Flexible production line deployment method and system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a flexible production line deployment method and system, an access device broadcasts device information to a terminal device through a multicast DNS protocol to automatically register a device identifier, a hash value of a current version is calculated and generated every time the configuration of the flexible production line is modified, and the hash value is saved to a version chain table, version restoration, version merging and branch creation are supported, the pain points of a traditional production line in terms of rapid adjustment, device replacement and troubleshooting are solved, incremental management of hardware topology, network configuration and ladder diagram program / IO configuration is supported, and in combination with the branch and merging functions, an efficient and flexible solution is provided for flexible production.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automation production, in particular to a flexible production line deployment method and system. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of science and technology, the market requirements for product functions and quality are increasing, the product update cycle is getting shorter and shorter, and the complexity of products is also increasing, which challenges the traditional mass production mode. This challenge not only threatens small and medium-sized enterprises, but also puzzles large state-owned enterprises. Because in the mass production mode, flexibility and productivity are contradictory. As we all know, only single variety, large batch, equipment specialization, stable process and high efficiency can form scale economic benefits; otherwise, multi-variety, small-batch production, low equipment specialization, frequent adjustment of work clamps, and difficulty in process stability will inevitably affect production efficiency. In order to improve the flexibility and productivity of the manufacturing industry, shorten the product production cycle and reduce the product cost under the premise of ensuring product quality, and ultimately enable small and medium batch production to compete with mass production, flexible automation system has emerged as the times require.

[0003] However, the flexible automation system needs to increase / delete the corresponding programmable logic controller (PLC) configuration network connection and other functions of the part of the production line according to the needs of each time of automatic adjustment of the production line, but it needs to be restored to the previous production line state and needs to be deployed again. This process not only consumes time but also is prone to errors, which greatly affects the flexibility and efficiency of the production line.

[0004] Therefore, in the adjustment process of the automation production line, how to quickly and accurately deploy and restore the production line state has become a problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to solve the problem that the flexible production line cannot quickly and accurately deploy and restore the production line state in the prior art. The present application provides a flexible production line deployment method and system, which manages and controls the hardware topology, network configuration, ladder diagram program and input / output configuration, and combines a hash value verification mechanism to ensure the uniqueness and integrity of the version.

[0006] The present application provides a flexible production line deployment method, comprising:

[0007] Registering step: the access device broadcasts device information to the terminal device through the multicast DNS protocol to automatically register the device identifier, the access device represents the device that joins the flexible production line, and the terminal device includes program software and programs for controlling the flexible production line;

[0008] Version saving step: when the configuration of the flexible production line is modified each time, the hash value of the current version is calculated and generated, and the hash value is saved to the version chain table, and the current version and its corresponding device identifier, hardware topology information, network configuration, ladder program and input and output configuration are saved to the version library;

[0009] Version restoring step: select the version of the target configuration from the version library, check the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version according to the matching relationship of the device identifier and the network configuration;

[0010] If matched, automatically restore the ladder program and input and output configuration of the corresponding version, and download the ladder program and input and output configuration to the access device;

[0011] If not matched, prompt the user to manually edit the correspondence between the device identifier and the network configuration, and save the updated configuration to the version library;

[0012] Version merging step: when merging two or more different versions of the configuration, automatically check the hardware conflict and network configuration conflict, modify the conflict part until it is solved, generate a new merged configuration version and store it in the version management system;

[0013] Branch creation step: based on the existing version, create a branch for different production conditions, save the incremental modification in the branch, and support merging and version rollback of the branch.

[0014] By using the above technical scheme, after registration through the multicast DNS protocol, version saving, restoring, merging and supporting branch creation can be realized through the hash value, the overall management and tracing of the flexible production line are realized, and the flexibility and robustness of the network deployment and maintenance process in the flexible production line are improved, the production line state of the flexible production line can be quickly and accurately deployed and restored.

[0015] In some embodiments, the version saving step includes:

[0016] Each time the modified configuration of the flexible production line is submitted, the hardware topology file hash value, the network configuration file hash value, the ladder program file hash value and the input and output configuration file hash value are generated and saved;

[0017] The hash value of each version is calculated by the hash value of the hardware topology file, the hash value of the network configuration file, the hash value of the ladder program file and the hash value of the input and output configuration file of the current version, the hash value of the last version and the hash value of the submission time.

[0018] The configuration of each version and the corresponding hash value are stored in a version chain table.

[0019] By using the above technical scheme, the version is saved by using the hash value, so that each version can be uniquely identified, tampering or accidental modification is prevented, and the data integrity is improved.

