Drive with server

• US 20070043457A1
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31186 TCP-IP internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/0241 the fault being an overvoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 31/00 Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors not provided for in groups H02P1/00 - H02P5/00, H02P7/00 or H02P21/00 - H02P29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drive system that includes a module that operates as a server, where in at least some embodiments the module is at least one of directly integrated with another module that operates as a drive and fully integrated to include the drive. The server allows for communications with one or more terminals via an internet-type communications medium, while the drive is for controlling, monitoring and/or otherwise interacting with at least one motor, electromechanical machine, or other appropriate type of machine/process. In at least some embodiments, the server is capable of providing web pages, executable programs and/or other information including, for example, information in accordance with an FTP protocol onto the internet for receipt by the terminals. The terminals communicate commands and other information via the internet back to the server, which in turn can influence the drive and the controlled machine/process.

Claims

1. A drive system comprising:

a first module that operates as a server,

wherein the first module is at least one of directly integrated with a second module that operates as a drive and fully integrated to include the drive.

2. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the server is a server including at least one of a web server (HTTP) and a FTP server that is configured to engage in communications via an internet-type communications medium.

3. The drive system of claim 2, wherein the internet-type communications medium includes at least one of the Internet, an intranet, and another medium on which are communicated signals employing internet-type protocol information in accordance with an OSI standard.

4. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the drive system includes the first and second modules, and wherein the first module includes a first control device and the second module includes a second control device.

5. The drive system of claim 4, wherein the first and second control devices are in direct communication with one another by way of at least one of a dual port random access memory device, a shared memory bus, and another shared bus.

6. The drive system of claim 5, wherein the first and second control devices each include at least one of a central processing unit, a field programmable gate array, a programmable logic device, and a microprocessor.

7. The drive system of claim 4, wherein the first module additionally includes at least one of a random access memory device, a flash memory device, and a dual port random access memory device.

8. The drive system of claim 4, wherein the first module includes an Ethernet port by which the first module is coupled to an internet-type communications medium.

9. The drive system of claim 8, wherein the first module additionally includes an RS232 port.

10. The drive system of claim 4, wherein the second module is another microprocessor module that controls firing of at least one power semiconductor device capable of being coupled to a load.

11. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the first module is fully integrated to include the drive, and the first module includes a single central processing unit capable of performing both server-type operations and drive operations.

12. The drive system of claim 11, wherein the first module is a microprocessor module that controls firing of at least one power semiconductor device capable of being coupled to a load.

13. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the drive system is for use in controlling a medium voltage AC motor.

14. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the drive system is for use in controlling at least one of a high voltage AC motor, a low voltage AC motor, a DC motor, another electromechanical machine, another machine controllable by the drive system, and a process controllable by the drive system.

15. The drive system of claim 1 wherein the server includes a web server, and wherein the first module stores or has access to a plurality of web pages that the web server is capable of sending onto the internet-type communications medium.

16. The drive system of claim 15, wherein the web server is configured to receive at least one command off of the internet-type communications medium provided via a user-access terminal that received at least one of the web pages.

17. The drive system of claim 16, wherein the command relates to at least one of an operational status of the drive system.

18. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the server is capable of at least one of storing and transmitting executable programs.

19. The drive system of claim 18, wherein the server is capable of transmitting binary executables implemented by way at least one of a NET Framework and a NET Compact Framework.

20. The drive system of claim 18, wherein the server is capable of at least one of storing and transmitting other information in addition to executable program information and web page information.

21. The drive system of claim 1, wherein files are transferred via the server onto an internet-type communications medium through the use of a FTP protocol.

22. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the server is capable of interacting with the drive to obtain at least one of diagnostics information, setup information, motor configuration information, and motor performance information.

23. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the server is capable of communicating to the drive at least one of commands provided during a customer support operation, commands provided during a product support operation and commands intended to determine characteristics of motor operation.

24. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the server includes a web server that is capable of transmitting web pages onto an internet-type communications link for receipt by at least one remote terminal.

25. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the server is in indirect communications with a programmable logic controller.

26. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the server and drive can be at least one of configured together in a single coordinated operation, and upgraded together in a single coordinated operation.

27. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the drive system includes the second module that operates as the drive, and wherein the first module is formed on a card that is capable of being plugged into the second module.

28. The drive system of claim 27, wherein the second module is capable of being operated without the first module, as well as with a third module in place of the first module.

29. The drive system of claim 1, wherein the drive system includes the second module that operates as the drive, wherein the first and second modules are at least one of positioned within a shared housing, formed on a single microchip, and situated within less than four inches of one another.

