Process for the processing of safety-relevant data

Details Process for the processing of safety-relevant data Process for the processing of safety-relevant data

2000-02-09

2003-06-10

Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application

Specific application, apparatus or process

Product assembly or manufacturing

C700S004000, C700S073000, C700S079000, C700S249000, C702S183000, C709S238000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06577918

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a process for processing safety-relevant data in a safety system for a machine, such as a robot or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hitherto data have always been collected and processed in a mainframe computer in bus-based safety devices for machines, such as robots or the like. In order to bring about a reaction, the results calculated in the mainframe computer are then redistributed to the bus. A communication information loss more particularly occurs because in order to ensure acceptable reaction times the data-complex systems must be compressed firstly due to the transmission and secondly due to the calculation.
It is also necessary to adapt the evaluating system, i.e. the mainframe computer to a bus extension or upgrading, particularly with respect to buffer stores. In the case of an upgrading the buffer stores must be extended, so that all the information necessary for evaluation can be collected from the bus. The mainframe computer must be able in a given time to calculate the output process pattern from the input process pattern determined. In addition, diagnostic devices can influence the safety circuit, so that there is a need to subject the diagnostic device to safety checks, because said data can be manipulated on the bus and can therefore influence the reliable functioning of the system. For the installation of a diagnostic unit, it is finally necessary to act in the ring configuration of the safety bus. For diagnosis purposes the said bus must be so reconfigured that the diagnostic unit is accepted as an additional party or subscriber in the ring. This leads to a safety risk, which must be checked and eliminated. Thus, known safety devices are not optimized for the given safety applications.
The problem of the invention is therefore to further develop a process of the aforementioned type so that, whilst avoiding the indicated disadvantages, an optimization takes place with respect to the safety applications, whilst creating a simple diagnosis possibility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a process of the aforementioned type, the invention solves the above problem in that in parallel in each node the data received therefrom are processed and retransmitted to the next node.
According to a preferred development for diagnosis purposes a diagnostic unit passively receives the data present in at least one node.
Transmitting and receiving and/or evaluating data takes place simultaneously on all nodes until all data of a ring communication are processed, but the nodes do not process identical data. Instead each node processes data transferred to it from the preceding node at the same time as the other nodes and said data can differ from node to node.
As a result of the invention there can be a connection between two nodes and each node itself independently of other nodes of the annular or ring-like bus. All the individual connections of the ring between two nodes are operated simultaneously or in parallel and in the nodes the informations present there are processed simultaneously or in parallel. For each virtually simultaneous single connection the communicated information is loaded with an information already known beforehand to the node on the basis of its nature. The information content remains distributed over the entire annular bus. Thus, there is no information loss during tying of a cyclic data packet. The ring structure of the medium is therefore used as a simultaneously constantly updated memory for all the process data present in the bus. There is no need for an individual memory for the information in the single node. All subscribers access the same data of the ring communication and evaluate same in a redundant manner. Thus, a connected diagnostic unit can evaluate all the data without having itself to observe communication or safety functions, because the process pattern communicated in the ring is quasi-simultaneously updated.
There is no need for the combination and compression of data, so that there is no information loss with respect to the safety-relevant data on the ring bus. The communication containing all the safety-relevant informations of the ring bus, need not be influenced for diagnostic purposes. Thus, a diagnostic unit does not have to deposit its own instructions on the bus. It can obtain all the informations necessary for it by mere contact at the bus, i.e. as a “monitor”. The diagnostic unit cannot manipulate bus data and consequently needs no safety-relevant package. For contacting the diagnostic unit there is no need to break open the safety system and the diagnostic unit does not have to be configured with additional subscribers.
There is no need to adapt a mainframe computer on extending the ring bus safety system, because optionally an additional subscriber (node) as such provides the entire resources necessary (computers, memories).
As a result of the process according to the invention the communication duration for a ring communication is scarcely lengthened compared with the prior art and can in fact be reduced as a result of the parallel data processing and data retransmission.


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