[0020] In some embodiments, the incremental data, the parent node information and the submission time of each version submission are saved, and the incremental data includes the added, modified or deleted part of the hardware topology information, the network configuration, the ladder program and the input and output configuration.

[0021] A complete configuration version is generated according to a preset period, and the complete configuration version includes the incremental data and the cumulative data of all historical versions, and the preset period is set according to the actual needs of the flexible production line.

[0022] In some embodiments, the preset period is determined by the version interval, the estimated data volume, the number of submissions or the fixed time.

[0023] By using the above technical scheme, the incremental data is stored, the most recent complete version is combined, the storage requirement is reduced, and the version management efficiency is improved.

[0024] In some embodiments, the version restoration step includes:

[0025] When a historical version needs to be restored, the historical version is selected from the version library, the access device is checked with the hardware topology information of the historical version according to the matching relationship between the device identifier and the network configuration.

[0026] If the hardware topology information of the access device is consistent with that of the historical version, the corresponding ladder program and input and output configuration are automatically restored and issued to the access device.

[0027] If the hardware topology information of the access device is inconsistent with that of the historical version, the device identifier and the network configuration are manually adjusted to ensure that the restored configuration is correct, the relationship between the device and the configuration is automatically identified by the hash value, the historical version can be accurately restored, and the complexity and errors of manual configuration are avoided.

[0028] By using the above technical scheme, the stable historical version can be quickly rolled back after a fault occurs, the production line downtime is reduced, the relationship between the device and the configuration is automatically identified by the hash value, the historical version can be accurately restored, and the complexity and errors of manual configuration are avoided.

[0029] In some embodiments, the differences between different versions are checked by the branch comparison function, and the production line configuration problems are located by using the difference analysis result.

[0030] By adopting the technical solution, multiple branches are supported, parallel production line management is realized, and the flexibility and scalability of the flexible production line are improved.

[0031] In some embodiments, through the automatic device registration mechanism, the newly added device only needs to update the device identifier in the network configuration to access the flexible production line.

[0032] The latest versions of the network configuration, ladder diagram program and input / output configuration are real-time pushed to the flexible production line.

[0033] By adopting the technical solution, when the newly added device accesses the production line, through the automatic device registration mechanism, only the device identifier needs to be updated to quickly access the production line, avoiding the cumbersome process of manually configuring the network configuration, ladder diagram program and input / output setting. The addition of the newly added device no longer depends on manual adjustment or complex pairing process, reducing the risk of configuration errors, ensuring the automatic adaptation of network communication between devices, improving the connection stability and system integration of the production line. After each device access or production line configuration change, the latest versions of the network configuration, ladder diagram program and input / output configuration are immediately pushed to the related devices on the production line, ensuring that all devices always run in the latest configuration state. When the device is replaced or upgraded, only the corresponding device identifier needs to be updated in the network configuration, which can automatically adapt to the existing configuration, eliminating complex manual operation and configuration process.

[0034] Embodiments of the present application also provide a flexible production line deployment system, comprising:

[0035] The registration module: the access device broadcasts device information to the terminal device through the multicast DNS protocol to automatically register the device identifier. The access device represents a device that joins the flexible production line. The terminal device contains program software and programs for controlling the flexible production line.

[0036] The version saving module: when the configuration of the flexible production line is modified each time, the hash value of the current version is calculated and generated, and the hash value is saved to the version linked list. At the same time, the current version and its corresponding device identifier, hardware topology information, network configuration, ladder diagram program and input / output configuration are saved to the version library.

[0037] The version restoration module: the version of the target configuration is selected from the version library, and the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version is checked according to the matching relationship between the device identifier and the network configuration.

[0038] If matched, the corresponding version of the ladder program and input / output configuration is automatically restored and the ladder program and input / output configuration are downloaded to the access device;

[0039] If not matched, the user is prompted to manually edit the correspondence between the device identifier and the network configuration, and the updated configuration is saved to the version library;

[0040] Version merging module: when merging two or more different versions of the configuration, automatically check for hardware conflicts and network configuration conflicts, modify the conflicting parts until the conflicts are resolved, generate a new merged configuration version and store it in the version management system;

[0041] Branch creation module: based on existing versions, create branches for different production conditions, save incremental modifications in the branches, and support merging and version rollback of the branches.

