Distributed control system based on time-sensitive network

Abstract

The invention provides a distributed control system based on a time sensitive network. The distributed control system comprises a plurality of control devices deployed in a control layer and a plurality of management devices deployed in a management layer. At least one TSN communication module is arranged in each control device, and the control device is accessed to a communication node of a TSN topology network through the TSN communication module, so that the control device sends a high real-time network variable and / or a weak real-time network variable to other control devices and / or management devices through the TSN topology network; at least one TSN communication module is arranged in each management device, and the management device is accessed to a communication node of a TSN topology network through the TSN communication module, so that the management device sends weak real-time network variables to other management devices and / or control devices through the TSN topology network. According to the invention, each device of the system is accessed to the TSN network by adopting the time-sensitive network technology, so that the network structure is simplified, the network hierarchy is reduced, and the real-time performance and the certainty of communication are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of industrial automation technology, and in particular to a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network. Background Art

[0002] Distributed Control System (DCS) is also called distributed control system in the domestic automatic control industry. It is widely used in large-scale process automation fields such as petrochemical, thermal power, nuclear power, etc. DCS generally consists of the following four parts: Level 0 layer, data acquisition device, mainly for data acquisition and preprocessing of process non-controlled variables; Level 1 layer, field control station or controller, is the core part of the DCS system; Level 2 layer, process management level, DCS human-machine interface device, usually including servers, operator stations, engineer stations, printers and other equipment; Level 3 layer, business management level, this is the highest level of the whole plant automation system, comprehensive monitoring system units, management of all information of the whole system.

[0003] Among them, if data communication is involved between the field control stations of the Level 1 layer, usually the control program of the control station will use the data of other control stations, then a point-to-point Ethernet direct connection will be used, and the application layer will use a custom real-time Ethernet protocol. The communication cycle is consistent with the control program calculation cycle of the control station, for example, 20ms. This part of the network is assumed to be named Network 1. Ethernet is usually used to build a star or ring network between the field control stations of the Level 1 layer and the devices of the Level 2 layer, mainly to upload the data of the control stations of the Level 1 layer to the server, and the operation instructions of the Level 2 layer are sent to the control stations of the Level 1 layer. The communication cycle between the Level 1 layer and the Level 2 layer is generally slower than the control program calculation cycle of the control station, for example, 100ms. This part of the network is assumed to be named Network 2. Ethernet is usually used to build a star or ring network between the server of the Level 2 layer and each operator station. This part of the network is assumed to be named Network 3.

[0004] Since ordinary Ethernet is usually considered a "best-effort" network, it is limited by the inherent shortcomings of best-effort delivery, especially under certain bandwidth constraints, the transmission time of data packets cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, multiple independent Ethernet network systems are usually used in DCS systems, such as the above-mentioned network 1, network 2, and network 3, each responsible for transmitting different data information to ensure the certainty of transmission. This multi-level network system increases the complexity of the network and the cost of network equipment, and the real-time data on the factory site is transmitted to the factory information system through multiple levels, which is prone to the risk of information loss. In addition, this multi-level network system cannot easily support the addition or expansion of new functions. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, the present application proposes a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network, which connects each device of the system to the TSN network by adopting the time-sensitive network (TSN) technology to simplify the network structure, reduce the network level, and improve the real-time and deterministic nature of communication.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network, including several control devices deployed at the control layer and several management devices deployed at the management layer;

[0007] At least one TSN communication module is provided in each control device, and a communication node of the TSN topology network is accessed through the TSN communication module, so that the control device sends high real-time network variables and / or weak real-time network variables to other control devices and / or management devices through the TSN topology network;

[0008] At least one TSN communication module is set in each management device, and the communication node of the TSN topology network is accessed through the TSN communication module, so that the management device sends weak real-time network variables to other management devices and / or control devices through the TSN topology network.

