A remote I / O module of a PLC controller and its configuration method

Abstract

The present invention provides a remote I / O module of a PLC controller and a configuration method thereof. The remote I / O module of the PLC controller includes an MCU chip, a device-side interface, a controller interface, and a non-volatile memory; the device-side interface and the controller interface are respectively connected to the MCU chip through corresponding circuits, and the non-volatile memory is also connected to the MCU chip. Thus, a single I / O module can meet the interface requirements of any type of sensor and any number. In the configuration method, the configuration configuration method realizes the recognition and transmission of sensor signals by the I / O module under different sensor combinations. The real-time configuration method is based on the remote or on-site programming of the MCU chip; thereby, the configuration file and configuration program therein are updated according to the specific sensor, and when the sensor or its configuration parameters are changed, the update flexibility of the PLC control system is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of industrial automation, and in particular to a remote I / O module of a PLC controller and a configuration method thereof. Background Art

[0002] PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) is a digital electronic device with a microprocessor, which has important and wide applications in realizing automatic control of electrical equipment and electrical systems.

[0003] Existing industrial automation control systems generally include electrical equipment or electrical systems as the controlled end, a PLC controller as the control end, and an I / O module that establishes a connection between the two. However, in the existing I / O modules, the interface types used to transmit the sensor signals on the device end are solidified, that is, there are only a fixed number and fixed types of interfaces. Therefore, when there are many types of sensor signals transmitted, it often cannot meet the actual needs. At this time, the interface requirements can only be met by increasing the number of I / O modules. This method increases the complexity of the automation control system and the redundancy of wiring, so it is not conducive to early wiring arrangement and later maintenance; and when there are many types of sensor signals and the number of sensor signals of each type is small, the above method as a whole will also make the utilization rate of the I / O module low, resulting in waste of I / O modules.

[0004] In the existing automated monitoring system, due to the single and fixed interface type of the I / O module, when replacing the sensor on the electrical equipment or electrical system at the controlled end, it is necessary to rewire the entire system first; if there is no corresponding interface on the I / O module, sometimes a new I / O module needs to be purchased. This not only increases the difficulty of sensor replacement, but also takes a long time and has low flexibility. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a remote I / O module for a PLC controller, which classifies and merges interfaces for transmitting different sensor signals according to data types, and has an internal MCU chip; the sensor signals are transmitted to the I / O module according to the data types, and then recognized as specific sensor signals by the MCU chip for transmission. Thus, a single I / O module can meet the interface requirements of any type of sensor and any number of sensors.

[0006] The present invention also provides a configuration method for a remote I / O module of at least one PLC controller, wherein the configuration method realizes the recognition and transmission of sensor signals by the I / O module under different sensor combinations. The real-time configuration method performs remote or local programming based on the MCU chip; and updates the configuration files and configuration programs therein according to the specific sensors, thereby increasing the update flexibility of the PLC control system when the sensors or their configuration parameters are changed.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention proposes the following technical solutions:

[0008] A remote I / O module of a PLC controller comprises an MCU chip, a device-side interface and a controller interface cooperating with the MCU chip, and a non-volatile memory connected to the MCU chip;

[0009] The device-side interface includes a dry contact interface, a high-speed signal interface and a universal signal interface, wherein the dry contact interface is connected to the MCU chip via a power switch output circuit, the high-speed signal interface is connected to the MCU chip via a high-speed digital signal circuit, and the universal signal interface is connected to the MCU chip via a universal signal circuit;

[0010] The controller interface includes a switch interface, a configuration interface, and a power interface. The switch interface is connected to the MCU chip through an address acquisition circuit, the configuration interface is connected to the MCU chip through a configuration circuit, and the power interface is connected to the MCU chip through a power conversion circuit;

[0011] The non-volatile memory is used to store relevant configuration files and configuration programs.

[0012] Furthermore, the high-speed signal interface includes a high-speed input interface, a high-speed output interface and a high-speed input / output switching switch; the high-speed input interface and the high-speed output interface are arranged in parallel, and their two ends are respectively connected to the high-speed digital signal circuit and the high-speed input / output switching switch.

[0013] Furthermore, the universal signal interface includes a universal input interface, a universal output interface and a universal input / output switching switch; the universal input interface and the universal output interface are arranged in parallel, and their two ends are respectively connected to the universal signal circuit and the universal input / output switching switch.

