Slave station and communication system

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a slave station and a communication system, relates to the field of communication, and is used for improving the communication efficiency problem of an industrial Ethernet, and the slave station comprises a first receiving port, a first sending port, a first selection unit and a processing unit. The first receiving port is configured to receive a message on a first communication path; the first sending port is configured to send a message on a first communication path; the processing unit is used for processing messages and comprises an input end and an output end; the message comprises indication information, and the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port with the first sending port according to the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port; or the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port with the input end of the processing unit and connect the first sending port with the output end of the processing unit according to the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a slave station and a communication system. Background Art

[0002] Industrial Ethernet is an Ethernet technology used in the field of industrial control. Currently, Industrial Ethernet includes at least one master station and several slave stations. The master station uses two ports to form a ring redundant link with the slave stations. The messages sent by the master station are sent bidirectionally on the ring network to ensure that when a line fails, all slave stations can receive the master station message and return it to the master station after processing.

[0003] One of the two bidirectional loops is the main path and the other is the backup path. When the message on the main path reaches each slave station, it needs to pass through the processing unit of the slave station to process the business, which increases the delay of the main line. The backup line is only used as a backup and does not process business under normal circumstances. Load sharing cannot be achieved, and the communication efficiency is low. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a slave station and a communication system to improve problems such as low communication efficiency in industrial Ethernet.

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a slave station, comprising: a first receiving port, a first sending port, a first selection unit and a processing unit; the first receiving port is connected to the first communication path, and is configured to receive messages on the first communication path; the first sending port is connected to the first communication path, and is configured to send messages on the first communication path; a processing unit is used to process messages, and the processing unit includes an input end and an output end; the message received by the first receiving port includes indication information, and the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port to the first sending port according to the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port; or, the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port to the input end of the processing unit and connect the first sending port to the output end of the processing unit according to the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port.

[0006] The slave station is provided with a first selection unit, and the first selection unit can determine whether to process the message according to the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port. If the first selection unit determines that the message does not need to be processed, the first receiving port is connected to the first sending port, and the message received by the first receiving port can be directly sent out by the first sending port without being processed by the processing unit; if the first selection unit determines that the message needs to be processed, the first receiving port is connected to the input end of the processing unit, and the first sending port is connected to the output end of the processing unit, and the message received by the first receiving port will be sent to the processing unit for processing, and the processed message will be sent out through the first sending port. In this way, whether to process the message can be determined according to the indication information of the message. When the message does not need to be processed, the time for the message to complete a cycle can be reduced, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0007] In one possible implementation, when the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port is first indication information, the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port with the first sending port according to the first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is on the backup path of the message.

[0008] If the indication information of the message is the first indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is on the backup path and does not need to process the message. The first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port with the first sending port according to the first indication information. The message does not need to be processed by the slave station on the backup path, which can reduce the delay.

[0009] In one possible implementation, when the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port is the second indication information, the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port to the input end of the processing unit and connect the first sending port to the output end of the processing unit according to the second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is on the main path of the message.

[0010] If the indication information of the message is the second indication information, the second indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is on the main path, which means that the main station needs to process the message. The first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port with the first sending port according to the first indication information. The message does not need to be processed by the slave station on the backup path, which can reduce the delay.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the slave station also includes: a second receiving port, a second sending port and a second selection unit; the second receiving port is connected to the second communication path and is configured to receive messages on the second communication path, the second sending port is connected to the second communication path and is configured to send messages on the second communication path, and the second communication path is in the opposite direction to the first communication path; the message received by the second receiving port includes indication information, and the second selection unit is configured to connect the second receiving port to the second sending port according to the indication information of the second receiving port; or, the second selection unit is configured to connect the second receiving port to the second input end of the processing unit and connect the second sending port to the second output end of the processing unit according to the indication information of the second receiving port.

[0012] The slave station can be connected to the master station through the first communication path and the second communication path, so that the message can be shared on the two communication paths for processing by the slave station, for example, the message is processed by the slave station with an odd sequence number on the first communication path, and the message is processed by the slave station with an even sequence number on the second communication path, which can share the business load on the two communication paths, reduce the load and delay, and improve efficiency. At the same time, it is configurable on which communication path the slave station processes the message, for example, the slave station can be configured to process the message on both the first communication path and the second communication path, and the message can be transmitted in both directions. When applied in the security field, compared with the traditional industrial Ethernet in which the message can only be transmitted in one direction, the scheme message provided in the embodiment of the present application can be configured for bidirectional transmission, which can improve the response speed of security issues and improve security performance.

[0013] In a possible implementation, when the indication information of the second receiving port is the first indication information, the second selection unit is configured to connect the second receiving port to the second sending port according to the first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is on the backup path of the message.

[0014] In one possible implementation, when the indication information of the second receiving port is the second indication information, the second selection unit is configured to connect the second receiving port to the input end of the processing unit and connect the second sending port to the output end of the processing unit according to the second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is in the main path of the message.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the first selection unit is further configured to connect the input end of the processing unit to the first receiving port and connect the output end of the processing unit to the second sending port when a failure occurs in the first sending port and / or the second receiving port.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the second selection unit is further configured to connect the second input end of the processing unit to the second receiving port and connect the second output end of the processing unit to the first sending port when a failure occurs in the second sending port and / or the first receiving port.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the first selection unit includes a first multiplexer and a second multiplexer, the input end of the first multiplexer is connected to the first receiving port of the slave station, the first output end of the first multiplexer is connected to the first sending port of the slave station, and the second output end of the first multiplexer is connected to the input end of the processing unit; the input end of the second multiplexer is connected to the output end of the processing unit, the first output end of the second multiplexer is connected to the first sending port of the slave station, and the second output end of the second multiplexer is connected to the second sending port of the slave station.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the second selection unit includes a third multiplexer and a fourth multiplexer, the input end of the third multiplexer is connected to the second sending port of the slave station, the first output end of the third multiplexer is connected to the second sending port of the slave station, and the second output end of the third multiplexer is connected to the input end of the processing unit; the input end of the fourth multiplexer is connected to the output end of the processing unit, the first output end of the fourth multiplexer is connected to the second sending port of the slave station, and the second output end of the fourth multiplexer is connected to the first sending port of the slave station.