[0009] From the above, this application deploys a TSN topology network between the control layer and the management layer of the distributed control system, and connects several control devices of the control layer and several management devices of the management layer to the communication nodes of the TSN topology network respectively, so that the control devices of the control layer and the management devices of the management layer can exchange high real-time or weak real-time network variables in real time and reliably through the TSN topology network, thereby supporting complex control strategies and efficient decision-making processes, and the TSN topology network can also provide deterministic delay guarantees, reducing the uncertainty risk in the data transmission process. Through this application, it is achieved to simplify the network structure, reduce the system level, and improve the scalability of the system under the premise of ensuring communication determinism, thereby solving the problems existing in the traditional DCS system in network communication.

[0010] Optionally, it also includes at least one clock server deployed in the management layer, which accesses the communication node of the TSN topology network through its TSN communication module and provides a unified clock signal for the system through the IEEE 1588 protocol and the IEEE 802.1AS protocol.

[0011] As mentioned above, accurate clock synchronization is the key to achieving real-time performance of the TSN network. By deploying a clock server at the management level and connecting to the TSN topology network through its TSN communication module, the IEEE 1588 protocol and IEEE 802.1AS protocol are used to provide a high-precision clock signal for the entire system, ensuring that all devices in the system can be synchronized based on a unified clock reference, thereby eliminating timing problems caused by clock deviation.

[0012] Optionally, the TSN topology network includes several 10 Gigabit TSN switches, each TSN switch is a communication node, and the several TSN switches build a TSN dual-ring network through optical fibers.

[0013] From the above, by adopting the design of TSN dual-ring network, redundant paths at the physical level are provided. When a link or node in the network fails, data can be transmitted through another path of the ring network, thus avoiding network interruption caused by single point failure, and supporting fast fault detection and recovery mechanism, which helps to reduce system downtime caused by failure and improve system availability. The TSN dual-ring network uses 10G TSN switches as communication nodes, providing the system with up to 10G network bandwidth, enabling the system to handle the rapid transmission of large amounts of data and meet the high bandwidth requirements of time-sensitive applications.

[0014] Optionally, the control layer includes several process areas, each process area includes several control devices, and several control devices in the same process area are connected to the same communication node of the TSN topology network and send and receive data through the communication node.

[0015] From the above, according to the needs of the application scenarios, the control layer can be divided into several process areas, and several control devices in the same process area can be connected to the same communication node of the TSN topology network for data transmission and reception, so that the control devices in the same process area can collaborate through the TSN topology network to achieve more precise and efficient production control, further optimize the system structure, and improve data transmission efficiency, system reliability, system scalability and production efficiency.

[0016] Optionally, the management equipment of the management layer includes several servers, several operator stations, and at least one engineer station. The several servers are connected to the same communication node of the TSN topology network, the several operator stations are connected to the same communication node of the TSN topology network, and at least one engineer station is connected to the same communication node of the TSN topology network.

[0017] From the above, the servers, operator stations and engineer stations at the management level are respectively connected to the same communication node, which realizes centralized access and management of data, simplifies the network structure, reduces the data transmission paths and nodes in the network, and improves the efficiency and reliability of data transmission. Through centralized access, the system can ensure that each management device obtains a unified and accurate data source, which helps to avoid data inconsistency problems and improves the overall performance and stability of the system.

[0018] Optionally, the server includes at least one of the following:

[0019] Centralized control server, real-time data recording server, monitoring and data acquisition server, isolation network gatekeeper and advanced control server.

[0020] From the above, the server part of the management device of the management layer includes key components such as centralized control server, real-time data recording server, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) server, isolation network gate, etc. The centralized control server is responsible for the centralized control function of the entire system. It receives data from the control layer or other sources, performs centralized processing and analysis, and then sends control instructions to each control device. The real-time data recording server is used to record production data from the control layer or other data sources in real time, including sensor readings, equipment status, production parameters, etc. The SCADA server provides the functions of monitoring and data collection of the production process, and displays the status of the production site through a graphical user interface. The isolation network gate is a security device used to provide isolation and filtering functions between networks with different security levels. The advanced control server supports advanced control algorithms and strategies, which are designed to improve the efficiency, stability and quality of the production process.

