NETWORK SWITCH WITH CONTROLLER I/O CAPABILITY

• US 20080080543A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Forguites, Jessica, Hickox, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US11/862,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080543A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/65 Re-configuration of fast packet switches

Abstract

A network component for an industrial automation system is provided. This includes a network switch that provides one or more ports such as for communicating with public or private network components. An interface component enables the ports to function as inputs or outputs to a controller.

Claims

1. A network component for an industrial automation system, comprising:

a network infrastructure device that includes one or more ports; and

an interface component that enables the network infrastructure device to function as at least one input or at least one output to a controller.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a module to read the inputs or write to the outputs.

3. The system of claim 2, the module is a programmable controller.

4. The system of claim 1, the interface component provides a public network protocol for a controller input/output protocol.

5. The system of claim 4, the public network protocol is an Ethernet protocol.

6. The system of claim 4, the controller input/output protocol is accessed from a controller data table location.

7. The system of claim 4, the interface component operates as an Ethernet adapter that provides I/O connection capability over the Ethernet.

8. The system of claim 1, the inputs are employed to read a connection status for the ports.

9. The system of claim 8, the connection status is related to a MAC ID status.

10. The system of claim 9, the MAC ID status is related to access of at least one port.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a configuration component to set an authorized or unauthorized MAC ID for a port.

12. The system of claim 1, the outputs are employed to enable or disable the ports.

13. The system of claim 1, the inputs are employed to provide diagnostics for the network switch.

14. The system of claim 13, the diagnostics provide status from at least one alarm condition.

15. The system of claim 14, the alarm condition is associated with at least one of a bandwidth alarm, a scaling factor, a time factor, and an allowed traffic difference.

16. The system of claim 15, the scaling factor is associated with a scaled bandwidth utilization component.

17. The system of claim 13, the diagnostics include one or more transmit counters, one or more receive counters, an IGMP report, and a MAC address report.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component to mirror network data from the ports.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network sniffer to monitor network data from a port.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filter component that is applied to data associated with the port.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising a capture component to log data generated at the ports.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component to monitor and automatically detect network addresses.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a component to automatically authorize detected network addresses.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component to partition ports into separate private domains.

25. The system of claim 1, the network switch further comprising a quality of service (QoS) adjustment.

26. The system of claim 25, the QoS adjustment further comprising at least one of a quality weight, a port priority setting, a priority threshold setting, and a network priority setting.

27. A computer readable medium having a data structure stored thereon to facilitate remote network interaction in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

a first data field to specify a network protocol associated with at least one public network;

a second data field to specify an industrial controller protocol that is associated with an input status or an output command; and

a third data field that transports the controller protocol within the network protocol.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, the network protocol is an Ethernet protocol.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27, the input status is associated with a MAC ID status field.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 27, the output command is sent to a controller output data table and employed to enable or disable a network port associated with the network protocol.

31. A method to control access to industrial control components, comprising:

providing a plurality of switches to facilitate access to a network;

adapting a controller I/O protocol to a network protocol, the controller I/O protocol and the network protocol employed by the switches; and

controlling an on or off state of the switches via the controller I/O protocol.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising providing network status via the controller I/O protocol.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing network diagnostics via the controller I/O protocol.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising controlling quality of network service via the controller I/O protocol.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising generating a MAC ID status for the network status.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising configuring the plurality of switch via the network protocol.

37. A modular system for an industrial control environment, comprising:

means for generating at least one network protocol;

means for transporting at least one controller I/O protocol within the network protocol; and

means for switching a network port based in part on commands received from the controller I/O protocol.