Talk:Functional block diagram

Tags

I removed the cleanup tag and added some explanation. The middle of the article still seems to need some wikification, but I could not accomplish that because the words are too basic and simple. Feel free! Spalding 00:42, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

This article on a diagramming method could use an example diagram. Anybody have one handy? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.12.65.48 (talk) 02:39, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

Quotes

About functional block diagrams

• ... the functional block diagram... [is] necessary to understand thoroughly from exterior design the operation of the present system and the relationship of each of the parts to the whole.
  • Harry H. Goode, Robert Engel Machol (1957) System engineering: an introduction to the design of large-scale systems. p. 306

• Functional Block Diagram. The purpose of the functional block diagram is to translate the problem statement into graphical form
  • John G. Truxal (1958) Control engineers' handbook. Vol. 1, p. 3-10

• The functional block diagram is prepared to orient the analyst to the interrelationships between the physical or functional parts of a system. It is most commonly exemplified by schematic diagrams, which are then used to construct logic diagrams.
  • United States. Dept. of the Army (1984) Designing Facilities to Resist Nuclear Weapons Effects Hardness. p. 6-1

• ... a functional block diagram, showing flows of power, material, etc., with the inputs and outputs specified for each block...
  • A.. Kelly (1997) Maintenance strategy. p. 67

• ... a functional block diagram... shows a system's subsystems and lower-level products, their interrelationships, and interfaces with other systems...
  • T.J. Cartin (1999) Principles and practices of organizational performance excellence. p. 295

About the Function Block Diagram (FBD)

• Function Block Diagram (FBD) - A graphical language for depicting signal and data flows through function blocks - re-usable software elements. FBD is very useful for expressing the interconnection of control system algorithms and logic.
  • IEC 61131-3 (1993)

• IEC 61131-3 is an international standard first published in December 1993 by the IEC. This standard defines two graphical and two textual controller programming language standards. The standard also defines both graphical and textual Sequential Function Chart elements to organize programs for sequential and parallel control processing...
  Function Block Diagram (FBD) is a user-created sheet or page of application logic consisting of interconnected graphical blocks that represent instructions and logic blocks... Function Block Diagram (FBD) logic is one of four programming languages specified by the IEC 61131-3 standard. FBD is a process control language; most FBD instructions are not conditionally executed...
  • GE Fanuc Automation Americas Training Services (2013) "Function Block Diagram Lab Objectives" (GFS-384) at geplc.com

See also

• Programmable logic controller
• Quotes about function models and functional model

-- Mdd (talk) 21:28, 24 May 2013 (UTC)/10:30, 3 June 2013 (UTC)

Further comment

The scope of this article has long been unclear (to me)

• This article started July 2005 with a (rather undetermined) general description.
• Early 2006 the link to the IEC 61131-3 is added
• In Sept. 2008 an image of an early functional block diagram (from 1962) is added.
• Last month I change the title from Function block diagram to Functional block diagram, because that term was more familiar and it better fits the image.
• To further analyse and improve this article I started collecting the above quotes.

When I renamed the article I didn't yet fully realized that the term "Function Block Diagram" (FBD) is directly related to the IEC 61131-3 standard. Now I have come to realize that there might be two different concepts here:

1. The term "functional block diagram" has been used since the 1940s/1950s in the field of systems engineering and related fields, and
2. The term "function block diagram" which has used specific in Programmable Logic Controller design and is formalized in the IEC 61131-3 in 1993.

Now I think, the current article should make this more clear, or should even be split in two. -- 11:42, 3 June 2013 (UTC)

As a start on Commons I have split the Category:Function block diagrams and Category:Functional block diagrams. It becomes more clear we are talking about different types of diagrams. -- Mdd (talk) 12:54, 3 June 2013 (UTC)