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Our main product, DP which was a graphic display terminal for minicomputers or work stations was losing ground to PC.
So we asked ourselves, "Which equipment was most used in the FA field?". It was PLCs.
So I wanted to create a "Man Machine Interface," as it was called, for PLCs. That's how the GP series started.
What's 'PLC'? It's a programmable logic controller. It allows customers to create relay sequencing with software.
Then we realized, If relays can be replaced by software, it's also possible to replace switches and pilot lights and change their placement and wiring with software,
and so we can create an HMI that is the best match for the PLC.
An HMI for the PLC was created, which was 'GP'.
In those days, no PLC engineer imagined that they could create a computer graphic screen and make it a console panel.
They thought it's not their area, it's a different world.
When they need to have graphic screen panels, they asked outsourcing companies to create them.
But GP allowed PLC engineers to create their own computer graphic panels by themselves, which evolved their job. I think it's really innovative.
When we started selling the GP series, we trained sales reps to create a ladder logic to communicate with GP.
And they successfully sold GP with their sample communication ladder logic.
But it was a lot of work.
So I was struggling to find a way to make it much simpler.
One day, some descriptions in the UP-link unit manual of OMRON PLC caught my attention.
It was described that when PC sends a request to the unit and it responds sending back data automatically.
That's it. "If GP plays the role of PC, GP can get data automatically."
Though sales reps were concerned about a cost of the UP-link unit and said it was too early,
I really wanted to do it. I said, "Let me do it".
When I had a chance to attend the management meeting, I asked the president anxiously to let me do it.
He said he would give me just two weeks with an engineer so that I could make a prototype.
I think 'sharing reality' is important during creation of something.
First you have an aspiration, then communicate, and obtain agreement. Finally you can start.
For me, 'Creation' is 'Communication'. A prototype is a good tool for communication.
Using a 8-bit computer with a printer, I made a prototype for demonstration.
We demonstrated the simple prototype which prints PLC data line by line automatically.
Pointing at the print out, I said, " Look at this data, it's a bar graph, it's a numeric display, can you imagine...?"
"Even without programming, GP gets real-time values and shows dynamic animation like this. Everyone will be amazed."
The executives of that time had good intuitions and they could imagine how a GP could work just looking at values being printed out,
and they were quite impressed.
And you know, once an idea starts to take hold, you don't have to say anything.
The whole audience starts talking about it."It can work like this or that..." Then you win. No more explanation is necessary.
In the seminar room, I got GP's screen displayed via an overhead projector and edited, not on a PC, but with 'self editor'.
I showed the setting of the address called D register 100 for the bar graph and connected the GP unit to the PLC.
Then the bar graph started moving.
The entire seminar room burst into applause.
I got clapping and cheers from a group of customers! It was really moving. It's not something you experience often.
When I started working, I thought I wanted to leave a mark once that I got a job in a manufacturer.
I got to write an important page in the history of Pro-face. Pro-face gave me an environment for that and allowed me to leave a sign of my presence.
I'd like to write more, of course.