R with high-speed sequence CPUs was released in October 1999 and the latest FA-M3V was released in November 2010.

For more information please visit: http://www.FA-M3.com

For further information please contact:

Yokogawa UK Limited
Stuart Road
Manor Park
Runcorn
CHESHIRE
WA7 1TR

Tel: +44 (0) 1928 597100
Fax: +44 (0) 1928 597101
mailto:info@uk.yokogawa.com
http://www.yokogawa.com/uk