31. The drive system of claim 28, wherein the server and the drive are on first and second modules, respectively, and wherein the first and second modules are directly integrated with one another.

30. A drive system comprising:

a server; and

a first drive;

wherein the server and the drive are in communication with one another;

wherein the server is capable of communicating at least one web page onto an internet-type communications medium for receipt by an additional terminal; and

wherein the server is further capable of communicating at least one executable program onto the internet-type communications medium.

32. The drive system of claim 30, wherein the server and the drive are fully integrated on a single module having a single central processing unit.

33. The drive system of claim 30, wherein the server and the drive are indirectly in communication with one another.

34. The drive system of claim 33, wherein the server is directly integrated with an adapter module, and wherein the adapter module is indirectly in communication with a drive module.

35. The drive system of claim 34, wherein the adapter module is at least one of a 20-COMM-E module and a dedicated server module.

36. The drive system of claim 35, wherein the 20-COMM-E module is capable of communicating with the drive module by way of a CAN-DPI communications link.

37. The drive system of claim 36, wherein the 20-COMM-E module includes multiple HTML pages that can be used to gather information about the 20-COMM-E module and to configure the operation of the 20-COMM-E module, and wherein the 20-COMM-E module also has the capability of sending an email message when a fault occurs with respect to the drive module.

38. The drive system of claim 37, wherein the server is in communication with the drive by way of the internet-type communications medium.

39. The drive system of claim 30, wherein the server is further capable of providing information onto the internet-type communications medium via a FTP protocol.

40. The drive system of claim 39, wherein files capable of being provided onto the internet-type communications medium via the FTP protocol are listed in a first displayed field.

41. The drive system of claim 30, wherein the server is capable of providing a first web page onto the internet-type communications medium that includes at least one selectable item by which a user can determine at least one of an access level and a filter level.

42. The drive system of claim 30, further comprising a second drive in communication with the server, wherein the first and second drives are configured for controlling first and second load devices, respectively.

43. A method of communicating with a drive, the method comprising:

providing a server that is at least one of directly integrated and fully integrated with the drive;

sending a web page from the server onto an internet-type communications medium for receipt by a terminal;

receiving a communication arriving from the terminal at the server off of the internet-type communications medium.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the communication is a request for information, and further comprising:

transmitting information according to a FTP protocol onto the internet-type communications medium in response to the communication.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the information concerns at least one of diagnostics, fault, configuration, and performance information concerning operation of at least one of the drive and a machine controlled by the drive.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein files capable of being provided onto the internet-type communications medium via the FTP protocol are listed in a first displayed field.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising sending executable program information from the server onto the internet-type communications medium for receipt by the terminal.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the web page includes HTML code intended to cause the display of at least one tab, button, field, hyperlink, and other selectable item.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the server at least one of receives data from the drive, provides a command to the drive controller, and provides information to the drive.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the communication relates to a user selection of at least one of a home tab, an alarms tab, a display tab, a diagnostics tab, a setup tab, and a utility tab.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the communication relates to a user selection of language, a user selection of at least one of an access level and a filter level, and a user desire to view information located at another IP address.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the communication relates to at least one of a user selection of an access level from among a plurality of different levels, and a user selection of one of a read only option and a read/write option.

53. The method of claim 43, wherein the communication relates to a user selection of at least one of a parameter group and a parameter type, and wherein the page includes instructions intended to cause the display of at least one of a listing of parameter groups and a listing of parameter types.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the communication relates to a user specification of a parameter value, and wherein the web page includes HTML code intended to cause the listing of a field in which a user-specified parameter value can be entered.

55. An add-on component for implementation in relation to a drive, the add-on component comprising:

a module configured to be coupled to a port of the drive, wherein the module includes a server, and wherein when the module is coupled to the port, the server is directly integrated with the drive.

56. The add-on component of claim 55, wherein the module includes a PCMCIA card and also includes a port by which the module can be coupled to an internet-type communications medium.

57. The add-on component of claim 55, wherein the server includes a first means for processing, and further comprising a means for coupling the first means for processing with a second means for processing within the drive.

58. A computer-readable medium embodying instructions for a processor to perform a method of communicating with a drive, the method comprising:

sending a web page from the web server onto an internet-type communications medium for receipt by a terminal;

providing at least one of an executable program and information following a FTP protocol from the server onto the internet-type communications medium for receipt by the terminal; and

receiving a communication arriving from the terminal at the server off of the internet-type communications medium.