[0042] The embodiments of the present application can flexibly increase or delete functional modules according to actual needs, quickly adapt to different production processes and production scales, and improve the deployment efficiency of the production line through version control, device registration, and self-configuration. Through automatic device registration, configuration saving, and restoration, the possibility of manual intervention and configuration errors is reduced, thereby improving the deployment efficiency of the production line. The flexibility of the production line is enhanced: through configuration merging and branch creation, the process and functions of the production line can be easily adjusted to adapt to changes in different conditions and production requirements. The maintainability of the production line is improved: through version control and history recording, the reasons and processes of configuration changes can be easily tracked and found, thereby improving the maintainability and reliability of the production line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the flexible production line of the present application;

[0044] Figure 2 is an interaction flow diagram of the edge controller and the terminal device of the present application communicating through mDNS;

[0045] Figure 3 is a specific step diagram of version submission and SHA-1 hash value calculation of the present application;

[0046] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the hardware topology structure of different areas (E area, D area, C area) in the flexible production line of the present application;

[0047] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of merging branches of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of this application will be presented in conjunction with some embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the application in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of this application. To provide a thorough understanding of this application, many specific details will be included in the following description. This application may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0049] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0050] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0051] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0052] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that in the present application, "electrical connection" can be understood as physical contact and electrical conduction of components; it can also be understood as the form of connection between different components through the entity line that can transmit electrical signals such as copper foil or wire of printed circuit board (PCB) in circuit construction. "Coupled through" can be understood as electrical conduction in space through indirect coupling. Indirect coupling can be understood as contactless coupling, wherein those skilled in the art can understand that coupling phenomenon refers to the phenomenon that there is close cooperation and mutual influence between the input and output of two or more circuit components or electrical networks, and energy is transmitted from one side to the other side through interaction. In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0053] With the acceleration of product updating and the diversification of product types, the traditional mass production method has been unable to meet the growing market demand, especially in the process of small and medium batch production, the flexibility and production efficiency of the production line are often difficult to achieve. Frequent adjustment of production line equipment and process change has caused great pressure on small and medium enterprises, especially medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, flexible automation systems have emerged, which can be adjusted through appropriate configuration to meet the demand for product diversity while ensuring production efficiency.

[0054] However, when the production line needs to be adjusted or expanded, it usually involves reconfiguring equipment, adjusting production processes, and redeploying the control system of the production line. The recovery process after each adjustment usually requires manual configuration of a large number of parameters, and complex steps are also required when the production line is restored to a certain historical configuration. This process not only takes time but is also prone to errors, greatly affecting the flexibility and efficiency of the production line.

[0055] Therefore, the embodiments of the present application utilize the cache history of device configuration in combination with the management of network configuration, so that the production line can quickly recover to a certain historical state, thereby reducing the human input and error risk in the configuration modification and recovery process.

[0056] The embodiments of the present application provide a flexible production line deployment method and system, which can restore the network state and device state to the historical configuration state by accessing the corresponding device through the cache history of network configuration and device configuration, and can realize the rapid and accurate deployment of the flexible production line and the recovery of the production line state.

[0057] The corresponding version of the configuration of the faulty equipment is directly downloaded for replacement, and the faulty equipment can be directly used. If there is an abnormal problem, the previous version can be rolled back to check the error. The new access equipment only needs to change the equipment identifier (ID) of the corresponding network configuration to join the historical version control. The production line process is modified as needed to simply roll back to a previous processing process. The production line supporting various working conditions in the current factory is managed, combined functions are merged, and incremental code is submitted to reduce the total data volume.

[0058] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a flexible production line provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 1. A flexible production line deployment method provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a registration step, a version saving step, a version restoring step, a version merging step, and a branch creating step. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, there is no fixed sequence of steps. When a certain step needs to be performed, the corresponding step can be directly performed. For example, if version restoration is needed, the version restoring step can be directly performed, provided that the prerequisite conditions of the version restoring step are met. Figure 1

[0059] The steps in the embodiment of the present application are described in detail below.

[0060] The registration step: The access equipment broadcasts device information to the terminal equipment through the multicast DNS protocol to automatically register the equipment identifier. The access equipment represents a device that needs to join the flexible production line. The terminal equipment includes program software and programs for controlling the flexible production line.

[0061] Specifically, the access equipment represents a device that needs to newly join the flexible production line. When the access equipment joins the flexible production line, the network of the flexible production line needs to be accessed. When the access equipment accesses the network, the equipment identifier (ID) is automatically registered by accessing the fixed hostname of the terminal equipment (PC) where the program software is located through the multicast DNS protocol (mDNS protocol).

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, the type of the terminal equipment is not limited. For example, it can be a computer terminal (desktop computer, notebook computer, tablet computer), an industrial equipment terminal (industry control terminal, edge controller, PLC (programmable logic controller), HMI (human-machine interface)), or a mobile terminal.