[0021] Optionally, the high real-time network variables sent by the control device through the TSN topology network include key data of the on-site operation status, and the control device sends the key data of the on-site operation status to other control devices through the TSN topology network for control calculation, and sends it to the management device at the management level for storage;

[0022] The weak real-time network variables sent by the control device through the TSN topology network include alarm diagnosis data. The control device sends the alarm diagnosis data to other control devices through the TSN topology network for alarm diagnosis calculation, and sends it to the management device at the management level for display.

[0023] From the above, when the control device exchanges data with other control devices and management devices through the TSN topology network, the network variables involved can be divided into two categories: high real-time variables and weak real-time variables according to their real-time requirements. At the same time, these variables are further subdivided into variables between control devices and variables between control devices and management devices according to different interaction objects. Among them, high real-time variables can be key data of on-site operation status, which can be used in the control algorithms of other control devices, or can also be stored in the server of the management layer for later analysis. Through the TSN topology network, these network variables can achieve efficient and reliable transmission between control devices and management devices, so that the system can meet the needs of industrial automation and intelligent manufacturing fields for high-performance control systems.

[0024] Optionally, the weak real-time network variables sent by the management device through the TSN topology network include control data, and the management device sends the control data to other management devices and / or control devices through the TSN topology network;

[0025] The management device also sends timing data and / or debugging data to other management devices and / or control devices through the TSN topology network.

[0026] From the above, the weak real-time network variables sent by the management device to other control devices and management devices through the TSN topology network can be the control data of the operator station, and the real-time control of other control devices or management devices can be achieved through this control data. In addition, the clock server in the management device can also send ordinary Ethernet data, such as time calibration data or debugging data, to other management devices and control devices through the TSN topology network. With the support of the TSN topology network, these variables can be transmitted efficiently and reliably to meet the system's requirements for real-time and determinism.

[0027] Optionally, the distributed control system provides different configuration information for different types of network variables, and encapsulates the network variables into high real-time network messages and / or weak real-time network messages transmitted in the TSN topology network according to the configuration information. The configuration information includes data source device information, data destination device information, data sending cycle information, application layer protocol information and TSN network information.

[0028] From the above, in the distributed control system, a unified communication protocol is designed based on the TSN topology network. The communication protocol covers the physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentation layer and application layer. It not only ensures efficient and reliable communication between devices within the system, but also provides flexible configuration information for different types of network variables, including data source device information, data destination device information, data sending cycle information, application layer protocol information and TSN network information, etc. Through this unified communication protocol and its detailed configuration information, each device in the distributed control system can encapsulate its network variables to be transmitted into high real-time network messages or weak real-time network messages, and send them out through the TSN topology network, so as to efficiently exchange data and control instructions, realize real-time monitoring, precise control and optimization decision-making of the system, and at the same time, the protocol also has good scalability and flexibility, and can adapt to application scenarios of different scales and complexities.

[0029] Optionally, the distributed control system executes the system's device network configuration, I / O connection configuration of each control device, system clock configuration, and TSN network configuration through a configuration development environment, and after configuring network variables in each control device according to the device network configuration, automatically generates a database variable table with a matching mapping relationship with the configured network variables at the management level.

[0030] From the above, by adopting a unified configuration development environment, users can perform all configurations of the system in the configuration development environment, including device network configuration, I / O connection configuration of each control device, system clock configuration, TSN network configuration, etc., and according to the device network configuration, network variables on each control device can be defined. When the configuration of the network variable is completed, a database variable table with a matching mapping relationship with the network variable will be automatically generated at the management level, so that the upper-level application can easily access and process the network variable, thereby realizing real-time monitoring and management of the system.

[0031] These and other aspects of the present application will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiment(s). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 2 A structural diagram of a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of access to a TSN dual-ring network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a communication protocol designed based on a TSN network provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] It should be understood that the size and shape of each block diagram in the above structural diagram are for reference only and should not constitute an exclusive interpretation of the embodiments of the present application. The relative positions and inclusion relationships between the blocks presented in the structural diagram are only schematic representations of the structural associations between the blocks, and do not limit the physical connection methods of the embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The technical solution provided by the present application is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the system structure and business scenarios provided in the examples of the present application are mainly to illustrate the possible implementation methods of the technical solution of the present application and should not be interpreted as the only limitation on the technical solution of the present application. It is known to those of ordinary skill in the art that with the evolution of the system structure and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution provided by the present application is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present application. In case of any inconsistency, the meaning described in this specification or the meaning derived from the contents recorded in this specification shall prevail. In addition, the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0039] The embodiment of the present application proposes a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network. By adopting the time-sensitive network (TSN) technology, each device of the system is connected to the TSN network to simplify the network structure and reduce the complexity of the system. The time sensitivity and deterministic communication characteristics of the TSN technology are utilized to solve the non-deterministic problem of traditional Ethernet in data transmission, thereby improving the real-time, reliability and stability of system communication.

