EtherCAT master station device and EtherCAT network control method

Abstract

The invention discloses an EtherCAT master station device and an EtherCAT network control method, and relates to the technical field of industrial control, and the device comprises a first master station module, a second master station module and a redundancy control module. The two network ports of each master station module are respectively in cross connection with the two network port switching assemblies in the redundancy control module; the two network port switching assemblies are respectively connected with a first slave station and a tail slave station of the EtherCAT network; the network port switching assembly is used for controlling the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through the analog switch; the master station module accessing the EtherCAT network is in an activated state, the other master station module is in a standby state, the activated master station module is used for accessing the EtherCAT network to execute tasks, and the standby master station module is used for backing up data of the activated master station module in real time. According to the invention, the safety and stability of the EtherCAT network can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of industrial control, and in particular to an EtherCAT master station device and an EtherCAT network control method. Background Art

[0002] This section is intended to provide a background or context to the embodiments of the invention recited in the claims. No admission is made that the description herein is prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0003] EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) Ethernet control automation technology is mainly used in industrial automation and control systems to achieve high-performance, real-time data transmission and control. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of EtherCAT network connection in the prior art, such as Figure 1 As shown in the figure, without cable redundancy, the EtherCAT network port of the master is connected to the IN port of the first slave, and the OUT port of the previous slave is connected to the IN port of the next adjacent slave. If cable redundancy is enabled, the OUT port of the last slave is connected to another EtherCAT network port of the master.

[0004] All frames in the EtherCAT network can only be transmitted in a "logical ring network" mode, that is, all frames are sent by the master station, pass through all network slave stations in a certain order, and return to the master station after completing the cycle. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a diagram of the EtherCAT frame transmission process in the prior art.

[0005] The cable redundancy designed by the EtherCAT standard adopts a ring topology network structure. When the cable is disconnected at a certain point, the frames at both ends of the breakpoint will be processed separately to ensure the continued operation of the network. Although the cable redundancy technology effectively improves the reliability of the network, when the EtherCAT master station device fails, it will have a significant impact on the operation of the system.

[0006] In other existing traditional industrial control networks, whether based on fieldbus or Ethernet technology, many can support dual master stations working simultaneously in the network to achieve hot standby redundancy at the master level, but the EtherCAT standard does not design a dual master operation mechanism. For some demanding application scenarios, the EtherCAT network can only ensure safety by enabling the cable redundancy function, and cannot further have dual system hot standby redundancy characteristics. Its working principle also determines that the EtherCAT network does not support both enabling cable redundancy and supporting dual master stations online at the same time. Therefore, the security and stability of the EtherCAT network in the existing technology needs to be improved. Summary of the invention

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention provides an EtherCAT master station device for improving the security and stability of an EtherCAT network. The device includes: a first master station module, a second master station module, and a redundant control module;

[0008] The first network port of the first master station module is connected to the first network port of the redundant control module;

[0009] The second network port of the first master station module is connected to the third network port of the redundant control module;

[0010] The first network port of the second master station module is connected to the second network port of the redundant control module;

[0011] The second network port of the second master station module is connected to the fourth network port of the redundant control module;

[0012] The first network port and the second network port of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the first port and the second port of the first network port switching component of the redundant control module; the third network port and the fourth network port of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the first port and the second port of the second network port switching component of the redundant control module; the third port of the first network port switching component is connected to the input port of the first slave station; the third port of the second network port switching component is connected to the output port of the last slave station;

[0013] The first network port switching component and the second network port switching component are used to control the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through an analog switch; the master station module that accesses the EtherCAT network among the first master station module and the second master station module is in an active state, and the other master station module is in a standby state. The active state master station module is used to access the EtherCAT network to perform tasks, and the standby state master station module is used to back up the data of the active state master station module in real time.

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention provides an EtherCAT network control method for improving the security and stability of the EtherCAT network. The method is applied to an EtherCAT master station device, and the method includes:

[0015] When the EtherCAT master device switches to the master module connected to the EtherCAT network, the redundant control module sends a command to the original active master module to switch to the standby state, and then disconnects the original active master module from the EtherCAT network;

[0016] The redundant control module reads the working status of the first master station module and the second master station module in turn, sets the first ready master station module monitored to the activated state, first controls the network port of the master station module to access the EtherCAT network, and then sends an activation command to the master station module.