[0014] Furthermore, in the device-side interface, the dry contact interface is a 4-channel interface, the high-speed signal interface is a 4-channel interface, and the universal signal interface is an 8-channel interface.

[0015] Furthermore, the universal signal interface is used to realize the transmission of voltage signals, current signals, thermal resistance signals, thermocouple signals or low-speed digital signals.

[0016] Furthermore, the configuration interface is divided into a remote configuration interface and an on-site configuration interface; the remote configuration interface includes a CAN interface, which is connected to the MCU chip through a CAN drive circuit; the on-site configuration interface includes an RS485 interface, which is connected to the MCU chip through a MODBUS RTU drive circuit.

[0017] Furthermore, the remote configuration interface also includes a fiber optic interface, which is connected to the MCU chip via a fiber optic to CAN circuit.

[0018] Furthermore, the switch interface is a manual dial switch interface.

[0019] A configuration method for a remote I / O module of a PLC controller, used to implement configuration of the remote I / O module of the PLC controller, a device and the PLC controller, comprising:

[0020] Connect the power interface to a power source to power on the I / O module;

[0021] Connecting the switch interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to configure the address of the I / O module; and connecting the configuration interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to enable data transmission between the I / O module and the PLC controller;

[0022] Connecting the dry contact interface to a corresponding port of a device to associate the I / O module with the device;

[0023] Connecting the high-speed signal interface to the corresponding port of the device, so that the MCU chip can identify the sensor source of each high-speed digital signal, and obtain the corresponding configuration file in the PLC controller according to the identification result, and then write it to the non-volatile memory to configure each high-speed digital signal;

[0024] The universal signal interface is connected to the corresponding port of the device so that the MCU chip can identify the sensor source of each basic signal and / or low-speed digital signal, and obtain the corresponding configuration file in the PLC controller based on the identification result, and then write it to the non-volatile memory to configure each universal signal.

[0025] A configuration method for a remote I / O module of a PLC controller is used to implement real-time configuration between the remote I / O module of the PLC controller and a device and the PLC controller; comprising:

[0026] Connect the power interface to a power source to power on the I / O module;

[0027] Connecting the switch interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to configure the address of the I / O module; and connecting the configuration interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to enable data transmission between the I / O module and the PLC controller;

[0028] Connecting the dry contact interface to a corresponding port of a device to associate the I / O module with the device;

[0029] Connect the high-speed signal interface or the universal signal interface to the corresponding port of the device, reprogram the configuration program of the MCU chip according to the sensor source of each signal connected, and store it in the non-volatile memory;

[0030] Update the corresponding configuration files in the non-volatile memory according to the sensor sources of each signal connected;

[0031] The updated configuration program is associated with the configuration file, and the real-time configuration of each signal is performed through the operation of the configuration program and the configuration file.

[0032] Beneficial effects:

[0033] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the technical solution of the present invention provides a remote I / O module for a PLC controller. The I / O module classifies and merges the sensor signals from the device end according to the data type, and divides them into three categories: high-power signals, high-speed digital signals, and general signals, and sets corresponding dry contact interfaces, high-speed signal interfaces, and general signal interfaces on the I / O module. And an MCU chip connected to the high-speed signal interface and the general signal interface, and a memory matched with the MCU chip are built into the I / O module. Therefore, the MCU chip can parse and confirm the transmitted high-power signals to obtain their specific device sources; and parse and confirm each high-speed digital signal or general signal to obtain its specific sensor source. Therefore, the I / O module can realize the transmission of any or any combination of sensor signals with a small number of interfaces. It reduces the problem of low I / O module utilization and waste of interface number caused by the existing technology that can only solve the interface requirement problem through multiple parallel I / O modules, and also makes the wiring clearer and more streamlined, which is convenient for early wiring and later maintenance.