[0040] like Figure 1As shown, a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a plurality of control devices 100 deployed at a control layer (Level 1), a plurality of management devices 200 deployed at a management layer (Level 2), and a TSN topology network 300 deployed between the control layer and the management layer;

[0041] Among them, at least one TSN communication module 101 is set in each control device 100, and the communication node 301 of the TSN topology network 300 is accessed through the TSN communication module 101, so that the control device 100 sends high real-time network variables and / or weak real-time network variables to other control devices 100 and / or management devices 200 through the TSN topology network 300; at least one TSN communication module 201 is set in each management device 200, and the communication node 301 of the TSN topology network 300 is accessed through the TSN communication module 201, so that the management device 200 sends weak real-time network variables to other management devices 200 and / or control devices 100 through the TSN topology network 300.

[0042] The embodiment of the present application deploys a TSN topology network between the Level 1 layer and the Level 2 layer of the distributed control system, and connects several control devices of the Level 1 layer and several management devices of the Level 2 layer to the communication nodes of the TSN topology network respectively, so that the control devices of the Level 1 layer and the management devices of the Level 2 layer can exchange network variables in real time and reliably through the TSN topology network, thereby supporting complex control strategies and efficient decision-making processes, and the TSN topology network can also provide deterministic latency guarantees, reducing the uncertainty risk in the data transmission process. The embodiment of the present application simplifies the network structure, reduces the system level, and improves the scalability of the system under the premise of ensuring communication determinism, thereby solving the problems existing in the traditional DCS system in network communication.

[0043] Refer to the following Figure 2-Figure 4 The structure and principle of a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network provided in an embodiment of the present application are described in detail.

[0044] like Figure 2As shown, a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a four-layer structure, namely: a sensor layer (Level 0), which is deployed with multiple data acquisition devices, mainly for data acquisition and preprocessing of process non-controlled variables; a control layer (Level 1), which is deployed with multiple field control stations or controllers (i.e., the above-mentioned control devices), which is the core part of the DCS system; a management layer (Level 2), which is deployed with servers, operator stations, engineer stations and other equipment; an operation layer (Level 3), which is deployed with MES (Manufacturing Execution System), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and other systems, which are used to comprehensively monitor each unit of the system and manage all information of the entire system.

[0045] Based on the Level 1 and Level 2 structures of the distributed control system, this embodiment adopts the Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) technology, deploys a TSN topology network between the Level 1 and Level 2 layers, and integrates the devices of the Level 1 and Level 2 layers into the TSN topology network. The TSN topology network uses multiple 10 Gigabit TSN switches to form a TSN dual-ring network. Each TSN switch serves as a communication node. The TSN dual-ring network provides the system with a network bandwidth of up to 10 Gigabit, so that the system can handle the rapid transmission of large amounts of data, meeting the high bandwidth requirements of time-sensitive applications. Based on the TSN dual-ring network, this embodiment sets a TSN communication module in each control station of the Level 1 layer, and uses Ethernet to connect the TSN communication module of each control station to the TSN switch of the TSN dual-ring network, so that each control station can perform the interaction of network variables through the TSN topology network respectively. It also sets a TSN communication module in each server, operator station, and engineer station of the Level 2 layer, and uses Ethernet to connect the TSN communication modules of each server, operator station, and engineer station to the TSN switch of the TSN dual-ring network respectively, so that each server, operator station, and engineer station can perform the interaction of network variables through the TSN topology network respectively.