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the above-mentioned EtherCAT network control method when executing the computer program.

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the above-mentioned EtherCAT network control method is implemented.

[0019] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer program, and the computer program implements the above-mentioned EtherCAT network control method when executed by a processor.

[0020] The EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention comprises a first master station module, a second master station module, and a redundant control module, wherein the first network port of the first master station module is connected to the first network port of the redundant control module; the second network port of the first master station module is connected to the third network port of the redundant control module; the first network port of the second master station module is connected to the second network port of the redundant control module; the second network port of the second master station module is connected to the fourth network port of the redundant control module; the first network port and the second network port of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the first port and the second port of the first network port switching component of the redundant control module; the third network port and the fourth network port of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the second network port of the redundant control module. The first port and the second port of the network port switching component; the third port of the first network port switching component is connected to the input port of the first slave station; the third port of the second network port switching component is connected to the output port of the last slave station; the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component are used to control the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through an analog switch; the master station module accessing the EtherCAT network in the first master station module and the second master station module is in an active state, and the other master station module is in a standby state, the active state master station module is used to access the EtherCAT network to perform tasks, and the standby state master station module is used to back up the data of the active state master station module in real time. That is, the first master station module and the second master station module of the EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention both have two network ports, and the redundant control module includes two network port switching components, which control the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through analog switches, so that the two network ports of the master station module in the first master station module and the second master station module that are in an activated state are respectively connected to the first slave station and the last slave station of the EtherCAT network, thereby realizing synchronous switching of the two network ports of the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network; wherein the master station module that is connected to the EtherCAT network to perform tasks is in an activated state The master station module is in the active state, and the other master station module is used as a backup device, which can ensure that only the active state master station module is connected to the EtherCAT network. The standby state master station module is physically isolated from the EtherCAT network, so that the two network ports of the active state master station module are both connected to the EtherCAT network, and the cable redundancy function takes effect; at the same time, the dual master station module design realizes the synchronous transmission of key data, and the standby state master station module can back up the data of the active state master station module in real time. When the dual master station modules are switched, the EtherCAT network can continue to operate normally, avoiding the shutdown or disturbance of the entire EtherCAT network control system caused by the abnormality of the master station, and the dual system redundancy function takes effect. Therefore, the EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention improves the security and stability of the EtherCAT network, and can meet the application scenarios with strict requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the prior art descriptions. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of EtherCAT network connection in the prior art;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a diagram of the EtherCAT frame transmission process in the prior art;

[0024] Figure 3 This is the first embodiment of the EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is the second embodiment of the EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is the third embodiment of the EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 1 is a specific example diagram of the EtherCAT network control method in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 is another specific example diagram of the EtherCAT network control method in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clearly understood, the embodiments of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Here, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention. It should be noted that the "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to identify the same or similar technical contents before and after.

[0030] First, the technical terms involved in the present invention are explained.

[0031] EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology): Ethernet control automation technology, used to achieve high-performance, real-time data transmission and control in industrial automation and control systems.

[0032] Mbps: The full name is Million bits per second, which means one million bits per second. The bit here (bit, 1 bit equals 1 bit) is the smallest unit representing digital signal data.

[0033] UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter): Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter is one of the most commonly used protocols for communication between devices. When properly configured, UART can work with many different types of serial protocols that involve sending and receiving serial data. In serial communication, data is transmitted bit by bit over a single line or wire. In bidirectional communication, two wires are used for continuous serial data transmission. Depending on the application and system requirements, serial communication requires fewer circuits and wires, which can reduce the cost of implementation.

[0034] Analog switch: Also known as a solid-state relay, it uses the switching method of a MOS tube to turn off or on the signal link.

[0035] MCU: Also known as microcontroller or single-chip computer, it is a chip-level computer that appropriately reduces the frequency and specifications of the CPU, and integrates memory, counter (Timer), USB, A / D conversion, UART and other peripheral interfaces, and even LCD driver circuits on a single chip. It realizes the function of terminal control and has the advantages of high performance, low power consumption, programmability, and high flexibility. MCU is generally divided into 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit and 64-bit.

