Slave device

Abstract

To provide a slave device that allows an operator to directly operate and easily set the communication mode of each communication port.SOLUTION: A slave device (40) includes a first memory unit (401) that stores a setting table that specifies a communication mode of each of communication ports (P1 to P8) regarding each of a plurality of specified numbers, and the communication mode of each communication port can be set to the communication mode associated with a specified number selected by a first mechanical switch (45).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slave device that is connected to a network and communicates with a master device. [Background technology]

[0002] In the field of factory automation (FA), an industrial network called a field network is constructed to connect various devices, controllers, and control devices that control sensors and actuators so that they can operate in a coordinated manner.

[0003] A field network employs a master-slave system that is composed of various slave devices and a master device. An example of a slave device is a gateway device that connects devices such as sensors, controllers, and actuators to a field network via the slave devices. The master device is a device that centrally manages such slave devices, such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller).

[0004] Such a gateway device, which is a slave device, performs input and output with a plurality of devices, such as sensors and controllers, generally referred to as devices, using a predetermined communication method. In the gateway device, the communication method of each communication port for connecting to each device can be selected from a plurality of modes depending on the device. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a technique is known in which the setting of the communication mode of each communication port of the gateway device is performed by a PLC using a specific application executed on a personal computer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-197383 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The above-mentioned conventional technology can be said to be a method of centrally managing the settings of each communication port of the gateway device from the personal computer and PLC side. However, in recent years, there has been a high turnover of workers at production sites, etc., and in production processes using field networks, it has been difficult to secure a sufficient number of workers with the skills to operate the above-mentioned applications without worrying about operating them incorrectly.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to realize a slave device that is a gateway device that allows an operator to easily set the communication mode of each communication port by directly operating the slave device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a slave device that is connected to a network and communicates with a master device, and has a plurality of communication ports for connecting to devices, and a communication mode for communicating with the devices can be selected from a plurality of types and set to the communication ports, and the slave device further includes a first memory unit that stores a setting table that specifies the communication mode of each of the communication ports for each of a plurality of designated numbers, and a first mechanical switch for selecting the designated number, and the communication mode of each of the communication ports can be set to the communication mode linked to the designated number by the setting table in accordance with the designated number selected by the first mechanical switch.

[0009] According to the above configuration, it is possible to realize a slave device that is a gateway device, which enables an operator to easily set the communication method of each communication port by directly operating the slave device.

[0010] In the above aspect, the slave device may further include a second memory unit storing port setting data, the port setting data being data for specifying an operation for communicating with the device of each of the communication ports and rewritable from an external device of the slave device, and when the specified number selected by the first mechanical switch is a predetermined specific number, the operation for communicating with the device of each of the communication ports may be set in accordance with the port setting data regardless of the setting table.

[0011] According to the above configuration, it is possible to realize a slave device that allows an operator to easily set the communication method of each communication port by directly operating the slave device, and also allows the communication method of each communication port to be set in more detail from an external device.

[0012] In the above aspect, the items related to the operation of the communication port for communicating with the device, which are defined in the setting table by the communication mode, may be a part of the items related to the operation of the communication port for communicating with the device, which are defined in the port setting data. According to the above configuration, it is possible to limit the items related to the operation of the communication port for communicating with the device, which can be easily set by an operator directly operating a slave device.

[0013] In the above aspect, the first mechanical switch may be composed of one or more rotary switches. According to the above configuration, an operator can easily perform the work of setting each communication port at the site where the slave device is installed.

[0014] In the above aspect, the communication port may be provided with a cable connector, and the communication mode at the communication port may include a connection mode for each of a plurality of terminals included in the cable connector. With the above configuration, it is possible to realize a slave device that allows an operator to easily set each communication port even in a complicated situation in which a connection mode is set for each of a plurality of terminals at each communication port.

[0015] In the above aspect, the setting table may further include a parameter value related to a specific connection mode. According to the above configuration, since the parameter value related to the connection mode is predefined in the setting table, it is possible to realize a slave device that can easily set each communication port without the need for an operator to perform detailed settings including parameter values.

