Tuning of industrial automation system performance based on device operating characteristics

• US 20090168806A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Automation Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Lee, Kenneth S., Van de Steeg, Kerry, Blair, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/498
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40006 Architecture of a communication node current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems

Abstract

Each device in an industrial automation system network or other network may have its own associated one or more performance characteristics, such as response time and/or reset time of the network device. Data may be stored representing a plurality of performance characteristics each associated with a different one of a plurality of devices in the network including a first device and a second device. The stored data may be retrieved, representing the performance characteristic of the second device. The first device may communicate over the network with the second device in accordance with the performance characteristic of the second device.

Claims

1. A network device used in an industrial automation system, the network device comprising:

a network interface coupled to a network;

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of bits; and

a controller configured to;

cause the network interface to send a first message to a first device in the network,

determine a first time period based on an operating characteristic of the first device, and

responsive to the first time period expiring before receiving a response to the first message form the first device, change a value of at least one of the bits in the storage unit.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the first time period expiring before receiving a response to the first message from the first device, cause the network interface to resend the first message to the first device.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the first time period expiring before receiving a response to the first message from the first device, indicate an error condition.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the network interface to send a second message to a second device in the network;

determine a second time period based on an operating characteristic of the second device;

determine whether a response to the second message is received from the second device within the second time period; and

responsive to the second time period expiring before receiving a response to the second message from the second device, change a value of at least one of the bits in the storage unit.

5. The network device of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the second time period expiring before receiving a response to the second message from the second device, cause the network interface to resend the second message to the second device.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operating characteristic comprises an expected response time of the first device.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operating characteristic comprises an expected reset time of the first device.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the storage unit stored data representing operating characteristics of a plurality of devices in the network including the first device, and wherein the controller is configured to retrieve the stored data representing the operating characteristic of the first device in order to determine the first time period.

9. A method in a network of an industrial automation system having access to stored data representing a plurality of operating characteristics each associated with a different one of a plurality of devices in the network including a first device and a second device, the method comprising:

retrieving the stored data representing the operating characteristic of the second device; and

the first device communicating over the network with the second device in accordance with the operating characteristic of the second device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein retrieving is performed by the first device.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining an identity of the second device, wherein retrieving comprises retrieving the stored data representing the operating characteristic of the second device based on the determined identity of the second device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

adding a third device to the network;

receiving data representing an operating characteristic of the third device;

updating the stored data to represent the operating characteristic of the third device;

retrieving the stored data representing the operating characteristic of the third device; and

the first device communicating over the network with the third device in accordance with the operating characteristic of the third device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the operating characteristic of the first device comprises an expected response time of the first device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the operating characteristic of the first device comprises an expected reset time of the first device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein communicating comprises:

determining a time period based on the operating characteristic of the first device;

sending a message over the network to the first device; and

responsive to the time period expiring before receiving a response to the message from the first device, resending the message to the first device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein communicating comprises:

determining a time period based on the operating characteristic of the first device;

sending a message over the network to the first device; and

responsive to the time period expiring before receiving a response to the message from the first device, sending an error message over the network.

17. An industrial automation system, comprising:

a plurality of network devices each coupled to an industrial automation device and each comprising a storage unit, each of the network devices configured to;

send a first message to one of the other network devices in the network,

determine a first time period based on an operating characteristic of the one of the other network devices, and

responsive to the first time period expiring before receiving a response to the first message form the first device, changing a value of at least one of the bits in the respective storage unit.

18. The industrial automation system of claim 17, wherein the operating characteristic comprises an expected response time of the one of the other network devices.

19. The industrial automation system of claim 17, wherein the operating characteristic comprises an expected reset time of the one of the other network devices.

20. The industrial automation system of claim 17, wherein each of the storage units of the plurality of network devices stores data representing the operating characteristic of others of the plurality of network devices.

21. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

generating an electronic data sheet (EDS) file for a device, the EDS file comprising an operating characteristic of the device; and

storing the EDS file.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein generating comprises generating the EDS file such that the operating characteristic is in a comments field of the EDS file.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein generating comprises generating the EDS file such that the operating characteristic is a time-related operating characteristic.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein generating comprises generating the EDS file such that the operating characteristic represents an expected message response time of the device.

25. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

reading an electronic data sheet (EDS) file comprising an operating characteristic of a device; and

storing the operating characteristic separately from the EDS file.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the operating characteristic is in a comments field of the EDS file.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the operating characteristic is a time-related operating characteristic.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the operating characteristic represents an expected message response time of the device.