[0046] In some embodiments, the Level 2 layer of the above-mentioned distributed control system also deploys at least one clock server, which accesses the TSN switch of the TSN dual-ring network through its TSN communication module, and provides a unified clock signal for the system through the IEEE 1588 protocol and the IEEE 802.1AS protocol to ensure that all devices in the system can be synchronized based on a unified clock reference, thereby eliminating timing problems caused by clock deviations. In addition, through the clock signal provided by the clock server, the system can more accurately monitor delay changes in the network, promptly detect and handle network congestion, equipment failures and other problems, and improve the overall performance and stability of the system.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, the distributed control system of this embodiment can divide the Level 1 layer into several process areas, such as process areas 1-5, according to the requirements of the application scenarios. Each process area includes several control stations. The several control stations in the same process area can use Ethernet to access the same TSN switch of the TSN dual-ring network for data transmission and reception, so that the several control stations in the same process area can collaborate through the same TSN switch of the TSN dual-ring network, reducing the transmission distance and number of hops of data in the network, reducing transmission delay, and improving data transmission efficiency.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 As shown, the Level 2 layer includes several servers, several operator stations and at least one engineer station, wherein the several servers can use Ethernet to access the same TSN switch of the TSN dual-ring network for data transmission and reception, the several operator stations can use Ethernet to access the same TSN switch of the TSN dual-ring network, and the at least one engineer station can use Ethernet to access the same TSN switch of the TSN dual-ring network. The system is configured and debugged through the TSN dual-ring network to improve work efficiency and safety.

[0049] In some embodiments, the server may specifically include key components such as a centralized control server, a real-time data recording server, a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) server, an isolation network gate, a clock server and an APC (Advanced Process Control) server. The centralized control server is responsible for the centralized control function of the entire system, and receives data from the Level 1 layer or other sources, performs centralized processing and analysis, and then sends control instructions to each control station; the real-time data recording server is used to record production data from the Level 1 layer or other data sources in real time, including sensor readings, equipment status, production parameters, etc., for subsequent analysis, reporting and troubleshooting; the SCADA server provides the function of monitoring and data collection of the production process, and displays the status of the production site through a graphical user interface, allowing the operator to monitor the production process in real time and make necessary interventions. The SCADA server may also include alarm and event recording functions to notify the operator of abnormal situations; the isolation network gate is a security device used to provide isolation and filtering functions between networks with different security levels.

[0050] In some embodiments, when each control station of the Level 1 layer exchanges data with other control stations and management equipment of the Level 2 layer through the TSN dual-ring network, the network variables involved can be divided into two categories: high real-time variables and weak real-time variables according to their real-time requirements. At the same time, these variables are further subdivided into variables between control stations and variables between control stations and management equipment according to different interaction objects. Specifically, the network variables that each control station of the Level 1 layer exchanges through the TSN dual-ring network include:

[0051] Category A: High real-time variables communicated between control stations. This type of variable is usually key data related to the on-site operating status and will participate in the core process control algorithms of other control stations. For example, the hydraulic roller control in the hot rolling production line has a communication cycle of 1ms, which is the same as the fastest control cycle in the control station.

[0052] Category B: High real-time variables between the control station and the Level 2 real-time data recording server. For some key data related to the on-site operating status, they are stored in high real-time according to the control cycle of the control station, so as to facilitate accurate analysis when an abnormality occurs. The communication cycle of this part of data is 1ms, which is the same as the fastest control cycle in the control station.

[0053] Category C: weak real-time variables communicated between control stations. This variable will participate in the alarm diagnosis calculation of other control stations. The communication cycle is 20ms.

[0054] Category D: Weak real-time variables communicated between the control station and the Level 2 server, including variables sent from the control station to the Level 2 server for storage, variables sent from the Level 2 server to the control station, and variables between the control station and the centralized control server. The communication cycle is 100ms.

[0055] In some embodiments, the network variables that the Level 2 management device interacts with through the TSN dual-ring network include:

[0056] Category D: Weak real-time variables communicated between Level 2 management devices and Level 1 control stations;

[0057] Category E: Weak real-time variables for communication between management devices at the Level 2 layer, including display variables from the server to the operator station, operation logs and trigger actions stored from the operator station to the server, data between the APC server and the SCADA server, data between the centralized control server and the SCADA server, data sent from the server to the Level 3 layer through the isolation network gate, and data sent from the Level 3 layer to the server storage. The communication cycle is 100ms.

