Industrial hardware installation base reporting and failure monitoring

• US 9,977,416 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Garg, Anika
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Miranda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, John
• Application Number:
  US13/528,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• Field of Search: 700 9
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence

Abstract

An industrial control system includes an industrial controller with a processor executing a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and having a user interface and a network interface for communicating over a first control network with another industrial controller having a network interface. The other industrial controller has an additional network interface for communicating over a second control network with an industrial device. The program instructs the processor to retrieve installation information contained in the other industrial controller and the industrial device; build a data structure comprising the retrieved information; periodically monitor for a hardware failure; and send a message alarm in response to detection of a hardware failure. As a result, the installation base of the industrial system and any hardware failures are quickly understood and martial data collection is avoided.

Claims

1. An industrial controller with a processor executing a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and having a network interface, the network interface for communicating over a first control network with another device having a network interface, wherein the program instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

(a) test a plurality of addresses of the first control network to determine a presence of a first-level device on the first control network, wherein an address is tested by sending a message to the address and determining if a response is received, and wherein a next address is tested upon determining that a response is not received;

(b) upon determining a presence of the first-level device;

(i) retrieve installation information including device name and IP address contained in the first-level device by communicating with the first-level device over the first control network;

(ii) communicate through the first-level device to test a plurality of addresses of a second control network connected to the first-level device to determine a presence of a second-level device on the second control network, wherein an address is tested by sending a message to the address and determining if a response is received, and wherein a next address is tested upon determining that a response is not received;

(iii) build a data structure comprising the retrieved information from the first-level device;

(iv) periodically monitor the first-level device provided in the data structure for a hardware failure by communicating with the first-level device over the first control network; and

(v) upon detecting a hardware failure of the first-level device, send a message alarm in response to detection of the hardware failure; and

(c) upon determining a presence of the second-level device;

(i) retrieve installation information contained in the second-level device by communicating with the second-level device through the first-level device, wherein the first-level and second-level devices are on the first and second control networks, respectively;

(ii) update the data structure to include the retrieved information from the second-level device;

(iii) periodically monitor the second-level device provided in the data structure for a hardware failure by communicating with the second-level device through the first-level device, wherein the first-level and second-level devices are on the first-level and second-level control networks, respectively; and

(iv) upon detecting a hardware failure of the second-level device, send a message alarm in response to detection of the hardware failure,

wherein the first and second control networks are separate control networks and the second control network is a sub-network of the first-level device that is accessible through the first-level device.

2. The industrial controller of claim 1, further comprising performing a diagnostic on a device having a hardware failure by sending an input to the device and receiving an output from the device, the output including information specific to the hardware failure.

3. The industrial controller of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a condition of a parameter contained in a device by periodically retrieving the parameter from the device and updating the data structure with the retrieved parameter.

4. The industrial controller of claim 1, wherein the installation information retrieved from a device includes a hardware area location.

5. The industrial controller of claim 1, wherein the installation information retrieved from a device includes information for a network card installed in the device.

6. The industrial controller of claim 1, wherein the installation information retrieved from a device includes information for an I/O module installed in the device.

7. The industrial controller of claim 1, further comprising graphically displaying a pop-up to a user interface showing installation information, the pop-up also including an icon for graphically displaying help information.

8. The industrial controller of claim 1, wherein detection of a hardware failure occurs upon retrieving a local setting in a device that indicates a failure.

9. The industrial controller of claim 1, wherein detection of a hardware failure occurs upon retrieving a local setting in a device that does not meet an expected result.

10. The industrial controller of claim 1, wherein the message alarm includes the date and time of a hardware failure and installation information identifying a hardware area location of the hardware failure.

11. The industrial controller of claim 10, further comprising graphically displaying the message alarm to a user interface.

12. The industrial controller of claim 10, further comprising sending the message alarm via electronic mail.

13. The industrial controller of claim 1, wherein communicating over the second control network uses a protocol different than communicating over the first control network.