[0019] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, which includes a master station and multiple slave stations provided in any embodiment of the first aspect, the multiple slave stations are connected to the master station through a first communication path and a second communication path, and the transmission directions of the first communication path and the second communication path are opposite; the master station is configured to send messages to the first communication path and the second communication path, and the messages include indication information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a slave station provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another slave station provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of another communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of another slave station provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Fig.10 A structural block diagram of another slave station provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. In the present application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "plurality" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B at the same time, and the existence of B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. "At least one of the following" or its similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can represent: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c or a, b and c, where a, b and c can be single or multiple.

[0031] The embodiments of the present application use words such as "first" and "second" to distinguish objects with similar names, functions or effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order. The term "coupled" is used to indicate electrical connection, including direct connection through wires or connection terminals or indirect connection through other devices. Therefore, "coupled" should be regarded as a broad electronic communication connection.

[0032] It should be noted that, in this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific way.

[0033] In industrial production, it is necessary to precisely control the coordinated work of various devices, so it is necessary to establish a communication system between different devices that can precisely control each device. Industrial Internet of Things or Industrial Ethernet (IE) is usually used in industrial field networks to improve the control accuracy of industrial production and improve production efficiency.

[0034] Take Industrial Ethernet as an example. Industrial Ethernet refers to the use of Ethernet in industrial environments, especially industrial production environments that use pre-determined and real-time control mechanisms. For example, in industrial engineering environments, Ethernet series computer network technologies are used for automation and process control. By using Industrial Ethernet, automation systems from different manufacturers can be interconnected throughout the industrial production process, thereby improving industrial control accuracy and production efficiency. Industrial Ethernet is widely used in various industries, such as oil and gas, energy and electricity, electrical and electronics, machinery manufacturing, transportation industry, and chemical industry.

[0035] Currently, an industrial Ethernet network includes at least one master station and several slave stations. For example, for a production line that includes multiple production links, different production links such as conveyor belts, robotic arms, industrial robots, etc. need to work together. By using industrial Ethernet, precise control of different production links can be achieved. For example, the controller can be set as the master station, and different production links can be set as slave stations. The master station can send information to the slave stations to control the work of the slave stations.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the master station and the slave station include at least two ports, such as a transmit port (transport, TX) and a receive port (receive, RX), and the master station and the slave stations and the slave stations are connected end to end by cables, see Figure 1 , shows a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application, including a master station 10 and a plurality of slave stations 20 (for example, Figure 1 In order to avoid complicated wiring, multiple slave stations are usually connected end to end on the signal communication path to form a chain structure. Each slave station in the chain structure (for example, slave station 20-2 to slave station 20-4) is connected to two adjacent slave stations, and the first slave station (for example, slave station 20-1) and the last slave station (for example, slave station 20-5) in the chain structure are connected to the master station to form a ring network.

[0037] Exemplarily, the TX of the master station 10 is connected to the RX of the first slave station in the chain structure (e.g., slave station 20-1), the TX of the last slave station in the chain structure (e.g., slave station 20-5) is connected to the RX of the master station, and except for the last slave station in the chain structure, the TX of each slave station in the chain structure is connected to the TX of the next slave station, or, except for the first slave station in the chain structure, the RX of each slave station in the connection structure is connected to the TX of the previous slave station. In this way, the master station and multiple slave stations are arranged to form a ring network.

[0038] exist Figure 1 Based on Figure 2 , Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the message structure in the communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown. Taking five slave stations including slave station 20-1 to slave station 20-5 as an example, the master station 10 integrates the data of all slave stations 20 into one Ethernet message. The message sent by the TX of the master station 10 passes through each slave station 20 in turn and finally returns to the RX of the master station 10. In the ring network, the message sent by the master station 10 passes through each slave station 20 in turn. When passing through, the slave station 20 takes out the downlink data sent to itself for processing, and at the same time puts the processed uplink data into the message. All slave stations 20 together can be understood as one Ethernet node, and the data of each slave station 20 is a sub-packet in the Ethernet message.

[0039] Exemplarily, in a ring network formed by a master station 10 and multiple slave stations 20, the master station 10 is often configured to send messages, and the messages are transmitted in one direction, or called as being transmitted on a communication path, and this communication path includes a starting point, an end point, and a chain structure formed by multiple slave stations 20 between the starting point and the end point. For example, this communication path takes the TX of the master station 10 as the starting point, and the communication path takes the RX of the master station 10 as the end point. The message sent by the TX of the master station 10 starts from the master station 10 and passes through its TX to reach the first connected slave station 20-1, and from this slave station to the next slave station, until the transmission reaches the last slave station 20-5 in the chain structure, and then returns to the RX of the master station 10.

[0040] As shown in the previous example, combined with Figure 3 , the slave station 20 includes a receiving port (RX) 21 and a transmitting port (TX) 22, wherein the RX 21 of the slave station 20 is used to receive a message from the previous node. Here, if the slave station 20 is the first slave station in the chain structure, for example Figure 1 The previous node here refers to the master station 10. If it is not the first slave station in the chain structure, for example Figure 12 to 20-5 in the chain structure, the previous node here refers to the previous slave; TX 22 of slave 20 is used to send a message to the next node. If slave 20 is the last slave in the chain structure, for example Figure 1 The next node here refers to the master station 10. If it is not the last slave station in the chain structure, for example Figure 1 For slave stations 20-1 to 20-4 in the example, the next node refers to the slave station at the next level.