[0063] The version saving step: When the configuration of the flexible production line is modified each time, the hash value of the current version is calculated and generated, and the hash value is saved to the version linked list. At the same time, the current version and its corresponding equipment identifier, hardware topology information, network configuration, ladder diagram program, and input / output configuration are saved to the version library.

[0064] ​Wherein, the hash value is a secure hash algorithm 1 (SHA-1) hash value; the ladder diagram program (LD program) is commonly used in industrial automation systems, especially in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), to control and monitor the control logic of mechanical equipment, production lines, etc.

[0065] In some optional embodiments, the version saving step includes: generating and saving the hardware topology file hash value, the network configuration file hash value, the ladder diagram program file hash value, and the input and output configuration file hash value each time a configuration of the flexible production line is submitted; the hash value of each version is calculated from the hardware topology file hash value, the network configuration file hash value, the ladder diagram program file hash value, and the input and output configuration file hash value of the current version, the hash value of the previous version, and the hash value of the submission time; and storing each version of the configuration and its corresponding hash value in a version chain table. The version saving is realized by the hash value, ensuring that each version can be uniquely identified, preventing tampering or accidental modification, and improving data integrity.

[0066] Specifically, the programming software modifies the configuration and the corresponding ladder diagram function block, and issues the configuration to each module constituting the flexible production line, while generating the SHA-1 hash value of the current state batch and saving it to the corresponding version chain table. The version chain table is associated with the current corresponding device ID and the data packet of the network setting relationship corresponding to the device, the current corresponding device ID, and the data packet of the input and output (IO) configuration corresponding to the ladder diagram program.

[0067] In some optional embodiments, the incremental data, the parent node information, and the submission time of each version submission are saved, the incremental data includes the added, modified, or deleted part of the hardware topology information, the network configuration, the ladder diagram program, and the input and output configuration; a complete configuration version is generated according to a preset period, the complete configuration version includes the incremental data and all historical version cumulative data, and the preset period is set according to the actual needs of the flexible production line.

[0068] In the embodiments of the present application, the setting of the preset period is not specifically limited and can be set according to actual needs. For example, the preset period is determined by the version interval, the estimated data volume, the number of submissions, or a fixed time.

[0069] In the embodiments of the present application, the incremental data is stored, combined with the last complete version, to reduce the storage requirement and improve the version management efficiency.

[0070] Version restoration step: select the version of the target configuration from the version library, check the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version according to the matching relationship of the device identifier and the network configuration, if matched, automatically restore the ladder diagram program and input and output configuration of the corresponding version, and download the ladder diagram program and input and output configuration to the access device, if not matched, prompt the user to manually edit the corresponding relationship of the device identifier and the network configuration, and save the updated configuration to the version library.

[0071] Among them, the target configuration indicates the configuration that needs to be restored, which can be determined according to specific needs.

[0072] Specifically, select any batch of configuration state, and the programming software will check the correspondence between the current network configuration and the device ID. If the correspondence is consistent, it is automatically restored to the corresponding batch of ladder diagram program and IO configuration and downloaded to the device. If the correspondence is not consistent, the user needs to manually edit the correspondence between the current device ID and the network setting, and replace the network configuration consistent with the previous version in the corresponding branch with the latest device ID.

[0073] In some optional embodiments, the version restoration step includes: when a certain historical version needs to be restored, selecting the historical version from the version library, checking the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version according to the matching relationship of the device identifier and the network configuration, if the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version is consistent, automatically restoring the corresponding ladder diagram program and input and output configuration, and downloading to the access device, if the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version is not consistent, manually adjusting the device identifier and the network configuration to ensure that the restored configuration is correct, automatically identifying the relationship between the device and the configuration through the hash value, and accurately restoring to the historical version, avoiding the complexity and errors of manual configuration.

[0074] In the embodiments of the present application, after a fault occurs, the system can quickly roll back to a stable historical version, reduce the downtime of the production line, automatically identify the relationship between the device and the configuration through the hash value, accurately restore to the historical version, and avoid the complexity and errors of manual configuration.

[0075] Version merging step: when merging two or more different versions of configuration, automatically check hardware conflicts and network configuration conflicts, modify the conflict part until it is solved, generate a new merged configuration version and store it in the version management system.

[0076] Specifically, two batches of configuration branches are selected to remind the configuration conflict, and after solving the configuration conflict, the ladder diagram program and the IO configuration can be merged. If there is a conflict, the user is prompted to manually modify the conflict part. After modification, the merged ladder diagram program and IO configuration are merged into a new branch, and then the configuration is deployed to the current flexible production line according to the version restoration procedure. It can connect different production processes to form new process requirements.