[0058] Category F: The clock server sends time calibration data to other Level 2 devices and Level 1 control stations using the IEEE1588 protocol and IEEE 802.1AS protocol, with a clock accuracy of 0.1us.

[0059] Category G: The debugging data between the engineering station and each level 1 control station and level 2 equipment is communicated through the ordinary TCP / IP protocol.

[0060] For the above-mentioned network variables, this embodiment can design a unified communication protocol based on the TSN network, such as Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the communication protocol covers the physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentation layer and application layer. Specifically, the physical layer is responsible for the physical transmission of data, such as the encoding and decoding of bit streams and the interface of physical media; the data link layer is responsible for the frame format, error detection and correction, flow control, etc. of data; the network layer is responsible for the routing and forwarding of data to ensure that data can be correctly transmitted from the source device to the destination device; the transport layer provides end-to-end communication services, including data segmentation, reassembly, flow control and error recovery; the session layer is responsible for establishing, maintaining and terminating communication sessions, and managing data exchange in sessions; the presentation layer is responsible for data format conversion, encryption and decryption, etc., to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of data during transmission; the application layer directly provides network services to users, such as remote login, file transfer, email, etc.

[0061] For different types of network variables, the above communication protocol also provides different configuration information, which includes data source device information, data destination device information, data transmission cycle information, application layer protocol information and TSN network information. Specifically, the data source device information specifies the sender of the data, that is, which device is responsible for generating and sending the data; the data destination device information specifies the receiver of the data, that is, which devices need to receive and process the data; the data transmission cycle information defines the frequency of data transmission, that is, how long the data should be sent, which is especially important for variables with high real-time requirements; the application layer protocol information specifies the transmission format and rules of the data at the application layer, such as the encoding method of the data, the message structure, etc.; the TSN network information contains configuration information related to the TSN network, such as the priority of time-sensitive flows, scheduling strategies, queue management, etc. Through this unified communication protocol and its detailed configuration information, each device in the distributed control system can encapsulate its network variables to be transmitted into high-real-time network messages or weak real-time network messages, and send them outward through the above-mentioned TSN dual-ring network, so as to efficiently exchange data and control instructions, realize real-time monitoring, precise control and optimized decision-making of the system. At the same time, the protocol also has good scalability and flexibility, and can adapt to application scenarios of different scales and complexities.

[0062] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned distributed control system adopts a unified configuration development environment so that users can perform all configurations of the system in the configuration development environment, including device network configuration, I / O connection configuration of each control device, system clock configuration, TSN network configuration, etc. Specifically, in the device network configuration, the device network of the system can be configured, including the type, location, communication protocol, etc. of the device, to ensure that all devices in the system can correctly communicate and cooperate with each other; it is also necessary to configure the input / output (I / O) connection configuration of each control device, including the type, range, conversion rules, etc. of the signal, to ensure that the system can accurately collect and process data from field sensors and send control instructions to the actuator; the system clock configuration can also be performed in the configuration development environment to set the source, time zone, synchronization mechanism, etc. of the system clock; in the TSN network configuration, the parameters of the TSN network can be configured, such as bandwidth allocation, priority setting, etc., to ensure the timely transmission of key data. According to the above-mentioned equipment network configuration, network variables on each control station can also be defined. These network variables represent the data that needs to be shared and processed in the system. When the configuration of the network variable is completed, the configuration development environment can automatically identify and add it to the variable list of other related control stations. At the same time, for category D network variables, after the configuration is completed on each control station, the configuration development environment will automatically generate a database variable table with a matching mapping relationship with the network variable at the Level 2 layer, which simplifies database management, ensures data consistency and integrity, and enables upper-level applications to easily access and process the network variables, thereby realizing real-time monitoring and management of the system.

