Method for consistent storage of data in an industrial controller

• US 9,183,207 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Kay, James J., Johnston, David Allen, Urdaneta, Shelly Lynn, Siegel, Stuart Blair
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Karim, Ziaul
• Application Number:
  US13/801,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 700/20, 700/23, 700/29, 700/86, 700/87, 713/100, 709/319
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13076 Interprete in pc a ladder diagram, use of sequence engine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15101 Personal computer pc and plc, slot plc, same kernel
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15115 Pc serves as plc, programming panel, monitoring panel
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23301 Load program from file system of a controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34279 Pc, personal computer as controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/119 Details of migration of file systems migration mechanisms in storage systems G06F3/0647
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A system and method for employing a file system and file system services on the industrial controller. The file system allows industrial control programs to implement many functions previously performed within the industrial control program and stored in the same memory as the industrial control program. An execution engine is provided that interprets instructions included in an industrial control program. The instructions utilize services in the file system for including user defined routine files loaded from local or remote locations, to load and unload recipe files from local and remote locations, to log and retrieve measured data and trend data to files at local or remote locations, to select different operating systems and to select a running program from a plurality of running programs utilizing the file system.

Claims

1. An editor, comprising:

a processor, coupled to a memory, that executes or facilitates execution of computer-executable components, comprising;

an editing component configured to, in response to receipt of an editing input, add at least one file system instruction to a control program,

wherein the at least one file system instruction is configured to, when processed by an execution engine of an industrial controller, cause the industrial controller to utilize a file system service to

load an operating system of the industrial controller based on the control program,

load, via a web service, a program routine file from a first memory that is separate from a second memory of the industrial controller to the second memory, and

from a recipe file defining two or more process parameters stored in the first memory or a third memory that is separate from the second memory, load the two or more process parameters defined by the recipe file to the second memory,

wherein execution of the program routine file by the industrial controller facilitates execution of an industrial process by the industrial controller based on the two or more process parameters.

2. The editor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first memory or the third memory is at least one of a flash card or a memory device networked to the industrial controller.

3. The editor of claim 1, wherein the control program is a ladder logic program and the at least one file system instruction is a ladder logic instruction.

4. The editor of claim 1, wherein the editing component is further configured to, in response to receipt of another editing input, add a second file system instruction to the control program, and the second file system instruction is configured to, when processed by the execution engine, cause the industrial controller to log measured data to at least one of the first memory or the third memory.

5. The editor of claim 1, wherein the editing input comprises one or more parameter values for the file system instruction, and the one or more parameter values comprise at least one of a pointer to a source of the program routine file, a size of the program routine file, or a path to a file manager of the second memory.

6. The editor of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise a conversion component configured to convert at least one of the control program or the program routine file to a format executable by the execution engine.

7. The editor of claim 1, wherein the editing input comprises one or more parameter values for the file system instruction that identify the recipe file.

8. The editor of claim 7, wherein the one or more parameter values comprise one or more first parameter values, and wherein the file system instruction is further configured to, when the one or more first parameter values are replaced by one or more second parameter values identifying another recipe file and the file system instruction is processed by the execution engine of the industrial controller, read the other recipe file from the first memory or the third memory and load two or more other process parameters defined by the other recipe file in the second memory.

9. The editor of claim 1, wherein the at least one file system instruction comprises more than one file system instruction.

10. The editor of claim 1, wherein the file system instruction is configured to, when processed by the execution engine, cause the industrial controller to utilize the file system service to read the operating system file from at least one of the first memory or the third memory.

11. A method, comprising:

adding, by a control program editor comprising a processor coupled to a memory, at least one file system instruction to a control program in response to the control program editor receiving an editing input; and

in response to the control program editor receiving configuration input, configuring the at least one file system instruction to, in response to execution of the at least one file system instruction by an execution engine of an industrial controller, cause the industrial controller to utilize a file system service to

load an operating system of the industrial controller based on the control program,

load, via a web service, a program routine file stored in a second memory that is separate from a first memory of the industrial controller to the first memory, and

from a recipe file defining two or more process parameters stored in at least one of the second memory or a third memory that is separate from the first memory, load the two or more process parameters defined by the recipe file to the first memory,

wherein execution of the program routine file by the industrial controller causes the industrial controller to execute an industrial process based on the two or more process parameters.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the editing input comprises a selection of a ladder logic instruction comprising the file system instruction.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving another editing input that causes the control program editor to add a second file system instruction to the control program that is configured to, when processed by the execution engine of the industrial controller, cause the industrial controller to utilize the file system service to log measured data from the first memory of the industrial controller to at least one of the second memory or the third memory.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the configuration input comprises input that sets one or more parameter values associated with the at least one file system instruction, and the one or more parameter values comprise at least one of a pointer to a source of the program routine file, a size of the program routine file, or a path to a file manager of the second memory.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the configuring the at least one file system instruction comprises configuring the file system instruction to, in response to the execution of the file system instruction by the execution engine, cause the industrial controller to utilize a file system service to read the operating system file from at least one of the second memory or the third memory.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the adding the at least one file system instruction comprises adding more than one file system instruction.

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

creating a control program in response to first editing input being received; and

inserting at least one file system instruction into the control program in response to second editing input being received, wherein the at least one file system instruction is configured to, when processed by an execution engine of an industrial controller, cause the industrial controller to utilize a file system service to

load an operating system of the industrial controller based on the control program,

load, via a web service, a program routine file from a first memory that is separate from a second memory of the industrial controller to the second memory, and

from a recipe file defining two or more process parameters stored in at least one of the first memory or a third memory, load the two or more process parameters defined by the recipe file to the second memory,

wherein the second memory comprises controller memory configured to facilitate execution of the control program, and

wherein execution of the program routine file by the industrial controller causes the industrial controller to execute an industrial process based on the two or more process parameters.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the creating the control program comprises creating a ladder logic program.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise configuring one or more parameter values associated with the at least one file system instruction in response to receiving third editing input, wherein the one or more parameter values comprise at least one of a pointer to a source of the program routine file or a size of the program routine file.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first memory and the third memory are remote relative to the second memory.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the inserting the at least one file system instruction comprises inserting more than one file system instruction.