[0034] Since the memory is a non-volatile memory, when the I / O module and the PLC controller are abnormally powered off, the MCU chip can obtain the relevant configuration files and configuration parameters from the non-volatile memory connected thereto, so as to perform temporary data feedback adjustment on the device side, and ensure the smooth progress of the automatic control process. And when it is necessary to replace the sensor on the device side or adjust the parameters of the sensor signal, the MCU chip can be reprogrammed through the device side, and the updated configuration files and configuration parameters can be stored in the non-volatile memory. Without the need to replace the I / O module, and the wiring and internal logic of the PLC control system are reset, the data transmission and feedback adjustment of the replaced sensor or the sensor after the parameter change can be realized through the I / O module.

[0035] According to the structure and function setting of the I / O module, the present invention also provides two configuration methods for the I / O module. One is a configuration method, which realizes the address configuration of the I / O module and the data transmission between the PLC controller and the I / O module by connecting the switch interface and the configuration interface on the I / O module with the corresponding port of the PLC controller. The association between the I / O module and the device end is realized by connecting the dry contact interface with the device; the high-speed signal interface and the universal signal interface are connected to the corresponding port of the device end, and the analysis and confirmation of each high-speed digital signal or universal signal transmitted is realized to obtain its specific sensor signal type, and it is fed back to the PLC controller to realize self-feedback adjustment of each signal. And because the MCU chip will write the corresponding configuration file in the PLC controller to the non-volatile memory according to the recognition result when performing signal confirmation, when the I / O module is disconnected from the PLC controller, the MCU chip can obtain the relevant configuration file and configuration parameters from the non-volatile memory connected thereto, so as to perform temporary data feedback adjustment on the device end, and ensure the smooth progress of the automatic control process.

[0036] The other is a real-time configuration method, which initializes and resets the configuration file in the non-volatile memory according to the signals obtained from the high-speed signal interface and the universal signal interface; and reprograms and reburns the operating logic in the MCU chip through the PLC controller or device to complete the update of the configuration file and configuration program in the MCU chip, so that when the sensor on the device side is replaced or the sensor parameters are changed, the reconfiguration can be achieved through the I / O module. Compared with the prior art, which requires resetting the wiring and operating logic of the entire PLC control system, or even replacing the I / O module, this method is less difficult and more flexible; therefore, it is more in line with the needs of actual on-site use.

[0037] It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts, as well as additional concepts described in greater detail below, may be considered to be part of the inventive subject matter of the present disclosure, provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent.

[0038] The foregoing and other aspects, embodiments and features of the present invention can be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Other additional aspects of the present invention, such as the features and / or beneficial effects of the exemplary embodiments, will be apparent from the following description or learned from the practice of the specific embodiments according to the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in various figures may be represented by the same reference numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. Embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0040] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the remote I / O module of the PLC controller of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the medium and high speed signal interface;

[0042] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the general signal interface;

[0043] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A specific structural diagram of the general signal interface in . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiment of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiment of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiment is a part of the embodiment of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiment of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein should be the common meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present invention belongs.

[0045] The words "first", "second" and similar words used in the patent application specification and claims of the present invention do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form of "a", "an" or "the" and other similar words do not indicate a quantitative limitation, but indicate the existence of at least one. "Include" or "comprise" and other similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing before "include" or "comprise" include the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components listed after "include" or "comprise", and do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their collections. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0046] The present invention provides a remote I / O module for a PLC controller, which includes an MCU chip, and a device-side interface, a control-side interface, and a non-volatile memory that cooperate with the MCU chip. First, in the device-side interface setting, the signal interface used to transmit the sensor signal is classified and merged according to the data type, and then the sensor signal type is analyzed and confirmed by the MCU chip; thereby, the transmission of any or any combination of sensor signals is realized with a smaller number of interfaces. And the combination setting of the MCU chip and the non-volatile memory enables the transmission and self-feedback adjustment of the data signal of the replaced sensor to be realized without overall reconfiguration when the device-side sensor needs to be replaced. It has the characteristics of less configuration difficulty and higher flexibility, and is more in line with the needs of actual on-site use.

[0047] The present invention also provides a configuration method for remote I / O modules of various PLC controllers. The configuration method realizes the sensor signal recognition and transmission of the I / O module under different sensor combinations; the real-time configuration method realizes the transmission and feedback of the replaced sensor signal through remote or local programming functions without resetting the PLC control system.