[0016] In the above aspect, the network may further include one or more second mechanical switches for specifying network addresses of the slave devices in the network. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent an operator from mixing up the slave devices when setting the communication ports of the slave devices. Effect of the Invention

[0017] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a slave device that is a gateway device that enables an operator to easily set the communication method of each communication port by directly operating the slave device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a network to which a slave device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a slave device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a slave unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view of a slave unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the panel side, with a transparent cover removed. [Diagram 5] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a table of designated numbers and communication modes in a slave device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart for explaining a communication method setting operation when a slave device according to an embodiment of the present invention is started up. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention (hereinafter, also referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] §1 Examples of application An example of a situation in which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. A slave device 40 according to this application example is a gateway device that is connected to a network 1 and communicates with a master device 10. The slave device 40 has a plurality of communication ports for connecting to a device 70, and a communication mode for communicating with the device 70 can be selected from a plurality of predetermined types and set for each of the communication ports P1 to P8.

[0021] The slave device 40 further includes a first storage unit 401 that stores a setting table Tb that specifies the communication modes of the communication ports P1 to P8 for each of a plurality of designated numbers (e.g., 0x1 to 0xF). The slave device 40 further includes a first mechanical switch 45 (e.g., a rotary switch) for selecting the designated number.

[0022] In the slave device 40, the communication mode of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 can be set according to the designated number selected by the first mechanical switch 45 to the communication mode associated with the designated number by the setting table Tb.

[0023] By providing the slave device 40 with the above configuration, an operator can easily set the communication method of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 by directly operating the slave device 40 on-site. Therefore, even without using an application that realizes the centralized management setting of the slave devices 40 constituting the network 1, an operator can set each of the communication ports P1 to P8 of the slave device 40, which is a gateway device, on-site.

[0024] Therefore, even if an operator is not an experienced operator who has the skills to handle the above-mentioned applications without worrying about operational errors, the operator can set the communication ports P1 to P8 of the slave device 40 on-site without any problems.

[0025] §2 Configuration example <Network> A network 1 to which a slave device 40 according to the first embodiment is applied will be described in further detail with reference to Fig. 1. The network 1 is an industrial network also called a field network, which is used in the field of factory automation (FA).

[0026] The network 1 includes a master device 10 and a plurality of slave devices (slave device 40 which is a gateway device, and other slave devices 50). A programmable logic controller (PLC) can be applied to the master device 10.

[0027] The slave device 40, which is a gateway device, and the devices 70 connected to the slave device 40 will be described in detail later. Note that in order to avoid complication of the drawing, only some of the slave devices 40 are shown as the devices 70 connected to the slave devices 40 in FIG. 1.

[0028] The slave devices managed or controlled by the master device 10 are linked to the master device 10 as appropriate via a hub 30 or another slave device. The hub 30 is a communication device that branches a communication path from the master device side (upstream side). Alternatively, the slave devices 40 and 50 may form a partial network of a ring topology in the network 1 together with a ring supervisor 60.

[0029] Such a partial network is also called a ring network. The ring supervisor 60 is an example of a communication device that constructs a ring network with a plurality of slave devices under its control. In this case, the ring supervisor 60 and the slave devices managed by the ring supervisor 60 constitute a partial network of a ring topology.

[0030] The slave devices managed by the ring supervisor 60 are linked to the master device side (upstream side) of the network 1 through the ring supervisor 60. Alternatively, instead of the ring supervisor 60, a communication device called a hub unit having similar functions may be used.

[0031] As a specific example, Ethernet / IP or EtherCAT may be applied to the connection between the master device 10, the slave devices (slave device 40 which is a gateway device, and other slave devices 50), the hub 30, and the ring supervisor 60. The ring supervisor 60 may be a device also called an Ethernet / IP Tap (ETAP) (EtherNet / IP: registered trademark, EtherCAT: registered trademark, Ethercat: registered trademark, ETHERCAT: registered trademark, ETHERNET\Ethernet: registered trademark).

[0032] The network 1 may also be configured to include a control computer 15, also called a tool. Such a control computer 15 may be configured as a personal computer. The control computer 15 may be configured to be capable of executing an application capable of performing various settings of each device as a terminal device of the network 1, including the master device 10, the slave device 40 which is a gateway device, and other slave devices 50.

[0033] Furthermore, the network 1 may be configured to include a terminal monitoring device 20. The terminal monitoring device 20 may be appropriately provided with a display for displaying information and a touch panel for enabling operation of devices connected to the network 1. For the mutual connection of the master device 10, the control computer 15, and the terminal monitoring device 20, as a specific example, Ethernet may be applied (ETHERNET: registered trademark).

