System and method for automatically matching programmable data of devices within an industrial control system
First Claim
1. In an industrial control system providing a central controller having a memory containing programmable data including operating programs for operating the central controller, control program for controlling an industrial process, and configuration data configuring values used by the central controller, the central controller controlling multiple devices also having memory holding programmable data including configuration data, the improvement comprising:
- a program executable by the central controller to;
identify memories distributed through the industrial control system having programmable data; and
collect the programmable data from the memories; and
wherein the collected programmable data may substantially recreate operation of the industrial control system in a second industrial control system having another central controller substantially identical to the central controller and multiple devices connected to the central controller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An industrial control system includes a central controller having a memory containing programmable data including operating programs for operating the controller, control program for controlling an industrial process, and configuration data configuring values used by the operating program and control program. The central controller is designed to control multiple devices also having memory holding programmable data including operating programs and configuration data. A program is executable by the central controller that causes the central controller to identify memories distributed through the industrial control system having programmable data and collect the programmable data from the memories. Accordingly, the collected programmable data may be used to substantially recreate operation of the industrial control system in a second industrial control system having another central controller substantially identical to the industrial controller and multiple devices connected to the central controller.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. In an industrial control system providing a central controller having a memory containing programmable data including operating programs for operating the central controller, control program for controlling an industrial process, and configuration data configuring values used by the central controller, the central controller controlling multiple devices also having memory holding programmable data including configuration data, the improvement comprising:
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a program executable by the central controller to;
identify memories distributed through the industrial control system having programmable data; andcollect the programmable data from the memories; and wherein the collected programmable data may substantially recreate operation of the industrial control system in a second industrial control system having another central controller substantially identical to the central controller and multiple devices connected to the central controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by an industrial controller arranged in an industrial control system, causes the industrial controller to:
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request identity information from each of a plurality of modules in the industrial control system; compare the identity information of each of the modules to stored identity information; and send a reconfiguration package from the industrial controller to the module to reconfigure the module to match the stored identity information if the identity information of a module in the industrial control system does not match the stored identity information. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of automatically maintaining firmware versions in an industrial control system having an industrial controller and a plurality of modules, the method comprising the steps of:
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configuring the industrial controller to automatically request a current firmware version from each of the plurality of modules; configuring the industrial controller to compare the current firmware version of each of the plurality of modules to a list of desired firmware for each of the plurality of modules accessible to the industrial controller; and configuring the plurality of modules to automatically change the current firmware version to a desired firmware version upon receiving the desired firmware version from the industrial controller. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for maintaining consistent firmware versions across a plurality of modules in an industrial control system comprising:
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an industrial controller configured to automatically request a current firmware version of each module in the plurality of modules; a memory module engaged with the industrial controller and having stored thereon a list of desired firmware versions; and wherein the industrial controller automatically compares the current firmware version of each module in the plurality of modules and sends a desired firmware version to each module in the plurality of modules that has a current firmware version not included on the memory module. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. In an industrial control system providing a central controller having a memory containing programmable data including operating programs for operating the central controller, control program for controlling an industrial process, and configuration data configuring values used by the central controller, the central controller controlling multiple devices also having memory holding firmware version information and configuration information, the improvement comprising:
a program executable by the central controller to; receive a command to clone the industrial control system; request identity information from each of the multiple devices in the industrial control system, the identity information including at least one of the firmware version information and the configuration information stored in the memory of each device; compile the identity information from each of the multiple devices in the industrial control system; and store the compiled identity information to a memory module. - View Dependent Claims (27)
Specification