Diagnostic and trouble-shooting methods in a wireless control and sensor network

• US 8,332,819 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: McFarland, Norman R., Nass, Geoffrey D., Songkakul, Pornsak
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US12/114,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,683 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24055 Trace, store a working, operation history
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24067 Processor stores variables, events and date in eeprom, for external monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24084 Remote and local monitoring, local result to remote, remote takes action

Abstract

A method of performing diagnostics on a first hierarchical device operable within a building automation system is disclosed. The method includes compiling application code configured to control the first hierarchical device such that the application code includes a plurality of internal variables, providing a diagnostic module configured to monitor the plurality of internal variables, collecting internal variable diagnostic data related to the monitored plurality of internal variables, uploading the collected internal variable diagnostic data to a second hierarchical device, performing, at the second first hierarchical device, a layered diagnostic analysis on the internal variable diagnostic data, and identifying a first hierarchical device problem based on the analyzed internal variable diagnostic data.

Claims

1. A method of performing diagnostics on a first hierarchical device operable within a building automation system, the method comprising:

compiling application code configured to control the first hierarchical device, wherein the application code includes a plurality of internal variables;

providing, within the application code, a diagnostic module configured to monitor the plurality of internal variables;

collecting, by a processor, internal variable diagnostic data related to the monitored plurality of internal variables;

uploading the collected internal variable diagnostic data to a second hierarchical device;

performing, at the second hierarchical device, a layered diagnostic analysis on the internal variable diagnostic data; and

identifying a first hierarchical device problem based on the analyzed internal variable diagnostic data,

wherein the first hierarchical device includes a memory having a diagnostic memory reserved to store the monitored plurality of internal variables, and

wherein the diagnostic memory is allocated according to a priority of a checkpoint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a checkpoint having a lower priority is allocated less diagnostic memory than a checkpoint having a higher priority.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein uploading the collected internal variable diagnostic data includes appending the collected internal variable data to a pending network communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of internal variables are not visible.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a layered diagnostic analysis includes utilizing a programmer diagnostic tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a diagnostic module further comprises providing, within the application code, an upper limit and a lower limit for the one internal variable, and collecting internal variable diagnostic data further comprises determining whether the one internal variable has been outside of the upper limit or the lower limit at the checkpoint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a diagnostic module further includes establishing, within the application code, the checkpoint.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic memory is allocated according to each of a plurality of layers associated with a hierarchical data logging schema.

9. A hierarchical device operable within a building automation system, the device comprising:

a wireless communication component;

a processor in communication with the wireless communication component;

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory configured to store application code executable by the processor,

wherein the application code includes a diagnostic module configured to;

monitor a plurality of internal variables within the application code;

collect internal variable diagnostic data related to the monitored plurality of internal variables; and

communicate the collected internal variable diagnostic data,

wherein the memory includes a diagnostic memory reserved to store the monitored plurality of internal variables, and

wherein the diagnostic memory is allocated based on a priority associated with a checkpoint at which one of the plurality of internal variables is to be monitored.

10. The device of claim 9 further comprising:

a second hierarchical device configured for operation within a wireless network and configured to perform a layered diagnostic analysis on the internal variable diagnostic data.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the second hierarchical device is further configured to identify a problem based on the analyzed internal variable diagnostic data.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the internal variable diagnostic data includes the checkpoint within the application code.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the diagnostic memory is allocated according to each of a plurality of layers associated with a hierarchical data logging schema.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein a checkpoint having a lower priority is allocated less diagnostic memory than a checkpoint having a higher priority.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the diagnostic module is further configured to:

append the collected internal variable data to a pending network communication.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein at least some of the plurality of internal variables are not visible.