METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR A FILE SYSTEM ON A PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER

• US 20120290539A1
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Trapp, Lothar, Bryant, William Keith
• Granted Patent: US 9,746,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/661
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for a web browser accessible data file system on a programmable logic controller (PLC). The invention includes a PLC which includes a controller module; a file system module coupled to the controller module and adapted to persistently store archive data files; a memory module that stores binary data coupled to the controller module; and a user program module that stores instructions adapted to be executed by the controller module. The instructions may include creating an archive file in a user application format in the file system module; storing binary data in the memory module; converting the binary data to the user application format of the archive file; and storing the converted binary data as an entry in the archive file in the file system module. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.

Claims

1. A programmable logic controller comprising:

a controller module;

a file system module coupled to the controller module and adapted to persistently store archive data files;

a memory module that stores binary data coupled to the controller module; and

a user program module that stores instructions adapted to be executed by the controller module, the instructions including;

creating an archive file in a user application format in the file system module;

converting binary data stored in the memory module to the user application format of the archive file; and

storing the converted binary data as an entry in the archive file in the file system module.

2. The programmable logic controller of claim 1 wherein the instructions further include:

receiving a request for a listing of archive files from a browser application.

5. The programmable logic controller of claim 1 wherein the instruction for creating an archive file in a user application format in the file system module includes creating a comma separated values (CSV) mime type formatted file.

6. The programmable logic controller of claim 1 wherein the instruction for converting the binary data to the user application format of the archive file includes converting the binary data to CSV formatted data.

7. The programmable logic controller of claim 1 further comprising a web server module adapted to output a web page listing archive files stored in the file system module.

3. The programmable logic controller of claim 3 wherein the instructions further include:

presenting a web page listing archive files in response to the request for a listing of archive files.

4. The programmable logic controller of claim 4 wherein the web page includes a control to open the archive file in a user application.

8. A method for a programmable logic controller, the method comprising:

creating an archive file in a user application format in a persistent file system module of a programmable logic controller;

storing binary data in a memory module of the programmable logic controller;

converting the binary data to the user application format of the archive file; and

storing the converted binary data as an entry in the archive file in the persistent file system module.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a request for a listing of archive files from a browser application.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

presenting a web page listing archive files in response to the request for a listing of archive files.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein present a web page includes present a web page that includes a control to open the archive file in a user application.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein creating an archive file in a user application format in the file system module includes creating a comma separated values (CSV) mime type formatted file.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein converting the binary data to the user application format includes converting the binary data to CSV format data.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising outputting a web page listing archive files stored in the persistent file system module.

15. A web page display comprising:

a listing of archive files stored in a persistent file system module of a programmable logic controller wherein the archive files are generated by converting binary data stored in a memory module of the programmable logic controller; and

controls adapted to allow a user to open the listed archive files directly into in a user application.

16. The web page of claim 15 wherein the archive files listed are stored in a user application format.

17. The web page of claim 16 wherein the user application format is comma separated values mime type format.

18. The web page of claim 15 wherein the web page is generated by a web server in the programmable logic controller.

19. The web page of claim 15 wherein the web page may be displayed on a host computer that includes the programmable logic controller.

20. The web page of claim 15 wherein the programmable logic controller from which the listing of archive files is generated includes a controller module and a user program module for storing instructions adapted to be executed by the controller module.