INDUSTRIAL ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS ADAPTER

• US 20100172372A1
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Inventors: Sichner, Gregg M., Wehrle, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,203,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

Communications adapters and methods are provided for interfacing communications for an EtherNet/Ip or other general purpose industrial network, a Fieldbus or other open protocol device network, and a PointBus or other proprietary network. The adapter may be integrated in a module of a backplane system with connections to the general purpose, proprietary, and open protocol device networks, and provides a bridging for communications across the networks to make devices on the proprietary and open protocol networks accessible as if they were on a single device network and with sequential addressing capabilities.

Claims

1. An industrial control system communications adapter, comprising:

a first connection operatively coupleable to a first open architecture network;

a second connection operatively coupleable to a proprietary protocol network for communicating with at least one device on the proprietary protocol network;

a third connection operatively coupleable to a second open architecture network for communicating with at least one device on the second open architecture network; and

a bridging system operatively coupled with the first, second, and third connections and operative to receive incoming packets from the open architecture and proprietary networks, to construct outgoing packets based at least in part on received incoming packets, and to send constructed outgoing packets to the open architecture and device networks.

2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein at least one of the open architecture networks is an ODVA compliant network.

3. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the open architecture networks are not directly compatible with one another.

4. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the second open architecture network is an open architecture device network.

5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the bridging system is operative to adapt at least one outgoing packet according to network type differences between the network to which the outgoing packet is to be sent and a network from which a corresponding incoming packet is received.

6. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the bridging system is operative to adapt at least one outgoing packet according to network protocol differences between the network to which the outgoing packet is to be sent and a network from which a corresponding incoming packet is received.

7. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the bridging system is operative to adapt at least one outgoing packet according to baud rate differences between the network to which the outgoing packet is to be sent and a network from which a corresponding incoming packet is received.

8. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the bridging system is operative to adapt at least one outgoing packet according to data format differences between the network to which the outgoing packet is to be sent and a network from which a corresponding incoming packet is received.

9. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the bridging system provides sequential addressing for devices on the second open architecture network and the proprietary protocol network.

10. The adapter of claim 1, wherein at least one of the open architecture networks supports common industrial protocol (CIP) messaging.

11. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the bridging system is operative to construct and send outgoing packets to the first open architecture network including data from two or more incoming packets received from at least one of the proprietary protocol network and the second open architecture network.

12. The adapter of claim 11, wherein the bridging system is operative to construct and send a plurality of outgoing packets to at least one of the proprietary protocol network and the second open architecture network including data from a single incoming packet received from the first open architecture network.

13. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the bridging system is operative to construct and send a plurality of outgoing packets to at least one of the proprietary protocol network and the second open architecture network including data from a single incoming packet received from the first open architecture network.

14. An industrial control system communications adapter, comprising:

a first connection operatively coupleable to a first open architecture network;

a second connection operatively coupleable to a proprietary protocol network for communicating with at least one device on the proprietary protocol network;

a third connection operatively coupleable to a second open architecture network for communicating with at least one device on the second open architecture network, the second open architecture network being an open architecture device network not directly compatible with the first open architecture network; and

a bridging system operatively coupled with the first, second, and third connections and providing communications bridging for the general purpose industrial network, the second network, and the third network

15. The adapter of claim 14, wherein at least one of the open architecture networks is an ODVA compliant network.

16. The adapter of claim 14, wherein the bridging system is operative to adapt at least one outgoing packet according to network type differences between the network to which the outgoing packet is to be sent and a network from which a corresponding incoming packet is received.

17. The adapter of claim 14, wherein the bridging system is operative to adapt at least one outgoing packet according to network protocol differences between the network to which the outgoing packet is to be sent and a network from which a corresponding incoming packet is received.

18. The adapter of claim 14, wherein the bridging system is operative to adapt at least one outgoing packet according to baud rate differences between the network to which the outgoing packet is to be sent and a network from which a corresponding incoming packet is received.

19. The adapter of claim 14, wherein the bridging system is operative to adapt at least one outgoing packet according to data format differences between the network to which the outgoing packet is to be sent and a network from which a corresponding incoming packet is received.

20. The adapter of claim 14, wherein the bridging system provides sequential addressing for devices on the second open architecture network and the proprietary protocol network.

21. The adapter of claim 14, wherein at least one of the open architecture networks supports common industrial protocol (CIP) messaging.

22. The adapter of claim 14, wherein the bridging system is operative to construct and send outgoing packets to the first open architecture network including data from two or more incoming packets received from at least one of the proprietary protocol network and the second open architecture network.

23. The adapter of claim 14, wherein the bridging system is operative to construct and send a plurality of outgoing packets to at least one of the proprietary protocol network and the second open architecture network including data from a single incoming packet received from the first open architecture network.