[0041] In addition to RX 21 and TX 22, the slave station 20 also includes a processing unit 25 connected between RX 21 and TX 22. The processing unit 25 is configured to process the message or data passing through the slave station 20, that is, to exchange the useful data assigned to the slave station 20 with the message. The master station 10 integrates the data of all slave stations 20 into a message or data packet. The data assigned to each slave station 20 is a sub-packet in the message. When the message sent by the master station 10 arrives at the slave station 20, the processing unit 25 of the slave station 20 extracts the sub-packet assigned to the slave station 20, and after processing, the data is stuffed into the message and sent to the next node. This simple structure enables the master station 10 to control the operation of multiple slave stations 20. In an industrial production environment, different devices can be controlled to work together to achieve precise control and improve production efficiency.

[0042] However, this structure also has disadvantages. Since data can only be transmitted on one communication path, if a slave station 20 fails, the message transmission will not continue, causing the entire system to fail to operate normally. Therefore, based on the ring network, the embodiment of the present application provides another communication system, see Figure 4 As shown, the master station 10 uses two groups of ports and a plurality of slave stations 20 (eg, slave stations 20 - 1 to 20 - 5 ) to form a dual-ring redundant network.

[0043] In the dual-ring redundant network, the master station 10 and the slave station 20 each include two groups of ports, namely, the first transmission port (TX1), the first receiving port (RX1), the second transmission port (TX2), and the second receiving port (RX2). The first transmission port and the first receiving port of the master station 10 are connected with the first transmission port and the first receiving port of the slave station 20 on the first communication path to form a ring network; the second transmission port and the second receiving port of the master station 10 are connected with the second transmission port and the second receiving port of the slave station 20 on the second communication path to form another ring network. The method of forming the ring network has been described in detail in the above example and will not be repeated here.

[0044] Exemplarily, multiple slave stations 20 are still connected end to end to form a chain structure, but since the slave station 20 includes two groups of ports, there can be two signal communication paths. Therefore, in the chain structure, the slave station 20 can be connected to the first sending port of the previous node on the first communication path through the first receiving port, and connected to the first receiving port of the next node on the first communication path through the first sending port; the slave station can also be connected to the second sending port of the previous node on the second communication path through the second receiving port, and connected to the second receiving port of the next node on the second communication path through the second sending port.

[0045] Exemplarily, the first communication path is in opposite directions to the second communication path. For example, the first sending port of the master station 10 is connected to the first receiving port of the first slave station 20-1 in the chain structure, and the first receiving port of the master station is connected to the first sending port of the last slave station 20-5 in the chain structure; the second sending port of the master station 10 is connected to the second receiving port of the last slave station 20-5 in the chain structure, and the second receiving port of the master station 10 is connected to the second sending port of the first slave station 20-1 in the chain structure.

[0046] Exemplarily, the first communication path can be used as the main path, and the data packets sent on the main path will be processed by each slave station; the second communication path can be used as a backup path, and the messages sent on the backup path will not be processed, but will be used as a backup. When a link on the main path fails, the messages on the backup path will be processed.

[0047] In a dual-ring redundant network, data can be transmitted on two opposite communication paths, so the structure of the slaves is different from the slave structure in the ring network provided in the previous example, for example, see Figure 5 , the slave station 20 includes RX1 21, TX1 22, RX2 23 and TX2 24, wherein RX1 21 is configured to receive a message on a first communication path, TX1 22 is configured to send a message on the first communication path; RX2 23 is configured to receive a message on a second communication path, and TX2 24 is configured to send a message on the second communication path.

[0048] The slave station 20 further includes a processing unit 25 and a coupling unit 26, wherein the processing unit 25 is configured to process messages, the processing unit 25 includes an input end and an output end, and the coupling unit 26 can be configured to connect the input end of the processing unit 25 to RX1 21, connect the output end of the processing unit 25 to TX1 22, and connect RX2 23 to TX2 24 in a normal operation mode. Since RX1 21 and TX1 22 are configured to transmit data on a first communication path, and RX2 23 and TX2 24 are configured to transmit data on a second communication path, in a normal operation mode, the input end of the processor 35 is connected to RX1 21, and the output end of the processor 35 is connected to TX1 22, and the data received by RX1 21 will be sent to the processing unit 25 for processing, and the processed data will be sent to the next node through TX1 22; and RX2 23 is connected to TX2 24, so that the data received by RX2 23 will not be processed and will be directly sent to the next node by TX2 24.

[0049] The coupling unit 26 may also be configured to connect the input end of the processing unit 25 to the RX1 21 and the output end of the processing unit 25 to the TX2 24 in the failure mode of the TX1 22 and / or the RX2 23, that is, in the case of a failure of the right port of the slave station 20, the message may be sent from the left port back to the master station 10. For example, in combination Figure 6 If the port on the right side of the slave station 20 - 2 fails, the message can be sent back to the master station 10 through the port on the left side of the slave station 20 - 2 .