[0048] The remote I / O module of the PLC controller disclosed in the present invention is further specifically introduced below in conjunction with the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0049] like Figure 1As shown, the I / O module includes an MCU chip, a device-side interface, a control-side interface and a memory. The MCU chip is used as the main chip for subsequent sensor signal recognition and self-feedback adjustment of data signals; the device-side interface is used to realize the association between the MCU chip and the device and the data signal transmission; the control-side interface is used to realize the configuration and data signal transmission between the MCU chip and the PLC controller; the memory is used to store and call related files and parameters.

[0050] Among them, the controller interface includes a switch interface, a configuration interface, and a power interface, which are all connected to the MCU chip through corresponding circuit settings. Specifically, the switch interface is connected to the MCU chip through an address acquisition circuit to implement the address configuration of the I / O module. The configuration interface is connected to the MCU chip through a configuration circuit to implement data transmission between the I / O module and the PLC controller. The power interface is connected to the MCU chip through a power conversion circuit to power on the I / O module.

[0051] The device-side interface includes a dry contact interface, a high-speed signal interface, and a universal signal interface, and is connected to the MCU chip through corresponding circuit settings. Specifically, the dry contact interface is connected to the MCU chip through a power switch output circuit to realize the association between the I / O module and the device. The high-speed signal interface is connected to the MCU chip through a high-speed digital signal circuit, and the universal signal interface is connected to the MCU chip through a universal signal circuit.

[0052] In the device-side interface setting, since the sensor signals from the device side are merged according to the data type, they are divided into three categories: high-power signals, high-speed digital signals and general signals, and dry contact interfaces, high-speed signal interfaces and general signal interfaces are set up respectively, and they are connected to the MCU chip through power switch output circuits, high-speed digital signal circuits and general signal circuits respectively. Therefore, when transmitting sensor data signals, the device-side interface is first associated with the specific device according to the dry contact interface, and each signal on the device side is transmitted according to the high-speed digital signal or the general signal, and then the transmitted high-speed digital signal or the general signal is analyzed through the MCU chip to obtain its specific sensor source; and then it is transmitted to the PLC controller, or fed back to the sensor corresponding to the device.

[0053] Therefore, the I / O module can realize signal transmission of any sensor or any combination of sensors with a relatively small number of interfaces, which reduces the problem of low I / O module utilization and waste of interfaces caused by the prior art that the interface requirement problem can only be solved by multiple I / O modules arranged in parallel, and also makes the wiring clearer and more streamlined, which is convenient for early wiring and later maintenance.

[0054] In this embodiment, the memory is a non-volatile memory and is connected to the MCU chip. Therefore, when the I / O module and the PLC controller are abnormally powered off, the MCU chip can obtain the relevant configuration file from the non-volatile memory connected thereto to perform temporary data feedback adjustment on the device side to ensure the smooth progress of the automatic control process. And when it is necessary to replace the sensor on the device side, the MCU chip can be reprogrammed through the device side, and the updated configuration file can be stored in the non-volatile memory. Without the need to replace the I / O module and reset the entire PLC control system, the data transmission and feedback adjustment of the replaced sensor can be realized through the existing I / O module in the system.

[0055] In this embodiment, in order to increase the practicality of the I / O module, in the channel setting of the device-side interface, the dry contact interface is set to a 4-channel interface, the high-speed signal interface is set to a 4-channel interface, and the universal signal interface is set to an 8-channel interface.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, in the specific setting of the high-speed signal interface, in order to realize the input or output of the same high-speed digital signal, for the high-speed signal interface of any channel, it includes a high-speed input interface and a high-speed output interface, that is, a high-speed input / output switching switch. The high-speed input interface and the high-speed output interface are arranged in parallel, and their two ends are respectively connected to the high-speed digital signal circuit and the high-speed input / output switching switch. The 4-channel high-speed signal interface includes 4 parallel Figure 2 In the high-speed signal interface structure. In an automated control process, the high-speed input / output switching switch first controls the high-speed input interface to open; at this time, the high-speed digital signal is transmitted to the MCU chip, which is then transmitted to the PLC controller after the chip parses and confirms the specific sensor source, and the PLC controller analyzes and processes it. Then the high-speed input / output switching switch controls the high-speed output interface to open; at this time, the feedback signal adjusted by the PLC controller will be transmitted to the corresponding sensor again through the MCU chip to automatically adjust it.