[0036] EIA-485: Formerly known as RS-485 or RS485, it is a standard for multipoint communications that specifies the electrical characteristics of a two-wire, half-duplex, balanced transmission line belonging to the physical layer of the OSI model.

[0037] GPIO: General purpose input and output, one of the pin functions of the processor.

[0038] UDP: User Datagram Protocol is a simple connectionless, unreliable datagram transport layer protocol.

[0039] The applicant discovered that the EtherCAT standard does not design a dual-master operation mechanism. For some demanding application scenarios, the EtherCAT network can only ensure safety by enabling the cable redundancy function, and cannot further have the dual-system hot standby redundancy feature. The safety and stability of the EtherCAT network in the prior art need to be improved. To this end, the applicant proposed an EtherCAT master station device. By designing two completely identical master station modules (each master station module is equipped with dual EtherCAT network ports) and one redundant control module in the EtherCAT master station device, the EtherCAT master station device retains the cable redundancy function and realizes the dual-system hot standby redundancy function, thereby improving the reliability of the equipment.

[0040] Figure 3 This is the first embodiment of the EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3 As shown, the EtherCAT master station device includes: a first master station module, a second master station module, and a redundant control module, wherein the software and hardware designs of the first master station module and the second master station module are completely the same, and both have at least two network ports.

[0041] The first network port of the first master station module is connected to the first network port (M1) of the redundant control module;

[0042] The second network port of the first master station module is connected to the third network port (M3) of the redundant control module;

[0043] The first network port of the second master station module is connected to the second network port (M2) of the redundant control module;

[0044] The second network port of the second master station module is connected to the fourth network port (M4) of the redundant control module.

[0045] The first network port (M1) and the second network port (M2) of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the first port and the second port of the first network port switching component of the redundant control module; the third network port (M3) and the fourth network port (M4) of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the first port and the second port of the second network port switching component of the redundant control module; the third port of the first network port switching component is connected to the input port of the first slave station; and the third port of the second network port switching component is connected to the output port of the last slave station.

[0046] That is, the fifth network port (S1) of the redundant control module is connected to the first slave station of the EtherCAT network, the sixth network port (S2) of the redundant control module is connected to the last slave station of the EtherCAT network, and the fifth network port (S1) and the sixth network port (S2) are connected to the EtherCAT slave station to form a ring network.

[0047] Refer to Table 1 and Figure 3 , Table 1 is the network interface connection table of the redundant control module.

[0048] Table 1 Redundant control module network interface connection table

[0049] Redundant module network interface Other connected device interfaces S1 IN port of the first slave S2 OUT port of the last slave M1 Network port 1 of the first master module M2 Network port 1 of the second master module M3 Network port 2 of the first master module M4 Network port 2 of the second master module

[0050] Figure 3 In the embodiment, the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component are used to control the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through an analog switch; the master station module accessing the EtherCAT network among the first master station module and the second master station module is in an active state, and the other master station module is in a standby state. The active master station module is used to access the EtherCAT network to perform tasks, and the standby master station module is used to back up the data of the active master station module in real time.

[0051] Figure 4 This is a second embodiment of the EtherCAT master device in the embodiment of the present invention, referring to Figure 4 The first network port switching component and / or the second network port switching component include one or more analog switch chips, each analog switch chip includes multiple synchronously switchable two-to-one low-resistance broadband bidirectional analog switches, and each analog switch controls a signal line of the network interface.

[0052] In one embodiment, the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component both include: an enable signal control terminal and a switch selection signal control terminal, referring to Figure 4 , the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component provide input terminals EN_A and IN_A to the outside, EN_A is connected to EN of all internal analog switch chips, and IN_A is connected to IN of all internal analog switch chips, so as to achieve synchronous and consistent control effect on all analog switch chips;

[0053] When the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switch component and the second network port switch component receive an invalid enable level, the first network port switch component and the second network port switch component disconnect the first master station module and the second master station module from the EtherCAT network through the analog switch;

[0054] When the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control terminal receives a high level, the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component control the first master station module to access the EtherCAT network through the analog switch;

[0055] When the enable signal control end of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receives a valid enable low level, and the switch selection signal control end receives a low level, the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component control the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through an analog switch.