[0034] <Main components of the slave device> The slave device 40 is a gateway device also called an I / O control device. A plurality of devices 70 such as sensors and controllers can be connected to the slave device 40, which is an I / O control device, and transmits and receives signals (input / output) to and from these devices 70.

[0035] In this embodiment, the communication between the slave device 40 and the device 70 is performed according to a communication method specifically defined as IO-Link. In this case, the slave device 40 is also called an IO-Link master unit, and the device 70 is also called an IO-Link device (IO-Link: registered trademark).

[0036] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the slave unit 40 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the slave unit 40. Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged front view of the slave unit as viewed from the panel side. Note that Fig. 4 shows the state with a transparent cover 47, which will be described later, removed. Below, the configuration of the main parts of the slave unit 40 will be first described with reference to these drawings.

[0037] As described above, the slave device 40 is a terminal device in the network 1 managed or controlled by the master device 10. The slave device 40 has two Ethernet ports (Ethernet port 41, Ethernet port 42) which are communication ports for realizing a master / slave control network. The Ethernet port 41 and the Ethernet port 42 are provided with a network connector 41C and a network connector 42C, respectively, for connecting communication cables (ETHERNET: registered trademark).

[0038] The slave device 40, which is a gateway device or an IO-Link master unit, has a plurality of, for example, eight communication ports P1 to P8 for connecting devices 70. The communication ports P1 to P8 are provided with device connectors P1C to P8C (cable connectors), respectively, for connecting device communication cables for inputting and outputting data to and from the devices.

[0039] The slave device 40 further includes a first mechanical switch 45 and a second mechanical switch 46. In this embodiment, the first mechanical switch 45 is specifically composed of one rotary switch with 16 contacts. The second mechanical switch 46 is specifically composed of two rotary switches with 16 contacts. The contacts of each rotary switch are assigned with a code from 0x0 to 0xF. In this specification, the code 0x is assigned to indicate that the following number is a hexadecimal number. In other words, one hexadecimal digit is assigned to the contacts of each rotary switch.

[0040] The first mechanical switch 45 is made up of one of the rotary switches and can therefore express one hexadecimal digit. The second mechanical switch 46 is made up of two of the rotary switches and can therefore express two hexadecimal digits. In this embodiment, the first mechanical switch 45 expresses designation numbers 0x0 to 0xF for selecting the communication modes of the communication ports P1 to P8. In this application, the numbers expressed by the first mechanical switch 45 are referred to as designation numbers.

[0041] The second mechanical switch 46 represents a part of a network address that is uniquely assigned to the slave device 40 in Ethernet / IP or EtherCAT, which is a master / slave control network. In this application, the number represented by the second mechanical switch 46 is referred to as an address number. As an example, the network address may be specifically referred to as an IP address (Internet Protocol Address) or ID (Identification). The address number may be the lowest two digits (hexadecimal) of the network address.

[0042] In this way, in the slave device 40, the lowest two digits of the network address are configured to be settable and recognizable by the second mechanical switch 46. Therefore, an operator or the like can easily identify which terminal device (slave device) on the network 1 the slave device 40 corresponds to by visually checking the slave device 40 on site.

[0043] The slave device 40 further includes a first storage unit 401, a second storage unit 402, and a control unit 400. The first storage unit 401 is composed of an appropriate rewritable non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory. Alternatively, the first storage unit 401 may be composed of a non-rewritable memory.

[0044] The first storage unit 401 stores a setting table Tb relating to the setting of the communication mode of the communication ports P1 to P8. The second storage unit 402 is composed of an appropriate rewritable non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory. The second storage unit 402 stores port setting data Dp for designating the operation for communicating with the device of each of the communication ports P1 to P8.

[0045] The control unit 400 is a functional block that controls each unit of the slave device 40 and executes information processing for operating the slave device 40. The functions of the control unit 400 can be realized by a program for making a computer function as the control unit 400. The slave device 40 includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the above-mentioned program. Each function of the control unit 400 is realized by executing the above-mentioned program by this control device and storage device.

[0046] The above program may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media, not in a temporary manner. The recording media may or may not be included in the slave device 40. In the latter case, the above program may be supplied to the slave device 40 via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0047] In addition, some or all of the functions of the control unit 400 can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the above control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each of the above control blocks can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0048] <Appearance of the slave device> Next, with particular reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the external appearance of the slave device 40 will be described, as well as several other parts of the slave device 40, including parts other than the main parts shown in FIG.

