Industrial control system cable

• US 10,834,820 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bedrock Automation Platforms, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rooyakkers, Albert, Calvin, James G., Markovic, Craig, Doucette, Ken, Anderson, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Riyami, Abdullah A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imas, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US14/446,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,295 Days
• Field of Search: 439446, 439 8, 439 31, 43962021, 43962022, 4395401, 439 61, 361755, 361785, 361788
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5841 allowing different orientations of the cable with respect to the coupling direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors

Abstract

A cable includes a wiring assembly with a knuckle and wires bundled together. The cable also includes a connector assembly with a connector having connections for the wires, where the connections are arranged along a longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the connector assembly captures an end of the wiring assembly, and the knuckle of the wiring assembly is pivotally connected to the connector assembly. In some embodiments, the cable includes circuitry configured to authenticate the cable to a device connected to the cable by the connector and/or to authenticate the device connected to the cable. A control system includes control elements and/or subsystems coupled with a backplane adjacent to one another and cables configured to connect to the control elements and/or subsystems. Wiring assemblies of the cables can articulate to be parallel to each respective connector. Further, each cable can authenticate the cables and/or the control elements or subsystems.

Claims

1. A cable comprising:

a wiring assembly comprising a knuckle and a plurality of wires bundled together by a sleeve;

a connector assembly comprising a connector for connecting to a device, the connector assembly having a plurality of connections for respective ones of the plurality of wires, the plurality of connections arranged along a longitudinal axis, the connector assembly capturing an end of the wiring assembly, the knuckle of the wiring assembly pivotally connected to the connector assembly so that the wiring assembly can articulate with respect to the connector assembly in a plane defined by the longitudinal axis of the connector and the end of the wiring assembly; and

a controller configured to authenticate the device connected to the cable by the connector using a security credential associated with the device.

2. The cable as recited in claim 1, wherein the knuckle is disposed about the sleeve.

3. The cable as recited in claim 1, wherein the connector assembly and the knuckle form a detent to arrest movement of the wiring assembly with respect to the connector assembly.

4. The cable as recited in claim 3, wherein at least one of the knuckle or the connector assembly comprises a notch configured to interface with a corresponding tooth on the other of the at least one of the knuckle or the connector assembly.

5. The cable as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one connection of the plurality of connections comprises a keyed connection.

6. The cable as recited in claim 1, wherein the connector assembly comprises a connector housing that captures the connector and the wiring assembly.

7. A cable comprising:

a wiring assembly comprising a plurality of wires bundled together by a sleeve;

a connector assembly comprising a connector for connecting to a device, the connector assembly having a plurality of connections for respective ones of the plurality of wires, the connector assembly capturing an end of the wiring assembly; and

a controller configured to authenticate the device connected to the cable by the connector.

8. The cable as recited in claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to authenticate the cable to a device connected to the cable by the connector and stores at least one of a unique identifier or a security credential associated with the cable.

9. The cable as recited in claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to at least one of establish or prevent connection to the device connected to the cable based upon authentication.

10. The cable as recited in claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to encrypt communication between the cable and the device.

11. The cable as recited in claim 7, further comprising an indicator configured to indicate authentication of the device connected to the cable.

12. The cable as recited in claim 11, wherein the indicator comprises an indicator light.

13. The cable as recited in claim 7, wherein the wiring assembly comprises a knuckle, the plurality of connections are arranged along a longitudinal axis, and the knuckle of the wiring assembly is pivotally connected to the connector assembly so that the wiring assembly can articulate with respect to the connector assembly in a plane defined by the longitudinal axis of the connector and the end of the wiring assembly.

14. A control system comprising:

a first control element or subsystem coupled with a backplane;

a first cable configured to connect to the first control element or subsystem;

a second control element or subsystem coupled with the backplane adjacent to the first control element or subsystem; and

a second cable configured to connect to the second control element or subsystem, each one of the first cable and the second cable comprising a wiring assembly comprising a knuckle and a plurality of wires bundled together by a sleeve and a connector assembly comprising a connector having a plurality of connections for respective ones of the plurality of wires, the plurality of connections arranged along a longitudinal axis, the connector assembly capturing an end of the wiring assembly, the knuckle of the wiring assembly pivotally connected to the connector assembly so that the wiring assembly can articulate with respect to the connector assembly in a plane defined by the longitudinal axis of the connector and the end of the wiring assembly, respective connector assemblies of the first cable and the second cable configured to connect to the first control element or subsystem and the second control element or subsystem so that respective wiring assemblies of the first cable and the second cable can articulate to be parallel to the longitudinal axis of each respective connector, wherein at least one of the first cable or the second cable includes a controller configured to authenticate a device connected to the cable by the connector.

15. The control system as recited in claim 14, wherein the backplane comprises at least one of a power backplane or a communications backplane.

16. The control system as recited in claim 14, wherein the first control element or subsystem is coupled with the backplane immediately adjacent to the second control element or subsystem.

17. A control system comprising:

a first control element or subsystem coupled with a backplane;

a first cable configured to connect to the first control element or subsystem;

a second control element or subsystem coupled with the backplane adjacent to the first control element or subsystem; and

a second cable configured to connect to the second control element or subsystem, each one of the first cable and the second cable comprising a wiring assembly comprising a plurality of wires bundled together by a sleeve and a connector assembly comprising a connector having a plurality of connections for respective ones of the plurality of wires, the connector assembly capturing an end of the wiring assembly, each one of the first cable and the second cable including a controller configured to authenticate the first control element or subsystem and the second control element or subsystem to respective ones of the first cable and the second cable.

18. The control system as recited in claim 17, wherein the backplane comprises at least one of a power backplane or a communications backplane.

19. The control system as recited in claim 17, wherein the first control element or subsystem is coupled with the backplane immediately adjacent to the second control element or subsystem.

20. The control system as recited in claim 17, wherein the wiring assembly of at least one of the first cable or the second cable comprises a knuckle, the plurality of connections are arranged along a longitudinal axis, and the knuckle of the wiring assembly is pivotally connected to the connector assembly so that the wiring assembly can articulate with respect to the connector assembly in a plane defined by the longitudinal axis of the connector and the end of the wiring assembly.