Process control configuration system for use with a profibus device network

• US 6,449,715 B1
• Filed: 10/04/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Krivoshein, Kenneth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/412,037
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 700/1-7, 700/75
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25021 Profibus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25057 Configuration stored in distributed database for real time use
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31103 Configure parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31121 Fielddevice, field controller, interface connected to fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31135 Fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31138 Profibus process fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A configuration system for use in a process control network having a controller, a first device network that communicates using a first input/output protocol, such as a Fieldbus or a HART device protocol, and a Profibus network that communicates using a Profibus input/output communication protocol includes a configuration database that stores configuration information pertaining to the first device network and configuration information pertaining to the Profibus device network, a data access routine that automatically requests configuration information pertaining to the first device network and configuration information pertaining to the Profibus device network and a configurator that configures the Profibus device network based on the Profibus device network configuration information. The configurator stores the Profibus device network configuration information in the configuration database along with configuration information pertaining to the first device network. A documentation routine accesses the configuration database to display a process control documentation schematic illustrating the configuration of the first device network and the Profibus device network within the process control system.

Claims

1. A configuration system for use in a process control network having a controller, a first device network that communicates using a first input/output protocol and a second device network that communicates using a Profibus input/output communication protocol, the configuration system comprising:

a configuration database;

a data access routine that obtains first device network configuration information pertaining to the first device network and second device network configuration information pertaining to the Profibus device network; and

a configurator that configures the Profibus device network based on the Profibus device network configuration information;

wherein said first device network configuration information and said Profibus device network configuration information is stored in the configuration database.

2. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the configurator also configures the first device network based on the first device network configuration information.

3. The configuration system of claim 2, wherein the first device network is a Fieldbus device network.

4. The configuration system of claim 2, wherein the first device network is a HART device network.

5. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine includes a file access routine that accesses a GSD file associated with a first device within the Profibus device network to obtain at least some of the Profibus device network configuration information.

6. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the configuration database is an object-oriented database.

7. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine includes a template for the Profibus device network, said template storing indications of the Profibus device network configuration information needed to be obtained for the Profibus device network to configure the Profibus device network.

8. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a family of devices associated with the Profibus device network.

9. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a manufacturer of devices associated with the Profibus device network.

10. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a model of a device associated with the Profibus device network.

11. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a device revision of a model of a device associated with the Profibus device network.

12. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a parameter of a device associated with the Profibus device network.

13. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a module of a device associated with the Profibus device network.

14. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a parameter of a module associated with the Profibus device network.

15. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a signal of a module associated with the Profibus device network.

16. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a slot of a device associated with the Profibus device network, wherein said slot is indicative a location in which a Profibus device module may reside.

17. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses information pertaining to a device signal tag of a module associated with the Profibus device network.

18. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine accesses a hierarchy of information pertaining to a device within the Profibus device network.

19. The configuration system of claim 18, wherein the hierarchy includes information pertaining to the device, a module of the device, and a signal associated with the module of the device.

20. The configuration system of claim 19, wherein the hierarchy includes a signal tag for the signal, said signal tag capable of being used by the controller to perform a control routine.

21. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the Profibus device network includes a Profibus master I/O device, wherein the configurator is a Profibus configurator and wherein the configurator uses the Profibus device network configuration information to configure the Profibus master I/O device.

22. The configuration system of claim 21, wherein the configurator maps a signal defined by a signal tag within the Profibus device network configuration information to a memory location within the Profibus master I/O device.

23. The configuration system of claim 21, wherein the configurator determines a parameterization data string and a configuration data string to be used by the Profibus master I/O device to configure the Profibus device network.

24. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the configurator stores auto-sensing software in the Profibus master I/O device and uses the auto-sensing software to auto-sense the presence of one or more devices connected on the Profibus device network.

25. The configuration system of claim 1, further including a documentation routine that displays a configuration schematic of the process control network based on the configuration data stored in the configuration database.

26. The configuration system of claim 25, wherein the displayed configuration schematic is a windows-explorer-type schematic.

