Data exchange device between cabinets, data exchange system and cabinet

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an inter-cabinet data exchange device, a data exchange system and a cabinet, the data exchange device is arranged in a first cabinet, comprising a first infrared module, a driving module and a first wireless pairing module; the first infrared module is mechanically connected with the driving module, the driving module is electrically connected with the first wireless pairing module; the first wireless pairing module is used for pairing with the second wireless pairing module corresponding to the second cabinet and indicating the alignment direction, so as to drive the driving module to rotate and drive the first infrared module to align with the second infrared module corresponding to the second cabinet; the first infrared module is used for establishing an infrared communication link between the first infrared module and the second infrared module to exchange data. The present disclosure realizes infrared alignment through wireless pairing, and then exchanges data between different cabinets through the infrared communication link, which has the characteristics of convenient installation, modular design, automatic focusing, free wiring arrangement and strong reusability, and improves the convenience of inter-cabinet data transmission in the instrument control field.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of data exchange technology, and in particular to a data exchange device, data exchange system and cabinet between cabinets. Background Technology

[0002] A Distributed Control System (DCS) is a computer-based control system widely used in industrial production processes and equipment operation management. DCS achieves centralized monitoring, operation, and management of the entire process by distributing control functions to various subsystems. The subsystems of a DCS are typically composed of control cabinets of varying sizes. Traditionally, data transmission between these cabinets relies on physical media such as network cables or fiber optic cables. However, these physical media often have drawbacks in terms of layout or materials. For example, they require cable trays, which are complex to install and have long construction periods; some factories have requirements for low-smoke, halogen-free, and flame-retardant data cables; fiber optic splicing is difficult and costly; wiring is prone to errors, making troubleshooting and rework extremely inconvenient; changes in cabinet layout require the disassembly and reassembly of fiber optic cables or replacement of cables due to insufficient pre-installed lengths, leading to significant material waste and increased labor costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this disclosure is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies that rely on physical media for data transmission between cabinets, such as complex layout, susceptibility to errors, long construction period, and high cost, and to provide a data exchange device, data exchange system, and cabinet for inter-cabinet communication.

[0004] This disclosure solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution:

[0005] This disclosure provides a data exchange device between server racks, the data exchange device being located in a first server rack, the data exchange device including a first infrared module, a driver module and a first wireless pairing module;

[0006] The first infrared module is mechanically connected to the driving module, and the driving module is electrically connected to the first wireless pairing module;

[0007] The first wireless pairing module is used to pair with the second wireless pairing module corresponding to the second cabinet and indicate the alignment direction, so as to drive the drive module to rotate and drive the first infrared module to align with the second infrared module corresponding to the second cabinet;

[0008] The first infrared module is used to establish an infrared communication link with the second infrared module for data exchange.

[0009] Optionally, the data exchange device further includes an interface module that is communicatively connected to the first infrared module;

[0010] The interface module is used to exchange data with the network devices in the first cabinet.

[0011] Optionally, the interface module is a replaceable design, and the interface type of the interface module includes an RJ45 (Registered Jack-45) Ethernet interface, an ST (Straight Tip) fiber optic interface, or an LC (Lucent Connector) fiber optic interface.

[0012] And / or,

[0013] The first cabinet is equipped with cable routing ports;

[0014] The interface module is connected to the network device via a transmission medium that passes through the cabling port.

[0015] Optionally, the data exchange device further includes a status indication module;

[0016] The status indicator module is used to indicate the working status of the data exchange device using various colors or states.

[0017] Optionally, the status indicator module is a ring-shaped LED (Light Emitting Diode) light ring, and the working status includes at least one of the following: not powered, paired but not communicating, communicating, and fault status;

[0018] And / or,

[0019] The display mode of the status indicator module is set by the control module.

[0020] Optionally, the data exchange device is located at the top of the first cabinet;

[0021] And / or,

[0022] The drive module is a rotary motor.

[0023] Optionally, the wireless pairing module is paired based on the 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks; IPv6, Internet Protocol version 6) protocol or the ZigBee protocol.

[0024] Optionally, the data exchange device further includes a power supply module;

[0025] The power supply module is used to supply power to the first infrared module, the driving module and the first wireless pairing module.

[0026] This disclosure also provides a cabinet that includes the data exchange device between cabinets as described above.

