Expansion, communication and diagnosis method and device of main control rack

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automation control, and provides a main control rack extension, communication and diagnosis method and device. The method comprises the steps that a necessary assembly is arranged in a main control rack, the necessary assembly comprises a back plate, a power module and a main controller module, and the back plate at least comprises a high-speed back plate; at least two necessary slot positions are arranged on the high-speed backboard, and the power supply module and the main controller module are respectively configured on different necessary slot positions; at least one expansion slot position is arranged on the high-speed backboard, expansion modules are selected according to function requirements, the expansion modules are configured on the corresponding expansion slot positions so as to achieve expansion of the main control rack, and the expansion modules comprise at least one of a redundancy synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module. The problem that the adaptive capacity of a control system in a complex scene is limited in the prior art is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of automated control technology, and in particular to a method and device for expansion, communication, and diagnosis of a main control rack. Background Art

[0002] Programmable logic controller (PLC) is a digital electronic device with a microprocessor. It is a digital logic controller used for automated control. It can load control instructions into the memory at any time for storage and operation. All PLCs are composed of three main parts: input, main controller and output. The programmable controller is modularly composed of main controller, instruction and data storage, input and output unit, power supply module and other units. PLC can receive (input) and send (output) various types of electrical or electronic signals.

[0003] In the current common PLC master control rack, expansion can only rely on the controller body or the only communication module. Once the number of interfaces reaches the upper limit of the controller or the only communication module, communication will be restricted, resulting in limited adaptability of the control system in complex scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a method and device for expansion, communication, and diagnosis of a main control rack to solve the problem of limited adaptability of the control system in complex scenarios in the prior art.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a method for expanding a main control rack is provided, comprising: setting essential components in the main control rack, the essential components comprising a backplane, a power supply module and a main controller module, the backplane comprising at least one high-speed backplane; setting at least two essential slots on the high-speed backplane, the power supply module and the main controller module being respectively configured on different essential slots; setting at least one expansion slot on the high-speed backplane, selecting an expansion module according to functional requirements, and configuring the expansion module on the corresponding expansion slot to achieve expansion of the main control rack, the expansion module comprising at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module.

[0006] A second aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method for a main control rack, including: designing a high-speed serial bus, a Gigabit Ethernet bus, a low-speed serial bus, a signal flag signal line, a power supply bus and a ground line in the high-speed backplane of the main control rack to construct a high-speed backplane for communication, wherein the main control rack includes a main controller module and other modules; communication between the main controller module and other modules is achieved through the high-speed backplane, and the other modules include a power module and an extension module, and the extension module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module.

[0007] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a method for diagnosing a main control rack is provided, comprising: setting at least two communication channels in a high-speed backplane of the main control rack, the communication channels respectively connecting a main controller module and other modules, the other modules comprising a power module and an extension module, the extension module comprising at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module; fault diagnosis comprises at least the following contents: communication diagnosis of the power module, status diagnosis of the power module, redundant synchronization module diagnosis, communication module diagnosis, intelligent module diagnosis, and high-speed backplane status diagnosis.

[0008] In a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a device of a main control rack is provided, comprising: a high-speed backplane, which is used to realize communication and power supply between a main controller module and other modules, and the other modules include a power module and an expansion module; a required slot, which is used to configure the power module of the main controller module, and the required slot is arranged on the high-speed backplane; an expansion slot, which is used to configure an expansion module, and the expansion slot is arranged on the high-speed backplane, and the expansion module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module.

[0009] Compared with the prior art, the embodiment of the present application has the following beneficial effects: by setting the essential components in the main control rack, the essential components include a backplane, a power module and a main controller module, and the backplane includes at least one high-speed backplane; at least two essential slots are set on the high-speed backplane, and the power module and the main controller module are respectively configured on different essential slots; at least one expansion slot is set on the high-speed backplane, and the expansion module is selected according to the functional requirements, and the expansion module is configured on the corresponding expansion slot to realize the expansion of the main control rack, and the expansion module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module. In this way, the flexible configuration of the module can be realized by setting the essential slots and the expansion slots, and the expansion module is selected according to the functional requirements so that the main control rack can support multiple functions, and the use ability of the main control rack is enhanced. The high-speed backplane is used as the core foundation of communication and power supply, and the efficient communication between the main controller module and the expansion module can be realized, and the reliability of the system operation is improved. Based on the plug-in and replacement of the expansion module, it can be flexibly configured according to the functional requirements of different application scenarios, so that the main control rack can adapt to complex and changeable requirements, and the adaptability of the control system in complex scenarios is improved.

