FX Commander

August 2013

A Voice, Timed and PLC event driven utility that provides round the clock interaction and feedback with your Mitsubishi FX based control system, providing a more personal interface that can be tailored to any domestic or commercial situation - with a little imagination!! :)

Preamble

Using the built-in Speech Recognition and Text to Speech features of Windows 7, FX Commander literally provides a voice controlled desktop interface to your Mitsubishi FX Programmable Controller. In fact, it also can provide audible feedback annunciations too, in the form of spoken phrases or the playing of sound files. Sounds good? How about timed events? In fact, how about events driven by the FX PLC too?

FX Commander Help Guide: FX Commander Help

Main Status TAB

FX Commander has three, concurrent, modes of operation:-

• Responds to Voice Commands with either a PLC command and optionally confirmation with a Text To Speech or Audible Sound file play

• Executes Timed Events (day of week programmable) on a fixed HH:MM, or on a recurring MM schedule, responses as above

• Determines PLC Triggered Events, by comparing M and D Stores against preset values, responses as above

Some domestic type examples...

If you hear "Open Kitchen Blinds" then SET M100 to 1 and announce "Kitchen Blinds Are Opening"

If it's 17:00 Hrs then SET M200 to 1 and announce "Sprinkler System has been activated"

If D200 > 20 announce "Room temperature at desired setting"

If M10 = 1 announce "Heating system fault detected."

Events can be cascading, that is, an event can be used to trigger another event (when using PLC logic). Though an event doesn't need to interact with a PLC at all - recurring timed events for example may be used to speak a phrase, such as the time of day. As always, if you poll a real world PLC then, how that PLC responds and functions to these commands is entirely down to how you program it using the relevant Mitsubishi FX PLC developer software, which is a matter of your own onus. *** Requires understanding and configuration of a Mitsubishi FX PLC using MELSEC software ***

So, hook up a microphone and some speakers to your PC, connect your FX over Ethernet, preset some commands in FX Commander, and you will have the ability to command and control switching functions, for example, turn utilities on and off and increase or decrease set-point values. With a correctly configured system, it is possible that FX Commander could be used for Home Automation, for the support of the visually and bodily impaired, as well as many other scenarios that may assist and improve processes or reduce human labor.

Voice Command Table

FX Commander provides a tabulated interface where you can directly enter commands, however a simple "Configuration Utility" is provided via a right-click menu option for Voice, Timed and PLC event setting. Also, a comprehensive set of tools are included to test commands before going live as well. Visit the FX Commander Help for detailed configuration of the utility.

Last Updated: 2nd December 2013