[0050] Alternatively, the coupling unit 26 may also be configured to connect the input end of the processing unit 25 to the RX2 23 and the output end of the processing unit 25 to the TX1 22 in the failure mode of the RX1 21 and / or the TX2 24, that is, in the case of a failure of the left port of the slave station 20, the message may be sent from the right port of the slave station 20 back to the master station 10. For example, in combination Figure 6 If the port on the left side of the slave station 20-4 fails, the message can be sent back to the master station 10 by the port on the right side of the slave station 20-4.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the coupling unit 26 includes a first multiplexer 261 and a second multiplexer 262, the first input end of the first multiplexer 261 is connected to RX1 21, the second input end of the first multiplexer 261 is connected to RX2 23, and the output end of the first multiplexer 261 is connected to the input end of the processing unit 25, the first input end of the second multiplexer 262 is connected to RX2 23, the second input end of the second multiplexer 262 is connected to the output end of the processing unit 25, and the output end of the second multiplexer 262 is connected to the second transmission unit 24.

[0052] The first multiplexer 261 is configured to switch the first input terminal of the first multiplexer 261 to the output terminal of the first multiplexer 261 in a normal operation mode, and to switch the second input terminal of the first multiplexer 261 to the output terminal of the first multiplexer 261 in a fault mode of the RX1 21 and / or the second transmission unit 24, and the second multiplexer 262 is configured to switch the first input terminal of the second multiplexer 262 to the output terminal of the second multiplexer 262 in a normal operation mode, and to switch the second input terminal of the second multiplexer 262 to the output terminal of the second multiplexer 262 in a fault mode of the first transmission unit 22 and / or RX2 23.

[0053] The dual-ring redundant network can increase the reliability of the system and ensure the normal operation of the system in the event of partial failures. However, the technology uses a passive redundancy solution, in which one of the backup paths has no business processing under normal circumstances and fails to achieve load sharing. The messages on the main path must pass through the processing unit, which increases the delay of the main path.

[0054] In addition, in the functional safety scenario, since the current dual-ring redundant network solution normally only processes messages on the primary path and does not process messages on the backup path, that is, messages can only be processed on one communication path, in order to respond to faults in a timely manner within a cycle, the fault detection site must be placed before the fault response site, such as Figure 7 As shown, only when the fault detection point is in front and the fault response point is in the back can a quick response to the fault be guaranteed within one cycle. For example, the message transmitted on the first communication path is processed, and the message transmitted on the second communication path is used as a backup. When the fault detection point (for example, slave station 20-1) detects the fault, the message is processed accordingly; when the message reaches the fault response point (for example, slave station 20-4), the fault can be responded to and handled within one cycle. If the fault detection point is after the fault response point, the message sent by the fault detection point needs to reach the master station after one cycle, and then the message is sent from the master station to the fault response point before the fault can be responded to and handled. This is inefficient and the response is not timely.

[0055] In order to improve the above problems, the present application embodiment provides a communication system, such as Figure 8As shown, the master station 10 can form a dual-ring redundant network with multiple slave stations 30. For example, the master station 10 uses two groups of ports and multiple slave stations 30 (for example, slave stations 30-1 to 30-5) to form a dual-ring redundant network. In the dual-ring redundant network, the master station 10 and the slave station 30 each include two groups of ports, namely, the first transmission port (TX1), the first receiving port (RX1), the second transmission port (TX2) and the second receiving port (RX2). The first transmission port and the first receiving port of the master station 10 are connected to the first transmission port and the first receiving port of the slave station 30 on the first communication path to form a ring network; the second transmission port and the second receiving port of the master station 10 are connected to the second transmission port and the second receiving port of the slave station 30 on the second communication path to form another ring network. The method of forming the ring network has been described in detail in the above example and will not be repeated here.

[0056] For example, see Fig. 9 , the slave station includes: a first receiving port (RX1) 31, a first transmitting port (TX1) 32, a second receiving port (RX2) 33, a second transmitting port (TX2) 34, a processing unit 35, a first selecting unit 36 ​​and a second selecting unit 37. RX1 31 is connected to the first communication path and is configured to receive messages on the first communication path, TX1 32 is connected to the first communication path and is configured to send messages on the first communication path; RX2 33 is connected to the second communication path and is configured to receive messages on the second communication path, TX2 34 is connected to the second communication path and is configured to send messages on the second communication path, and the second communication path is opposite to the first communication path. For example, starting from the first transmitting port of the master station, passing through the chain structure formed by the slave station 30 and finally reaching the first receiving port of the master station is called the first communication path, and starting from the second transmitting port of the master station, passing through the chain structure formed by the slave station 30 and finally reaching the second receiving port of the master station is called the second communication path. The messages transmitted on the first communication path and the second communication path are usually the same. For the sake of distinction, the message transmitted on the first communication path is referred to as the first message, and the message transmitted on the second communication path is referred to as the second message.

[0057] Fig. 9What is shown in the figure is not the actual structure of the slave station 30, but is only used to show the signal transmission direction inside the slave station 30. Taking the first message as an example, the first message includes indication information, and the first selection unit 36 ​​is configured to connect RX1 31 with TX1 32 according to the indication information of the first message, so that the message can be directly forwarded to the next node without being processed by the processing unit 35 of this slave station 30 on the first communication path, or the first selection unit 36 ​​is configured to connect RX1 31 with the input end of the processing unit 35 and connect TX1 32 with the output end of the processing unit 35 according to the indication information, so that the message will be processed by the processing unit 35 of the slave station 30 on the first communication path.