[0049] The slave unit 40 has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. Various connectors are arranged on the front panel side of the slave unit 40. Indicators 48 made of LED lamps that can display the operating status, communication status, etc. of the slave unit 40 are also arranged appropriately on the front panel of the slave unit 40.

[0050] A network connector 41C and a network connector 42C are arranged side by side at one end of the slave device 40. A power input connector 43 and a power output connector 44 are arranged side by side at the other end of the slave device 40. In an area in the center of the slave device 40 in the longitudinal direction, device connectors P1C to P8C are arranged in two rows.

[0051] The slave device 40 can supply operating power from the slave device 40 to other devices through the power output connector 44. In addition, the slave device 40 receives, through the power input connector 43, power for operating the slave device 40, power to be supplied to the device 70 through the device connectors P1C to P8C, and power to be supplied to other devices through the power output connector 44.

[0052] Between the area where network connectors 41C and 42C are arranged and the area where device connectors P1C to P8C are arranged, transparent cover 47 is configured to form part of the front panel surface of slave device 40. Transparent cover 47 is fixed to the main body of slave device 40 with screws and is detachable from the main body of slave device 40.

[0053] A first mechanical switch 45 consisting of one rotary switch and a second mechanical switch 46 consisting of two rotary switches are arranged behind the transparent cover 47. With the transparent cover 47 removed from the main body of the slave device 40 as shown in Fig. 4, an operator can operate the first mechanical switch 45 and the second mechanical switch 46. That is, the operation of selecting a designated number in the first mechanical switch 45 and selecting a number for an address in the second mechanical switch 46 can be performed.

[0054] 3, even when the transparent cover 47 is attached to the main body of the slave device 40, the first mechanical switch 45 and the second mechanical switch 46 are visible. That is, the designated number selected by the first mechanical switch 45 and the address number selected by the second mechanical switch 46 are recognizable. Furthermore, when the transparent cover 47 is attached to the main body of the slave device 40, the operator cannot operate the first mechanical switch 45 and the second mechanical switch 46, and unintentional operation of these switches is prevented.

[0055] <Communication port communication method> The device connectors P1C to P8C of the communication ports P1 to P8 for connecting to the device 70 each include four terminals (terminal Pin1, terminal Pin2, terminal Pin3, and terminal Pin4). Of these, terminals Pin1 and Pin3 are a power supply terminal pair for supplying a predetermined voltage.

[0056] Terminal Pin4 is a signal terminal. For terminal Pin4 in each of communication ports P1 to P8, regarding input / output with the connected device 70, a connection mode can be selected from the following four modes according to the device 70. The first is a standard input mode (symbol SI) that accepts input of an on / off signal from the device 70. The second is a standard output mode (symbol SO) that outputs an on / off signal to the device 70.

[0057] The third is a connection mode in which two-way communication is performed with the device 70 using digital signals of a predetermined format, and is called an IO link mode (symbol: IOL). The fourth is a disabled mode that specifies that communication via terminal Pin 4 is disabled. In the IO link mode, it is possible to specify a parameter value related to the data size of the numerical data input from the device 70, and a parameter value related to the data size of the numerical data output to the device 70.

[0058] Terminal Pin2 is also a signal terminal. In each of communication ports P1 to P8, a connection mode for input / output with the connected device 70 can be selected from the above-mentioned three modes: standard input mode (SI), standard output mode (SO), and disabled mode for terminal Pin2. The communication mode in each of communication ports P1 to P8 is configured by a combination of a connection mode for terminal Pin4 and a connection mode for terminal Pin2.

[0059] The connection mode of each terminal as described above is an example of a communication method item set in each communication port P1 to P8. The communication method items set in each communication port P1 to P8 may further include the presence or absence of a verification setting, a backup / restore enable setting, etc. The verification is a function of verifying whether the device 70 connected to the communication port matches the information set in advance, and if there is a mismatch, notifying an abnormality without communicating with the device 70 in the IO link mode.

[0060] The backup function is a function of saving various setting parameters in the device 70 in the slave device 40. The restore function is a function of downloading the various setting parameters saved by the backup function to the connected device 70 when the device 70 is replaced, for example.

[0061] <Setting table Tb> 5 is a diagram conceptually showing an example of a setting table Tb relating to the settings of the communication modes of the communication ports P1 to P8, which is stored in the first storage unit 401. It is preferable that the setting table Tb is written in the first storage unit 401 by the manufacturer of the slave device 40 and cannot be rewritten by the user of the slave device 40. However, the slave device 40 may be configured so that the setting table Tb is rewritable by the user of the slave device 40.

