Apparatus and method for sharing data among a plurality of control devices on a communications network

• US 6,169,928 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Fanuc Automation North America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GE Fanuc Automation North America Incorporated
• Inventors: Olson, Ronald Wayne, Spencer, Andrew Edward, Cinalli, Anthony Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/109,245
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/2, 700/7-10, 700/20
• US Class Current: 700/7
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25144 Between microcomputers, processors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25149 Receiver detects communication error and requests emitter to retransmit data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A networked system is provided for connecting a plurality of programmable logic controllers together in a manner which more efficiently uses available network bandwidth. The network includes a producer controller and at least one consumer controller. The producer controller shares a portion of its internal memory with other consumer controllers on the network. In this manner, a data sample is sent from the producer controller to one or more consumer controllers. The consumer controllers check to determine if data samples are lost during transmission over the network and initiate responsive corrective action.

Claims

1. A system of programmable logic controllers communicating with each other under a predetermined communications protocol, the system comprising:

a plurality of programmable logic controllers including a producer controller and at least one consumer controller; and

a communications network connecting the producer controller to the consumer controller, the producer controller taking a data sample and transmitting the data sample to the consumer controller over the network, the consumer controller checking for loss of data samples transmitted from the producer controller to the consumer controller.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the producer controller generates a multiple field produced data exchange definition including at least a producer ID, an exchange ID and a destination address.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the consumer controller includes a multiple field consumed data exchange definition including at least a producer ID and an exchange ID.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the consumer controller accepts a received data sample if the producer ID and exchange ID of the received data sample match the producer ID and exchange ID expected by the consumer controller.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications network is an Ethernet LAN with internet protocol.

6. A method of communicating among a plurality of programmable logic controllers under a predetermined communications protocol, the plurality of programmable logic controllers including a producer controller and at least one consumer controller, the method comprising:

networking the plurality of programmable logic controllers together;

sampling data by the producer controller to generate a data sample;

transmitting by the producer controller of the data sample over the network to the at least one consumer controller; and

checking by the at least one consumer controller for loss of the data sample.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of generating by the producer controller a multiple field produced data exchange definition including at least a producer ID, an exchange ID and a destination address.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of storing in the consumer controller a multiple field consumed data exchange definition including at least a producer ID and an exchange ID.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of the consumer controller accepting a received data sample if the producer ID and exchange ID of the received data sample match the producer ID and exchange ID expected by the consumer controller.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the communications network is an Ethernet LAN with internet protocol.