[0056] Specifically, when the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive an invalid enable level, the first network port switching component disconnects the connection between the first port, the second port and the third port through the analog switch, and the second network port switching component disconnects the connection between the first port, the second port and the third port through the analog switch;

[0057] When the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control terminal receives a high level, the first network port switching component connects the first network port of the first master station module to the first slave station through the analog switch, and the second network port switching component connects the second network port of the first master station module to the last slave station through the analog switch;

[0058] When the enable signal control ends of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control end receives a low level, the first network port switching component connects the first network port of the second master station module with the first slave station through an analog switch, and the second network port switching component connects the second network port of the second master station module with the last slave station through an analog switch.

[0059] Further, when the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control terminal receives a high level, the first network port switching component connects the first port to the third port through the analog switch, and the second network port switching component connects the first port to the third port through the analog switch;

[0060] When the enable signal control ends of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control end receives a low level, the first network port switching component connects the second port with the third port through an analog switch, and the second network port switching component connects the second port with the third port through an analog switch.

[0061] Figure 5 This is a third embodiment of the EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 5 As shown, the redundant control module also includes a microcontroller (MCU); the microcontroller (MCU) is respectively connected to the enable signal control end and the switch selection signal control end of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component, and the microcontroller is used to send an invalid enable level or a valid enable level to the enable signal control end of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component, and send a high level or a low level to the switch selection signal control end of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component.

[0062] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 5The microcontroller inside the redundant control module connects the control pin OUT1 to the input terminal EN_A of all network port switching components at the same time, and connects the control pin OUT2 to the input terminal IN_A of all network port switching components at the same time. For example, the microcontroller controls two sets of network port switching components through two GPIOs as output high and low level signals to achieve synchronous and consistent control of all network port switching components.

[0063] The analog switch chip in the embodiment of the present invention provides three working modes. If its EN is invalid, the switch is disconnected. If EN is valid, IN controls the 2-to-1 connection mode of the switch; furthermore, each network port switching component provides three working modes, namely, only the first master station module is connected to the network, only the second master station module is connected to the network, and no master station module is connected to the network. Refer to Table 2, which is a redundant control module control logic table.

[0064] Table 2 Redundant control module control logic table

[0065]

[0066] In one embodiment, the microcontroller further includes an external interface, and the external interface is used to receive an external signal or send a signal to the outside.

[0067] refer to Figure 5 The interface DI / DO is displayed externally, and can obtain external signals and send local signals to the outside to support the interaction between the master station device and other devices.

[0068] In one embodiment, the redundant control module further includes a first bus interface, which is connected to the microcontroller; the first master station module includes a second bus interface, and the second master station module includes a third bus interface; the first bus interface, the second bus interface, and the third bus interface are connected;

[0069] Redundant control module: monitors the working status of the first master station module and the second master station module through the first bus interface, the second bus interface, and the third bus interface, and sends a control signal according to the working status of the first master station module and the second master station module, wherein the working status includes an activated status, a standby status, and an abnormal status.

[0070] refer to Figure 5 ,The two master station modules and the redundant control module are each equipped with a bus interface, through which a network is formed to transmit data.

[0071] For example, the bus interface may be a UART interface, or an EIA-485 interface may be implemented by extending the UART interface, the physical layer adopts the EIA-485 bus, and the transmission protocol uses Modbus-RTU.

[0072] The redundant control module periodically monitors the working status of the two master modules through the bus, and then sends the arbitrated activation status or standby status to the corresponding master module through the bus, and controls the connection relationship between the activation status master module and the network by controlling the level status of the pins OUT1 and OUT2.

[0073] refer to Figure 3 , Figure 5 The first master station module and the second master station module both have a synchronization interface, and data synchronization between the first master station module and the second master station module is achieved through the synchronization interface.

