Automation Appliance and Method for Accelerated Processing of Selected Process Data

• US 20110283027A1
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (WAGO Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (WAGO Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Kirste, Hans-Herbert, Koopmann, Sebastian, Buesching, Dirk, Wetter, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/105
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25145 I-O communicates with local bus at one end and with fieldbus at other end
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4054 where the function is bus cycle extension, e.g. to meet the timing requirements of the target bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems

Abstract

An automation appliance (6) having at least one field bus interface (12) for connection to a field bus (2) and transmission of data packets (DP) with process data (PD) via the field bus (2) and having at least one local bus interface (21) for connection to a local bus (7) and transmission of process data (PD) between field devices (9a, 9b, 9c) connected to the local bus (7) and the automation appliance (6), and having means for converting the data packets (DP) coming from the field bus (2) into a data stream (DS) for the local bus (7) and for converting the data stream (DS) sent from the local bus (7) to the automation appliance (6) into data packets (DP) for the field bus (2) is described. The automation appliance (6) has an acceleration unit (10) for selecting process data (PD_S) that are to be converted in accelerated fashion and for separately converting the selected process data (PD_S), which acceleration unit is set up such that the selected process data (PD_S) are output at an earlier time than unselected process data (PD_N) which are transmitted as well in combination with the selected process data (PD_S).

Claims

1. Automation appliance (6) having at least one field bus interface (12) for connection to a field bus (2) and transmission of data packets (DP) with process data (PD) via the field bus (2) and having at least one local bus interface (21) for connection to a local bus (7) and transmission of process data (PD) between field devices (9a, 9b, 9c) connected to the local bus (7) and the automation appliance (6), and having means for converting the data packets (DP) coming from the field bus (2) into a data stream (DS) for the local bus (7) and for converting the data stream (DS) sent from the local bus (7) to the automation appliance (6) into data packets (DP) for the field bus (2), characterized in that the automation appliance (6) has an acceleration unit (10) for selecting process data (PD_S) that are to be converted in accelerated fashion and for separately converting the selected process data (PD_S), which acceleration unit is set up such that the selected process data (PD_S) are output at an earlier time than unselected process data (PD_N) which are transmitted as well in combination with the selected process data (PD_S).

2. Automation appliance (6) according to claim 1, characterized in that the automation appliance (6) is set up to check the correctness of the received data packets (DP) and/or data streams (DS) and the selected process data (PD_S) are output only after correctness has been established.

3. Automation appliance (6) according to claim 1, characterized in that the automation appliance (6) is set up to select and output the selected process data (PD_S) in each transmission cycle of a data packet (DP) or data stream (DS) and process the unselected process data (PD_N) only in the event of update requests.

4. Automation appliance (6) according to claim 1, characterized in that the acceleration unit (10) is designed to select the process data (PD) as hardware logic with a state recognition unit (17) for recognizing the state of the presence of process data (PD_S) that are to be processed in accelerated fashion from data packets (DP) or data streams (DS), and in that the automation appliance (6) is set up to process the unselected process data (PD_N) using software with a processor-controlled processing unit (18), while the selected process data (PD_S) are processed using hardware logic more quickly than the unselected process data (PD_N) which are transmitted as well in combination with these selected process data (PD_S).

5. Automation appliance (6) according to claim 1, characterized in that a field bus controller (13b) having an integrated acceleration unit (10) is connected in parallel with a field bus controller (13a) without an acceleration unit (10).

6. Automation appliance (6) according to claim 1, characterized in that the automation appliance (6) has at least one direct interface (22) for connection of field devices (9) and is set up to output selected process data (PD_S) via the at least one direct interface (22) directly field devices (9) connected to the at least one direct interface (22) and/or to process signals which are present on at least one direct interface (22) and to convert such signals into selected process data (PD_S) for the purpose of accelerated incorporation into data packets (DP) for the field bus (2) at an earlier time than unselected process data (PD_N) arriving in the same period via the local bus (7).

7. Method for the accelerated processing of selected process data (PD_S) from a data packet (PD) and/or data stream (DS), characterized by

observation of a data stream (DS) on a local bus (7), which an automation appliance (6) coupled to a field bus (2) uses to communicate with at least one input and/or output module (8a, 8b, 8c) for the purpose of connection to at least one field device (9a, 9b, 9c), or of data packets (DP) on a field bus (2),

selection of process data (PD_S) that are to be processed in accelerated fashion from the observed data packets (DP) and/or data streams (DS),

processing of the selected process data (PD_S) separately from unselected process data (PD_N) which have been transmitted in combination with the selected process data (PD_S), and

output of the selected process data (PD_S) at an earlier time than the unselected process data (PD_N) which are transmitted as well in combination.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized by incorporation of the selected process data into data packets (DP) for the field bus (2) or data stream (DS) for the local bus (7) at an earlier time than the unselected process data (PD_N) which are transmitted as well in combination.

9. Method according to claim 7, characterized by checking of the correctness of the received data packets (DP) and/or data streams (DS) and incorporation of the selected process data (PD_S) following establishment of the correctness of the associated data packet (DP) or data stream (DS) in which the selected process data (PD_S) were transmitted.

10. Method according to claim 7, characterized by selection and output of the selected process data (PD_S) in each transmission cycle of a data packet (DP) or data stream (DS) and processing of the unselected process data (PD_N) only in the event of update requests.

11. Method according to claim 7, characterized by output of selected process data (PD_S) to at least one direct interface (22) of the automation appliance (6) for the purpose of direct transmission to a field device (9) which can be connected to the direct interface (22) and/or accelerated conversion of signals which are present on at least one direct interface (22) from field devices (9) which are connected directly to the direct interface (22) into selected process data (PD_S) and incorporation of the selected process data (PD_S) into data packets (DP) for the field bus (2) at an earlier time than unselected process data (PD_N) arriving in the same period via the local bus (7).