Network-field interface for manufacturing systems
First Claim
1. A network-field interface, hereinafter referred to as an NFI, intended for digitally interfacing at least one host computer on a network to at least one field device, the network operating with a predetermined communications protocol including READ and WRITE services, the NFI comprising:
- (a) I/O port means for connection to the at least one field device and including at least one parallel I/O port and at least one I/O serial port;
(b) communication means to facilitate communication between the network and the interface;
(c) data processing means;
(d) memory means accessible to both the communication means and the data processing means; and
(e) program means resident in the memory means and executable by the data processing means to map the READ and WRITE services onto the I/O port means, said program means including means for creating a respective data set corresponding to said at least one parallel I/O port and a respective data set corresponding to said at least one serial I/O port, the parallel I/O data set including a multi-element array of boolean values corresponding to the parallel I/O port and also including a further boolean variable to indicate whether the connections in its parallel I/O port are inputs or outputs, whereby the host computer is able to READ and WRITE directly to the I/O port means through the communication means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network-field interface, termed an NFI, is intended for digitally interfacing at least one host computer on a network to at least one field device. The network operates with a predetermined communications protocol including READ and WRITE services. The NFI comprises I/O ports for connection to the field devices, a modem to facilitate communication between the network and the interface, a CPU, volatile and non-volatile memory accessible to both the modem and the CPU, and program modules resident in the memory. The program modules are executable by the CPU to map the READ and WRITE services of the network onto the NFI'"'"'s I/O ports. In this way the host computer is able to READ and WRITE directly to the I/O ports through the modem.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A network-field interface, hereinafter referred to as an NFI, intended for digitally interfacing at least one host computer on a network to at least one field device, the network operating with a predetermined communications protocol including READ and WRITE services, the NFI comprising:
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(a) I/O port means for connection to the at least one field device and including at least one parallel I/O port and at least one I/O serial port; (b) communication means to facilitate communication between the network and the interface; (c) data processing means; (d) memory means accessible to both the communication means and the data processing means; and (e) program means resident in the memory means and executable by the data processing means to map the READ and WRITE services onto the I/O port means, said program means including means for creating a respective data set corresponding to said at least one parallel I/O port and a respective data set corresponding to said at least one serial I/O port, the parallel I/O data set including a multi-element array of boolean values corresponding to the parallel I/O port and also including a further boolean variable to indicate whether the connections in its parallel I/O port are inputs or outputs, whereby the host computer is able to READ and WRITE directly to the I/O port means through the communication means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A network-field interface, hereinafter referred to as an NFI, intended for digitally interfacing at least one host computer on a network to at least one field device having internal data locations, the network operating with a predetermined communications protocol including READ and WRITE services, the NFI comprising:
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(a) I/O port means for connection to the at least one field device; (b) communication means to facilitate communication between the network and the interface; (c) data processing means; (d) memory means accessible to both the communication means and the data processing means; and (e) program means resident in the memory means and executable by the data processing means to map the READ and WRITE services onto the I/O port means, whereby the host computer is able to READ and WRITE directly to the I/O port means through the communication means, the program means including a program module for mapping the READ and WRITE services of the network communications protocol through the I/O port means of the NFI onto designated data locations within said at least one field device, and means for a host computer in communication with the NFI to define a plurality of variables within the program module such that the variables can be mapped onto said internal data locations of said at least one field device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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24. A network-field interface, hereinafter referred to as an NFI, intended for digitally interfacing at least one host computer on a network to at least one field device having internal data locations, the network operating with a predetermined communications protocol including READ and WRITE services, the NFI comprising:
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(a) I/O port means for connection to the at least one field device; (b) communication means to facilitate communication between the network and the interface; (c) data processing means; (d) memory means accessible to both the communication means and the data processing means; and (e) program means resident in the memory means and executable by the data processing means to map the READ and WRITE services onto the I/O port means, whereby the host computer is able to READS and WRITE directly to the I/O port means through the communication means, the program means including a protocol program for a communications protocol applicable to the at least one field device and means for the host computer in communication with the NFI to define a plurality of variables within the program means in terms of address information, the address information defining locations within the at least one field device of data corresponding to the variables, and further means to pass the address information to the protocol program whenever a host computer requests one of the READ and WRITE services in respect of the at least one field device, whereby the READ and WRITE services of the network communications protocol are mapped through the I/O port means of the NFI onto the data locations within the at least one field device.
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Specification