[0074] An embodiment of the present invention provides an EtherCAT network control method, which is applied to an EtherCAT master station device, and includes:

[0075] When the EtherCAT master device switches to the master module connected to the EtherCAT network, the redundant control module sends a command to the original active master module to switch to the standby state, and then disconnects the original active master module from the EtherCAT network;

[0076] The redundant control module reads the working status of the first master station module and the second master station module in turn, sets the first ready master station module monitored to the activated state, first controls the network port of the master station module to access the EtherCAT network, and then sends an activation command to the master station module.

[0077] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a specific example diagram of the EtherCAT network control method in an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 6 As shown, the switching process of the EtherCAT master device is shown. Figure 6 The M side is the side where the redundant control module is connected to the two master station modules, including the first network port (M1), the second network port (M2), the third network port (M3), and the fourth network port (M4). The S side is the side where the redundant control module is connected to the slave station, including the fifth network port (S1) and the sixth network port (S2). The first master station module is referred to as master station A, and the second master station module is referred to as master station B.

[0078] 1. During the operation of the EtherCAT network system, if the redundant control module detects through the bus that the active master module fails, or receives a command to switch the system through an external interface and there is a master module in a standby state, the system switching logic will be executed. Each master module in the EtherCAT network is active or standby, and can correspond to a system. System switching also implements the switching of active / standby master modules.

[0079] 2. When the EtherCAT master station device undergoes system switching, the redundant control module sends a command to the original active master station module to switch to the standby state, and then disconnects the original active master station module from the network. At this time, no master station module is connected to the EtherCAT network.

[0080] 3. The redundant control module periodically reads the working status of the first master station module and the second master station module in turn, sets the first ready master station module monitored to the activated state, first controls its network port to access the EtherCAT network, and then sends an activation command to the master station module.

[0081] The above realizes the switching of active / standby master station module.

[0082] In one embodiment, the first master station module and the second master station module determine the current working state of the machine; for example, each master station module periodically determines the current working state of the machine;

[0083] Any of the first and second master station modules sends the current working status of the local machine to the other master station module, so that each master station module undertakes the message forwarding work of the other master station module and the redundant control module, and the message includes the working status of the master station module.

[0084] Each master station module is responsible for forwarding messages between another master station module and the redundant control module, receiving the working status information of another master station module and forwarding it to the redundant control module, receiving the instructions of the redundant control module and forwarding them to another master station module. This function enables any master station module to continue to communicate with the redundant control module after a bus interface failure, thereby improving reliability.

[0085] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is another specific example of the EtherCAT network control method in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the task flow of the two master modules of the EtherCAT master device is shown, combined with Figure 5 and Figure 7 The first master station module and the second master station module are redundant with each other, and operate as the A system and the B system of the EtherCAT master station device respectively. The first master station module and the second master station module realize data synchronization of the first master station module and the second master station module through the synchronization interface. The synchronization interface can use Gigabit Ethernet and transmit data through the simple and fast UDP protocol.

[0086] Each master station module first determines the current operating status of the machine in each control cycle. When any one of the first master station module and the second master station module determines that the current working status of the machine is an activated state, the control logic is run and the data is sent to the other master station module through the synchronization interface; when any one of the first master station module and the second master station module determines that the current working status is a standby state, the control logic is not executed, and the data sent by the other master station module is received, and the data is overwritten with the existing data of the machine.

[0087] In summary, the embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0088] 1) Through the design of dual master station modules and redundant control modules, the EtherCAT master station device has dual system redundancy function;

[0089] 2) The network port switching component of the redundant control module is realized through an analog switch, which can ensure that only the active master module is connected to the network, and the standby master module is physically isolated from the network. The switching operation is executed quickly, and the MCU controls it to automatically complete the switching without manual intervention;

[0090] 3) Both EtherCAT interfaces of the activated master module are connected to the network, and the cable redundancy function takes effect;

[0091] 4) The master station modules use the synchronous interface to achieve synchronous transmission of key data, so that the system can continue to run after switching, avoiding shutdown or disturbance of the entire control system caused by switching between the master station A and B systems;

[0092] 5) One master station module is responsible for forwarding messages between another master station module and the redundant control module, so that the master station module can continue to communicate with the redundant control module after a bus interface failure, further improving reliability.

