omron function block that inhibits machine operate

[rualcosi 2]

Good afternoon everybody.

Is it possible to create such a thing as the title says, omron function block that inhibits machine operate???
How will this be possible??

I would like to learn how to do it. Can anyone give me an example???

Or how is it done???

Thank you very much in advance for any and all possible help.

[IO_Rack 181]

Function Blocks are used to create reusable Ladder or Structured Text. You can program them to do anything you want.

You'll need to be more specific about "Inhibits machine operation".

[rualcosi 2]

5 hours ago, IO_Rack said:

Function Blocks are used to create reusable Ladder or Structured Text. You can program them to do anything you want.

You'll need to be more specific about "Inhibits machine operation".

First, thnak's for your reply IO_RACK.

Well, what i have in mind is some FB that makes stop a machine to work if someone doesn't have paid the license, for example.

Is that possible???

[photovoltaic 121]

10 minutes ago, rualcosi said:

First, thnak's for your reply IO_RACK.

Well, what i have in mind is some FB that makes stop a machine to work if someone doesn't have paid the license, for example.

Is that possible???

Yes, it's possible. Many manufacturers will have an embedded license key in a function block that must match a key entered on an HMI for example. You can do things like pull the MAC address from your Ethernet port and incorporate that into the key. This will allow for a single program instead of a custom version for each machine (with a custom key hard-coded to compare to). Obviously you'll want to secure the FB and CPU if you do this. Any advice beyond this will depend on your application specifics.

[rualcosi 2]

photovoltaic, that's interesting. Thank's for the information.

[pturmel 160]

Do keep in mind that, unless you've encrypted the entire program, a motivated user can figure out where your blocking code is.  And then remove it.  If you do this, its engagement will punish the client for not paying you, but you will almost certainly end up black listed.

If you get into a dispute over payment, take it to the courts.  Or black list them in the supplier world.

Logic bombs are not a good idea, unless you've sold the software with the client knowing, from the beginning, that it will cease working on a particular date if not paid.

[rualcosi 2]

pturmel, thanks for the answer. I just wanted to know if it was possible and how it would be possible to do such a thing, I wasn't, nor am I thinking about doing something like that, because I don't have the knowledge to do it. I find it interesting that it is possible to do a function like this but I wouldn't do it because, as you say, if I understood what you wanted to say, it could cause problems for a client with its production and of course, someone committed to understanding why the machine doesn't works could know what was going on and delete what was done, besides it would have a bad reputation for that client and therefore other future clients.
But anyway, thank you all for your opinions and sharing your knowledge.

[Crossbow 295]

On 3/20/2024 at 0:36 AM, rualcosi said:

I find it interesting that it is possible to do a function like this 

It's a programmable controller, you can program it to do anything you like. Every controller out there can do it, not just these...  Even a PC, it's all in the code you write...

I've been asked to write exactly the same thing one, and I refused.

[BobLfoot 302]

Never considered using it as a logic bomb like you were thinking, but when I was a System Integrator years ago and we were testing warehousing systems we'd build a rung that would load negative one into a timer preset when certain conditions where we wanted to examine system physical state visually existed.  the -1 tiimer preset would critical fault the plc.

[rualcosi 2]

Well, I was just curious, nothing more, and no, I won't do it, you can be sure of that, as I said before, I don't know how and I don't think I have the knowledge to do so. But it's very interesting, yeah. ;)