Unit controller with integral full-featured human-machine interface

• US 20030105535A1
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ics Triplex Technology Ltd. (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ics Triplex Technology Ltd. (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rammler, Roman
• Application Number:
  US10/011,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105535A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23406 Programmer device, portable, handheld detachable programmer

Abstract

An integrated unit controller/human-machine interface is disclosed which incorporates high-speed redundant control, sequence of events, supervisory control and data acquisition, alarm handling, trending & historian, process graphics and “open” communications in a compact form factor enclosure (the front panel less than 5×6 inches). The unit controller is composed of two primary hardware elements: the controller module (single or redundant) and the palm type computers (P/PC)-based human-machine interface (HMI) with touch screen. The controller covers a wide span of applications, from single process unit control to networked multi-unit management.

Claims

1. A multi-loop, industrial unit controller, comprising:

a single, autonomous controller module, having—

an integral input/output section, including inputs and outputs, said section being within said module;

a function library stored in said module, said functions to manipulate the values of said inputs and outputs;

a configuration system stored in said module, said configuration system to interconnect said inputs and outputs and said functions; and

a human-machine interface connected to said module, including a display mechanism to request and display values of said inputs, said interface having a small form factor display.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein said interface is embedded in said module.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein said human-machine interfaces includes a palm-type computer.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein said module is redundant.

5. The controller of claim 4, wherein said module has parallel single board redundancy.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein there is control redundancy on said single board redundancy.

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein there is further included a communicator connected to said module.

8. The controller of claim 7, wherein said communicator has an Ethernet interface.

9. The controller of claim 7, wherein said communicator has an RS-232/485 interface.

10. The controller of claim 7, wherein said communicator has a web server.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein said communicator includes Internet tools and wireless networking.

12. The controller of claim 1, wherein there is included a front panel, said human-machine interface mounted in said front panel.

13. The controller of claim 1, wherein said human-machine interface has a touch screen.

14. The controller of claim 1, wherein said human-machine interface has a color liquid crystal display.

15. The controller of claim 1, wherein said input/output section includes a one millisecond time stamping.

16. The controller of claim 1, wherein said display mechanism has a Windows-based operating system.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein said display mechanism includes a palm-type computer having a Windows-based operating system.

18. The controller of claim 1, wherein said human-machine interface includes graphic capability.

19. The controller of claim 18, wherein said graphic capability includes drawing tools.

20. The controller of claim 19, wherein said drawing tools include animation tools.

21. The controller of claim 1, wherein said function library includes a dynamic two-dimensional look-up table that provides variable-speed compensation for centrifugal/axial compressor surge estimation computation.

22. The controller of claim 21, wherein said table includes automated anti-surge algorithm selection.