14. A method for retrieving installation information and monitoring for a hardware failure using a system with a processor and a network interface, the network interface for communicating over a first control network, the method comprising:

(a) testing a plurality of addresses of the first control network to determine a presence of a first-level device on the first control network, wherein an address is tested by sending a message to the address and determining if a response is received, and wherein a next address is tested upon determining that a response is not received;

(b) upon determining a presence of the first-level device;

(i) using the industrial controller to retrieve installation information including a device name and IP address contained in the first-level device by communicating with the first-level device over the first control network;

(ii) communicating through the first-level device to test a plurality of addresses of a second control network connected to the first-level device to determine a presence of a second-level device on the second control network, wherein an address is tested by sending a message to the address and determining if a response is received, and wherein a next address is tested upon determining that a response is not received;

(iii) building a data structure comprising the retrieved information from the first-level device;

(iv) periodically monitoring the first-level device provided in the data structure for a hardware failure by communicating over the first control network; and

(v) upon detecting a hardware failure of the first-level device, sending a message alarm in response to detection of the hardware failure; and

(c) upon determining a presence of the second-level device;

(i) using the industrial controller to retrieve installation information contained in the second-level device by communicating with the second level device through the first-level device, wherein the first-level and second-level devices are on the first and second control networks, respectively;

(ii) updating the data structure to include the retrieved information from the second-level device;

(iii) periodically monitoring the second-level device provided in the data structure for a hardware failure by communicating with the second-level device through the first-level device, wherein the first-level and second-level devices are on the first and second control networks, respectively; and

(iv) upon detecting a hardware failure of the second-level device, sending a message alarm in response to detection of the hardware failure,

wherein the first and second control networks are separate control networks and the second control network is a sub-network of the first-level device that is acessible through the first-level device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, upon determining a presence of the second-level device, performing a diagnostic on the second-level device having a hardware failure by sending an input to the second-level device and receiving an output from the second-level device, the output including information specific to the hardware failure.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, upon determining a presence of the second-level device, monitoring the condition of a parameter contained in the second-level device by periodically retrieving the parameter from the second-level device and updating the data structure with the retrieved parameter.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the installation information retrieved from the first-level device includes a hardware area location.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein detection of a hardware failure occurs upon retrieving a local setting in a device that indicates a failure.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein detection of a hardware failure occurs upon retrieving a local setting in a device and determining that the local setting does not meet an expected result.

20. A system having a processor executing a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a network interface for communicating over a first control network, the processor executing the program to:

(a) test a plurality of addresses of the first control network to determine a presence of a first-level device on the first control network, wherein an address is tested by sending a message to the address and determining if a response is received, and wherein a next address is tested upon determining that a response is not received;

(b) upon determining a presence of the first-level device;

(i) retrieve installation information including a device name and an address contained in the first-level device by communicating with the first-level device over the first control network;

(ii) communicate through the first-level device to test a plurality of addresses of a second control network connected to the first-level device to determine a presence of a second-level device on the second control network, wherein an address is tested by sending a message to the address and determining if a response is received, and wherein a next address is tested upon determining that a response is not received; and

(iii) build a data structure comprising the retrieved information from the first-level device; and

(c) upon determining a presence of the second-level device;

(i) retrieve installation information contained in the second-level device by communicating with the second-level device through the first-level device, wherein the first-level and second-level devices are on the first and second control networks, respectively; and

(ii) update the data structure to include the retrieved information from the second-level device;

wherein the first and second control networks are separate control networks, the first-level device is present on the first and second control networks, and the second control network is accessible through the first-level device.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising periodically monitoring the first-level device provided in the data structure for a hardware failure by communicating with the first-level device over the first control network.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising, upon detecting a hardware failure of the first-level device, sending a message alarm in response to detection of the hardware failure.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising periodically monitoring the second-level device provided in the data structure for a hardware failure by communicating with the second-level device through the first-level device, wherein the first-level and second-level devices are on the first-level and second-level control networks, respectively.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising, upon detecting a hardware failure of the second-level device, sending a message alarm in response to detection of the hardware failure.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the system is configured as a programmable logic controller (PLC).

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the address is an IP address.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second control networks use ControlNet, DeviceNet, EtherNet/IP or Sercos protocols.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the installation information retrieved from a device includes information for a network card installed in the device, wherein the network card uses the ControlNet, DeviceNet, EtherNet/IP or Sercos protocol.