Extended address space capability for an industrial protocol

• US 8,175,089 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Kenwood H., Tutkovics, Scot A., Vasko, David A., Batke, Brian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAVLESKI, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US11/239,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20070076724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/389, 370/466, 370/475, 709/245, 709/246, 709/250
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for communicating with control objects according to a singular and unified address space. In one aspect, an industrial communications system is provided. The system includes a global address protocol that can be employed to communicate with local or remote networks. An industrial protocol is adapted to interface with the global address protocol, where a network component communicates with one or more control components via the industrial protocol and in accordance with an address supplied by the global address protocol.

Claims

1. An industrial communications system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising;

a global address protocol configured to assign unique global addresses to one or more control objects on one or more industrial networks wherein a unique global address allows a sent message to reach a control object to which the unique global address is assigned; and

a Domain Name Service (DNS) server configured to map user-assigned names to the unique global addresses, wherein the user-assigned names are arranged into a hierarchy that corresponds to a problem description or a physical domain of a factory, wherein the one or more control objects is assigned multiple unique global addresses, wherein at least one of the multiple unique global addresses indicates a physical location of the at least one of the one or more control objects in a logical description of the factory and at least one other of the multiple unique global addresses indicates a function of the at least one of the one or more control objects in the logical description of the factory; and

at least one network component configured to communicate with the one or more control objects via their respective unique global address assigned by the global address protocol.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more control objects are associated with at least one of a programmable logic controller, a communications module, an input module, an output module or a network component.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the global address protocol is an Ethernet IPV6 protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more industrial networks employs an industrial protocol that includes at least one of a Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), ProfiNet protocol, or a protocol associated with ModBus.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface card configured to respond to a subset of the one or more control objects within a scope of the interface card and supply routing information to enable a message to reach the subset of control objects using only the unique global address.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to manage the hierarchy to obtain a dynamic or auto-configured Internet Protocol address.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more network layers and one or more control layers configured to employ the global address protocol, the respective layers having one or more communications or control objects per layer.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component configured to send a message utilizing the global address protocol from one system to another system employing an industrial protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network component configured to employ a single addressing mode to address higher level network components and lower level control components.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising one or more nested control objects configured to are each assigned a unique global address from the global address protocol.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface configured to assign logical factory names that are mapped to the unique global addresses.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a Simple Object Access Protocol configured to facilitate network communications.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a Web Service Description Language (WSDL) component configured to provide interactions with one or more controller services.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a Universal Discovery Description and Integration (UDDI) component configured to facilitate locating network components.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a processing service, a logic service, an input service, an output service, or a controller information service, that are located via the global address protocol.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a protocol configured to facilitate communications with an S88 or S95 control model.

17. An industrial control communications method, comprising:

assigning multiple unique global addresses to a control object on a communication network within an industrial control system, wherein a unique global address allows a message sent using the unique global address from the communication network to reach the control object; and

mapping user-assigned names to the multiple unique global addresses, wherein the user-assigned names are arranged into a hierarchy that corresponds to a problem description or a physical domain of a factory wherein at least one of the multiple unique global addresses indicates a physical location of the control object in a logical description of the factory and at least one other of the multiple unique global addresses indicates a function of the control object in the logical description of the factory; and

communicating with the control object using at least one of the multiple unique global addresses or user-assigned names.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the multiple unique global addresses conforms to an IPV6 standard.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the control object comprises at least one of a programmable logic controller, a communications module, an input module, an output module or a network component.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the control object comprises at least one of a tag, a routine, or an entity associated with a factory model.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising associating at least one protocol stack with a single application addressing space.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising defining a directory that allows discovery of a respective IPv6 address that corresponds to the control object.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising defining an Internet Protocol (IP) address that refers to an Input/Output module within the industrial control system.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising defining the IP address to refer to a separate device model and addressing space within a single physical device.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising employing an IPv6 router or an IPv6 gateway device to communicate between at least two different networks or network devices.

26. An industrial control communications system, comprising:

means for assigning multiple unique global address to a control object on a communication network within an industrial control system, wherein a unique global address allows a message sent using the unique global address from the communication network to reach the control object; and

means for mapping user-assigned names to the multiple unique global addresses, wherein the user-assigned names are arranged into a hierarchy that corresponds to a problem description or a physical domain of a factory wherein at least one of the multiple unique global addresses indicates a physical location of the control object in a logical description of the factory and at least one other of the multiple unique global addresses indicates a function of the control object in the logical description of the factory; and

means for communicating to the control object via at least one of the multiple unique global addresses or user-assigned names.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising means for locating control objects according to a logical object description.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the control object is associated with at least one of a programmable logic controller, a communications module, an input module, an output module or a network component.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the mean for communicating utilizing a single addressing mode to address a plurality of control objects within the industrial control system.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause at least one device to perform operations, comprising:

assigning multiple unique global address to a control object on a communication network within an industrial control system, wherein a unique global address allows a message sent using the unique global address from the communication network to reach the control object; and

mapping user-assigned names to the multiple unique global addresses, wherein the user-assigned names are arranged into a hierarchy that corresponds to a problem description or a physical domain of a factory wherein at least one of the multiple unique global addresses indicates a physical location of the control object in a logical description of the factory and at least one other of the multiple unique global addresses indicates a function of the control object in the logical description of the factory; and

communicating to the control object via at least one of the multiple unique global addresses or user-assigned names.