[0057] Similarly, if Figure 3 As shown, in the specific setting of the universal signal interface, in order to realize the input or output of the same universal signal, the universal signal interface of any channel includes a universal input interface, a universal output interface and a universal input / output switching switch. The universal input interface and the universal output interface are arranged in parallel, and their two ends are respectively connected to the universal signal circuit and the universal input / output switching switch. The universal signal interface of the 8 channels includes Figure 3 The structure of 8 parallel universal signal interfaces is shown.

[0058] For electrical equipment and electrical systems, since common signals generally include basic signals of equipment and low-speed digital signals from functional sensors. Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment also provides a more specific universal signal interface, which can be used to realize the transmission of voltage signals, current signals, thermal resistance signals, thermocouple signals or low-speed digital signals; including current output interface, voltage output interface, current output interface, voltage input interface, thermal resistance input interface, thermocouple input interface, low-speed digital signal input interface, and low-speed digital signal output interface.

[0059] In terms of the control end interface setting, in order to increase the configuration flexibility, the configuration interface includes a remote configuration interface and an on-site configuration interface. Specifically, the remote configuration interface includes a CAN interface, which is connected to the MCU chip through a CAN drive circuit; it has the advantages of low cost and high reliability in short-distance communication. The on-site configuration interface includes an RS485 interface, which is connected to the MCU chip through a MODBUS RTU drive circuit, realizing on-site non-disturbance configuration and communication.

[0060] In order to meet the requirements of long-distance communication configuration, in addition to the CAN interface, a fiber optic interface is also provided on the remote configuration interface. The fiber optic interface is connected to the MCU chip through a fiber-to-CAN circuit, which not only meets the requirements of long-distance communication, but also has the advantages of reducing communication load and improving communication anti-interference.

[0061] In the switch interface setting, the switch interface is a manual dial switch interface, which has an address dialer built in. Therefore, when the device is connected, the current address of the I / O module can be determined by dialing, which can avoid device abnormality caused by address configuration errors.

[0062] The following is combined with Figure 1 The embodiment shown further specifically introduces the configuration method of the remote I / O module of the PLC controller disclosed in the present invention. The method is used to implement the configuration between the I / O module and the PLC controller and the device. The specific steps are as follows:

[0063] S102, connecting the power interface to a power source to power on the I / O module;

[0064] The power supply described in this step includes an external power supply, a device power supply or a PLC controller power supply.

[0065] S104, connecting the switch interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to perform address configuration on the I / O module; and connecting the configuration interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to enable data transmission between the I / O module and the PLC controller;

[0066] In this step, when the switch interface is a manual dial switch interface, manual configuration is performed through the dial switch.

[0067] In this step, when local configuration is required, the local configuration interface is used to connect it to the corresponding port of the PLC controller. When remote configuration is required, if the distance is short, the CAN interface is used to connect it to the corresponding port of the PLC controller; if the distance is long, the optical fiber interface is used to connect it to the corresponding port of the PLC controller. This ensures that the address configuration is normal and reliable.

[0068] S106, connecting the dry contact interface to a corresponding port of a device, so that the I / O module is associated with the device;

[0069] S108, connecting the high-speed signal interface to the corresponding port of the device, so that the MCU chip identifies the sensor source of each high-speed digital signal, and obtains the corresponding configuration file in the PLC controller according to the identification result, and then writes it to the non-volatile memory to configure each high-speed digital signal;

[0070] In this step, the high-speed digital signal includes encoder signal, eddy current signal, flow acquisition sensor signal, motor drive signal, etc. The configuration file includes device number, sensor number, parameter value, parameter unit, etc.

[0071] S110. Connect the universal signal interface to the corresponding port of the device so that the MCU chip identifies the sensor source of each basic signal and / or low-speed digital signal, and obtains the corresponding configuration file in the PLC controller based on the identification result, and then writes it to the non-volatile memory to configure each universal signal.

[0072] In this step, the basic signals include voltage signals, current signals, thermal resistance signals, thermocouple signals, etc.

[0073] Through this configuration method, it is possible to analyze and confirm each transmitted high-speed digital signal or universal signal to obtain its specific sensor signal type, and realize its transmission between the PLC controller and the device to achieve self-feedback adjustment of each signal.