[0027] This disclosure also provides a data exchange system between server racks, the data exchange system including a plurality of data exchange devices between server racks as described above;

[0028] The data exchange devices corresponding to different cabinets exchange data via an infrared communication link.

[0029] Based on common knowledge in the field, the above-mentioned preferred conditions can be combined arbitrarily to obtain various preferred embodiments of this disclosure.

[0030] The positive and progressive effects of this disclosure are as follows:

[0031] This invention achieves infrared alignment through wireless pairing, enabling data exchange between different cabinets via infrared communication links. It overcomes the difficulties of fiber optic splicing, long cable tray installation cycles, and wiring errors associated with data transmission between cabinets via physical media. It eliminates the cumbersome process of fiber optic or network cable connections, avoids the need for cable tray installation to prevent data cable wear, and reduces the error rate of wiring on the opposite side. This simplifies the construction process for workers and avoids the need for rework due to incorrect fiber optic cable wiring. Furthermore, it eliminates the need to calculate the margin for fiber optic cable deployment. For changes in cabinet layout, it eliminates the need to disassemble and reinstall fiber optic cables or replace cables due to insufficient pre-installed length. It features convenient installation, modular design, automatic focusing, no wiring layout required, and high reusability. It can be configured according to different cabinet sizes, and the cabinets can be moved freely within the factory for direct communication, significantly reducing rework costs due to unreasonable cabinet placement. It is highly suitable for various control rooms with clean environments and limited space, improving the convenience of data transmission between cabinets in the instrumentation and control field. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the existing DCS hierarchical architecture.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the existing in-plant cabinet connections;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the first module of the data exchange device between server racks according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the second module of the data exchange device between server racks according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the interface module in the data exchange device between server racks according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the data exchange device between server racks according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The present disclosure is further illustrated below by way of embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to the scope of the embodiments described herein.

[0039] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" used in this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not limit the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the described objects. The use of ordinal numbers and other prefixes used to distinguish descriptive objects in this disclosure does not constitute a limitation on the described objects. The description of the described objects is given in the context of the embodiments, and the use of such prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0040] DCS operating hierarchy such as Figure 1 As shown, the management layer edits configurations and displays via an industrial control computer and downloads them to the control layer. The control layer typically consists of large cabinets placed in an air-conditioned room on-site, requiring a suitable operating environment. Numerous controllers and I / O (Input / Output) cards in the control layer receive commands from the management layer and transmit them to the field device layer. The field device layer comprises all the actual sensing and action devices on-site, such as temperature sensors, flow sensors, ball valves, and rupture valves. These devices begin executing actions upon receiving commands from the control layer. After execution, they typically send feedback signals to allow higher levels to confirm whether the command was truly implemented. The above outlines the basic operating rules of a DCS, simply and effectively ensuring the safe and healthy completion of on-site production.

[0041] The control layer contains several cabinets, each with a small switch that transmits command data from the controller to the I / O cards. To view the data within each cabinet from the management layer, these cabinets need to be connected via a fiber optic network. This is especially important when these cabinets need to converge to the main control network; in this case, all the switches in the cabinets must be connected to the main network's switches. Figure 2As shown, the factory has multiple server racks, with different racks exchanging data for different systems or devices. The EFS (Encrypting File System), DDS (Data Distribution Service) time server, main network switch, and gateway are connected in sequence. The main network switch is connected to the PLS (Partial Least Squares) system, EDS (Enterprise Database System), and OCS (Industrial Optical Bus Control System). The gateway is connected to the RIMS (Response Information Management System) system and IIS (Internet Information Services) system. The wiring is done via network cables or fiber optic cables, making the wiring complex and varied.

[0042] Therefore, in view of the shortcomings of existing technologies that rely on physical media for data transmission between cabinets, such as complex layout, easy error, long construction period and high cost, a data exchange device, data exchange system and cabinet between cabinets are provided.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] This embodiment provides a data exchange device between server racks. The data exchange device is located in the first server rack and includes a first infrared module 1, a driver module 2 and a first wireless pairing module 3.

[0045] The first infrared module 1 is mechanically connected to the drive module 2, and the drive module 2 is electrically connected to the first wireless pairing module 3.

