MERLIC Runtime Environment

The MERLIC Runtime Environment (or MERLIC RTE for short) represents the process integration mode of MERLIC. It enables the communication with a machine controller, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC) via signals and commands. MERLIC RTE is necessary whenever MERLIC or a MERLIC Vision App (MVApp) is to be controlled via a manufacturing machine. In process integration mode, the corresponding communication device is given control, for example, to execute an MVApp. This way the machine controller is able to control the vision system, monitor the execution, and query the results.

MERLIC RTE offers various advantages:

• The PLC is able to control the execution of an MVApp.
• The PLC may observe and query the current internal state of MERLIC during the process integration.
• The PLC may query the results of the image processing task.
• The communication with the PLC is independent of the machine vision task in the MVApp and you can create different configurations for any MVApp and PLC.

To use MERLIC RTE, you first have to set up MERLIC and the application for the process integration.