[0062] The setting table Tb is a table that specifies the communication mode of each communication port P1 to P8 for each specified number. Items in the setting table Tb include the connection modes of the terminals Pin4 and Pin2 in each communication port P1 to P8. Items in the setting table Tb also include parameter values ​​related to data size when the connection mode is the IO link mode (IOL).

[0063] Regarding the setting of the parameter value related to the data size, it is possible to specify the parameter value related to the data size of the input numeric data and the parameter value related to the data size of the output numeric data. In the setting table Tb, the parameter value related to the data size of the input numeric data in the IO link mode (IOL) can be specified as a common value for the communication ports P1 to P8. In the setting table Tb, the parameter value related to the data size of the output numeric data in the IO link mode (IOL) can be specified as a common value for the communication ports P1 to P8.

[0064] In the example of the setting table Tb shown in FIG. 5, for example, when the specified number is 0x2, the communication mode of each of the communication ports P1 to P4 is a combination of connection modes in which the terminal Pin4 is in the IO link mode (IOL) and the terminal Pin2 is in the standard input mode (SI).

[0065] The communication modes of the communication ports P5 to P8 are combinations of connection modes with the terminal Pin4 in IO link mode (IOL) and the terminal Pin2 in standard output mode (SO). In this case, it is stipulated that for all communication ports P1 to P8, the parameter value setting for the data size of input numeric data in the IO link mode is 20, and the parameter value setting for the data size of output numeric data is 20.

[0066] In this way, in the setting table Tb, the communication mode of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 is selected for each of the designated numbers 0x1 to 0xF. That is, in the first storage unit 401, 15 preset combinations of the communication modes of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 are stored by the setting table Tb. Note that, when the designated number is 0x0, the contents (data) of each item in the setting table Tb are meaningless. The case when the designated number is 0x0 will be described later.

[0067] <Port setting data Dp> The port setting data Dp stored in the second storage unit 402 is data for enabling the settings of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 of the slave device 40 to be performed from an external device. The port setting data Dp is data describing settings related to the operation of each of the communication ports P1 to P8, and can be operated from an external device. The port setting data Dp includes all items that need to be set related to the operation of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 when the slave device 40 is started up.

[0068] 5, the data for each item when a certain designated number is selected is data corresponding to a part of such port setting data Dp. The slave device 40 reads the port setting data Dp stored in the second storage unit 402 at the time of startup, and sets each of the communication ports P1 to P8 in accordance with the port setting data Dp.

[0069] More specifically, the control unit 400 writes setting information to a temporary memory (volatile memory) provided in each of the communication ports P1 to P8. Alternatively, the control unit 400 writes setting information related to communication required to execute the program to the storage device, which is generally a temporary memory.

[0070] An example of an external device is a control computer 15 that is enabled to execute a specific application capable of manipulating the port setting data Dp in the second storage unit 402 of the slave device 40. By using such an application, a manager of a production process or the like to which the network 1 is applied can individually set each of the communication ports P1 to P8 of the slave device 40 in detail.

[0071] <Procedure for setting communication ports on slave devices> The following describes a procedure for setting the communication mode of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 of the slave device 40. First, assume that an instruction to change the communication mode of a specific slave device 40 in the network 1 is given to an operator by, for example, a manager of a production process to which the network 1 is applied.

[0072] At the site of a production process or the like, an operator confirms that the slave device 40 on which the operator is to perform the change operation is the specific slave device 40 by using the address number related to the network address set in the slave device 40. In this case, the operator visually confirms through the transparent cover 47 that the selection of the second machine switch 46 of the slave device 40 on which the operator is to perform the change operation is set to the address number specified in a work instruction manual or the like.

[0073] Next, the worker removes the transparent cover 47 from the slave device 40 while the slave device 40 is not activated. The worker operates the first mechanical switch 45 and sets the specified number as instructed, according to the description in the work instruction sheet, etc. If the first mechanical switch 45 is a rotary switch, this operation can be performed by a simple operation of rotating a contact selection dial provided on the rotary switch.