[0077] Branch creation step: Create branches based on existing versions for different production conditions, save incremental modifications in branches, and support merging and version rollback of branches.

[0078] Specifically, different incremental branches are created for different production conditions of the same factory. Different process functions are modified and managed on the existing production line, and each modification is saved and can be merged or modified in the future if needed.

[0079] In some optional embodiments, the differences between different versions are checked by the branch comparison function, and the production line configuration problem is located by using the difference analysis result. The present application supports multiple branches, which can be managed in parallel to improve the flexibility and scalability of the flexible production line.

[0080] For example, when an exception occurs, the problem can be quickly located and repaired by rolling back to a historical version and comparing the difference part (i.e., the difference analysis result).

[0081] In the embodiments of the present application, through the automatic device registration mechanism, a new device only needs to update the device identifier in the network configuration to access the flexible production line; the latest version of the network configuration, ladder diagram program and input / output configuration is real-time downloaded to the flexible production line.

[0082] In the embodiments of the present application, when a new device accesses the production line, through the automatic device registration mechanism, only the device identifier needs to be updated to quickly access the production line, avoiding the cumbersome process of manually configuring the network configuration, ladder diagram program and input / output settings. The addition of new devices no longer depends on manual adjustment or complex pairing process, reducing the risk of configuration errors, ensuring automatic adaptation of network communication between devices, improving the connection stability and system integration of the production line. After each device access or production line configuration change, the latest version of the network configuration, ladder diagram program and input / output configuration will be immediately downloaded to the related devices on the production line, ensuring that all devices are always running in the latest configuration state. When the device is replaced or upgraded, only the corresponding device identifier needs to be updated in the network configuration, which can automatically adapt to the existing configuration, eliminating complex manual operation and configuration process.

[0083] In summary, in the embodiments of the present application, after registration through the multicast DNS protocol, version saving, restoration, merging, and support for branch creation can be achieved through hash values, comprehensive management and traceability of flexible production lines are achieved, and the flexibility and robustness of the network deployment and maintenance process in the flexible production line are improved, the production line state of the flexible production line can be quickly and accurately deployed and restored.

[0084] The following is described through specific embodiments.

[0085] First, introduce the edge controller. The edge controller (Edge Controller) generally refers to a key hardware device located in the industrial Internet of Things architecture, operating between technology and information technology. It is mainly responsible for data collection, processing and transmission between field devices and cloud systems. In the production line, the edge controller monitors the device status in real time, executes the predetermined control logic, and ensures the stability and efficiency of the production process. In the embodiments of the present application, the edge controller refers to a hardware device used to connect and control production line equipment, which is usually located at the edge of the production line and is responsible for managing and coordinating various devices or modules on the production line. The edge controller plays a bridge role between field devices (such as sensors, actuators, etc.) and cloud or remote systems by receiving, processing and forwarding data.

[0086] Embodiment one

[0087] Figure 2 An interaction flowchart of an edge controller and a terminal device communicating through mDNS provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in Figure 3 A specific step diagram of version submission and SHA-1 hash value calculation provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 Taking an example of a terminal device connecting three edge controllers through a network.

[0088] Specifically, step A: the edge controller accesses the network through mDNS broadcast to register the current temporary IP and device ID of the PC (terminal device) where the programming software is located. Step B: the programming software modifies the hardware topology, network configuration, and corresponding ladder diagram program and IO configuration of the edge controller. Step C: submit as a version to join the version library, each version saves a complete hardware topology relationship table, network configuration, and the difference increment content of the ladder diagram program and IO configuration from the previous version, as well as parent node and submission time information. Step D: the hash value (SHA-1 hash value) of each version is calculated from the hash value of the current version of the hardware topology file, the hash value of the network configuration file, the hash value of each modified ladder diagram program file and IO configuration file, the hash value of the previous version, and the hash value of the submission time. Step E: After submitting several versions, a complete ladder diagram program and IO configuration file version are automatically uploaded. Each time a version is merged, a complete ladder diagram program and IO configuration file version is generated and marked as a complete version. The interval between complete code submissions can be set, or the data volume can be estimated, or a fixed number of times or a fixed time can be set. Step F: the programming software can choose to restore a version. If the hardware topology of the access device matches the device ID in the selected version, the corresponding network configuration and ladder diagram program and IO configuration are downloaded according to the device ID and the current device ID. The ladder diagram program and IO configuration are composed of the complete data deployment of the current version, which is composed of the last complete version in the version chain and the cumulative increment. Step G: If the hardware topology of the access device does not match the hardware topology in the selected version, it means that the hardware does not match. Check the hardware connection or select the wrong version. If the hardware is consistent, but the ID in the network configuration does not match, it means that the device is replaced. The device ID needs to be manually matched to the corresponding relationship in the network configuration. After updating, the network configuration and program and IO configuration are downloaded according to the new corresponding relationship. At the same time, the corresponding data deployment is composed according to step F to form the corresponding version. Step H: The functions of two versions can be merged to become a new version. Hardware conflicts and network configuration conflicts will be checked and manually modified. After setting, the ladder diagram program file and IO configuration file are checked for conflicts. If there is no conflict, the latest version of the data is directly merged and replaced. If there is a conflict, the operator is prompted to modify the correct program and IO configuration. Finally, a complete version is generated and automatically uploaded. Step I: A new branch can be created under the current submitted branch to submit the corresponding program version and IO configuration in parallel. When a new version has an exception, the old version can be rolled back and the difference is compared to help check faults and bugs.