[0010] In the process of realizing the expansion of the main control rack, a high-speed serial bus, a gigabit Ethernet bus, a low-speed serial bus, a signal flag signal line, a power supply bus and a ground line can be designed in the high-speed backplane of the main control rack to build a high-speed backplane for communication. Then, the communication between the main controller module and other module power modules and expansion modules can be realized through the high-speed backplane. Through the design of multiple communication buses, flexible physical support and logical connection are provided for the signal flow between each module and the main controller module of the expanded main control rack, and efficient and stable data and control signal exchange is carried out, thereby realizing the coordination and functional expansion of the entire system.

[0011] After the expansion and communication of the main control rack are realized, the main controller module can diagnose the functions, status, communication, etc. of other modules through the communication channel formed by connecting the main controller module with other modules, ensuring that the operating status of each module is controllable, faults can be discovered in time and diagnostic feedback can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0013] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of a method for expanding a master control rack provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of an expansion of a main control rack provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of a communication method of a master control rack proposed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a communication method of a master control rack provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a diagnostic method for a main control rack proposed in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are provided for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from obstructing the description of the present application.

[0019] In the current common PLC master control rack, multiple functions such as operation and communication are usually realized by the main controller module body or an additional communication module. This combination means that when the main controller needs a large number of communication interfaces, it can only rely on the controller body or the only communication module for expansion. Once the number of interfaces reaches the upper limit of the controller or the only communication module, the communication will be restricted; if the supported protocol range is exceeded, a third-party gateway needs to be added. At the same time, the current backplane bus communication rate usually supports a maximum rate of 100 megabits. This rate limits the rate and performance of the backplane expandable module, making some intelligent applications that require high-speed communication impossible to achieve. Therefore, the present application proposes a method and device for expansion, communication, and diagnosis of the master control rack to improve the expansion capability of the master control rack and realize large-scale and multi-protocol communication of the master control rack.

[0020] The following will describe in detail a method and device for expansion, communication, and diagnosis of a main control rack according to an embodiment of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for expanding a master control rack provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the expansion method of the main control rack includes:

[0022] S101, setting essential components in a main control rack, the essential components including a backplane, a power module and a main controller module, the backplane including at least one high-speed backplane.

[0023] Specifically, when setting up the main control rack, multiple backplanes can be connected so that different modules can be distributed on multiple high-speed backplanes to work. In this way, when a single high-speed backplane is not sufficient to meet the needs, other high-speed backplanes connected through high-speed interfaces (such as Ethernet) can be used to work to adapt to different scenarios and needs, thereby improving the scalability of the system.

[0024] S102, setting at least two required slots on the high-speed backplane, and configuring the power module and the main controller module in different required slots respectively.

[0025] In other embodiments, the power module includes at least one of a first power module and a second power module.

[0026] Specifically, the first power supply module and the second power supply module can be the same power supply module, and the power supply module includes at least one of the first power supply module and the second power supply module, which represents that the power supply module can support both redundant and non-redundant modes. In this way, when one power supply module fails, the other power supply module can take over seamlessly to ensure the normal operation of the system. Of course, in this embodiment of the scheme, not only two power supplies are included, but also multiple power supply modules can be included to improve the fault tolerance of the system.

[0027] S103, setting at least one expansion slot on the high-speed backplane, selecting an expansion module according to functional requirements, and configuring the expansion module on the corresponding expansion slot to achieve expansion of the main control rack, the expansion module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module.

[0028] Specifically, after at least one expansion slot is set on the high-speed backplane, the corresponding expansion module can be selected according to the functional requirements in different scenarios, where the functional requirements are determined based on the specific scenarios, such as: corresponding communication requirements, intelligent computing requirements, etc., which are not limited here. In this way, the expansion of the main control rack can be achieved, and the adaptability of the system in different scenarios can be improved. The expansion module includes but is not limited to at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module, and an intelligent module. In this way, flexible backplane expansion can be achieved to meet the functional requirements of the system in different scenarios, while improving scalability and maintainability.

[0029] The main control rack represents the rack where the main controller is installed in the PLC system, the main controller module represents the central processing unit in the PLC system that performs logical operations and task processing, the redundant synchronization module can represent the module responsible for redundant communication between the main and standby racks when the main controller of the PLC system is configured in redundant mode, the communication module can represent the module in the PLC system that is responsible for communicating with the IO rack or upper software, and the intelligent module can represent the module in the PLC system that can support artificial intelligence or other independent algorithms.

