Method for operating an ethernet-capable field-bus device

• US 8,369,244 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Kalhoff, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghafoerkhan, Faiyazkhan
• Application Number:
  US12/516,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20100040075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an Ethernet-capable field-bus device that can be connected to an arbitrary Ethernet-based communications unit by means of which data is transmitted using a predetermined communications protocol stack. For this purpose, a network management channel is initially established between the Ethernet-capable field-bus device (50) and a management device (30) connected to the communications network (20) using an Ethernet-based network management protocol that is installed both in the field-bus device (50) and also in the management device (30). The communications protocol stack installed in the management device (20) is then transmitted using the predetermined network management protocol from the management device (30) to the Ethernet-capable field-bus device (50), where it is stored. In this way, it is guaranteed that useful data can be transmitted using the communications protocol stack from and to the field-bus device (50) via the Ethernet-based communications network (20).

Claims

1. A method for operating an Ethernet-capable field-bus device (50) within an automation system, wherein this field-bus device is connected to an Ethernet-based communications network (20) by means of which payload data is transmitted using a predetermined communications protocol stack with the following processing steps:

a) establishing a network management channel between the Ethernet-capable field-bus device (50) and a management device (30) connected to the communications network (20) using an Ethernet-based network management protocol that is installed both in the field-bus device (50) and also in the management device (30),

b) transmitting the predetermined communications protocol stack using the Ethernet-based network management protocol from the management device (30) to the Ethernet-capable field-bus device (50),

c) storing and installing the predetermined communications protocol stack in the Ethernet-capable field-bus device (50, 55), wherein the predetermined communications protocol stack controls a transmission of payload data via the Ethernet-based communications network (20), and wherein said transmission of payload data via the Ethernet-based communications network (20) is not enabled prior to performing steps b) and c).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the Ethernet-based field-bus device (50) transmits a request signal for transmitting the predetermined communications protocol stack via the network management channel of the communications network to the management device (30) and that the management device (30) transmits, in response to the request signal, the predetermined communications protocol stack to the Ethernet-based field-bus device (50).

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the network management channel is released before beginning a transmission of payload data.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined communications protocol stack is an Ethernet protocol stack that contains an Ethernet/Internet Protocol (IP) stack, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocols, or an AppleTalk protocol stack.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used as the network management protocol.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined communications protocol stack is divided into frames according to the network management protocol and is transmitted to the Ethernet-capable field-bus device (50).

7. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the communications network (20) contains an Ethernet-based field bus.