[0058] For example, in the aforementioned Figure 4 In the dual-ring redundant network structure shown, although the main path and the backup path are set up for transmitting messages, the messages transmitted on the main path will be processed by the slave station. Under normal circumstances, the messages transmitted on the backup path will not be processed by the slave station, and load sharing is not achieved. The messages on the main path must pass through the processing unit of each slave station, which increases the delay of the main path. In the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, the load is shared by the first communication path and the second communication path. For example, the master station sends two identical messages to the first communication path and the second communication path. The message may include indication information, and the indication information is used to indicate whether the message is processed on this path. For example, part of the data in the message can be configured to be processed on the first communication path, and another part of the data in the message is configured to be processed on the second communication path, rather than all the data in the message being processed on the same communication path; for example, the first selection unit 36 ​​can determine whether it is necessary to process the message at this slave station 30 according to the indication information included in the message. If the slave station 30 is configured to process the message transmitted on the first communication path, then RX1 31 is connected to the input end of the processing unit 35, and TX1 32 is connected to the output end of the processing unit 35. The slave station 30 can process the message, and the processed message is sent out through TX1 32; if the slave station 30 is configured not to process the message transmitted on the first communication path, then the first selection unit 36 ​​can connect RX1 31 to TX1 32, and RX1 The message received by 31 is not processed by the processing unit and is directly sent by TX1 32, which can reduce the load of the first communication path and reduce the delay of the first communication path.

[0059] The slave station structure provided in the embodiment of the present application is applied to a dual-ring redundant network structure, and the message transmitted on the first communication path is called the first message, and the message transmitted on the second communication path is called the second message. The second message also includes indication information, and the second selection unit 37 can judge whether it is necessary to process the second message at the slave station 30 according to the indication information of the second message. If the slave station 30 is configured to process the second message transmitted on the second communication path, then RX2 33 is connected to the input end of the processing unit 35, and TX2 34 is connected to the output end of the processing unit 35, so that the second message will be sent to the processing unit 35, and the slave station 30 can process the second message, and the processed second message is sent through TX2 34; if the slave station 30 is configured not to process the second message transmitted on the second communication path, then the second selection unit 37 can connect RX2 33 with TX2 34, and the second message received by RX2 33 is not processed by the processing unit 35, but is directly sent by TX2 34, so that the load of the second communication path can be reduced and the delay of the second communication path can be reduced.

[0060] Since the message transmitted by the master station 10 to the first communication path and the message sent by the master station 10 to the second communication path are the same, part of the data in the message can be configured to be processed by the slave station 30 on the first communication path, and the other part of the data in the message can be configured to be processed by the slave station 30 on the second communication path. In this way, the two communication paths share the load. Compared with the traditional communication system in which all services are processed on the main path and the backup path is only used as a backup, on the one hand, both communication paths can process data, thereby improving utilization; on the other hand, part of the business load on the main path is shared by the backup path, the load on the main path is reduced, the delay is reduced, and the communication efficiency of the entire system can be improved.

[0061] In a possible implementation, the first message and the second message include indication information. The first message and the second message may set one or more fields as indication information, or the first message and the second message may reuse existing fields as indication information.

[0062] For example, taking the message transmitted on the first communication path as an example, the first message includes a first field, and the first field can be used as indication information. After receiving the first message, RX1 31 of the slave station transmits it to the first selection unit 36. The first selection unit 36 ​​determines whether the first message is configured to be processed in this slave station 30 based on the indication information of the first message.

[0063] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first message is configured to be processed by the slave station 30 on the first communication path, then the slave station 30 is said to be located on the main path of the first message; if the first message is configured not to be processed by the slave station 30 on the first communication path, then the slave station 30 is said to be located on the backup path of the first message.

[0064] Exemplarily, when the indication information of the first message is the first indication information, for example, the first field is "1", the first indication information is used to indicate that the slave station 30 is in the backup path of the first message, that is, the slave station 30 does not need to process the first message transmitted on the first communication path, and the first selection unit 36 ​​of the slave station 30 is configured to connect the RX1 31 and TX1 32 of the slave station 30 according to the first indication information of the first message, so that after RX1 31 receives the first message, it is not processed by the processing unit 35, that is, it is sent through TX1 32.

[0065] Alternatively, when the indication information of the first message is the second indication information, for example, the first field is "0", the second indication information is used to indicate that the slave station 30 is in the main path of the first message, that is, the slave station 30 needs to process the first message transmitted on the first communication path, and the first selection unit 36 ​​is configured to connect RX1 31 with the input end of the processing unit 35 and connect TX1 32 with the output end of the processing unit 35 according to the second indication information of the first message, so that after RX1 31 receives the message, it is sent to the processing unit 35 for processing, and the message processed by the processing unit 35 is sent through TX132.

[0066] Similarly, for the second message transmitted on the second communication path, the second message is essentially the same message as the first message, the difference is that the transmission path is different, the second message also includes the first field, the first field can be used as indication information, and the RX2 33 of the slave station 30 receives the second message and sends it to the second selection unit 37. The second selection unit 37 determines whether the second message is configured to be processed in the current slave station 30 based on the indication information of the second message.

[0067] Exemplarily, when the indication information of the second message is the first indication information, for example, the first field is "1", the first indication information is used to indicate that the slave station 30 is in the backup path of the second message, that is, the slave station 30 does not need to process the second message transmitted on the second communication path, and the second selection unit 37 is configured to connect RX2 33 with TX2 34 according to the first indication information of the second message, so that after RX2 33 receives the second message, it is not processed by the processing unit 35, that is, it is sent through TX2 34.

[0068] Alternatively, when the indication information of the second message is the second indication information, for example, the first field is "0", the second indication information is used to indicate that the slave station 30 is in the main path of the second message, that is, the slave station 30 needs to process the second message transmitted on the second communication path, and the second selection unit 37 is configured to connect RX2 33 with the input end of the processing unit 35 and connect TX2 34 with the output end of the processing unit 35 according to the second indication information of the second message, so that after RX2 33 receives the second message, it is sent to the processing unit 35 for processing, and the second message processed by the processing unit 35 is sent through TX2 34.

