Block Storage Simulator

Python project scaffold for a student-facing block storage simulator.

The current project includes:

• a simulator core for conveyor and lifter behavior,
• a simple Tkinter GUI for manual testing,
• an ADS-oriented symbol model matching the current spec,
• a local ADS TCP server exposing the Remote.* and StatusVars.* symbol surface.

Quick Start

Create a virtual environment and install the project:

python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
pip install -e .

Run the simulator GUI:

block-storage-sim

Run the ADS server only:

block-storage-sim --mode ads

Run both the GUI and ADS server:

block-storage-sim --mode both

ADS Smoke Test

The simulator ADS server binds to 127.0.0.1:48898 by default and exposes these symbols:

• StatusVars.ConveyorState
• StatusVars.LifterState
• Remote.send_pallet
• Remote.release_from_imaging
• Remote.return_pallet
• Remote.transfer_item
• Remote.src_x
• Remote.src_y
• Remote.dst_x
• Remote.dst_y

For simple_interface_tester.py, use local connection parameters such as:

PLC_IP = "127.0.0.1"
PLC_NET_ID = "127.0.0.1.1.1"
PLC_PORT = 851
LOCAL_NET_ID = "127.0.0.1.1.2"

The included tester now uses the pure-Python py-ads-client package, so simulation mode does not require the Beckhoff runtime or TwinCAT on the same machine.

For a simulator-only local workflow:

1. Start the simulator ADS server with block-storage-sim --mode ads or block-storage-sim --mode both.
2. Run .\.venv\Scripts\python.exe .\simple_interface_tester.py.
3. The tester will connect to 127.0.0.1:48898 using ADS over TCP.

For a real Beckhoff PLC later, keep the same ADS command flow and symbol names, then replace the IP and AMS Net IDs with the real target values.

Current Status

The current implementation focuses on:

• deterministic conveyor state transitions,
• transfer validation for storage and pallet positions,
• edge-triggered remote commands,
• a lightweight GUI and a local ADS-compatible server for student testing.