[0074] And because the MCU chip will request the corresponding configuration file from the PLC controller to the non-volatile memory based on the recognition result when performing signal recognition, when the I / O module is disconnected from the PLC controller, the MCU chip can obtain the relevant configuration file and configuration parameters from the non-volatile memory connected to it, so as to perform temporary data feedback adjustment on the device side to ensure the smooth progress of the automatic control process.

[0075] The following is combined with Figure 1 The embodiment shown is a further specific introduction to another configuration method of a remote I / O module of a PLC controller disclosed in the present invention. The method is used to implement real-time configuration between the I / O module and the device and the PLC controller. The specific steps are as follows:

[0076] S202, connecting the power interface to a power source to power on the I / O module;

[0077] S204, connecting the switch interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to perform address configuration on the I / O module; and connecting the configuration interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to enable data transmission between the I / O module and the PLC controller;

[0078] In this step, when the switch interface is a manual dial switch interface, manual configuration is performed through the dial switch.

[0079] In this step, when local configuration is required, the local configuration interface is used to connect it to the corresponding port of the PLC controller. When remote configuration is required, if the distance is short, the CAN interface is used to connect it to the corresponding port of the PLC controller; if the distance is long, the optical fiber interface is used to connect it to the corresponding port of the PLC controller. This ensures that the address configuration is normal and reliable.

[0080] S206, connecting the dry contact interface to a corresponding port of a device, so that the I / O module is associated with the device;

[0081] S208, connecting the high-speed signal interface or the universal signal interface to the corresponding port of the device, reprogramming the configuration program of the MCU chip according to the sensor source of each signal connected, and storing it in the non-volatile memory;

[0082] In this step, the MCU chip supports programming in five languages ​​of standard IEC61131-3, which is conducive to shortening the programming cycle and improving the real-time performance of programming. The configuration programming of the MCU chip can be performed through the device or through the PLC controller.

[0083] S210, updating the corresponding configuration file in the non-volatile memory according to the sensor source of each signal connected;

[0084] S212: Associating the updated configuration program with the configuration file, and performing real-time configuration of each signal through the operation of the configuration program and the configuration file.

[0085] In this embodiment, if the sensor is only temporarily replaced and tested, in step S208, configuration programming is preferably performed through the device end. At this time, the connection between the I / O module and the PLC controller can be disconnected, and it can be connected to the device only, that is, step S204 is not required. The signal reception and feedback of the replaced sensor can be realized through the I / O module. Compared with configuration programming or overall reconfiguration from the PLC controller, it is more convenient and feasible, and is more conducive to the recovery of the system after the test is completed.

[0086] In this embodiment, if only the configuration parameters of the existing sensor are to be updated, it is not necessary to update the corresponding configuration program, but only the corresponding configuration file needs to be updated. The specific steps include:

[0087] S302, connecting the power interface to a power source to power on the I / O module;

[0088] S304, connecting the switch interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to perform address configuration on the I / O module; and connecting the configuration interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to enable data transmission between the I / O module and the PLC controller;

[0089] S306, connecting the dry contact interface to a corresponding port of a device, so that the I / O module is associated with the device;

[0090] S308, updating the corresponding configuration files in the non-volatile memory according to the sensor sources of each signal connected, and initializing the configuration parameters therein;

[0091] S310, associating the updated configuration file with the original configuration program, and performing real-time configuration of each signal through the operation of the configuration program and the configuration file.

[0092] At this time, if only parameter adjustment test is performed on the sensor, the connection between the I / O module and the PLC controller can be disconnected, and only the I / O module can be connected to the device, that is, step S304 does not need to be performed.

[0093] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. A person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the definition of the claims.

