Industrial controller interface for plug-in I/O modules

• US 8,626,960 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Asia Pacific Business Center Pte Ltd (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yue, Hong, Kevin Lee Huan
• Primary Examiner(s): SNYDER, STEVEN G
• Application Number:
  US13/281,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output

Abstract

An interface for an industrial controller is provided that enables connection of different types of plug-in I/O modules to the industrial controller. The interface includes several mechanisms, which can be implemented through control logic, circuitry, and/or software, that enable the control/monitoring device to operate in conjunction with different types of plug-in I/O modules. According to certain embodiments, the interface includes setup mechanisms that enable initial communications between the plug-in I/O modules and the control/monitoring device. The interface also may include operational mechanisms that facilitate communication between the plug-in I/O modules and the control/monitoring device during operation. The interface further may include registers that store data for the plug-in I/O modules.

Claims

1. An industrial automation device, comprising:

a port configured to receive a plurality of different types of plug-in input/output (I/O) modules; and

an interface for enabling communication between the industrial automation device and the plurality of different types of plug-in I/O modules, wherein the interface comprises;

one or more setup mechanisms configured to detect connection of one of the plurality of different types of plug-in I/O modules to the interface through the port, configured to write module configuration data to the connected plug-in I/O module, and configured to retrieve I/O format data and feature data from the connected plug-in I/O module; and

one or more operational mechanisms configured to exchange operational mode data between a control/monitoring device and the connected plug-in I/O module, wherein the one or more operational mechanisms comprise a controller mode mechanism configured to;

write controller mode data to designated registers of the interface, wherein the controller mode data comprises error data associated with the control/monitoring device, power data associated with the control/monitoring device, or a combination thereof; and

transmit the controller mode data to the connected plug-in I/O module.

2. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the one or more setup mechanisms comprise a module I/O mechanism configured to request the I/O format data from the connected plug-in I/O module and configured to store the I/O format data in designated registers of the interface, wherein the I/O format data comprises a number of inputs and a number of outputs for the connected plug-in I/O module.

3. The industrial automation device of claim 2, wherein the I/O data comprises a first offset value determinative of a first address of the connected plug-in I/O module where input data is stored and a second offset value determinative of a second address of the connected plug-in I/O module where output data is stored.

4. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the one or more setup mechanisms comprise a module feature mechanism configured to request the feature data from the connected plug-in I/O module and to store the feature data in designated registers of the interface, wherein the feature data comprises input latch mechanism data, output latch mechanism data, or user interrupt functionality data, or a combination thereof.

5. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the one or more setup mechanisms comprise a module configuration mechanism configured to request format data from the connected plug-in I/O module and configured to retrieve the module configuration data for the plug-in I/O module based on the format data.

6. The industrial automation device of claim 5, wherein the format data comprises data length information for the connected plug-in I/O module and offset data identifying a configuration data address of the connected plug-in I/O module.

7. The industrial automation device of claim 1, comprising the control/monitoring device configured to communicate with the interface, wherein the controller mode data comprises run data indicating whether the control/monitoring device is providing an output.

8. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the one or more operational mechanisms comprise a module control mechanism configured to set the connected plug-in I/O module to a run mode and to a non-run mode.

9. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the one or more operational mechanisms comprise an interrupt mechanism configured to enable the connected plug-in I/O module to interrupt operation of the industrial automation device.

10. The industrial automation device of claim 9, wherein the interrupt mechanism is configured to receive interrupt data from the connected plug-in I/O module and to store the interrupt data in designated registers of the interface.

11. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different types of plug-in I/O modules comprise at least one of a communication module, an analog module, and a digital module.

12. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the port comprises a 40-pin connector configured to transmit data over an Asynchronous Parallel Interface.

13. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising instructions for:

detecting connection of different types of plug-in input/output (I/O) modules to an industrial automation device;

retrieving plug-in I/O module configuration data for the different types of plug-in I/O modules and writing the plug-in I/O module configuration data to the different types of plug-in I/O modules;

requesting a plug-in I/O module number of inputs and a plug-in I/O module number of outputs from the different types of plug-in I/O modules and storing the plug-in I/O module number of inputs and the plug-in I/O module number of outputs in designated registers; and

requesting feature data from the different types of plug-in I/O modules and storing the feature data in additional designated registers, wherein the feature data comprises input latch mechanism data, output latch mechanism data, or user interrupt functionality data, or a combination thereof.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, comprising instructions for retrieving identification data from the different types of plug-in I/O modules.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, comprising instructions for setting the different types of plug-in I/O modules to a run mode and to a non-run mode.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 13, comprising instructions for transmitting controller mode data to the different types of plug-in I/O modules, wherein the controller mode data comprises error data, run data, or power data, or a combination thereof.

17. An industrial automation control and monitoring system, comprising:

an industrial automation device configured to control and/or monitor a process;

a plug-in input/output (I/O) module connected to the industrial automation device through a port of the industrial automation device designed to receive different types of plug-in I/O modules; and

an interface of the industrial automation device for enabling communication between the industrial automation device and the plug-in I/O module, wherein the interface comprises;

a module identification mechanism configured to detect which of the different types of plug-in I/O modules is connected to the interface through the port;

a module I/O mechanism configured to request a number of inputs and a number of outputs from the plug-in I/O module and configured to store the number of inputs and the number of outputs from the plug-in I/O module in designated registers of the interface; and

a module feature mechanism configured to request feature data from the different types of plug-in I/O modules and storing the feature data in additional designated registers of the interface, wherein the feature data comprises input latch mechanism data, output latch mechanism data, user interrupt functionality data, or a combination thereof.

18. The industrial automation control and monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the plug-in I/O module comprises a control device configured to control operation of the plug-in I/O module, and wherein the control device comprises plug-in I/O module registers configured to store input data and output data for the plug-in I/O module.

19. The industrial automation control and monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the interface is configured to store the input data and the output data in the additional designated registers of the interface that correspond to the plug-in I/O module registers.

20. The industrial automation control and monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the plug-in I/O module comprises storage containing identification data for the plug-in I/O module, and wherein the module identification mechanism is configured to retrieve the identification data from the plug-in I/O module upon power up of the industrial automation device.