Information technology integration with automation systems

• US 7,716,403 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Kenwood H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorrell; Eron J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan; Dean
• Application Number:
  US11/239,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20070079028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/106
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4186 by protocol, e.g. MAP, TOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31369 Translation, conversion of protocol between two layers, networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The subject disclosure pertains to transparent communications in an industrial automation environment amongst automation system components and IT systems. Systems and methods are provided that send and receive data to, from and amongst automation devices and transactional based IT systems. The system is viewed as a control system to the automation device and as a transactional system to the IT system. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a custom interface between automation devices and the IT systems.

Claims

1. An industrial control module communication system, comprising:

an industrial control module that executes a control program to measure inputs and to control outputs of at least an industrial process in a continuous operating environment, further comprising;

a data table storing acquired data and processed data of the industrial control module;

a data buffer operatively separated and isolated from the data table;

a send component instructed by the control program to replicate data from the data table to the data buffer, to convert the data from a continuous serial format to a transactional format which is executable by a transactional remote system, and to send the data to the transactional remote system;

a receive component instructed by the control program to receive data from the transactional remote system to store in the data buffer, to convert the data from the transactional format into the continuous serial format which is executable by the industrial control module, and to copy the data into the data table after being fully received;

a transaction component that configures and controls the send component and the receive component; and

a scheduler to schedule one or more concurrent tasks to be executed;

wherein, if data is to be sent via the send component during execution of the control program, the transaction component suspends execution of the scheduler so that no other tasks are performed to prevent the industrial control module from modifying the data table until replication of the data from the data table into the data buffer by the send component is complete.

2. The system of claim 1, the send component splits the data into one or more fragments prior to sending the data to the transactional remote system, and the receive component joins one or more fragments of data received from the transactional remote system to assemble control data for use by the industrial control module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the continuous serial format is Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) and the transactional format is a database protocol, the send component converts the control data from the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) to the database protocol prior to sending the control data to a transactional remote system that is a database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transactional remote system is at least one of a control module, a database, a web service, or a transaction management server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the continuous serial format is Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) and the transactional format is a protocol employed by a web service, the send component converts the control data from the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) to the protocol employed by a web service prior to sending the control data to a web service.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the send component broadcasts the control data to a plurality of selected transactional remote systems.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the receive component receives data from more than one transactional remote system.

8. A method for sending data of a continuous serial data system in a continuous operating environment to a transactional data system in a transactional operating system, comprising:

executing a control program in the continuous serial data system;

polling data in a continuous serial format into a data table in the continuous serial data system, wherein the data represents measured inputs from or control outputs to at least one process control device coupled and being controlled by the continuous serial environment;

replicating and transmitting the data from the data table into a data buffer which is operatively separated and isolated from the data table;

converting the data in the continuous serial format to a plurality of data fragments in a transactional format which is executable by the transactional data system; and

sending the plurality of data fragments to the transactional data system according to requirements of the transactional data system;

wherein the replicating and transmitting, the converting, and the sending are performed by a send component, and during the replicating and the transmitting, execution of a scheduler that interacts with the control program to schedule one or more concurrent tasks to be executed is suspended such that no other tasks are performed to prevent the continuous serial data system from modifying the data table until the replicating and transmitting is complete.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining any protocols restricting data packet size during transmission of data via a communications network between the continuous serial data system and the transactional data system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising splitting the data into one or more fragments if a protocol restricting data packet size is detected.

11. The method of claim 8, the sending comprising sending the data to one or more remote systems.

12. A computer readable storage device having stored thereon computer executable instructions to carry out the method of claim 8.

13. A method for receiving data of a continuous serial data system in a continuous operating environment from a transactional data system in a transactional operating environment, comprising:

executing a control program in the continuous serial data system;

requesting data from a transactional data system, wherein the data represents measured inputs from or control outputs to at least one process control device coupled and being controlled by the continuous serial data system;

receiving the data in a plurality of data fragments from the transactional data system at a data buffer, wherein the plurality of data fragments are in a transactional format which is executable by the transactional data system;

converting the plurality of data fragments in the transactional format into a continuous serial format which is executable by the continuous serial data system;

assembling the plurality of data fragments to yield assembled data; and

copying the assembled data from the data buffer into a data table, wherein the data buffer is operatively separated and isolated from the data table;

wherein the receiving, the converting, and the copying are performed by a receive component, and during the copying, a notification is generated to suspend execution of a scheduler that interacts with the control program to schedule one or more concurrent tasks to be executed such that no other tasks are performed to prevent modification of the data table until the copying is complete.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a receive instruction to initiate the receiving, the converting, the assembling, and the copying.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving data in a transactional format from a remote system.

16. A computer readable storage device having stored thereon computer executable instructions to carry out the method of claim 13.