Method and apparatus for prescribing station identifiers in a profit IO network

• US 7,949,754 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Lessman, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Katsikis; Kostas
• Application Number:
  US11/341,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20060173955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,944 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/200
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25009 Profinet-I-O, producer-consumer mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25119 Dipswitches dipschalter
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25296 Identification module, type connected I-O, device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation

Abstract

The invention relates to the development of a Profinet IO compatible subscriber device having a selector switch such that the station identifier is obtained directly from the respective setting of the selector switch in combination with a firmly prescribed group identifier which is specific to a respective particular group of subscriber devices.

Claims

1. A Profinet compatible device having

an address selector switch that is designed to receive a setting,

the Profinet compatible device being designed to generate a station identifier from

(i) the setting received by the address selector switch, in combination with

(ii) a group identifier that is (a) firmly prescribed for the Profinet compatible device and (b) associated with a specific device group that includes the Profinet compatible device,

whereby a logical network subscriber device address and a physical network subscriber device address can be allocated based on the station identifier, with the station identifier being allocated as a symbolic name prior to allocation of the logical network subscriber device address and the physical network subscriber device address.

2. The Profinet compatible device as claimed in claim 1, having a firmly prescribed identifier for identifying another device that is associated with a specific group of sensors, actuators, bus couplers or I/O servers for the peripheral area of an installation.

3. A method for prescribing, on a Profinet IO compatible device, a station identifier, the method comprising:

receiving a setting via an address selector switch; and

combining (i) the setting received by the address selector switch with (ii) a group identifier that is (a) firmly prescribed for the Profinet IO compatible device and (b) associated with a specific device group, resulting in the station identifier,

whereby logical network subscriber device addresses and physical network subscriber device addresses can be subsequently allocated based on the station identifier, with the station identifier being allocated as a symbolic name prior to allocation of the logical network subscriber device addresses and the physical network subscriber device addresses.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the address selector switch is in the style of a rotary selector switch or a DIP switch.

5. A method for prescribing, on a Profinet IO compatible device, a station identifier being allocated as a symbolic name prior to associating a logical network subscriber device address and a physical network subscriber device address, the method comprising:

sensing a selector switch arranged directly on the Profinet IO compatible device as having been set to a desired selector position;

in response to the selector switch having been set, automatically generating the station identifier associated with the Profinet IO compatible device, based on

(i) the desired selector position that is set on the selector switch, and

(ii) a group identifier that is (a) firmly prescribed for the Profinet IO compatible

device and (b) associated with a specific device group that includes the Profinet IO compatible device; and

allocating the logical network subscriber device address and the physical network subscriber device address, based on the station identifier generated.