[0089] The following is a detailed explanation of a specific operating procedure.

[0090] Example 2

[0091] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the hardware topology of different areas (areas E, D, and C) in a flexible production line provided in this application embodiment is shown below. Figure 4 As shown, each production line area has an edge controller that connects to multiple stepper motor conveyor belts via EtherCAT (Ethernet Automation Technology). It also connects to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensors and photoelectric sensors using a Serial Communication Module (RS module) and a Digital Input Module (DI module). The edge controller controls the direction of the conveyor belts based on the data read from the RFID and monitors the position of objects on the conveyor belts using the photoelectric sensors.

[0092] Specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown, taking a flexible production line for producing a certain item (1-31) as an example, the roller conveyor includes motors, cylinders, and baffles, etc. The production line for a certain item is divided into area A (101-113), area B (201-212), area C (301-318), area D (401-423), and area E (501-523). Among them, the buffer area, RFID reader, and feeding point are named according to the roller conveyor number. The following explanation uses the production lines in area C, area D, and area E as examples.

[0093] Wherein, E area production line, a edge controller below through EtherCAT connect 530, 505, 508, 523, 519, 522, 518, 521, 517, 520, 516's step motor conveyor belt, 5 RS module connects 503, 507, 510, 513, 515, RFID sensor, 8 DI module connects 502, 506, 509, 512, 514's photoelectric sensor, digital output (Digital Output, DO) module control baffle etc.;D area production line, a edge controller below through EtherCAT connect 430, 405, 408, 412, 421, 419, 422, 418, 421, 417, 420, 416's step motor conveyor belt, 4 RS module connects 403, 407, 410, 415, RFID sensor, 8 DI module connects 402, 406, 409, 413's photoelectric sensor, DO module control baffle etc.;C area production line, a edge controller below through EtherCAT connect 330, 305, 308, 312, 315, 316, 317, 318's step motor conveyor belt, 4 RS module connects 303, 307, 310, 314, RFID sensor, 8 DI module connects 302, 306, 309, 313's photoelectric sensor, DO module control baffle etc.

[0094] Each production line is according to RFID reading control transmission conveyor belt on the object's label according to the edge controller built-in program logic decides the direction of transport, photoelectric sensor determines whether the object on the conveyor belt has passed the current node.

[0095] Preparation:

[0096] Edge controller 1, 2, 3 access network will be through mDNS broadcast access programming software in PC register the current temporary IP and device ID.

[0097] Version submission:

[0098] Commit as a version is added to the version library, each version saves a complete hardware topology relationship table, network configuration, and the difference increment content of program and IO configuration with the previous version, and the parent node and submission time information are composed.

[0099] SHA-1 hash value of each version is calculated by the hash value of the hardware topology file of the current version, the hash value of the network configuration file, the hash value of each modified program file and IO configuration file, and the hash value of the previous version and the hash value of the submission time.

[0100] After submitting several versions, the version of the file submitted will automatically upload a complete program and IO configuration file. When merging versions, a complete program and IO configuration file version will also be generated, and a complete version will be marked. The interval at which the complete code is submitted can be set according to the estimated data volume or fixed number of times or fixed time.

[0101] For example: E area data is composed of hardware topology: 1 EtherCAT sub-module + 5 RS modules + 8-bit DIDO module, corresponding to network configuration and edge controller program and DIDO configuration.

[0102] D area and C area data are composed of hardware topology: 1 EtherCAT sub-module + 4 RS modules + 8-bit DIDO module, corresponding to network configuration and edge controller program and DIDO configuration.

[0103] Version restoration:

[0104] The programming software can choose to restore a certain version. If the hardware topology of the access device is consistent with the device ID in the selected version, the corresponding network configuration and program and IO configuration are directly downloaded according to the device ID and the network address corresponding to the current device ID. The ladder program and IO configuration are composed of the complete data deployment of the current version by the last complete version in the current chain and the cumulative increment.

