Method and apparatus for an active standby control system on a network

• US 6,968,242 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2000
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Automation Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Automation Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Kryger, David L., Ward, Jay, Hwu, Nan Shan
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ DAPLE, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US09/707,604
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 710/302, 700/2, 700/82, 713/100, 714/4, 714/11, 714/13
• US Class Current: 700/82
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/058 Safety, monitoring

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an active standby control system comprising the steps of providing a first and second controller, each controller having an operating state. Each controller is operably connected to a network. Assigning a network identifier, i.e., Internet Protocol, Media Access Control address, etc., to each controller and sensing the operating state of each controller. The network identifier of each controller is determined by the operating state of each respective controller.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a host processor;

a first controller communicatively coupled to the host processor, the first controller being associated with a first network identifier, the first controller including a first central processing unit module connected to a second module via a first backplane;

a second controller communicatively coupled to the host processor, the second controller being associated with a second network identifier, the second controller including a third central processing unit module connected to a fourth module via a second backplane; and

a fiber optic cable connecting the first module of the first controller and the third module of the second controller;

wherein the first controller is programmed to transfer the first network identifier to the second controller via the fiber optic cable and not via either one of the first backplane and the second backplane, the transfer being in response to detecting an error associated with the first controller.

2. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first module of the first controller comprises:

a processor;

a co-processor;

an operating system executed by the processor; and

,

a co-operating system executed by the co-processor wherein the operating system and the co-operating system cooperate to transfer data between the first module of the first controller and the third module of the second controller.

3. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first controller comprises a network module and the first network identifier is determined by an operating state of the first controller.

4. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first controller comprises a remote IO head operably connected to a remote IO drop.

5. A control system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first network identifier comprises an Internet Protocol address.

6. A control system comprising:

a host processor;

a first controller communicatively coupled to the host processor, the first controller being associated with a first network identifier, the first controller being connected to a first backplane and including a first computer processing unit module;

a second controller communicatively coupled to the host processor, the second controller being associated with a second network identifier, the second controller being connected to a second backplane and including a first computer processing unit module; and

a fiber optic cable connecting the first computer processing unit module of the first controller and the first computer processing unit module of the second controller;

wherein the first controller is programmed to transfer the first network identifier to the second controller via the fiber optic cable and not via either one of the first backplane and the second backplane, the transfer being in response to detecting an error associated with the first controller.

7. A control system as defined in claim 6, wherein the first computer processing unit module of the first controller comprises:

a processor;

a co-processor;

an operating system executed by the processor; and

a co-operating system executed by the co-processor wherein the operating system and the co-operating system cooperate to transfer data between the first controller and the second controller.

8. A control system as defined in claim 6, wherein the first controller comprises a network module and the first network identifier is determined by an operating state of the first controller.

9. A control system as defined in claim 6, wherein the first controller comprises a remote IO head operably connected to a remote IO drop.

10. A control system as defined in claim 6, wherein the first network identifier comprises an Internet Protocol address.

11. An active standby control system comprising:

a host processor unit;

a first controller communicatively coupled to the host processor unit, the first controller including a first module having a processor and a transfer port, and a second module connected to the first module by a backplane, the first controller further communicatively coupled to a plurality of remote Input-Output (IO) drops;

a second controller communicatively coupled to the host processor unit, the second controller including a first module having a processor and a transfer port, and a second module connected to the first module by a backplane, the second controller further communicatively coupled to the plurality of remote IO drops; and

a cable connected to the transfer port of the first module of the first controller and connected to the transfer port of the first module of the second controller for transferring data between the first module of the first controller and the first module of the second controller and not via either one of the backplane of the first controller and the backplane of the second controller, the transfer being in response to detecting an error associated with the first controller and for the purpose of switching to the second controller.

12. The active standby control system of claim 11 further comprising a co-processor in the first module of the first controller for executing data transfers over the cable.

13. The active standby control system of claim 12 wherein the co-processor is embedded in the processor.

14. The active standby control system of claim 11 wherein the cable is a fiber optic cable.

15. The active standby control system of claim 14 wherein the cable utilizes Ethernet.