[0046] The first wireless pairing module 3 is used to pair with the second wireless pairing module corresponding to the second cabinet and indicate the alignment direction, so as to drive the drive module 2 to rotate and drive the first infrared module to align with the second infrared module corresponding to the second cabinet.

[0047] The first infrared module 1 is used to establish an infrared communication link with the second infrared module for data exchange.

[0048] Specifically, the factory is equipped with multiple DCS cabinets, each of which can be equipped with multiple data exchange devices. The multiple data exchange devices corresponding to one cabinet can exchange data with multiple data exchange devices corresponding to one or more other cabinets, and one of the data exchange devices specifically exchanges data with another data exchange device.

[0049] The first infrared module includes an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver. Different infrared transmitter modules can establish an infrared communication link for data exchange after being aligned. For example, two infrared transmitter modules can be designated as the first infrared transmitter module and the second infrared transmitter module, respectively. The first infrared transmitter module can send data to the second infrared transmitter module, or the second infrared transmitter module can send data to the first infrared transmitter module.

[0050] The data exchange device is equipped with a control module or the first cabinet is equipped with a control module. The control module can be a central processing unit (CPU) or other host computer software. The control module is electrically connected to the first wireless pairing module 3 and the drive module 2. After the first wireless pairing module 3 pairs with the second wireless pairing module corresponding to the second cabinet and indicates the alignment direction, it outputs the indication signal corresponding to the rotation direction to the control module. The control module then controls the drive module 2 to rotate so that the first infrared module aligns with the second infrared module corresponding to the second cabinet.

[0051] This solution achieves infrared alignment through wireless pairing, enabling data exchange between different cabinets via infrared communication links. This overcomes the difficulties of fiber optic splicing, long cable tray installation cycles, and wiring errors associated with data transmission between cabinets via physical media. It eliminates the cumbersome process of fiber optic or network cable connections, avoids the need for cable tray installation to prevent data cable wear, and reduces the error rate of wiring on the opposite side. It simplifies the construction process for workers and avoids the need for rework due to incorrect fiber optic cable wiring. Furthermore, it eliminates the need to calculate the margin for fiber optic cable deployment. For changes in cabinet layout, there is no need to reinstall or replace fiber optic cables due to insufficient pre-installed length. It features convenient installation, modular design, automatic focusing, no wiring layout required, and high reusability. It can be configured according to different cabinet sizes, and cabinets can be moved freely within the factory for direct communication, significantly reducing rework costs due to unreasonable cabinet placement. It is highly suitable for various control rooms with clean environments and limited space, improving the convenience of data transmission between cabinets in the instrumentation and control field.

[0052] In a feasible solution, such as Figure 4 As shown, the data exchange device also includes an interface module 4 that is communicatively connected to the first infrared module 1;

[0053] Interface module 4 is used to exchange data with network devices in the first cabinet.

[0054] Specifically, the network equipment in the first cabinet is a switch. The first cabinet contains multiple switches, each of which corresponds to an interface module, and thus to a first infrared module.

[0055] In this solution, the first infrared module exchanges data with the network devices in the cabinet through the interface module, thereby enabling the data in the network devices in the cabinet to be exchanged with the data in the network devices in other cabinets through the infrared communication link, ensuring the reliability of data exchange between cabinets.

[0056] In one feasible solution, interface module 4 is a replaceable design, and the interface types of interface module 4 include RJ45 Ethernet interface, ST fiber optic interface or LC fiber optic interface.

[0057] Specifically, the interface modules of the data exchange device are designed to be replaceable, adapting to different interfaces depending on the interface type of the switches in the cabinet, such as RJ45 Ethernet interfaces for connecting ordinary network cables, ST fiber optic interfaces, or LC fiber optic interfaces. Figure 5 As shown, a data exchange device includes multiple interface modules, and the interface types of the interface modules include RJ45 Ethernet interface, ST fiber optic interface or LC fiber optic interface.

[0058] In this solution, the interface module has multiple interface types, which can be adapted to various switches, ensuring the universality of the interface module.

[0059] In one feasible solution, the first cabinet is equipped with cable routing ports;

[0060] Interface module 4 is connected to the network device via a transmission medium that passes through the cabling port.

[0061] Specifically, the switch inside the cabinet connects to the first infrared module on the top of the cabinet via a cable tray on the top of the cabinet, using either a network cable or an optical fiber as the transmission medium.

