Control and communications architecture

• US 8,458,350 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Kenst, James W., Neet, Kyle E., Baczkowski, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOANG, HIEU T
• Application Number:
  US11/864,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/232, 709/234, 709/235, 709/236, 709/237
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An industrial automation system is provided. The system includes a link layer that includes one or more ports that can communicate via one or more communication protocols. An application layer communicates with one or more network objects and a core layer bridges the application layer and the link layer.

Claims

1. An industrial automation system, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable components, the computer executable components comprising;

a link layer that includes a communications port that drives a data link according to a communication protocol;

an application layer comprising an application object that facilitates use of a network stack of the communication protocol by an application that uses a different communication protocol; and

a core layer that bridges communications between the application layer and the link layer and supports messaging between the application object and the communications port; and

a processor that facilitates execution of at least one of the computer-executable components;

wherein the core layer at least;

receives a message router request packet comprising a first pointer to the application object and a new request;

decodes the message router request packet and parses the first pointer and the new request;

sends a notification to the application object that the new request is available according to the first pointer, the notification comprising a second pointer to a dispatcher; and

allows the application object to receive the new request and to send a response via the dispatcher.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications protocol is an industrial protocol, a network protocol, a backplane protocol, a serial protocol, or a wireless protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the application object is a Common Industrial Protocol application object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the core layer includes a transport manager that encapsulates communication between the communications port and the application object according to the protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications port includes an unconnected message manager, a link producer, a link consumer, and a link device driver.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the application is a web application or a server application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the core layer facilitates communication between the communications port and the application object through a message router service.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the core layer facilitates communication between the communications port and the application object through a connections manager.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the core layer facilitates communication between the communications port and the application object through an unconnected message target interface.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the core layer facilitates communication between the communications port and the application object through an unconnected message dispatcher interface.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the core layer facilitates communication between the communications port and the application object through a communications port interface.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the core layer at least:

registers a connection manager with a message router service as an unconnected message target object that supports unconnected message target behavior;

receives a connection open request through the communication port as an unconnected message server transaction;

establishes a collaboration between the connection manager, the communication port and the application object; and

establishes a connection between the application object and the communication port.

13. A method, comprising:

bridging communications between an application object and a link layer, wherein the application object facilitates use of a network stack of a first communication protocol by an application that uses a second communication protocol and the link layer includes a communications port that drives a data link according to the first communication protocol; and

supporting messaging between the application object and the communications port;

wherein the bridging further comprises;

receiving a message router request packet comprising a first pointer to the application object and a new request;

decoding the message router request packet and parsing the first pointer and the new request;

sending a notification to the application object that the new request is available according to the first pointer, the notification comprising a second pointer to a dispatcher; and

allowing the application object to receive the new request and to send a response via the dispatcher.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving the message router request packet according to the first communications protocol.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the supporting further comprises establishing communication between the application object and a port of the dispatcher.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

bridging communications between an application object and a link layer, wherein the application object facilitates use of a network stack of a first communication protocol by an application that uses a second communication protocol and the link layer includes a communications port that drives a data link according to the first communication protocol; and

supporting messaging between the application object and the communications port;

wherein the bridging further comprises;

receiving a message router request packet comprising a first pointer to the application object and a new request;

decoding the message router request packet and parsing the first pointer and the new request;

sending a notification to the application object that the new request is available according to the first pointer, the notification comprising a second pointer to a dispatcher; and

allowing the application object to receive the new request and to send a response via the dispatcher.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the bridging further comprises:

registering a connection manager with a message router service as an unconnected message target object that supports unconnected message target behavior;

receiving a connection open request through the communication port as an unconnected message server transaction;

establishing a collaboration between the connection manager, the communication port

and the application object; and

establishing a connection between the application object and the communication port.