Screen shot of pliWrite programming tool

PL/i Programming Language for i.CanDoIt

The PL/i programming language is simpler than C, but more structured than Basic. The objective in creating this language was to compile compact code that would run efficiently and safely as a virtual machine, like a very lean Java.

The AddMe III architecture is register based. Therefore a carefully written program will be portable to systems running on Modbus or BACnet networks with equivalent results.

It's Free. What's the catch?

The only catch is that we want you to use our products. Some say if it's free, it can't be worth anything. That is not always the case. We licensed the same programming language technology utilized by some very large companies, and enlisted the help of a top scholar in the German National Research Center for Information Technolgy. This is simply our unorthodox idea of how to carry out a marketing campaign.

What does PL/i look like?

Most of any given program will look a lot like C or Basic. Referring to subroutines as "procedures" is borrowed from Pascal. The block structure is common to many languages like C, and setting the blocks apart with "begin..end" instead of {} is also borrowed from Pascal.

Control Solutions’ i.CanDoIt® PL/i control programming language is found in both our web based products and our low cost Modbus and BACnet programmable I/O devices. Program capacity varies by model based on resources occupied by other features such as protocol stack.

Once compiled and running in simulation, you upload your compiled code to the non-web device using the configuration tool applicable to that device type. Those tools are also free, and available on our Downloads page. You simply use your browser to upload your program to any of the web based products.

• Compile programs
• Step line by line
• Run to break point
• Run until paused
• Inspect or change variables
• Inspect or change registers
• Inspect/change while running

The simple test program shown here will ramp an analog output on AddMe III up and down from zero to near full scale. It got named "dimmer" because if we connect an LED across the output, we have an LED dimmer. This makes a good "my first program" exercise.

Illustration of PL/i code

pliWrite Video Library

Watch these videos for an introduction to PL/i programming. It's easier than reading!

Introduction to pliWrite Tool

PL/i Variables and Record Structures

The pliWrite tool for general use is provided here. There are model-specific versions of pliWrite for the different models of ValuPoint programmable I/O. The model-specific software is included in the full support package for these models. You should download and install the complete support package for ValuPoint and i.Report since live debug relies on the physical connection between the configuration tool and the actual hardware. The only difference in the model-specific version is support for live debug that varies by model.