[0069] In a possible implementation, for a communication system formed by a master station 10 and a plurality of slave stations 30, for example Figure 8 The communication system shown includes a master station and slave stations 30-1 to 30-8. The communication system can be configured by configuring the slave station 30, so that the slave stations 30-1, 30-3, and 30-5 process the first message transmitted on the first communication path; the slave stations 30-2 and 30-4 process the message transmitted on the second communication path, so that the business is shared on the two paths for processing, reducing the load; for example, assuming that the time required for each slave station 30 to process the business is the same, which is T, and the time for message transmission is ignored, then for the traditional main path processing business, the backup path For a communication system whose path does not process business, the time required to complete business processing is 5T; while for the communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application, slave stations 30-1, 30-3, and 30-5 process the first message transmitted on the first communication path; slave stations 30-2 and 30-4 process the second message transmitted on the second communication path, which only takes 3T. The processed first message and second message can be returned to the main station 10, which is nearly one-half shorter than 5T. Therefore, the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can not only reduce the load, but also reduce the delay.

[0070] The slave station 30 can be configured to process or not process the first message on the first communication path, or the slave station 30 can be configured to process or not process the second message on the second communication path. For the first selection unit 36, it can be determined whether the slave station 30 is on the main path or the backup path of the first message; for the second selection unit 37, it can be determined whether the slave station 30 is on the main path or the backup path of the second message.

[0071] In a possible implementation, the slave station 30 can be configured with the first communication path as the main path and the second communication path as the backup path, which means that the slave station 30 needs to process the first message transmitted on the first communication path, and does not need to process the second message transmitted on the second communication path. In combination with the foregoing content, it can be seen that the first message and the second message are the same, which means that the first message and the second message include the same indication information. Then different judgment logics will be configured for the first selection unit 36 ​​and the second selection unit 37. For example, for the same indication information in the first message and the second message, if the first selection unit 36 ​​determines that the first message on the first communication path needs to be processed according to the indication information of the first message, the second selection unit 37 determines that the second message on the second communication path does not need to be processed according to the indication information of the second message.

[0072] Or in another possible implementation, the slave station 30 may be configured such that the first communication path is a backup path and the second communication path is a primary path, which means that the slave station 30 needs to process the second message transmitted on the second communication path, and does not need to process the first message transmitted on the first communication path. Then, different judgment logics will be configured for the first selection unit 36 ​​and the second selection unit 37. For example, for the same indication information in the first message and the second message, if the first selection unit 36 ​​determines that it is not necessary to process the first message on the first communication path according to the indication information of the first message, the second selection unit 37 determines that it is necessary to process the second message on the second communication path according to the indication information of the second message.

[0073] Or in another possible implementation, the first communication path and the second communication path can also be configured as the main path. That is, the slave station 30 needs to process the first message transmitted on the first communication path, and also needs to process the second message transmitted on the second communication path. Then the first selection unit 36 ​​and the second selection unit 37 will be configured with the same judgment logic. For example, for the same indication information in the first message and the second message, the first selection unit 36 ​​determines that the message on the first communication path needs to be processed according to the indication information of the first message, and the second selection unit 37 determines that the message on the second communication path needs to be processed according to the indication information of the second message.

[0074] It should be noted that, generally, in order to ensure that each slave station 30 processes its corresponding message, for each slave station, there is at least one path that is the main path.

[0075] In one possible implementation, in order to Figure 4 The communication system shown in the figure is adapted. In the embodiment of the present application, all the slave stations 30 in the communication system can also be configured as follows: the first communication path is the main path, and the second communication path is the backup path; or vice versa, the first communication path is the backup path, and the second communication path is the main path. Figure 4 The communication system shown has one path as a primary path and another path as a backup path, wherein messages are only processed on the primary path, and the slave station on the backup path does not process messages and is only used for backup.

[0076] The communication system provided by the embodiment of the present application can improve the communication efficiency in an industrial production environment, but in an industrial production environment, safety is more important than production efficiency. In the event of a fault, it is necessary to respond to the fault in a timely manner to avoid safety accidents. For example, in the event of a certain sensor failure, it is necessary to disconnect the transmission bearing in time to avoid injuries. Among them, the sensor is the fault detection point, and the transmission bearing is the fault response point. After the fault detection point detects a fault, the fault response point needs to respond to the detected fault in a timely manner.

[0077] exist Figure 7 In the communication system shown, since the message is only processed on the main path, if the slave station 20-1 is the fault response point, the slave station 20-4 is the fault detection point, and the fault detection point is after the fault response point, then if the slave station 20-4 detects a fault when processing the service, the message needs to go through a complete cycle and return to the master station 10. Only in the next message cycle can the fault response point, that is, the slave station 20-1, be notified to respond to the fault. If the fault is to be responded to quickly in one cycle, the fault detection point needs to be arranged in front and the fault response point in the back. However, in the actual production environment, the location of each slave station is affected by many factors, and it is impossible to fully meet the requirement that the fault detection point is arranged in front and the fault response point is arranged in the back.

[0078] In the communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application, since the message can be transmitted and processed on the first communication path and the second communication path, the message processing time on each path is less than Figure 4 or Figure 7 The time to complete a cycle is shown, so the fault can be responded to more quickly, and the message can be transmitted and processed on the first communication path and the second communication path. It is configurable which path the slave station 30 processes the message on, so the fault detection point and the fault response point do not need to consider the deployment location, and the networking is more flexible. In addition, in some cases, in extreme cases, there can be multiple fault response points deployed on the left and right sides of the fault detection point. This type of slave station 30 can be set to process messages in both directions, processing messages on the first communication path and processing messages on the second communication path. In this way, the fault information detected by the fault detection point can be transmitted in two directions, which can ensure that all fault response points can receive the messages processed by the fault detection point as quickly as possible and respond to the fault in a timely manner.