[0074] The worker then reattaches the transparent cover 47 to the slave device 40. The worker checks that the combination of the address number displayed on the second mechanical switch 46 and the designated number set in the first mechanical switch 45 is as specified in the work instructions or the like. This checking can be easily performed because the first mechanical switch 45 and the second mechanical switch are arranged visibly side by side in the slave device 40. By the worker performing this checking on-site, it becomes possible to perform the change work without mixing up the slave devices.

[0075] 1, at a site such as a production process where a network 1 is applied, there are generally many slave devices 40, which are gateway devices for connecting devices 70 such as sensors and controllers to the network 1. Therefore, it is very effective to be able to visually check the slave devices 40 and see at a glance the address numbers for identifying the slave devices 40 at the site and the designated numbers for setting the slave devices 40 with the address numbers.

[0076] Thereafter, when the worker starts up the slave device 40, the slave device 40 executes the operation at the time of startup of the slave device 40 shown in the flowchart of Fig. 6. The operation of the slave device 40 will be described below with reference to Fig. 6.

[0077] Step S1: When the slave device 40 is started up, the control unit 400 acquires port setting data Dp, which is set by an external device, for specifying the operation of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 for communicating with the device from the second storage unit 402. The control unit 400 sets the operation of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 for communicating with the device in accordance with the port setting data Dp.

[0078] Step S2: Next, the control unit 400 reads out the designated number set in the first mechanical switch 45.

[0079] Step S3: The control unit 400 then judges whether the read-out designated number is 0x0 or not. If it is judged to be 0x0, the flow ends (YES in S2). Otherwise, the flow proceeds to step S4 (NO in S2).

[0080] Step S4: The control unit 400 calls the setting table Tb from the first storage unit 401. The control unit 400 refers to the setting table Tb, acquires the communication modes of the communication ports P1 to P8 associated with the designated numbers read from the first mechanical switch 45, and sets the communication modes of the communication ports P1 to P8.

[0081] Here, the items related to the operation of each communication port P1-P8 for communicating with the device 70, which are defined in the setting table Tb by the communication mode, are part of the items related to the operation of each communication port P1-P8 for communicating with the device 70, which are defined in the port setting data Dp. Therefore, part of the settings of each communication port P1-P8 in step S1 is rewritten to the contents of the communication mode selected in step S4. Then, the flow ends.

[0082] When the designated number read from the first mechanical switch 45 is 0x0, the operation of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 when communicating with the device 70 is set in the slave device 40 according to the port setting data Dp operated from an external device such as the control computer 15. To set the operation of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 by such a method, the intervention of an operator who has the skills to handle the above-mentioned application executed by the control computer 15 is required.

[0083] In this case, however, the designation of the operation items of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 of the slave device 40 that can be set is not limited to the items that can be designated in the setting table Tb. Furthermore, the combinations of the communication modes of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 are not limited to the limited number of preset types (15 in this embodiment) defined in the setting table Tb. With this method, it is possible to operate the slave device 40 in a state where the communication modes of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 of the slave device 40 are individually and arbitrarily set.

[0084] When the designated number read from the first mechanical switch 45 is other than 0x0, the communication modes of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 in the slave device 40 are set from among the preset combinations according to the designated number selected directly by the operator with the first mechanical switch 45 of the slave device 40. In this case, there is no need for an operator with the skills to handle the above application to be involved, and even an operator without sufficient skills can easily set the communication method of each of the communication ports P1 to P8 of the slave device 40.

[0085] [Modifications] In this embodiment, the first mechanical switch 45 is configured with one rotary switch with 16 contacts. However, the first mechanical switch 45 may be configured with multiple one-contact switches (on / off switches). Since a one-contact switch can express one binary digit (one bit), for example, four one-contact switches can express the same designated number as in this embodiment.

[0086] Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the first mechanical switch 45 is replaced with a four-way DIP switch, it can operate in the same manner as described above. Alternatively, the first mechanical switch 45 is not limited to a single switch, and may be configured with multiple rotary switches. Furthermore, the first mechanical switch 45 may be appropriately configured with a single or multiple mechanical switches with any number of contacts.

[0087] Alternatively, the first mechanical switch 45 may be a composite switch that combines a display, such as a liquid crystal display, that displays the switching state of the contacts regardless of whether the power is on or off, with a push button switch for sequentially switching any number of contacts. The second mechanical switch 46 may also be appropriately configured with a single or multiple mechanical switches with any number of contacts.

