Failsafe transmission of data

• US 7,453,902 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Barthel, Herbert, Schiller, Frank, Sigwart, Edgar
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain; Raj K
• Application Number:
  US11/126,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20050249112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/447
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25153 Checking communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25157 Checksum CRC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and a method for the failsafe transmission of data, the system having at least one component (2, 6, 7), which is enhanced for the failsafe transmission of data. To allow the failsafe transmission of data with reduced hardware outlay, it is proposed according to the invention that the one-channel component (2, 6, 7) is enhanced for the fail-safe transmission of data in that it is connected via a bus (1) to a failsafe computer unit (8), it has a communication driver (23), which maintains the data in standard and non-standard form, the communication driver (23) maintains a marker value, which indicates whether safe replacement values or real values are used, in standard and non-standard form.

Claims

1. A system for the failsafe transmission of data, comprising:

at least one one-channel component, the component comprising;

an interface for connecting the component via a bus to a failsafe computer unit;

a communication driver maintaining the data in standard and non-standard form, wherein the communication driver maintains a marker value indicating whether safe replacement values or real values are used, wherein the marker value is in standard and non-standard form, and wherein a checksum is generated in the communication driver from the data maintained in non-standard form; and

a program run control for monitoring a program flow; and

wherein the one-channel component is provided with a disabled failsafe data supplement and an active failsafe one-channel communication driver for at least intermittent use in applications that are without relevance to safety for the failsafe data supplement, and wherein the failsafe data supplement is released during intermittent disabled failsafe data supplement use in applications with relevance to safety.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the real values are process values, the component is a peripheral device for processing the process values, and the bus is a fieldbus.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer unit is certified to a safety standard.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the component is an operationally proven component extended to include the failsafe communication driver.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the component is a sensor or an actuator.

6. A method for failsafe transmission of data, wherein data is transmitted in a failsafe manner with at least one one-channel component, the method comprising:

connecting the component via a bus to a failsafe computer unit;

maintaining the data in standard and non-standard form by a communication driver of the component;

maintaining a marker value by the communication driver in standard and non-standard form, wherein the marker value indicates whether safe replacement values or real values are used;

generating a checksum in the communication driver from the data maintained in non-standard form;

monitoring an execution of a program by a program run control; and

wherein the one-channel component having a deactivated failsafe data supplement and an active failsafe one-channel communication driver is used at least intermittently in applications that are without relevance to safety for the failsafe data supplement, and the failsafe data supplement is released during intermittent deactivated failsafe data supplement use in applications with relevance to safety.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the method is used in process automation, wherein the real values are process values, wherein the component processes the process values as a peripheral device, and wherein the bus is a fieldbus.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the computer unit is certified to a safety standard.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the component is an operationally proven component comprising the communication driver.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the component is a sensor or actuator.

11. A one-channel component for the failsafe transmission of data, comprising:

an interface for connecting the component via a bus to a failsafe computer unit;

a communication driver maintaining the data in standard and non-standard form, wherein the communication driver maintains a marker value indicating whether safe replacement values or real values are used, wherein the marker value is in standard and non-standard form, and wherein a checksum is generated in the communication driver from the data maintained in non-standard form;

a program run control for monitoring an execution of a program flow; and

wherein the one-channel component is provided with a disabled failsafe data supplement and an active failsafe one-channel communication driver for at least intermittent use in applications that are without relevance to safety for the failsafe data supplement, and wherein the failsafe data supplement is released is released during intermittent disabled failsafe data supplement use in applications with relevance to safety.

12. The component according to claim 11, wherein the real values are process values, the component is a peripheral device for processing the process values, and the bus is a fieldbus.

13. The component according to claim 11, wherein the computer unit is certified to a safety standard.

14. The component according to claim 11, wherein the component is an operationally proven component integrating the failsafe communication driver.

15. The component according to claim 11, wherein the component is a sensor or an actuator.

16. The component according to claim 11, wherein the communication driver is a failsafe communication driver.