27. The configuration system of claim 25, wherein the configuration schematic includes a system configuration section having a first portion illustrating the configuration of the first device network and a second portion illustrating the Profibus device network.

28. The configuration system of claim 1, wherein the data access routine creates a device definition for a Profibus device and the configurator uses the device definition to configure the Profibus device network.

29. A method of configuring a process control system including a controller, a first device network that uses a first communication protocol and a Profibus device network which has a Profibus device connected to a Profibus I/O card and which uses a Profibus communication protocol, the method including the steps of:

creating a device definition associated with the Profibus device for storage in a configuration database, said device definition including information pertaining to a signal associated with the Profibus device;

using a configuration documentation system to associate an indication of the Profibus device with a port of a Profibus I/O card to reflect the actual connection of the Profibus device to the process control system;

assigning a signal tag for the signal associated with the Profibus device as connected within the process control system;

downloading a configuration of the port of the Profibus I/O card to the Profibus I/O card; and

configuring a control application to be run in the controller to use the signal by specifying the signal tag to be used by the control application.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of creating a device definition includes the step of using a GSD file related to the Profibus device.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of creating a device definition includes the step of building a list of one or modules associated with the Profibus device and one or more signals for each of the one or more of the modules associated with the Profibus device.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of creating a device definition includes the step of specifying a manufacturer, a model, and a revision of the Profibus device.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of creating a device definition includes the step of specifying a value for a parameter associated with the Profibus device.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of using the configuration documentation system includes the step of specifying an address for the Profibus device within the Profibus device network.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of using the configuration documentation system includes the step of specifying an order of a plurality of modules associated with the Profibus device.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of downloading the configuration of the port includes the step of configuring the Profibus I/O card to communicate with the Profibus device via the port.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of downloading the configuration of the port includes the step of mapping the signal defined by the signal tag to a memory location within the Profibus I/O card.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of downloading the configuration of the port includes the step of determining a parameterization data string and a configuration data string to be used by the Profibus I/O device to configure the Profibus device.

39. The method of claim 29, further including the step of storing the device definition in the configuration database.

40. The method of claim 29, further including the step of illustrating the connection of the Profibus device to the process control system in conjunction with illustrating the first device network.

41. The method of claim 29, further including the step of storing configuration data for the Profibus device network and configuration data for the first device network as objects in an object oriented database.

42. A configuration system for use in a process control network having a controller, a first device network that communicates using a first input/output protocol and a Profibus device network that communicates using a Profibus input/output communication protocol, the configuration system comprising:

a configuration database that stores configuration information pertaining to the first device network and configuration information pertaining to the Profibus device network;

a data acquisition routine that builds a device definition for a Profibus device for storage in the configuration database, said device definition including information pertaining to a signal associated with the Profibus device;

a configuration documentation system that enables a user to indicate a desired configuration by associating an indication of the Profibus device with a port of a Profibus I/O card to reflect the actual connection of the Profibus device to the process control network;

a configurator that configures the Profibus device network based on the device definition of the Profibus device and on the indicated desired configuration.

43. The configuration system of claim 42, wherein the data acquisition routine assigns a signal tag for the signal associated with the Profibus device.

44. The configuration system of claim 42, wherein the configurator downloads a configuration of the Profibus I/O card to the Profibus I/O card based on the device definition for the Profibus device.

45. The configuration system of claim 42, wherein the data acquisition routine acquires device definition data pertaining to the Profibus device from a GSD file related to the Profibus device.

46. The configuration system of claim 42, wherein the data acquisition routine builds the device definition by building a list of one or modules associated with the Profibus device and one or more signals for each of the one or more of the modules associated with the Profibus device.

47. The configuration system of claim 46, wherein the data acquisition routine enables a user to specify a value for a parameter associated with the Profibus device.

48. The configuration system of claim 42, wherein the data acquisition routine enables a user to specify an address for the Profibus device within the Profibus device network.

49. The configuration system of claim 42, wherein the configurator downloads the configuration of the port by mapping the signal to a memory location within the Profibus I/O card.

50. The configuration system of claim 42, wherein the configurator determines a parameterization data string and a configuration data string to be used by the Profibus I/O device to configure the Profibus device.