Intelligent self-determining I/O device

• US 7,412,548 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2004
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Sichner, Gregg M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry W. H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUN, SCOTT C
• Application Number:
  US10/793,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/054 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/1138 Configuration of I-O
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/1202 Modules with same hardware and software
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25323 Intelligent modules

Abstract

A universal input/output device for an industrial automation control system includes a housing, a power supply for connecting to a voltage source, an input/output circuit for communicating with an industrial process, and a network adapter circuit for communicating data to and from a data network. The device also includes a backplane communication circuit for sending backplane data upstream and downstream along a backplane, and a device setup control circuit. The device setup control circuit performs an initialization process to configure said device as one of: (i) a stand-along block I/O device; (ii) a network adapter module of a modular I/O device; or (iii) an I/O module of a modular I/O device. The configuration method is automatic and based upon data being received into the device.

Claims

1. A universal input/output device for an industrial automation control system, said device comprising:

a housing;

a power supply for connecting to a voltage source;

an input/output circuit for communicating with an industrial process;

a network adapter circuit for communicating data to and from an industrial automation control system data network;

a backplane communication circuit for sending backplane data upstream and downstream; and

,

a device setup control circuit that performs an initialization process to configure said device as one of;

(i) a stand-alone block I/O device;

(ii) a network adapter module of a modular I/O device;

or (iii) an I/O module of a modular I/O device depending upon how said device is operably connected to said industrial automation data network, wherein said device setup control circuit comprises;

means for detecting if said network adapter circuit is directly operably connected to said data network; and

means for detecting if said backplane communication circuit is operably connected to a backplane;

wherein said device setup control circuit configures said device as one of;

a stand-alone block I/O device if said network adapter circuit is directly operably connected to said data network and said backplane communication circuit is not operably connected to a backplane;

a network adapter module if said network adapter circuit is directly operably connected to said data network and said backplane communication circuit is operably connected to a backplane;

an I/O module of a modular I/O device if said network adapter circuit is not directly operably connected to said data network and said backplane communication circuit is operably connected to a backplane downstream from another one of said universal input/output devices.

2. The universal input/output device as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when said device setup control circuit configures said device as an I/O module, said device setup control circuit further configures said device as one of:

(i) a terminal I/O module;

or, (ii) a intermediate I/O module, depending upon whether said backplane communication circuit detects only upstream backplane data or both upstream and downstream backplane data, respectively.

3. The universal input/output device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said device setup control circuit comprises means for sending and receiving backplane test data to adjacent devices via said backplane communication circuit, and wherein said setup control circuit configures said device as one of:

(i) a terminal I/O module;

or, (ii) a intermediate I/O module based upon receipt of an acknowledgement response from an adjacent device via said backplane communication circuit.

4. The universal input/output device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said backplane communication circuit comprises a wireless communication circuit for sending and receiving wireless backplane data to upstream and downstream devices.

5. A method for constructing an industrial automation control system, said method comprising:

connecting a plurality of intelligent self-determining I/O devices to a data network;

performing an initialization routine with each of said intelligent self-determining I/O devices, said initialization routine comprising for each of said plurality of intelligent self-determining I/O devices;

(a) determining if network data are being received into a network adapter circuit of said device;

(b) determining if upstream backplane test data are being received into a backplane communication circuit of said device;

(c) determining if downstream backplane test data are being received into said backplane communication circuit of said device; and

,

(d) configuring said device as one of (i) a stand-alone block I/O device;

(ii) a network adapter module of a modular I/O device;

or (iii) an I/O module of a modular I/O device based upon which of network data, upstream backplane test data, and downstream backplane test data are received into said device, wherein said configuring step comprises configuring said device as either;

a stand-alone block I/O device if said network adapter circuit is directly operably connected to said data network and said backplane communication circuit is not receiving either of said upstream backplane test data or said downstream backplane test data;

a network adapter module if said network adapter circuit is directly operably connected to said data network and said backplane communication circuit is operably receiving downstream backplane test data;

an I/O module of a modular I/O device if said network adapter circuit is not directly operably connected to said data network and said backplane communication circuit is operably receiving at least one of said upstream and downstream backplane test data.