[0079] The original purpose of setting up a dual-ring redundant network structure is to improve the reliability of the system. For example, when a problem occurs in the primary path, the backup path can be used to complete the transmission of the message. For the communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application, similarly, when a port on one side of the slave station 30 fails, the port on the other side can also be used to complete the message transmission.

[0080] For example, please continue to combine Fig. 9 The first selection unit 36 ​​is further configured to connect the input end of the processing unit 35 to the RX1 31 and the output end of the processing unit 35 to the TX2 34 when a failure occurs in the TX1 32 of the slave station 30 or the RX2 33 of the slave station 30.

[0081] TX1 32 of the slave station 30 is used to send messages on the first communication path, and RX2 33 of the slave station 30 is used to receive messages on the second communication path. If TX1 32 or RX2 33 fails, RX1 31 and TX2 34 do not fail. In this case, RX1 31 of the slave station 30 can receive the message transmitted on the first communication path, but in the case of TX1 32 failure, the message can no longer be sent to the subsequent node of the first communication path; if RX2 33 fails, the slave station 30 cannot receive the message transmitted on the second communication path, but TX2 34 does not fail and can continue to send messages to the second communication path. Therefore, in this case, in order to ensure that the message can be processed and transmitted normally, the first selection unit 36 ​​is configured to connect the input end of the processing unit 35 to RX1 31 when TX1 32 or RX2 33 fails, and connect the output end of the processing unit 35 to TX2 34, so that the message transmitted on the first communication path is received by RX1 After receiving, the message is sent to the processing unit 35 for processing. The processed message is sent through TX2 34 and transmitted back to the master station 10 through the second communication path. In this way, although a port on one side of the slave station 30 fails, the message can still be sent back to the master station intact through the first communication path and the second communication path, and the normal operation of the system will not be affected.

[0082] Similarly, the second selection unit 37 is also configured to connect the input end of the processing unit 35 to the RX2 33 and the output end of the processing unit 35 to the TX1 32 when a failure occurs in the TX2 34 of the slave station 30 or the RX1 31 of the slave station 30 .

[0083] In a possible implementation, TX2 34 of the slave station 30 is used to send messages on the second communication path, and RX1 31 of the slave station 30 is used to receive messages on the first communication path. If TX2 34 or RX1 31 fails, RX2 33 and TX1 32 do not fail. In this case, RX2 33 of the slave station 30 can receive the message transmitted on the second communication path, but in the case of TX2 34 failure, the message can no longer be sent to the subsequent node of the second communication path; if RX1 31 fails, the slave station 30 cannot receive the message transmitted on the first communication path, but TX1 32 does not fail and can continue to send messages to the first communication path. Therefore, in this case, in order to ensure that the message can be processed and transmitted normally, the second selection unit 37 is configured to connect the input end of the processing unit 35 to RX2 33 when TX2 34 or RX1 31 of the slave station 30 fails, and connect the output end of the processing unit 35 to TX1 32 connection, so that the message transmitted on the second communication path is received by RX2 33 and then sent to the processing unit for processing, and the processed message is sent through TX1 32 and transmitted back to the master station 10 through the first communication path. In this way, in the event of a failure of a slave station 30, the message can still be sent back to the master station 10 intactly through the first communication path and the second communication path, and the normal operation of the system will not be affected.

[0084] For example, in Fig. 9 Based on Fig.10 , Fig.10 A structural block diagram of a slave station 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown, wherein the first selection unit 36 ​​includes a first multiplexer 361 and a second multiplexer 362, the first multiplexer 361 and the second multiplexer 362 are single-input and dual-output multiplexers, the input end of the first multiplexer 361 is connected to RX1 31 of the slave station 30, the first output end of the first multiplexer 361 is connected to TX1 32 of the slave station 30, and the second output end of the first multiplexer 361 is connected to the input end of the processing unit 35; the input end of the second multiplexer 362 is connected to the output end of the processing unit 35, the first output end of the second multiplexer 362 is connected to TX1 32, and the second output end of the second multiplexer 362 is connected to TX2 34.

[0085] In a possible implementation, when the indication information of the first message is the first indication information, the first selection unit 36 ​​is configured to connect the RX1 31 of the slave station 30 with the TX1 32 of the slave station 30 according to the first indication information of the first message. In this case, the input end of the first multiplexer 361 is connected to the first output end of the first multiplexer 361, and the second multiplexer 362 does not work. Since the input end of the first multiplexer 361 is connected to the RX1 31 of the slave station 30, the first output end of the first multiplexer 361 is connected to the TX1 32 of the slave station 30, which is equivalent to connecting the RX1 31 of the slave station 30 with the TX1 32 of the slave station 30.

[0086] In another possible implementation, when the indication information of the first message is the second indication information, the first selection unit 36 ​​is configured to connect the RX1 to 31 of the slave station 30 to the input end of the processing unit 35 according to the second indication information of the first message, and connect the output end of the processing unit 35 to the TX1 to 32 of the slave station 30. In this case, the input end of the first multiplexer 361 is connected to the second output end, and the RX1 to 31 of the slave station 30 is connected to the input end of the processing unit 35, and the input end of the second multiplexer 362 is connected to the first output end, and the output end of the processing unit 35 is connected to the TX1 to 32 of the slave station 30.

[0087] If TX1 32 or RX2 33 of slave station 30 fails, the input end of the second multiplexer 362 is connected to the second output end, connecting the output end of the processing unit 35 to TX2 34 of slave station 30, so that the first message received by RX1 31 of slave station 30 can be sent out through TX2 34 of slave station 30.