[0093] 6) Any master station module can work as an independent device in a single system mode, which can provide users with flexible choices and facilitate user solution upgrades;

[0094] 7) The EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention retains the EtherCAT master station cable redundancy while realizing the dual system hot standby redundancy function, which does not affect the operation efficiency, has a low implementation cost, and greatly improves the reliability of the control system.

[0095] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the above-mentioned EtherCAT network control method when executing the computer program.

[0096] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the above-mentioned EtherCAT network control method is implemented.

[0097] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer program, and the computer program implements the above-mentioned EtherCAT network control method when executed by a processor.

[0098] The EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention comprises a first master station module, a second master station module, and a redundant control module, wherein the first network port of the first master station module is connected to the first network port of the redundant control module; the second network port of the first master station module is connected to the third network port of the redundant control module; the first network port of the second master station module is connected to the second network port of the redundant control module; the second network port of the second master station module is connected to the fourth network port of the redundant control module; the first network port and the second network port of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the first port and the second port of the first network port switching component of the redundant control module; the third network port and the fourth network port of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the second network port of the redundant control module. The first port and the second port of the network port switching component; the third port of the first network port switching component is connected to the input port of the first slave station; the third port of the second network port switching component is connected to the output port of the last slave station; the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component are used to control the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through an analog switch; the master station module accessing the EtherCAT network in the first master station module and the second master station module is in an active state, and the other master station module is in a standby state, the active state master station module is used to access the EtherCAT network to perform tasks, and the standby state master station module is used to back up the data of the active state master station module in real time. That is, the first master station module and the second master station module of the EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention both have two network ports, and the redundant control module includes two network port switching components, which control the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through analog switches, so that the two network ports of the master station module in the first master station module and the second master station module that are in an activated state are respectively connected to the first slave station and the last slave station of the EtherCAT network, thereby realizing synchronous switching of the two network ports of the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network; wherein the master station module that is connected to the EtherCAT network to perform tasks is in an activated state The master station module is in the active state, and the other master station module is used as a backup device, which can ensure that only the active state master station module is connected to the EtherCAT network. The standby state master station module is physically isolated from the EtherCAT network, so that the two network ports of the active state master station module are both connected to the EtherCAT network, and the cable redundancy function takes effect; at the same time, the dual master station module design realizes the synchronous transmission of key data, and the standby state master station module can back up the data of the active state master station module in real time. When the dual master station modules are switched, the EtherCAT network can continue to operate normally, avoiding the shutdown or disturbance of the entire EtherCAT network control system caused by the abnormality of the master station, and the dual system redundancy function takes effect. Therefore, the EtherCAT master station device in the embodiment of the present invention improves the security and stability of the EtherCAT network, and can meet the application scenarios with strict requirements.

[0099] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present invention may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present invention may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0100] The present invention is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0101] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0102] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0103] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention in detail. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An EtherCAT master station device, characterized in that: include: A first master station module, a second master station module, and a redundant control module; The first network port of the first master station module is connected to the first network port of the redundant control module; The second network port of the first master station module is connected to the third network port of the redundant control module; The first network port of the second master station module is connected to the second network port of the redundant control module; The second network port of the second master station module is connected to the fourth network port of the redundant control module; The first network port and the second network port of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the first port and the second port of the first network port switching component of the redundant control module; the third network port and the fourth network port of the redundant control module are respectively connected to the first port and the second port of the second network port switching component of the redundant control module; the third port of the first network port switching component is connected to the input port of the first slave station; the third port of the second network port switching component is connected to the output port of the last slave station; The first network port switching component and the second network port switching component are used to control the first master station module or the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through an analog switch; the master station module that accesses the EtherCAT network among the first master station module and the second master station module is in an active state, and the other master station module is in a standby state. The active state master station module is used to access the EtherCAT network to perform tasks, and the standby state master station module is used to back up the data of the active state master station module in real time.

2. The EtherCAT master station device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first network port switching component and / or the second network port switching component include one or more analog switch chips, each of which includes a plurality of synchronously switchable two-to-one low-resistance broadband bidirectional analog switches.