Claims

1. A remote I / O module for a PLC controller, characterized in that: It includes an MCU chip, a device-side interface and a controller interface that cooperate with the MCU chip, and a non-volatile memory connected to the MCU chip; Classify and merge the sensor signals on the device side based on the data type; at this time, the device side interface includes a dry contact interface, a high-speed signal interface and a universal signal interface, the dry contact interface is connected to the MCU chip through a power switch output circuit, the high-speed signal interface is connected to the MCU chip through a high-speed digital signal circuit, and the universal signal interface is connected to the MCU chip through a universal signal circuit; wherein, the MCU chip can parse and confirm the transmitted major power signals to obtain their specific device sources; and parse and confirm each high-speed digital signal or universal signal to obtain its specific sensor source; The controller interface includes a switch interface, a configuration interface, and a power interface. The switch interface is connected to the MCU chip through an address acquisition circuit, the configuration interface is connected to the MCU chip through a configuration circuit, and the power interface is connected to the MCU chip through a power conversion circuit; The non-volatile memory is used to store relevant configuration files and configuration programs; wherein, when it is necessary to replace the sensor on the device side or adjust the parameters of the sensor signal, the MCU chip is reprogrammed through the device side, and the updated configuration files and configuration parameters are stored in the non-volatile memory, so that the data transmission and feedback adjustment of the replaced sensor or the sensor after the parameter change can be realized through the I / O module without replacing the I / O module and resetting the wiring and internal logic of the PLC control system; The following steps are used to implement the real-time configuration between the remote I / O module of the PLC controller and the device and PLC controller: Connect the power interface to a power source to power on the I / O module; Connecting the switch interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to configure the address of the I / O module; and connecting the configuration interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to enable data transmission between the I / O module and the PLC controller; Connecting the dry contact interface to a corresponding port of a device to associate the I / O module with the device; Connect the high-speed signal interface or the universal signal interface to the corresponding port of the device, reprogram the configuration program of the MCU chip according to the sensor source of each signal connected, and store it in the non-volatile memory; Update the corresponding configuration files in the non-volatile memory according to the sensor sources of each signal connected; The updated configuration program is associated with the configuration file, and the real-time configuration of each signal is performed through the operation of the configuration program and the configuration file.

2. The remote I / O module of the PLC controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-speed signal interface includes a high-speed input interface, a high-speed output interface and a high-speed input / output switching switch; the high-speed input interface and the high-speed output interface are arranged in parallel, and both ends of them are respectively connected to the high-speed digital signal circuit and the high-speed input / output switching switch.

3. The remote I / O module of the PLC controller according to claim 2, characterized in that: The universal signal interface includes a universal input interface, a universal output interface and a universal input / output switching switch; the universal input interface and the universal output interface are arranged in parallel, and both ends of them are respectively connected to the universal signal circuit and the universal input / output switching switch.

4. The remote I / O module of the PLC controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the device-side interface, the dry contact interface is a 4-channel interface, the high-speed signal interface is a 4-channel interface, and the universal signal interface is an 8-channel interface.

5. The remote I / O module of the PLC controller according to claim 4, characterized in that: The universal signal interface is used to realize the input or output of voltage signals, current signals, thermal resistance signals, thermocouple signals or low-speed digital signals.

6. The remote I / O module of the PLC controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The configuration interface includes a remote configuration interface and an on-site configuration interface; the remote configuration interface includes a CAN interface, which is connected to the MCU chip through a CAN drive circuit; the on-site configuration interface includes an RS485 interface, which is connected to the MCU chip through a MODBUS RTU drive circuit.

7. The remote I / O module of the PLC controller according to claim 6, characterized in that: The remote configuration interface also includes an optical fiber interface, which is connected to the MCU chip via an optical fiber to CAN circuit.

8. The remote I / O module of the PLC controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The switch interface is a manual dial switch interface.

9. A method for configuring a remote I / O module of a PLC controller, characterized in that: The configuration of the remote I / O module and device and the PLC controller for implementing any one of claims 1 to 8 comprises: Connect the power interface to a power source to power on the I / O module; Connecting the switch interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to configure the address of the I / O module; and connecting the configuration interface to the corresponding port of the PLC controller to enable data transmission between the I / O module and the PLC controller; Connecting the dry contact interface to a corresponding port of a device to associate the I / O module with the device; Connecting the high-speed signal interface to the corresponding port of the device, so that the MCU chip can identify the sensor source of each high-speed digital signal, and obtain the corresponding configuration file in the PLC controller according to the identification result, and then write it to the non-volatile memory to configure each high-speed digital signal; The universal signal interface is connected to the corresponding port of the device so that the MCU chip can identify the sensor source of each basic signal and / or low-speed digital signal, and obtain the corresponding configuration file in the PLC controller based on the identification result, and then write it to the non-volatile memory to configure each universal signal.

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