Product
APS System Control
Industrial-grade software suite for smart vacuum system control
Sold by SWS Vacuum Technology
APS System Control — live vacuum schematic, real-time sensor readings, power panels, throttle valve control, and one-click operations (dark theme)
Why APS System Control?
Building a vacuum deposition system shouldn't mean building control software from zero. APS System Control is a complete, ready-to-deploy software platform that replaces rigid HMI panels with a flexible, PC-based solution. Configure your hardware, design your operator screens, and test everything offline — all without writing a single line of code.
The Platform
Three integrated products that cover the full lifecycle — from system design to production operation.
System Builder
Visual WYSIWYG editor for designing operator panels and configuring your vacuum system — no coding required.
- Drag-and-drop vacuum components
- Pipe routing with gas-type coloring
- Hardware, interlock, and alarm editors
- Real-time validation
- Generates runtime-ready XML configs
- Import from MCGS SCADA projects
System Control
The runtime operator interface. Real-time hardware control, recipe automation, and live system monitoring.
- Live vacuum schematic display
- Recipe DSL with loops and variables
- Configurable alarms and interlocks
- Real-time trend graphs (ScottPlot)
- Embedded one-click operations
System Emulator
Physics-based hardware simulator. Test and develop your system without any physical equipment.
- Real vacuum physics (pump curves, gas loads)
- Native S7-200 PLC protocol emulation
- Serial device protocol simulation
- Drop-in replacement for real hardware
- Regression testing via log replay
Features & Capabilities
Real-Time Hardware Control
Polls Siemens S7-200 PLCs every 200ms over Ethernet. Lock-free, channel-based threading ensures responsive UI even under heavy I/O. Supports multiple PLC units, serial devices, and network instruments simultaneously.
Live Vacuum Schematic
Interactive system diagram with real-time device states. Valves show open/closed, MFCs display flow rates, sensors show pressure readings — all updating live. Gas routing lines colored by gas type (Ar, N2, vacuum, vent).
Recipe Automation (DSL)
Intuitive line-based recipe language with variables, loops, functions, and conditional logic. Embedded recipes for common operations (load/unload substrate, pump-down sequences). Full validation before execution.
# Pump-down sequence example
valve Gate close
valve Fore open
delay 3
pwait PL 0.05 60 # wait for 0.05 Torr, 60s timeout
valve Gate open
MFC Ar1 5 # 5 sccm argon flow
loop 3
stage VS -10
delay 30
endloopVisual Panel Designer
WYSIWYG canvas with percentage-based grid layout. Drag, resize, and configure 15+ vacuum component types. Multi-select, snap-to-grid, alignment guides, and arrow-key nudging. Pixel-perfect preview of runtime appearance.
Piping Diagram Editor
Click-and-drag pipe routing between component anchor points. Automatic gas-type color coding (Ar=cyan, N2=green, vacuum=orange). Waypoint editing for complex routing. Full schematic export to runtime XML.
Safety Interlocks & Alarms
XML-defined interlock rules enforce safe operating conditions (pressure limits, valve sequencing, pump protection). Alarm banner with real-time notifications, silence, and reset. State machine ensures correct startup/idle/processing transitions.
Physics-Based Simulation
Real vacuum physics: chamber pressure evolution with exponential time constants, pump speed curves, throttle scaling, gas load equilibrium, leak rate modeling. MFC flow response with valve dynamics. Thermal load simulation.
Protocol-Level Hardware Emulation
Speaks native device protocols — no code changes needed in Control. S7-200 PLC over TCP (port 102), serial devices via virtual COM ports or TCP loopback, Modbus TCP for power supplies. Complete drop-in replacement for real hardware.
Supported Hardware
Editions & Features
| Feature | Basic | Pro | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct system control (touch screen or mouse) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Configurable system diagram (live schematic) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Embedded scripts for basic operations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Adjustable real-time graphs panel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Continuous data logging (local) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recipe scripting language (built-in worker) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Configurable alarms and interlocks | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Support of custom PLC controllers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Support of custom vacuum components | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Support of custom hardware panels | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basic integration package * | ✓ | — | — |
| Advanced integration package ** | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| APS System Builder (visual configuration tool) | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| APS System Emulator (offline hardware simulator) | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recipe designer and selector (operator screen) | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remote system status monitoring *** | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom script language (custom workers) | — | — | ✓ |
| Jobs scheduler | — | — | ✓ |
| Custom detailed process screen | — | — | ✓ |
| Remote data logging **** | — | — | ✓ |
* Basic integration package: configuration file examples, source code templates, and examples of custom DLLs for hardware, controllers, interlocks, alarms, custom panels, and embedded scripts.
** Advanced package: everything from Basic plus configuration, templates, and examples for custom workers and custom process panels.
*** Requires a remote HTTP server. **** Requires a remote database server (MySQL / MSSQL / PostgreSQL).
Licensing
Perpetual (lifetime) license per installation per single PLC unit. Includes 1 year of free support and updates within the same major version. Additional PLC licenses and extended support available. Contact us for a detailed quote.
Integration Services
We offer full system integration with your hardware, including custom driver development, panel design, recipe authoring, and on-site commissioning support. Each engagement includes a 1-year warranty. Extended support contracts available.
Platform Requirements
Operating System: Windows 10/11 x64 · Runtime: .NET 9.0 · PLC: Siemens S7-200 (Ethernet)
APS System Control runs on standard industrial PCs or tablets with touch screen support. No proprietary hardware required beyond your PLCs and instruments. Fully compatible with standard Siemens S7-200 PLCs used throughout the vacuum industry.
Ready to modernize your vacuum system control?
Purchase the complete APS System Control software suite through SWS Vacuum Technology.
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