[0105] If the hardware topology of the access device is not consistent with the hardware topology in the selected version, it means that the hardware does not match, check the hardware connection or select the wrong version. If the hardware is consistent, but the ID in the network configuration does not correspond, it means that the device is replaced, and the device ID needs to be manually corresponded to the device ID in the network configuration. Modify the device ID in the correspondence between the device ID in the network configuration and the network facility, and then download the network configuration and program and IO configuration according to the new correspondence, and deploy the corresponding data according to the version submission process. Corresponding version.

[0106] For example: when expanding the C area production line to the D area production line mode, the corresponding hardware devices can be added, and then the D area code of a certain corresponding function version can be directly deployed to realize the rapid change of production process.

[0107] Create branch:

[0108] A new branch can be created under the current submitted branch to submit the corresponding program version and IO configuration in parallel. When there is an exception in the new version, the old version can be rolled back and the difference part can be compared to help check faults and bugs.

[0109] Merge branch:

[0110] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of a branch merging method provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, production line equipment in areas E, D, and C is displayed. In this application, the functions of two versions can be merged into a new version. It will check for hardware conflicts and network configuration conflicts and prompt the operator to make corrections. After the settings are completed, it will check for conflicts based on the program file and IO configuration file. If there are no conflicts, it will directly merge and replace the latest version of the data. If there are conflicts, it will prompt the operator to modify and select the corresponding correct program and IO configuration. Finally, it will generate a complete version and automatically upload the version.

[0111] For example, it can be Figure 5 When merging the code of devices in Zone C and Zone D, the code of each module will be checked. If it is the first version of the device in Zone D merging with the code of the device in Zone C, since the device in Zone C is directly branched from the first version of the device in Zone D, and the previous version of the code in Zone C is the first version of the device in Zone D, there will be no conflict during the merge and the merged code will be the first version of the code in Zone C.

[0112] If the code of the first version of the device in area C is merged with the code of the second version of the device in area D, the code of the incremental part will be checked. The parts that do not conflict will be merged directly. The parts that conflict (for example, the logic of (415) RFID and (314) RFID connected to the fourth RS module is different) will be prompted that this part of the code cannot be merged. The correct branch will be selected for replacement and merged into a new version of the program. The functions will be selected as needed to merge into new code.

[0113] The flexible production line deployment method and system provided in this application address the pain points of traditional production lines in terms of rapid adjustment, equipment replacement, and troubleshooting by introducing network deployment version control technology to the flexible production line. Its core lies in the incremental management of hardware topology, network configuration, and program / IO configuration, combined with branching and merging functions, providing an efficient and flexible solution for flexible production. Technical benefits include: Rapid deployment and adjustment: Version control and branch management functions allow users to easily add or delete functional modules and quickly switch between different production processes as needed; Efficient troubleshooting: When an anomaly occurs, the problem can be quickly located and fixed by rolling back to a historical version and comparing the differences; Support for flexible production: When equipment is replaced or upgraded, only the device ID in the network configuration needs to be adjusted to restore the corresponding historical version configuration, simplifying the maintenance process; Efficient version merging: Through automatic detection and conflict resolution, users can safely merge the functions of different branches into the current production line, avoiding redundant development and configuration errors.

[0114] This application also provides an example of a flexible production line deployment system, including:

[0115] Registration module: the access device broadcasts device information to the terminal device through the multicast DNS protocol to automatically register the device identifier, the access device represents the device that joins the flexible production line, and the terminal device contains program software and programs for controlling the flexible production line.

[0116] Version saving module: when the configuration of the flexible production line is modified each time, the hash value of the current version is calculated and generated, and the hash value is saved to the version chain table, and the current version and its corresponding device identifier, hardware topology information, network configuration, ladder program and input and output configuration are saved to the version library.

[0117] Version restoration module: select the version of the target configuration from the version library, check the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version according to the matching relationship of the device identifier and the network configuration; if matched, automatically restore the ladder program and input and output configuration of the corresponding version, and download the ladder program and input and output configuration to the access device; if not matched, prompt the user to manually edit the correspondence between the device identifier and the network configuration, and save the updated configuration to the version library.

[0118] Version merging module: when merging two or more different versions of the configuration, automatically check the hardware conflict and network configuration conflict, modify the conflict part until it is solved, generate a new merged configuration version and store it in the version management system.

[0119] Branch creation module: based on the existing version, create a branch for different production conditions, save the incremental modification in the branch, and support merging and version rollback of the branch.