[0063] In summary, the embodiment of the present application provides a distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network, which connects the control stations of the Level 1 layer and the management devices of the Level 2 layer of the DCS by using a TSN topology network, so that the control stations of the Level 1 layer and the management devices of the Level 2 layer interact with each other through the TSN topology network. In addition, a unified clock signal is provided to the system through a clock server to ensure that all devices in the system can synchronize time based on a unified clock reference. The embodiment of the present application solves the problems existing in the network communication of the traditional DCS system, simplifies the network structure and reduces the system level under the premise of ensuring the certainty of communication, improves the real-time and certainty of the system communication, and at the same time, the hierarchical design and modular communication module of the system make the system easy to expand and upgrade to meet the expansion needs of the distributed control system.

[0064] It should be noted that the embodiments described in the present application are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application usually described and shown in the drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the above detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the application claimed for protection, but merely represents the selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0065] The words "first, second, third, etc." or module A, module B, module C and other similar terms in the specification and claims are only used to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of the objects. It is understandable that the specific order or sequence can be interchanged where permitted so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0066] The term "comprising" as used in the description and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to what is listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. Therefore, it should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the features, integers, steps or components mentioned, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components and groups thereof. Therefore, the expression "a device comprising means A and B" should not be limited to a device consisting of components A and B only.

[0067] The "one embodiment" or "embodiment" mentioned in this specification means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, the terms "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but may refer to the same embodiment. In addition, in the various embodiments of the present application, if there is no special explanation and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0068] Note that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present application is described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may also include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, all of which belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A distributed control system based on a time-sensitive network, characterized in that: Including several control devices deployed in the control layer and several management devices deployed in the management layer; At least one TSN communication module is set in each control device, and a communication node of the TSN topology network is accessed through the TSN communication module, so that the control device sends high real-time network variables and / or weak real-time network variables to other control devices and / or management devices through the TSN topology network; At least one TSN communication module is set in each management device, and accesses the communication node of the TSN topology network through the TSN communication module, so that the management device sends weak real-time network variables to other management devices and / or control devices through the TSN topology network.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes at least one clock server deployed at the management level. The clock server accesses the communication node of the TSN topology network through its TSN communication module, and provides a unified clock signal for the system through the IEEE 1588 protocol and the IEEE 802.1AS protocol.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The TSN topology network includes several 10G TSN switches, each TSN switch is a communication node, and the several TSN switches construct a TSN double-ring network through optical fibers.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The control layer includes several process areas, each process area includes several control devices, and several control devices in the same process area are connected to the same communication node of the TSN topology network and send and receive data through the communication node.

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The management equipment of the management layer includes several servers, several operator stations, and at least one engineer station. The several servers are connected to the same communication node of the TSN topology network, the several operator stations are connected to the same communication node of the TSN topology network, and at least one engineer station is connected to the same communication node of the TSN topology network.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that The server includes at least one of the following: Centralized control server, real-time data recording server, monitoring and data acquisition server, isolation network gatekeeper and advanced control server.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The high real-time network variables sent by the control device through the TSN topology network include key data of the on-site operation status. The control device sends the key data of the on-site operation status to other control devices through the TSN topology network for control calculation, and sends it to the management device at the management level for storage; The weak real-time network variables sent by the control device through the TSN topology network include alarm diagnosis data. The control device sends the alarm diagnosis data to other control devices through the TSN topology network for alarm diagnosis calculation, and sends it to the management device at the management level for display.

8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The weak real-time network variables sent by the management device through the TSN topology network include control data, and the management device sends the control data to other management devices and / or control devices through the TSN topology network; The management device also sends timing data and / or debugging data to other management devices and / or control devices through the TSN topology network.

9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The distributed control system provides different configuration information for different types of network variables, and encapsulates the network variables into high real-time network messages and / or weak real-time network messages transmitted in the TSN topology network according to the configuration information. The configuration information includes data source device information, data destination device information, data sending cycle information, application layer protocol information and TSN network information.

10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The distributed control system executes the system's device network configuration, I / O connection configuration of each control device, system clock configuration, and TSN network configuration through a configuration development environment. After configuring network variables in each control device according to the device network configuration, a database variable table with a matching mapping relationship with the configured network variables is automatically generated at the management level.

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