[0062] In this solution, the transmission medium is constrained by the cable routing port to achieve communication connection between the interface module and the network equipment in the cabinet, thereby achieving communication connection between the first infrared module and the network equipment, which can keep the wiring in the cabinet orderly and tidy.

[0063] In one feasible embodiment, the data exchange device further includes a status indication module 5;

[0064] The status indicator module 5 is used to indicate the working status of the data exchange device using multiple colors or statuses.

[0065] In this solution, a status indicator module is set to indicate the working status of the data exchange device, which enables engineers to quickly identify the real-time status of the data exchange device, making it easier for engineers to perform maintenance or business operations on the data exchange device.

[0066] In one feasible solution, the status indicator module 5 is a ring of LED lights, and the operating status includes at least one of the following: not powered, paired but not communicating, communicating, and fault.

[0067] Specifically, the status indicator module is configured with four colors to represent the working status of the data exchange device. Red indicates that the first infrared module is in a fault state, yellow indicates that the first infrared module is paired but not generating data communication, green indicates that the first infrared module is connected and transmitting data, and gray indicates that the first infrared module is not powered.

[0068] In this solution, the data exchange device is configured with multiple working states, which enables engineers to quickly identify the real-time status of the data exchange device, facilitating maintenance or business operations.

[0069] In one feasible solution, the display method of the status indicator module 5 is set by the control module.

[0070] Specifically, the color of the status indicator module and the correspondence between the color and the working status can be customized through the console.

[0071] In addition, the status indicator module can also convey more information by combining the flashing frequency. For example, fast flashing indicates that data transmission is in progress, while slow flashing indicates an alarm.

[0072] In this solution, the display method of the status indicator module can be customized through the control module to easily adapt to the needs of the factory.

[0073] In one feasible embodiment, the data exchange device is located at the top of the first cabinet.

[0074] In this solution, the data exchange device is located at the top of the first cabinet, which facilitates data exchange between different data exchange devices and improves the convenience of the data exchange device.

[0075] In one feasible solution, drive module 2 is a rotary motor.

[0076] Specifically, the rotating motor is the drive mechanism for each first infrared module, capable of 360-degree rotation and paired with the first wireless pairing module for identification. For example, a pair of configured data exchange devices can automatically focus via the rotating motor after pairing, and the infrared transmitter and receiver of the first infrared module can be connected and adjusted in real time.

[0077] In this solution, the first infrared module is aligned with the second infrared module corresponding to the second cabinet by rotating the motor, which ensures the reliability of infrared alignment and thus ensures the reliability of data exchange between different cabinets through the infrared communication link.

[0078] In one feasible solution, the wireless pairing module 3 pairs based on the 6LoWPAN protocol or the ZigBee protocol.

[0079] In this solution, pairing is performed using the 6LoWPAN protocol or the ZigBee protocol, ensuring the reliability of alignment between data exchange devices in two different cabinets.

[0080] In one feasible embodiment, the data exchange device also includes a power supply module 6;

[0081] The power supply module 6 is used to supply power to the first infrared module 1, the driver module 2 and the first wireless pairing module 3.

[0082] Specifically, the power supply module is a power supply board that provides power to the assembled first infrared module, drive module, first wireless pairing module and status indication module. The power supply board can be modularized to reduce or increase the number of first infrared modules.

[0083] In this solution, the first infrared module, the drive module, and the first wireless pairing module are powered by a power supply module, ensuring the normal operation of the data exchange device.

[0084] The working principle of the data exchange device between server racks in this embodiment is explained below with specific examples:

[0085] like Figure 6 As shown, the data exchange device between racks is installed on the top of the first rack A. This data exchange device includes: a first infrared module 1, a driver module 2, a first wireless pairing module 3, an interface module 4 that connects to the internal switch of the first rack, and a power supply module 6 that supplies power to the first infrared module 1, driver module 2, first wireless pairing module 3, and status indication module 5. This data exchange device can be fixed to the top of the first rack using conventional fixing methods such as screws or clips.

[0086] One end of interface module 4 is connected to the switch inside the first cabinet via a pre-wired network cable or fiber optic cable, while the other end is electrically connected to the power supply module 6 and the first infrared module 1 via a flexible circuit board or internal cabling. The pre-wired network cable or fiber optic cable passes through the connection port A1 of cabinet A. Interface module 4 can be an RJ45 Ethernet interface, an ST fiber optic interface, or an LC fiber optic interface, depending on the interface type of the switch inside the cabinet.

