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Tools/Sequential Function Chart maker

Sequential Function Chart maker.

Create a Sequential Function Chart by describing the initial state, active steps, transitions, and actions. The chart models a PLC-controlled sequence as states that advance when their conditions are met.

Sequential Function Chart (SFC)Enter to send

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See it work

Sequential Function Chart examples.

Same tool, four requests. Every drawing below is a real render.

What you type
Create an SFC for conveyor startup: stopped initially, safety check after StartButton, start the drive when GuardClosed and DriveReady, run after DriveStarted, and return to stopped on StopButton.
Then tryAdd an emergency-stop transition back to stopped.Add a five-second start delay before running.
Sequential Function Chart (SFC): Conveyor startup
Sequential Function Chart (SFC) · IEC 61131-3:2013 §6.5 · schematex-sfc

Rather start from a finished drawing? Browse 9 sequential function chart templates →

The drawing

What a Sequential Function Chart is.

A Sequential Function Chart, or SFC, is an IEC 61131-3 PLC language for sequential control. Steps represent active phases and transitions state the conditions that move control to the next phase.

An SFC is useful when a machine or process has a defined order of operations, such as filling, conveying, robotic handling, or cleaning.

Standard
IEC 61131-3:2013 §6.5
Also follows
IEC 60848 GRAFCET visual subset
Engine
schematex-sfc
Editable
Double-click text, drag nodes
Export
SVG · PNG · PDF
Sequential Function Chart (SFC): What a Sequential Function Chart is
Who uses it

Who uses Sequential Function Charts.

Sequential Function Chart (SFC): Machine buildersMachine builders

Describe the expected state changes of a conveyor or packaging machine for design review.

Sequential Function Chart (SFC): PLC programmersPLC programmers

Map robot position feedback and gripper actions into a readable automation sequence.

Sequential Function Chart (SFC): Process engineersProcess engineers

Review rinse, wash, and completion phases in a clean-in-place control narrative.

How it works

How to make a Sequential Function Chart in three steps.

01

Describe it

One paragraph is enough to start.

“Create an SFC for conveyor startup: stopped initially, safety check after StartButton, start the drive when GuardClosed and DriveReady, run after DriveStarted, and return to stopped on StopButton.”
02

See the drawing

Drawn by the right engine.

Sequential Function Chart (SFC): Conveyor startup
03

Say what changes

Every edit keeps a version.

Add an emergency-stop transition back to stopped.
V2 · DRAWN FROM V1, NOTHING RETYPED
FAQ

Common questions

What is a Sequential Function Chart?

An SFC is an IEC 61131-3 language that models a process as steps, actions, and transition conditions.

How is an SFC different from a flowchart?

An SFC has explicit active steps and actions that run while a step is active, which maps directly to sequential PLC control.

What is a transition in an SFC?

It is the condition that must be true for control to move from one step to another.

Can an SFC show timed actions?

Yes. Timed qualifiers can state how long an action remains active in a step.

Related tools

Other drawings for the same work.

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Create a Sequential Function Chart.

Free account, no card. Describe the steps, actions, and conditions in order.

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