Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Peripheral adapting
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-24
2003-07-01
Huynh, Kim (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Peripheral adapting
C710S030000, C370S466000, C370S474000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06587900
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to the field of industrial control automation. More particularly, the present invention pertains to the communication in an industrial control environment of diagnostics and other non-input/output device data.
2. Description of Related Art
An industrial control system (ICS) typically uses field buses, such as Interbus or Profibus, as the backbone of a proprietary network. These standard buses communicate input and output information of ICS automation or control devices, and are able to do so in a multi-vendor environment. Standard buses however do not allow for an easy way to communicate other kinds of data, such as diagnostic information. Since automation and control devices now in use by a typical ICS are intelligent today, in that they perform more complex functions, it is advantageous to receive other kinds of data from the devices, besides pure ICS device input and output.
What is needed is a way to communicate data that is other than ICS device input or output data, and, ideally, a way that does not depend on the particular bus being used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides, a system and corresponding method for communicating non-I/O data between components of an industrial control system (ICS), the ICS components including control or automation devices and a programmable logic controller. The method includes the steps of: having one of the components, such as a control or automation device, transmit the non-I/O data formatted as a message frame in the same way as a I/O data is formatted as a message frame, including having a message type identifier to identify that the message frame bears non-I/O data; and having another of the components, such as the programmable logic controller, receive the encapsulated non-I/O data as a message frame, wherein the other of the components (the receiving component) identifies the non-I/O data based on the message type identifier conveyed with the message frame and also extracts the non-I/O data from the message frame.
In a further aspect of the invention, the transmitting component transmits the non-I/O data over a field bus such as one implemented according to PROFIBUS, an international, vendor-independent, open field bus standard (under the European field bus standard EN 50 170) and in particular, such a field bus as provided by Siemens; or a field bus implemented according to the standard INTERBUS, such as provided by Phoenix Contact; or a field bus implemented according to the standard DEVICENET, such as provided by Allen Bradley; or a field bus according to the controller area networks (CAN) standard, the standard maintained by the CAN in Automation (CiA) international users and manufacturers group; or a field bus implementing CANOPEN, a higher-layer protocol, also maintained by CiA, that provides device profiles specifying standardized application behavior.
The components that communicate non I/O data each include a translator module to encapsulate and de-encapsulate the non-I/O data from (virtual I/O) message frames, based on the message identifier pre-determined to correspond to the non-I/O message data. For example, the control or automation device includes a device translator, and the programmable logic controller includes a controller translator.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6061603 (2000-05-01), Papadopoulos et al.
patent: 6134245 (2000-10-01), Scarmalis
patent: 6393033 (2002-05-01), Woodward et al.
Femal Michael J.
Golden Larry I.
Huynh Kim
Peyton Tammara
Schneider Automation Inc.
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