Control and Visualization System for a Laboratory Manipulator Model

Abstract

This paper presents the design and implementation of a comprehensive control and visualization system for a laboratory model of a vacuum manipulator manufactured by Fischertechnik. The main objective of this work was to create an automated workstation using industrial standards. In the first part, the article analyzes the model’s hardware capabilities, including actuators and sensors. It then describes the hardware configuration in the TIA Portal environment, where the Siemens S7-1200 industrial PLC plays a key role. The creation of the control algorithm in Ladder Diagram language, the processing of high-speed signals from encoders, and the implementation of statistical functions are discussed in detail. The solution also includes the design of a graphical user interface for the HMI panel, which enables real-time monitoring and diagnostics. The functionality of the entire system was verified using the “Tower of Hanoi” task.