Plant management system

• US 4,607,256 A
• Filed: 10/07/1983
• Issued: 08/19/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Henzel, Russell A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WELDON, ULYSSES
• Application Number:
  US06/540,061
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.05, 340/825.01, 340/825.52, 340/825.22, 340/825.07, 340/825.17, 370/85, 364/131-134, 364/146, 364/431.01, 364/138, 364/184-188, 371/16, 371/18, 371/26
• US Class Current: 340/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/417 with deterministic access, e.g. token passing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A plant management system is provided. The system includes one or more digital process control and data acquisition subsystems and a plant control network. Each control subsystem includes a data highway, and process control, and process interface units. The plant control network is a token-passing distributed plant control network in which a plurality of physical modules communicate with one another over a plant control bus. While there are limited number of different types with each type having different functions, all physical modules have common units, one of which is a module central processor unit. Both the number of modules and the number of types of modules of a plant control network have both a maximum and a minimum. Reliability of the plant management system is improved by a provision for redundancy at the physical module level. One type of physical module provides data communication and translation facilities between the plant control network bus and the data highway of a control subsystem. Another type of module provides a universal operator station at which is available all information and capabilities needed by an operator to operate a plant.

Claims

1. A plant management system, comprising:

a digital process control and data acquisition subsystem including process controller and process interface units and a data highway, said units communicting with one another by means of the data highway; and

a token-passing plant control network, said network including;

communication bus means;

a plurality of module means of differing types communicating with one another by transmitting and receiving binary signals over the bus means;

one type of said module means providing communication between modules of the control network and units of said subsystem utilizing the data highway of said subsystem; and

a second type of said module means providing a plant-wide operator control station.

2. A plant management system as defined in claim 1 in which for each type of module means one of each of said types is designated as a primary module means for performing a given set of functions, and one or more module means of the same type are designated as a backup module means, a backup module means taking over the functions of its primary module means when the primary fails.

3. A plant management system as defined in claim 2 in which the communication means transmits binary signals, bit serially.

4. A plant management system as defined in claim 3 in which the communication means is a coaxial cable.

5. A plant management system as defined in claim 4 in which the communication means is dual redundant and is comprised of two coaxial cables.

6. A plant management syste as defined in claim 2 in which each module means includes transceiver means, bus interface means, module bus means, module central processor means, and module memory means.

7. A plant management system as defined in claim 6 in which the control network further including a third type of module means in which the module central processor means provides the data-processing support for the process controller units of the digital process control and data acquisition subsystem.

8. A plant management system as defined in claim 6 in which the plant control network further includes a fourth type of module means for storing large amounts of digital data.

9. A plant control managerial system as defined in claim 6 in which the control network further includes a fifth type of module means which includes a general-purpose, digital data-processing system.

10. A plant management system comprising:

a digital process control and data acquisition subsystem including a data highway, process controller, and process interface units which communicate over said data highway; and

a token-passing plant control network, said network including;

plant control bus means;

"m" module means of "p" different types which communicate with one another by transmitting and receiving binary signals over the bus means, where "m" and "p" are integers greater than zero, and m is greater than p, each of said module means including module bus means, module central processor means, and module memory means;

highway gateway type module means for providing communication between the bus means and the data highway of said subsystem so that the modules of the control network can communicate with units of said subsystem; and

universal operator station type module means for providing an interface between the plant management system and a human operator.

11. A plant management system as defined in claim 10 in which the control network further includes computer type module means for providing a large-scale, general-purpose digital data-processing capability.

12. A plant management system as defined in claim 10 in which for each type of module means one module of each of said types is designated as a primary module means for performing a given set of functions and one or more module means of the same type are backup module means which assume the functions of their primary when the primary fails.

13. A plant management system as defined in claim 12 in which more than one module means of a given type can be designated as a primary module means, and each such primary module means can have one or more backup module means.

14. A plant management system as defined in claim 13 in which the binary signals transmitted over the bus means are transmitted serially.

15. A plant management system as defined in claim 14 in which the bus means is a coaxial cable.

16. A plant management system as defined in claim 15 in which the communication means is dual redundant and is comprised of two coaxial cables.

17. A plant management system as defined in claim 16 in which each module further includes a pair of transceiver means and bus interface means, one of said transceiver means connecting one coaxial cable of the bus means to its associated bus interface unit, and the second transceiver connecting the second coaxial cable to the bus interface unit, the bus interface unit being operationally connected to the module bus means of the module.

18. A plant management system as defined in claim 17 in which the maximum value of "m" is sixty-four and the minimum value is two, and the maximum value of "p" is five and the minimum value is two.