[0030] According to the technical solution provided in the above embodiment, by setting the required slots and expansion slots, the main control rack of the PLC can adapt to more demanding application scenarios, and use the same backplane expansion method and device to achieve flexible configuration of the controller such as single-machine application, redundant application, multi-communication interface application, multi-protocol application, and intelligent computing requirements.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an expansion of a main control rack provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 The above embodiment is further described.

[0032] like Figure 2The expanded main control rack may include multiple high-speed backplanes, namely, high-speed backplane A and high-speed backplane B. In this way, when high-speed backplane A cannot realize the required functions, high-speed backplane B can be used to realize the functional requirements that are not realized by high-speed backplane A. The necessary slots in the high-speed backplane A include slot 1, slot 2, and slot 3, wherein slot 1 and slot 2 are used to configure power module A and power module B to prevent the power module from being damaged and stopping running, wherein slot 3 is used to equip the main control module, and the other slots are used to configure expansion modules, which include but are not limited to redundant synchronization modules, communication modules, and intelligent modules. Expansion modules that meet the requirements can also be set based on specific application scenarios.

[0033] The main configuration of the high-speed backplane B is consistent with that of the high-speed backplane A, and no further explanation is given here. The power module A is included to represent that in the configuration of the high-speed backplane, multiple power modules may be configured or only one power module may be configured.

[0034] In this way, the PLC's main control rack can adapt to more demanding application scenarios, using the same backplane expansion method and device to achieve flexible configuration of the controller for stand-alone application, redundant application, multi-communication interface application, multi-protocol application, and intelligent computing needs.

[0035] It should also be noted that the main functions of the main control rack include but are not limited to control logic and tasks, system southbound communication, system northbound communication, system station-to-station communication, main control rack internal communication, redundant synchronization, power supply, fault diagnosis, and intelligent computing functions.

[0036] Based on the above embodiments, the embodiments of the present application adopt Figure 3 The flow chart explains how to achieve the communication of the main control rack. Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a communication method of a master control rack proposed in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the communication method of the main control rack includes:

[0037] S301, design a high-speed serial bus, a Gigabit Ethernet bus, a low-speed serial bus, a signal flag signal line, a power supply bus and a ground line in the high-speed backplane of the main control rack to build a high-speed backplane for communication. The main control rack includes a main controller module and other modules.

[0038] S302, realizing communication between the main controller module and other modules through a high-speed backplane, wherein the other modules include a power module and an expansion module, and the expansion module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module.

[0039] Specifically, the main controller module can achieve efficient communication with the power module and the expansion module through the high-speed backplane, avoiding the complexity of separate wiring and improving the reliability of communication.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a communication method for a master control rack provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 This embodiment is described.

[0041] See also Figure 4 Taking high-speed backplane A as an example, a high-speed serial bus (such as PCIe bus, RapidIO bus, etc.), a Gigabit Ethernet bus, a low-speed serial bus (such as RS-232 / RS-485), a signal flag signal line, a power supply bus and a ground line are set in the high-speed backplane A to realize the communication of each module on the high-speed backplane.

[0042] Among them, the high-speed serial bus and Gigabit Ethernet bus can provide high-speed, low-latency data transmission, meeting the needs of modern industrial control systems for high-performance communication, and Gigabit Ethernet can adapt to 100M Ethernet to achieve the flexibility of data transmission and can realize data transmission with different needs. The low-speed serial bus is suitable for low-speed sensors or actuators, providing flexible data access methods. The power supply bus and grounding wire can provide power and grounding support for each module to ensure stable operation of the system. The signal flag signal line can be used to transmit synchronization signals and status flags to ensure consistency and real-time performance during the communication process. In this way, the main controller module of the main control rack can exchange data and control signals with each functional module efficiently and stably, thereby realizing the coordination and functional expansion of the entire system, improving the efficiency of data communication, and ensuring stable collaborative work between modules.

[0043] In other embodiments, the main controller module receives signals from other modules through a high-speed backplane.

[0044] Among them, the high-speed backplane can also be used to collect the signals sent by each module and transmit the received signals to the main controller. Such signal transmission function can also realize the collection of module operation status information (such as power status, communication status, etc.) to quickly locate system problems and fault diagnosis, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

[0045] The present application embodiment adopts Figure 5 Explain how to implement the diagnosis of the main control rack, Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a diagnostic method for a main control rack proposed in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 .

[0046] On the basis of the above embodiment, at least two communication channels are set in the high-speed backplane of the main control rack, and the communication channels respectively connect the main controller module and other modules. The other modules include a power module and an extension module. The extension module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module; the fault diagnosis includes at least the following contents: communication diagnosis of the power module, status diagnosis of the power module, redundant synchronization module diagnosis, communication module diagnosis, intelligent module diagnosis, and high-speed backplane status diagnosis.