3. The EtherCAT master station device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first network port switching component and the second network port switching component both include: an enable signal control terminal and a switch selection signal control terminal; When the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive an invalid enable level, the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component disconnect the first master station module and the second master station module from the EtherCAT network through an analog switch; When the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control terminal receives a high level, the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component control the first master station module to access the EtherCAT network through the analog switch; When the enable signal control end of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receives a valid enable low level, and the switch selection signal control end receives a low level, the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component control the second master station module to access the EtherCAT network through an analog switch.

4. The EtherCAT master station device according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive an invalid enable level, the first network port switching component disconnects the first port, the second port and the third port through the analog switch, and the second network port switching component disconnects the first port, the second port and the third port through the analog switch; When the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control terminal receives a high level, the first network port switching component connects the first network port of the first master station module to the first slave station through the analog switch, and the second network port switching component connects the second network port of the first master station module to the last slave station through the analog switch; When the enable signal control ends of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control end receives a low level, the first network port switching component connects the first network port of the second master station module with the first slave station through an analog switch, and the second network port switching component connects the second network port of the second master station module with the last slave station through an analog switch.

5. The EtherCAT master station device according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the enable signal control terminals of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control terminal receives a high level, the first network port switching component connects the first port with the third port through the analog switch, and the second network port switching component connects the first port with the third port through the analog switch; When the enable signal control ends of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component receive a valid enable level, and the switch selection signal control end receives a low level, the first network port switching component connects the second port with the third port through an analog switch, and the second network port switching component connects the second port with the third port through an analog switch.

6. The EtherCAT master station device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The redundant control module also includes a microcontroller; the microcontroller is respectively connected to the enable signal control end and the switch selection signal control end of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component, and the microcontroller is used to send an invalid enable level or a valid enable level to the enable signal control end of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component, and send a high level or a low level to the switch selection signal control end of the first network port switching component and the second network port switching component.

7. The EtherCAT master station device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The microcontroller also includes an external interface, and the external interface is used to receive external signals or send external signals.

8. The EtherCAT master station device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The redundant control module further includes a first bus interface, which is connected to the microcontroller; the first master station module includes a second bus interface, and the second master station module includes a third bus interface; the first bus interface, the second bus interface, and the third bus interface are connected; Redundant control module: monitors the working status of the first master station module and the second master station module through the first bus interface, the second bus interface, and the third bus interface, and sends a control signal according to the working status of the first master station module and the second master station module, wherein the working status includes an activated status, a standby status, and an abnormal status.

9. The EtherCAT master station device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first master station module and the second master station module both have a synchronization interface, and data synchronization between the first master station module and the second master station module is achieved through the synchronization interface.

10. An EtherCAT network control method, characterized in that: The EtherCAT master station device applied to any one of claims 1 to 9 comprises: When the EtherCAT master device switches to the master module connected to the EtherCAT network, the redundant control module sends a command to the original active master module to switch to the standby state, and then disconnects the original active master module from the EtherCAT network; The redundant control module reads the working status of the first master station module and the second master station module in turn, sets the first ready master station module monitored to the activated state, first controls the network port of the master station module to access the EtherCAT network, and then sends an activation command to the master station module.

11. The EtherCAT network control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: include: The first master station module and the second master station module determine the current working status of the machine; Any of the first and second master station modules sends the current working status of the local machine to the other master station module, so that each master station module undertakes the message forwarding work of the other master station module and the redundant control module, and the message includes the working status of the master station module.

12. The EtherCAT network control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: include: When any one of the first master station module and the second master station module determines that the current working state of the machine is an activated state, the data is sent to the other master station module through the synchronization interface; When any one of the first master station module and the second master station module determines that the current working state is the standby state, it receives data sent by the other master station module and overwrites the data with the existing data of the local machine.

13. A computer device comprising a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, the EtherCAT network control method according to any one of claims 10 to 12 is implemented.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the EtherCAT network control method according to any one of claims 10 to 12 is implemented.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the EtherCAT network control method according to any one of claims 10 to 12 is implemented.

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