WO1997039393A1 - Control and data processing device for an industrial installation - Google Patents

Abstract

A network-based controller for industrial installations is in particular useful to replace a memory-programmable controller with a connected data processing system. To reduce local hardware requirements, the network-based controller (NBC) is connected by field busses, communication busses, an internal modem and an internet-compatible network connection to the data processing and process-controlling equipment of industrial installations. The controller uses the possibilities of distributed systems, in particular the performance characteristics of internet or intranet. The field bus connection and communication busses ensure the same performance as conventional control technologies. The software management of the network-based controller is adapted for internet and the technical processes are controlled by means of the field bus.

Description

 Device for the control and data preparation of an industrial plant

The invention relates to a controller and its process data management for an industrial plant.

Programmable logic controllers, also known as PLCs, are known for controlling industrial plants. These usually have an input / output unit (man-machine interface), via which the user can operate / parameterize the control on site. The program to be processed is written in an adapted programming language (for example IEC 1131) and is advantageously stored in a memory of the PLC and processed by a PLC controller. The process data obtained is collected, processed as required and can be fed to other units for evaluation.

The collection, processing and management of the data generated during production in industrial plants are becoming increasingly important; on the one hand for quality assurance and troubleshooting, on the other hand for commercial evaluation.

The object of the invention is to reduce the technical outlay for controlling industrial plants and to collect the process data obtained in a simple manner for an immediate or later evaluation. This object is achieved according to the features of claim 1.

This construction according to the invention achieves:

- Control program and any multimedia or data processing applications / network coupling run on the same system. When using an additional controller (processor) for the fieldbus coupling, both systems are even decoupled.

- In the event of a voltage / network failure, the process status can be saved. The integrated control has a secure power supply.

- Hard disks and vulnerable PC components (plug-in cards) are eliminated.

- With common software applications, all data / images / applications in the higher-level network (Internet, intranet) can be accessed by the machine control.

- The PLC control program can be downloaded from the network.

- Remote maintenance, program changes and data acquisition are possible via the higher-level network (Internet, intranet).

- All manufacturing data, downtimes, shift protocols etc. can be saved in the higher-level network and processed immediately or later. Network-optimized programming languages, such as JAVA, can preferably be used to describe / program the data preparation and evaluation.

- The permanently installed software on the NBC is limited to a BOOT EPROM.

Further features of the invention result from the further claims and the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing and described in detail below, the following terms being used in the description:

• Internet

I) Several packet switching networks, which are connected with the aid of bridges and routers and communicate via protocols, so that they appear as a uniform virtual network.

II) A worldwide network that was established by the United States Department of Defense and uses the Transmission Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP).

• JAVA

Object-oriented programming language developed by SUN-Microsystems. JAVA compilers do not generate an INTEL processor code, but a special JAVA code. This code is evaluated on the target system by suitable JAVA interpreters and translated to the respective target hardware. There are now JAVA processors that already do this translation on the hardware side. JAVA has now been licensed by all major software companies (Microsoft, IBM, etc.). Intranet

An intranet is a local network that expediently has the same physical and logical structure as the Internet. With intranets, fully internet-compatible company-internal networks can be set up, which can be connected to the official internet at any time. As with the Internet, the opportunity is used to use the network as a global, cross-company database.

Fieldbus

Fieldbuses are networks for connecting decentralized input / output modules in industrial controls. They are not designed to transfer large amounts of data. Rather, they serve the rapid exchange of states at the process level. Common fieldbuses are Inter-Bus-S (PHOENIX), ProfiBus-DP (SIEMENS) and CAN-Bus.

Communication bus systems

There are communication buses for connecting controllers (PLC, industrial computer, CNC, etc.) to one another. They are physically designed so that data packets can be sent directly addressed from one controller to one or more controllers. In contrast to field buses, ever larger amounts of data are sent at this protocol level. Each control manufacturer usually offers communication buses tailored to its system with different scope of services.

PLC

Programmable logic controller: controller for logically linking process states. Mainly O 97/39393 PC17EP97 / 01967

instruction chains with fixed cycle times are processed sequentially.

The drawing shows two network-based controllers, called NBC, which preferably form a structural unit 1 as hardware. Each NBC has a programmable logic control unit PLC, which is connected via a fieldbus 2 to decentralized local input / output units such as sensors / actuators 3. The fieldbus 2 is connected to the NBC via a fieldbus interface 4. The control unit PLC preferably has an intelligent fieldbus controller 5 with its own processor for processing the PLC program. The process data, which are read in via the fieldbus 2 and result in a current process image, are expediently stored in a non-volatile memory 6 on the fieldbus interface 4. This ensures that the data is protected against power failure. If the intelligent fieldbus controller 5 is used, the control unit PLC can work independently of the processor 7 of the NBC.

