CAREL controller programming in STone

What is STone?

STone is the successor to 1tool: CAREL’s environment for programming its controllers (the c.pCO family, pYC mini) and pGD1 displays. Code is written in Structured Text (IEC 61131-3), with proper classes, interfaces and multitasking.

The part that matters day to day is everything around the code. There is a simulator, automated tests, Git support and command-line builds. An application can be developed and tested without a controller on the desk, and every change goes through a repeatable process instead of “flash it and see”.

For a unit manufacturer this means a shorter path from idea to machine, and code that can still be extended three years later. Provided it is written well from the start, which is the part we take care of.

What we do

You can hand over the whole scope or a single piece of it:

The tools around STone

The IDE is only part of the picture. CAREL ships a set of tools that cover the rest of the unit's life, and we use them in our projects:

VL

Virtual Loop

Simulates the thermodynamics of the unit itself. Software gets tested on a virtual heat pump or chiller before a prototype exists.

SIM

Simula

Runs the application on a PC. You click through the screens and change inputs without any controller on the desk.

SPK

SPARKLY

A command-line tool for the production line: loads software onto controllers and runs end-of-line tests.

APP

APPLICA

The service app, on a phone or PC over Bluetooth: live variables, graphs, alarms, application updates.

GATE

STone Gate

Remote access to a unit for an engineer. On site, someone with a smartphone is enough.

DS

Digital Signature

The manufacturer signs both software and hardware, keeping control over spare parts and compatibility.

Why iceLAB

• Refrigeration is our field. Heat pumps, chillers and compressor racks are what we do daily. We don't learn the industry on your project.
• We show how we work. Our STone OOP conventions are public, in the Knowledge Base. You can judge the code style before you hire us.
• We run our own 24/7 monitoring. We watch refrigeration systems in the field every day, so we know what happens to software after the hand-over.
• One team for IT and OT. From controller code, through networks, to data. No hand-offs between vendors.

Frequently asked questions