ARRANGEMENT, FIELDBUS ACCESS UNIT, AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM

• US 20200133221A1
• Filed: 03/12/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG
• Original Assignee: Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG
• Inventors: Bunzli Wurzer, Jurg, Hoferlin, Wolfgang, Luber, Werner, Mayer, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 11,650,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/058 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23406 Programmer device, portable, handheld detachable programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25011 Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33331 Test, diagnostic of field device for correct device, correct parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4247 on a daisy chain bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information

Abstract

The present disclosure resides in a method for monitoring an automated plant, which has a fieldbus access unit connected with a first communication network, wherein the first communication network has a plurality of field devices and network nodes, wherein a communication driver, which runs in a first frame application, which is implemented in a client computer connected with the fieldbus access unit via a second communication network, queries structure data of network nodes and field devices present in the first communication network, wherein the structure data are generated by the fieldbus access unit in the context of the query by scanning the address space of the network level and determining the network nodes and field devices present in the address space. The present disclosure further resides in a fieldbus access unit and an arrangement, comprising a client computer and a fieldbus access unit.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method for monitoring an automated plant having a first communication network having a plurality of field devices and a plurality of network nodes connected to the first communication network, the method comprising:

connecting a fieldbus access unit to the first communication network;

connecting a client computer to the fieldbus access unit via a second communication network, wherein the client computer includes a first frame application having a communication driver;

scanning an address space of at least one network level and determining the network nodes and the field devices present in the address space;

querying structure data of network nodes and field devices present in the at least one network level of the first communication network;

generating the structure data by the fieldbus access unit in the context of the query.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

automatically generating and transmitting the structure data of the at least one network level of the first communication network by the fieldbus access unit upon start of the first frame application.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

generating the structure data of a total first communication network supplementally to the structure data of the at least one network level and transmitting the structure data of the total first communication network to the client computer by the fieldbus access unit.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

adding to the structure data network addresses and identification data of the determined network nodes and field devices by the fieldbus access unit before the transmitting of the structure data.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

establishing a communication channel between the client computer and one of the determined network nodes and field devices, wherein the communication channel is established using the identification data and the network address of the respective network node or field device, and wherein the communication channel is via the fieldbus access unit; and

servicing the network node or field device to which communication is established using the first frame application.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

loading into the first frame application a device driver appropriate for the network node or field device for servicing the network node or field device.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

visualizing the determined network nodes and field devices in the first frame application according to the transmitted structure data.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the determined network nodes and field devices are visualized in a network topology which provides a sorting and structuring of the network nodes and field devices corresponding to their network addresses.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the determined network nodes and field devices are visualized in a plant topology, wherein the plant topology provides a sorting and structuring of the network nodes and field devices corresponding to plant parts in which the network nodes and field devices are applied.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

selecting a network node or a field device in the visualization; and

newly generating, transmitting, and visualizing the structure data of additional network levels of the first communication network connected with the network nodes.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:

servicing the field device or the network node after its selection in the visualization in the first frame application.

26. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the structure data are transmitted to the client computer in a structured text format, in an XML data format, in an SQL data format, or in a JavaScript Object Notation data format.

27. A fieldbus access unit, comprising:

a first network connection embodied to connect to a first communication network, wherein the first communication network is a fieldbus of automation technology;

a second network connection embodied to connect to a second communication network, wherein the second communication network is an internet or intranet connection;

a computing unit embodied to manage the first network connection and the second network connection, and

a frame application, wherein the frame application is embodied to execute in the computing unit, and wherein the frame application is configured to;

connect to a first communication network having a plurality of field devices and a plurality of network nodes connected to the first network;

connect to a second communication network having a client computer running a frame application;

receive a query from a client computer, wherein the query directs the fieldbus access unit to query structure data of network nodes and field devices present in at least one network level of the first communication network;

scan an address space of the at least one network level and determine the network nodes and the field devices present in the address space, wherein the scanning is performed by the fieldbus access unit in response to the query;

generate in the context of the query structure data of the network nodes and the field devices present in the address space; and

transmit the structure data to the client computer via the second communication network.

28. An arrangement, comprising:

a fieldbus access unit including;

a first network connection embodied to connect to a first communication network, wherein the first communication network is a fieldbus of automation technology;

a second network connection embodied to connect to a second communication network, wherein the second communication network is an internet or intranet connection;

a computing unit embodied to manage the first network connection and the second network connection; and

a frame application, wherein the frame application is embodied to execute in the computing unit, and wherein the frame application is configured to;

connect to a first communication network having a plurality of field devices and a plurality of network nodes connected to the first network;

connect to a second communication network having a client computer running a frame application;

receive a query from a client computer, wherein the query directs the fieldbus access unit to query structure data of network nodes and field devices present in at least one network level of the first communication network;

scan an address space of at least one network level and determine the network nodes and the field devices present in the address space, wherein the scanning is performed by the fieldbus access unit in response to the query;

generate in the context of the query structure data of the network nodes and the field devices present in the address space; and

transmit the structure data to the client computer via the second communication network;

a client computer having a first frame application, wherein the first frame application includes a communication driver;

a first communication network having a plurality of field devices and a plurality of network nodes connected to the first communication network, wherein the field access unit is connected to the first communication network; and

a second communication network, wherein the field access unit and the client computer are connected to each other via the second communication network.