The NBC also has a BOOT EPROM 8 for the processor 7, which mainly contains the software for starting up the NBC and for basic management of the fieldbus peripherals and for downloading programs from the higher-level network 20. A main memory 9 is also expediently arranged. The NBC can be operated via an optional input / output unit 10; PC-compatible units can be used as the input unit, such as a keyboard or a touchscreen 10.1, a mouse 10.2, a trackball 10.3 or an electronic pen. A screen 11 is expediently provided as an optional output unit, which can be designed as a tube screen or as a flat display (LCD). To connect the NBC to the higher-level network 20, a preferably internal modem 12 is integrated, which works analog or digital (ISDN), via the modem 12 the NBC can advantageously with a dial-up connection (telephone network) to the Internet 21 (Worldwide Web) and thus also be connected to other NBCs. As an alternative or in addition, a connection to an internal company intranet 22 is also possible, for which purpose the NBC has a network module 13 which establishes the physical connection to the intranet 22. The intranet expediently works with a TCP or IP protocol, so that there is an Internet-compatible training which enables a direct connection 23 of the intranet 22 to the Internet 21. The intranet 22 is connected to internal company storage media or servers 25.

It may be expedient to design a communication bus 30 for a fast direct connection between individual NBCs, which are also operated at different locations, to which each NBC is to be connected via a communication module 14. In this way, data packets can be exchanged directly between the NBCs, and direct access to memory areas of another NBC is also possible.

An NBC expediently also has modules for multimedia applications, for example sound controllers, video controllers, MPEG, JPEG, graphic controllers or the like.

The software necessary for operating an NBC can be made available and downloaded to the NBC via the higher-level network 20, namely Internet 21 or intranet 22. The complete Internet functionality can be accessed via this software, whereby the NBC programs can expediently run as JAVA programs. For this purpose, processor 7 is expediently provided as a JAVA processor. The control programs for the PLC can run on the NBC, with fieldbus 2 serving as a coupling to the process (control technology). If an autonomous field bus controller 5 is provided, it can process the control software, so that the processor 7 of the NBC is relieved and, for example, in its entire capacity for multimedia applications or other data processing (Internet or intranet) Available.

The intranet has the same physical and logical structure as the Internet 21, so that a connection to the Internet 21 is possible at any time. The network 20 can be used as a global, cross-company database.

In order to keep the network load low, the information about the network is sent in as compact a form as possible. The browsers running on the NBCs interpret the data (for example HTML) and prepare images and interactive menus etc. therefrom. With the programming language JAVA it is possible to write complex programs such as word processing, spreadsheets, multimedia applications etc. in an object-oriented manner. JAVA compilers generate code that is independent of the hardware. This must be translated and evaluated by an interpreter or a JAVA processor 7 on the NBC. All program parts required for hardware control are therefore located on the NBC terminal 1. Only the application itself is encoded in JAVA and sent via the network 20. With this handling, the code required for an application program can be broken down into two parts:

a) Logical program core and program flow structure b) Modules for hardware control / management

Only the hardware control and management components are on the NBC; The program core and program data as well as the program structure are loaded from the network 20 as required.

The NBC according to the invention is an intelligent subscriber to the Internet 21 or an intranet 22 within the company. It has all the capabilities and services of a modern Internet terminal. A hard disk or the like can be omitted. The fieldbus 2 to the process is either operated directly from the main processor 7 or via its own controller 5, which is coupled to the fieldbus interface 4.

With the NBC, the functionality of PCs, networks and general data technology can be taken into account in the field of industrial controls. In particular, multimedia applications made available via the network can be used, for example service instructions by video clip, assembly pictures, maintenance instructions, circuit diagrams, online help or the like. A representation on the screen of the machine control is expedient. Product-related manufacturing data can also be recorded and evaluated centrally over longer periods of time, which is a requirement of ISO certification. An expedient decoupling of process control and multimedia application is achieved by arranging an autonomous fieldbus control. Process control and multimedia application can communicate internally with one another via a common memory or adapted mechanisms for data exchange.

Claims

 Expectations Device for controlling an industrial system, comprising a control unit (PLC), which is connected via a fieldbus (2) to local input / output units (3) of a control technology, with a processor (7) and a BOOT memory ( 8), an input unit (10) and a connection unit (12, 13) to a higher-level network (20), which provides the PLC program itself or the software required for this, the central control unit (PLC), the processor ( 7) form a network-based controller NBC with the BOOT memory (8) and the connection unit (12, 13). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the NBC comprises a display unit (11), preferably a screen / flat display. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the NBC has a main memory (9), in particular contains a RAM. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the connection unit is a preferably internal, digital or analog modem (12). 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the connection unit is a network module (13) for connection to a local area network (intranet 22), which preferably works with the TCP or IP protocol. 6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that several NBC are connected to a local area network (intranet 22). 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the NBC has a physical interface with access to the Internet (21) auf¬. 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the NBC is directly connected to a further NBC via a communication module (14) and a communication bus (30). 9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the processor of the NBC is a JAVA processor (7). 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the central control unit (PLC) has a non-volatile memory (6) for the process image. 11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the field bus (2) is an Interbus-S (PHOENIX), a ProfiBus (SIEMENS) or a CAN bus. 12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the input unit (10) is a PC input unit such as a mouse (10.2), a Track¬ ball (10.3), a touchscreen or a keyboard (10.1) or an electronic Pen is. 13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the hardware of the NBC is combined into a structural unit (1).