Saving and restoring controller state and context in an open operating system

• US 6,901,298 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Govindaraj, Subbian, Weiland, Mark Joseph, Cisler, Steven Mark, Urdaneta, Shelly Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): VOELTZ, EMANUEL T
• Application Number:
  US10/261,649
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 700/21, 700/79, 700/80, 700/82, 700/286, 700/293, 714/1, 714/3, 714/5, 714/6, 714/15, 714/22, 713/300, 713/340
• US Class Current: 700/21
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/058 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13002 Transfer rom content to ram, load ram from non volatile memory
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/14053 Power failure, loss, abnormal battery
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/14141 Restart
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25289 Energy saving, brown out, standby, sleep, powerdown modus for microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and methodology for saving and restoring controller state and context in an industrial controller. In an aspect of the invention, the industrial controller has a memory module having at least RAM and flash memory. Savings of the state and context is accomplished through writing an image of the RAM to flash memory prior to the power being removed from the RAM. Restoring is accomplished through writing the RAM image in the flash memory back to the RAM after the RAM has been energized.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates retention of data in an industrial controller that employs an open operating system, comprising:

a volatile memory component that stores controller state and context data;

a power monitoring component that monitors power state of the controller;

a non-volatile memory component; and

a processing component that generates an image of the controller state and context data from the volatile memory upon receiving a signal from the power monitoring component that the controller is undergoing a power loss condition, and saves the image in the non-volatile memory component.

2. The system of claim 1, the non-volatile memory component being flash memory.

3. The system of claim 1, the non-volatile memory component being MRAM.

4. The system of claim 1, the power loss condition being a power failure condition.

5. The system of claim 1, the power loss condition being a power suspend condition.

6. The system of claim 1, the power loss condition being an operating system based power shutdown.

7. The system of claim 1, the processing component writing the image from the non-volatile memory back to the volatile memory upon receiving power resumption condition signal from the power monitoring component so as to restore the controller state and context information.

8. The system of claim 1 further including a supplemental power supply that facilitates providing power to the volatile memory for a duration greater than the time required to write the image to the non-volatile memory.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising an image validation component that validates the image upon writing to the non-volatile memory and the volatile memory.

10. The system of claim 9, the image validation component providing instructions to regenerate a new image upon deeming that the present image is corrupt.

11. An industrial controller comprising the system of claim 1.

12. An industrial automation process employing the system of claim 1.

13. A system that facilitates retention of data in an industrial controller that employs an open operating system, comprising:

means for monitoring power state of the controller; and

means for generating an image of controller state and context data from volatile memory of the controller upon receiving a signal from the power monitoring component that the controller is undergoing a power loss condition, and saving the image in a non-volatile memory component.

14. The system of claim 13, the non-volatile memory component being part of the controller.

15. The system of claim 14, the non-volatile memory component residing external to the controller.

16. A method for saving controller state and context data comprising:

utilizing an open operating system for a controller

monitoring a power condition of the controller; and

saving the controller state and context data from a volatile memory component to a flash memory component upon detecting a power loss condition.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating an image of the controller state and context data.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining integrity of the image.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising restoring the image to the volatile memory upon a power up condition of the controller being detected.

20. The method of claim 16, the power loss condition being a power failure.

21. The method of claim 16, the power loss condition being a power suspend state.

22. The method of claim 16, the power loss condition being a normal controller shutdown condition.

23. A system that facilitates retention of data in an industrial controller that employs an open operating system, comprising:

a volatile memory component that stores controller state and context data;

a power monitoring component that monitors power state of the controller;

a non-volatile memory component;

a save component that senses a user initiated controller state and context save, and

a processing component that generates an image of the controller state and context data from the volatile memory upon receiving a signal from the save component that a copy of the image is requested, and saves the image in the non-volatile memory component.

24. The system of claim 23, the non-volatile memory component being flash memory.

25. The system of claim 23, the non-volatile memory component being MRAM.

26. The system of claim 23, the processing component writing the image from the non-volatile memory back to the volatile memory upon receiving power resumption condition signal from the power monitoring component so as to restore the controller state and context information.

27. The system of claim 23 further comprising an image validation component that validates the image upon writing to the non-volatile memory and the volatile memory.

28. The system of claim 23 further comprising an image invalidate component that invalidates the information stored in the non-volatile memory.

29. An industrial controller comprising the system of claim 23.

30. An industrial automation process employing the system of claim 23.

31. A system that facilitates retention of data in an industrial controller that employs an open operating system, comprising:

means for monitoring power state of the controller;

means for sensing a user initiated controller state and context save, and

means for generating an image of controller state and context data from volatile memory of the controller upon receiving a signal from the user initiated controller state and context save sensing means, and saving the image in a non-volatile memory component.

32. The system of claim 31, the non-volatile memory component being part of the controller.

33. The system of claim 31, the non-volatile memory component residing external to the controller.

34. A method for saving controller state and context data comprising:

utilizing an open operating system for a controller

monitoring a power condition of the controller;

sensing a user initiated controller state and context save, and

saving the controller state and context data from a volatile memory component to a flash memory component upon sensing a user initiated controller state and context save condition.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising generating an image of the controller state and context data.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising determining integrity of the image.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising restoring the image to the volatile memory upon a power up condition of the controller being detected.