[0120] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and changes of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalent technologies, the present application also intends to include these modifications and changes.

Claims

1. A flexible production line deployment method, characterized by, Comprising: A registration step: an access device broadcasts device information to a terminal device through a multicast DNS protocol to automatically register a device identifier, the access device represents a device that joins the flexible production line, and the terminal device contains program software and programs for controlling the flexible production line; A version saving step: when the configuration of the flexible production line is modified each time, a hash value of the current version is calculated and generated, and the hash value is saved to a version chain table, and the current version and its corresponding device identifier, hardware topology information, network configuration, ladder program and input / output configuration are saved to a version library; A version restoration step: a version of a target configuration is selected from the version library, and the hardware topology information of the access device is checked according to the matching relationship between the device identifier and the network configuration and the historical version; If matched, the ladder program and the input / output configuration of the corresponding version are automatically restored, and the ladder program and the input / output configuration are downloaded to the access device; If not matched, the user is prompted to manually edit the correspondence between the device identifier and the network configuration, and the updated configuration is saved to the version library; A version merging step: when two or more different versions of the configuration are merged, hardware conflicts and network configuration conflicts are automatically checked, the conflicts are modified until they are solved, a new merged configuration version is generated and stored in the version management system; A branch creation step: based on the existing version, a branch is created for different production conditions, the incremental modification in the branch is saved, and merging and version rollback of the branch are supported.

2. The flexible production line deployment method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The version saving step comprises: Each time the configuration of the flexible production line is modified, a hardware topology file hash value, a network configuration file hash value, a ladder program file hash value and an input / output configuration file hash value are generated and saved; The hash value of each version is calculated from the hardware topology file hash value, the network configuration file hash value, the ladder program file hash value and the input / output configuration file hash value of the current version, the hash value of the previous version, and the hash value of the submission time; Each version of the configuration and its corresponding hash value is stored in the version chain table.

3. The flexible production line deployment method according to claim 2, wherein: The incremental data, parent node information and submission time of each version are saved, the incremental data includes the added, modified or deleted part of the hardware topology information, network configuration, ladder program and input / output configuration; A complete configuration version is generated according to a preset period, the complete configuration version includes the incremental data and all historical version cumulative data, and the preset period is set according to the actual needs of the flexible production line.

4. The flexible production line deployment method according to claim 3, wherein: The preset period is determined by version interval, estimated data volume, submission times or fixed time.

5. The flexible production line deployment method according to claim 1, wherein, The version restoration step comprises: When a certain historical version needs to be restored, the historical version is selected from the version library, the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version is checked according to the matching relationship between the device identifier and the network configuration; If the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version is consistent, the corresponding ladder diagram program and input / output configuration are automatically restored and issued to the access device; If the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version is inconsistent, the device identifier and the network configuration are manually adjusted to ensure that the restored configuration is correct.

6. The flexible production line deployment method according to claim 1, wherein, The differences between different versions are checked by a branch comparison function, and the production line configuration problem is located by using the difference analysis result.

7. The flexible production line deployment method according to claim 1, wherein, Through an automatic device registration mechanism, a new device only needs to update the device identifier in the network configuration to access the flexible production line; The latest version of the network configuration, the ladder diagram program and the input / output configuration is issued to the flexible production line in real time.

8. A flexible production line deployment system, characterized by, It includes: A registration module: an access device broadcasts device information to a terminal device through a multicast DNS protocol to automatically register a device identifier, the access device represents a device that joins the flexible production line, and the terminal device includes program software and programs for controlling the flexible production line; A version saving module: when the configuration of the flexible production line is modified each time, a hash value of the current version is calculated and generated, and the hash value is saved to a version linked list, and the current version and its corresponding device identifier, hardware topology information, network configuration, ladder diagram program and input / output configuration are saved to a version library; A version restoration module: a target configuration version is selected from the version library, and the hardware topology information of the access device and the historical version is checked according to the matching relationship between the device identifier and the network configuration; If it matches, the ladder diagram program and the input / output configuration of the corresponding version are automatically restored, and the ladder diagram program and the input / output configuration are issued to the access device; If it does not match, the user is prompted to manually edit the correspondence between the device identifier and the network configuration, and the updated configuration is saved to the version library; A version merging module: when two or more different versions of the configuration are merged, hardware conflicts and network configuration conflicts are automatically checked, the conflicts are modified until they are solved, a new merged configuration version is generated and stored in the version management system; A branch creation module: branches are created based on existing versions for different production conditions, incremental modifications in the branches are saved, and merging and version rollback of the branches are supported.

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