[0088] The second selection unit 37 includes a third multiplexer 371 and a fourth multiplexer 372. The third multiplexer 371 and the fourth multiplexer 372 are single-input and dual-output multiplexers. The input end of the third multiplexer 371 is connected to RX2 33 of the slave station 30, the first output end of the third multiplexer 371 is connected to TX2 34 of the slave station 30, and the second output end of the third multiplexer 371 is connected to the input end of the processing unit 35; the input end of the fourth multiplexer 372 is connected to the output end of the processing unit 35, the first output end of the fourth multiplexer 372 is connected to TX2 34 of the slave station 30, and the second output end of the fourth multiplexer 372 is connected to TX1 32 of the slave station 30.

[0089] In a possible implementation, when the indication information of the second message is the first indication information, the second selection unit 37 is configured to connect the RX2 33 of the slave station 30 with the TX2 34 of the slave station 30 according to the first indication information of the second message. In this case, the input end of the third multiplexer 371 is connected to the first output end of the third multiplexer 371, and the second multiplexer 362 does not work. Since the input end of the third multiplexer 371 is connected to the RX2 33 of the slave station 30, the first output end of the third multiplexer 371 is connected to the TX2 34 of the slave station 30, which is equivalent to connecting the RX2 33 of the slave station 30 with the TX2 34 of the slave station 30.

[0090] In another possible implementation, when the indication information of the second message is the second indication information, the second selection unit 37 is configured to connect the RX2 33 of the slave station 30 to the input end of the processing unit 35 according to the second indication information of the second message, and connect the output end of the processing unit 35 to the TX2 34 of the slave station 30. In this case, the input end of the third multiplexer 371 is connected to the second output end, and the RX2 33 of the slave station 30 is connected to the input end of the processing unit 35, and the input end of the fourth multiplexer 372 is connected to the first output end, and the output end of the processing unit 35 is connected to the TX2 34 of the slave station 30.

[0091] If TX2 34 or RX1 31 of the slave station 30 fails, the input end of the fourth multiplexer 372 is connected to the second output end, connecting the output end of the processing unit 35 to TX1 32, so that the second message received by RX2 33 can be sent out through TX1 32.

[0092] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A slave station, characterized in that: The slave station comprises: a first receiving port, a first sending port, a first selecting unit and a processing unit; The first receiving port is connected to a first communication path and is configured to receive a message on the first communication path; the first sending port is connected to the first communication path and is configured to send the message on the first communication path; The processing unit is used to process the message, and the processing unit includes an input end and an output end; The message received by the first receiving port includes indication information, and the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port to the first sending port according to the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port; or, the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port to the input end of the processing unit and connect the first sending port to the output end of the processing unit according to the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port.

2. The slave station according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port is first indication information, the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port with the first sending port according to the first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is on the backup path of the message.

3. The slave station according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the indication information of the message received by the first receiving port is second indication information, the first selection unit is configured to connect the first receiving port to the input end of the processing unit and connect the first sending port to the output end of the processing unit according to the second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is on the main path of the message.

4. The slave station according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The slave station further includes: a second receiving port, a second sending port and a second selection unit; The second receiving port is connected to a second communication path and is configured to receive a message on the second communication path. The second sending port is connected to the second communication path and is configured to send the message on the second communication path. The second communication path is in the opposite direction to the first communication path. The message received by the second receiving port includes indication information, and the second selection unit is configured to connect the second receiving port to the second sending port according to the indication information of the second receiving port; or, the second selection unit is configured to connect the second receiving port to the second input end of the processing unit and connect the second sending port to the second output end of the processing unit according to the indication information of the second receiving port.

5. The slave station according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the indication information of the second receiving port is first indication information, the second selection unit is configured to connect the second receiving port with the second sending port according to the first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is on a backup path of the message.

6. The slave station according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the indication information of the second receiving port is second indication information, the second selection unit is configured to connect the second receiving port to the input end of the processing unit and connect the second sending port to the output end of the processing unit according to the second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the slave station is in the main path of the message.

7. The slave station according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first selection unit is further configured to connect the input end of the processing unit to the first receiving port and connect the output end of the processing unit to the second sending port when a failure occurs in the first sending port and / or the second receiving port.

8. The slave station according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second selection unit is further configured to connect the second input end of the processing unit to the second receiving port, and connect the second output end of the processing unit to the first sending port when a failure occurs in the second sending port and / or the first receiving port.

9. The slave station according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first selection unit comprises a first multiplexer and a second multiplexer, an input end of the first multiplexer is connected to the first receiving port of the slave station, a first output end of the first multiplexer is connected to the first sending port of the slave station, and a second output end of the first multiplexer is connected to an input end of the processing unit; The input end of the second multiplexer is connected to the output end of the processing unit, the first output end of the second multiplexer is connected to the first sending port of the slave station, and the second output end of the second multiplexer is connected to the second sending port of the slave station.

10. The slave station according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second selection unit comprises a third multiplexer and a fourth multiplexer, the input end of the third multiplexer is connected to the second transmission port of the slave station, the first output end of the third multiplexer is connected to the second transmission port of the slave station, and the second output end of the third multiplexer is connected to the input end of the processing unit; The input end of the fourth multiplexer is connected to the output end of the processing unit, the first output end of the fourth multiplexer is connected to the second sending port of the slave station, and the second output end of the fourth multiplexer is connected to the first sending port of the slave station.

11. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system comprises a master station and a plurality of slave stations according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the plurality of slave stations are connected to the master station via a first communication path and a second communication path, and the transmission directions of the first communication path and the second communication path are opposite; The master station is configured to send a message to the first communication path and the second communication path, wherein the message includes the indication information.

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