[0047] Specifically, the main controller module can be used as the core diagnostic unit, responsible for communicating with each module, collecting the status information of each module through the communication channel, and completing the diagnostic function, that is, the main controller module communicates with the power module A (slot 1) and the power module B (slot 2) through the high-speed backplane, and can diagnose the communication function and status of the power module. The main controller module communicates with the redundant synchronization module (slot 4) through the high-speed backplane, and can realize the redundant function diagnosis. The main controller module communicates with the communication module (slot 5) through the high-speed backplane, and can diagnose its communication link and module status. The main controller module communicates with the intelligent module (slot 6) through the high-speed backplane, and can realize the intelligent function status diagnosis of the module. The main controller module communicates with the extension module (module N, slot N) through the high-speed backplane, and can diagnose the function and status of the extension module N. In this way, the internal diagnostic function of the power module, redundant synchronization module, communication module, intelligent module and extension module can be realized, ensuring that the operating status of each module is controllable, faults are discovered in time and diagnostic feedback is performed.

[0048] Based on the above embodiments, the present application also provides a device for a main control rack; the device for the main control rack can be used to execute the expansion, communication and diagnosis methods of the main control rack described above, and the device includes: a high-speed backplane, the high-speed backplane is used to realize communication and power supply between the main controller module and other modules, and the other modules include power modules and expansion modules; a required slot, the required slot is used to configure the power module main controller module, and the required slot is set on the high-speed backplane; an expansion slot, the expansion slot is used to configure the expansion module, and the expansion slot is set on the high-speed backplane. The expansion module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module.

[0049] Among them, the necessary slots include at least two slots, and the expansion slots include at least one slot, which will not be explained here. Based on the foregoing, it can be directly deduced that the necessary modules are included in the necessary components, and no further explanation will be given here.

[0050] The device of the master control rack can be used to implement the aforementioned master control rack expansion method, communication method and diagnostic method. In this way, the master control rack of the PLC can adapt to more application scenarios, and the same backplane expansion method and device can be used to realize the flexible configuration of the controller such as single machine application, redundant application, multi-communication interface application, multi-protocol application, intelligent computing requirements, etc.

[0051] All the above optional technical solutions can be arbitrarily combined to form optional embodiments of the present application, which will not be described one by one here.

[0052] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the steps in the above embodiments does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0053] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for expanding a main control rack, characterized in that: include: Arrange essential components in the main control rack, the essential components include a backplane, a power module and a main controller module, the backplane includes at least one high-speed backplane; At least two necessary slots are set on the high-speed backplane, and the power supply module and the main controller module are respectively configured in different necessary slots; At least one expansion slot is set on the high-speed backplane, and an expansion module is selected according to functional requirements. The expansion module is configured in the corresponding expansion slot to achieve the expansion of the main control rack. The expansion module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The power module includes at least one of a first power module and a second power module.

3. A communication method for a master control rack, the method being used to implement the communication of the master control rack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: include: A high-speed serial bus, a Gigabit Ethernet bus, a low-speed serial bus, a signal flag signal line, a power supply bus and a ground line are designed in the high-speed backplane of the main control rack to construct the high-speed backplane for communication, wherein the main control rack includes a main controller module and other modules; The communication between the main controller module and other modules is achieved through the high-speed backplane. The other modules include a power module and an expansion module. The expansion module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The main controller module receives signals from other modules through the high-speed backplane.

5. A method for diagnosing a main control rack, the method being used to implement fault diagnosis of the main control rack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: include: At least two communication channels are arranged in the high-speed backplane of the main control rack, and the communication channels are respectively connected to the main controller module and other modules, the other modules include a power module and an expansion module, and the expansion module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module; The fault diagnosis at least includes the following contents: communication diagnosis of power supply module, status diagnosis of power supply module, redundant synchronization module diagnosis, communication module diagnosis, intelligent module diagnosis, and high-speed backplane status diagnosis.

6. A device for a main control rack, the device being used to implement the main control rack expansion method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: include: A high-speed backplane, which is used to realize communication and power supply between the main controller module and other modules, including a power module and an expansion module; A necessary slot, the necessary slot is used to configure the power module and the main controller module, and the necessary slot is arranged on the high-speed backplane; An expansion slot, wherein the expansion slot is used to configure the expansion module, the expansion slot is arranged on the high-speed backplane, and the expansion module includes at least one of a redundant synchronization module, a communication module and an intelligent module.

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