Method of allocating computer addresses to units of a system for running an industrial installation

• US 6,581,107 B1
• Filed: 07/27/1999
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alstom Entreprise SA Le Sertant
• Original Assignee: Alstom Entreprise Co.
• Inventors: Deac, Cornelius
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US09/361,206
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/246, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses

Abstract

A method of allocating computer addresses between units of an industrial installation connected to a local communications architecture and using the IP, TCP, and UDP protocols. The method provides the following steps:

a unit broadcasts a request frame including a UDP port address specific to the unit, a UDP port address of an address allocation unit, and an address request;

the allocation unit takes the request into account on recognizing its own port address;

the allocation unit broadcasts a frame including its own IP address and the UDP port address of the requesting unit;

the IP address of the allocation unit is taken into account by the requesting unit on recognizing its own port address; and

the requesting unit determines its IP address by substituting its own hardware address for the hardware address of the allocation unit in its IP address.

Claims

1. A method of allocating computer addresses to units of a system for running an industrial installation, the units being interconnected by a local communications architecture, the method being applicable to units which are originally provided with a hardware address in digital form, the method comprising:

broadcasting an address request fame over the local communications architecture by a requesting unit seeking to obtain its own computer address, said address request frame including a destination UDP pots address relating to one of the units acting as an address allocator in the local architecture, a source UDP port address specific to the requesting unit, mid data characteristic of an address request;

receiving the request in an application in the allocation unit, said application recognizing the UDP port address that belongs to said allocation unit;

said allocation unit broadcasting an allocation frame having the same structure as the request frame over the local communications architecture, said allocation frame including the UDP port address of the requesting unit, at a destination level, and data corresponding to an allocation unit IP address;

receiving the data corresponding to the IP address of the allocation unit in the requesting unit on the requesting unit recognizing its own UDP port address in the destination level of the broadcast allocation frame,

wherein the requesting unit assigns its own IP address for storage and operating purposes by taking into account the IP address data received from the allocation unit on recognizing its own port address, by substituting hardware address data specific to the requesting unit for the hardware address data of the allocation unit in the IP address as communicated for said allocation unit.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the allocation and request frames include a substantially identical header comprising:

a physical address and a destination IP address characteristic of a broadcast;

a source IP address relating to a source considered unknown in the context of a request frame and relating to the allocation unit in the context of an allocation frame;

a destination UDP port address relating to the allocation unit in the context of a request frame and to the address requesting unit in the context of an allocation frame;

a source UDP port address relating to the requesting unit in the context of a request frame and relating to the allocation unit in the context of an allocation frame; and

a data byte characteristic of an address request in the context of a request frame and corresponding to the hardware address of the allocation unit in the context of an allocation frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said units are suitable for communicating between one another by using the IP, TCP, and UDP protocols after each of said units has obtained an IP computer address including a header made up of data relating to the network address of the local communications architecture followed by address data individual to the sending unit.

4. A system of allocating computer addresses to units that are interconnected and originally provided with a hardware address in digital form, for running an industrial installation, comprising:

a requesting unit, positioned in a local network, that broadcasts a request to obtain its computer address, said request including a destination UDP port address relating to one of the units acting as an address allocator in the local network, a source UDP port address specific to the requesting unit, and data characteristic of an address request; and

an allocation unit that receives said request in an application that recognizes the UDP port address that belongs to said allocation unit, and broadcasts a response to said local network, said response including an IP address of said allocation unit and the UDP port address of the requesting unit at a destination level, wherein said application substitutes a hardware address of said IP address with hardware address data of said requesting unit to generate said computer address,

wherein the requesting unit receives said IP address when said requesting unit recognizes its own UDP port address in said destination level, and assigns its own IP address for storage and operating purposes, taking into account the IP address received from the allocation unit on recognizing its own port address, by substituting hardware address data specific to the requesting unit for the hardware address of the allocation unit in the IP address as communicated for said allocation unit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said request comprises:

a destination UDP port address relating to one of a plurality of units in said local network that acts as an address allocator;

a source UDP port address specific to said requesting unit; and

data characteristic of said request.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said response comprises:

said UDP port of said requesting unit; and

data corresponding to said IP address of said allocation unit.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising at least one of a sensor and an actuator coupled to said requesting unit.

8. The system of claim 4, further comprising a router coupled between said requesting unit and said allocation unit, wherein said router communicates with said requesting unit via a bus and with said allocation unit with Ethernet connection.

9. The system of claim 4, further comprising a local operator station coupled to said requesting unit via a bus.