[0087] The status indicator module 5 consists of four LEDs of different colors (red, yellow, green, and gray). The color of the status indicator module 5 is controlled by the control module according to the real-time operating status of the data exchange device: when the data exchange device is not powered on, all LEDs are off, and the status indicator module is gray; when the power supply is normal but it is not paired with any other device, the yellow LED is lit; after pairing and automatic alignment with the corresponding device on another rack via the 6LoWPAN protocol or ZigBee protocol, the green LED is lit, indicating that the link has been established and data transmission can be performed; when the first infrared module 1 detects a fault, the red LED is lit.

[0088] Power supply module 6 is an independent power adapter circuit board that converts power from the cabinet or external power supply into the operating voltage required by each module of the data exchange device.

[0089] When the data exchange device is started, its first wireless pairing module 3 first performs a network scan to find the corresponding second wireless pairing module located on the second rack. Once the second wireless pairing module is found, both parties exchange device IDs and indicate the alignment direction. Then, the drive module 2 is driven to rotate so that the first infrared module aligns with the corresponding second infrared module on the second rack. At this time, the infrared communication link is established, the status indicator module turns green, and the data from the switch in the first rack can be transmitted to the second rack through the network cable, interface module 4, and finally by the first infrared module 1.

[0090] Example 2

[0091] This embodiment provides a cabinet, which includes a data exchange device between cabinets as described in Embodiment 1.

[0092] In this embodiment, the cabinet integrates the aforementioned data exchange device, enabling data exchange between different cabinets via infrared communication links, thus ensuring convenient data transmission between cabinets.

[0093] Example 3

[0094] This embodiment provides a data exchange system between server racks, which includes several data exchange devices between server racks as described in Embodiment 1;

[0095] Data exchange devices in different cabinets exchange data via infrared communication links.

[0096] In this embodiment, the data exchange system is equipped with multiple data exchange devices as described above to ensure the convenience of data exchange within the system.

[0097] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of this disclosure, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A data exchange device between server racks, characterized in that, The data exchange device is located in the first cabinet, and the data exchange device includes a first infrared module, a drive module and a first wireless pairing module; The first infrared module is mechanically connected to the driving module, and the driving module is electrically connected to the first wireless pairing module; The first wireless pairing module is used to pair with the second wireless pairing module corresponding to the second cabinet and indicate the alignment direction, so as to drive the drive module to rotate and drive the first infrared module to align with the second infrared module corresponding to the second cabinet; The first infrared module is used to establish an infrared communication link with the second infrared module for data exchange.

2. The data exchange device between server racks as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The data exchange device further includes an interface module that is communicatively connected to the first infrared module. The interface module is used to exchange data with the network devices in the first cabinet.

3. The data exchange device between server racks as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The interface module is a replaceable design, and the interface types of the interface module include RJ45 Ethernet interface, ST fiber optic interface or LC fiber optic interface. And / or, The first cabinet is equipped with cable routing ports; The interface module is connected to the network device via a transmission medium that passes through the cabling port.

4. The data exchange device between server racks as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The data exchange device also includes a status indication module; The status indicator module is used to indicate the working status of the data exchange device using various colors or states.

5. The data exchange device between server racks as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The status indicator module is a ring-shaped LED light ring, and the working status includes at least one of the following: no power supply, paired but not communicating, communicating, and fault status. And / or, The display mode of the status indicator module is set by the control module.

6. The data exchange device between server racks as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The data exchange device is located at the top of the first cabinet; And / or, The drive module is a rotary motor.

7. The data exchange device between server racks as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wireless pairing module is paired based on the 6LoWPAN protocol or the ZigBee protocol.

8. The data exchange device between server racks as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The data exchange device also includes a power supply module; The power supply module is used to supply power to the first infrared module, the driving module and the first wireless pairing module.

9. A server rack, characterized in that, The cabinet includes a data exchange device between cabinets as described in any one of claims 1-8.

10. A data exchange system between server racks, characterized in that, The data exchange system includes a plurality of inter-rack data exchange devices as described in any one of claims 1-8; The data exchange devices corresponding to different cabinets exchange data via an infrared communication link.

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