[0088] In this embodiment, the slave device 40 is provided with the first mechanical switch 45 for selecting a designated number and the second mechanical switch 46 for selecting an address number. However, the slave device 40 may be further provided with other mechanical switches related to the settings of the slave device 40.

[0089] In this embodiment, the items defined for each designated number in the setting table Tb are some of the items related to the operation for communicating with the device 70 of the communication ports P1 to P8. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to this example, and the items defined for each designated number in the setting table Tb may be all of the items related to the operation for communicating with the device 70 of the communication ports P1 to P8.

[0090] 〔summary〕 A first aspect of the present disclosure is a slave device that is connected to a network and communicates with a master device, and has a plurality of communication ports for connecting to devices, and a communication mode for communicating with the devices can be selected from a plurality of types and set to the communication ports, and the slave device further includes a first memory unit that stores a setting table that specifies the communication mode of each of a plurality of designated numbers for each of the communication ports, and a first mechanical switch for selecting the designated number, and is configured such that the communication mode of each of the communication ports can be set to the communication mode linked to the designated number by the setting table in accordance with the designated number selected by the first mechanical switch.

[0091] The slave device according to aspect 2 of the present disclosure is the same as in aspect 1 above, further comprising a second memory unit storing port setting data, which is data for specifying an operation for communicating with the device of each of the communication ports and is rewritable from a device external to the slave device, and is configured such that when the specified number selected by the first mechanical switch is a predetermined specific number, the operation for communicating with the device of each of the communication ports is set in accordance with the port setting data regardless of the setting table.

[0092] A slave device according to aspect 3 of the present disclosure has a configuration in which, in aspect 2 above, items relating to the operation for communicating with the device of the communication port defined in the setting table by the communication mode are part of items relating to the operation for communicating with the device of the communication port defined in the port setting data.

[0093] A slave device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the slave device of any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the first mechanical switch is composed of one or more rotary switches.

[0094] A slave device according to aspect 5 of the present disclosure is configured in any one of aspects 1 to 4 above, wherein the communication port is provided with a cable connector, and the communication mode at the communication port may include a connection mode for each of a plurality of terminals included in the cable connector.

[0095] The slave device according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is configured in the fifth aspect above, such that the setting table can further include parameter values ​​relating to a particular one of the connection modes.

[0096] The slave device according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is in any one of the first to sixth aspects above, further comprising one or more second mechanical switches for designating a network address of the slave device in the network.

[0097] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1 Network 10 Master Device 15 Control computer 30 Hub 40, 50 Slave device 60 Ring Supervisor 70 Devices 41, 42 Ethernet ports 41C, 42C Network Connectors 43 Power input connector 44 Power output connector 45 First Mechanical Switch 46 Second Mechanical Switch 47 Transparent Cover 48 Indicators 400 Control section 401 1st memory section 402 2nd memory section P1~P8 communication ports P1C~P8C Device Connector (Cable Connector) Pin1~Pin4 terminal

Claims

1. A slave device that is connected to a network and communicates with a master device, It has multiple communication ports for connecting to devices. a communication mode for communicating with the device can be selected from a plurality of types and set to the communication port; a first storage unit that stores a setting table that specifies the communication mode of each of the communication ports for each of a plurality of specified numbers; a first mechanical switch for selecting the designated number; A slave device in which the communication mode of each of the communication ports can be set to the communication mode associated with the designated number by the setting table in accordance with the designated number selected by the first mechanical switch.

2. a second storage unit that stores port setting data, the port setting data being data for specifying an operation for communicating with the device of each of the communication ports and rewritable by a device external to the slave device; 2. The slave device according to claim 1, wherein when the designated number selected by the first mechanical switch is a predetermined specific number, the operation of each of the communication ports for communicating with the device is set in accordance with the port setting data regardless of the setting table.

3. 3. The slave device according to claim 2, wherein an item relating to the operation of the communication port for communicating with the device defined in the setting table by the communication mode is a part of an item relating to the operation of the communication port for communicating with the device defined in the port setting data.

4. The slave device of claim 1 , wherein the first mechanical switch comprises one or more rotary switches.

5. The communication port is provided with a cable connector, The slave device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication mode in the communication port can include a connection mode for each of a plurality of terminals included in the cable connector.

6. The slave device of claim 5 , wherein the setting table further includes parameter values ​​relating to a particular connection mode.

7. 7. The slave device according to claim 1, further comprising one or more second mechanical switches for specifying a network address of the slave device in the network.

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