Terminal control device, terminal control method, terminal control program, slave device, and master device

Abstract

To allow workers or the like to easily distinguish a communication cable to be replaced in an industrial network.SOLUTION: A terminal control device (10) is connected to a network (1) to which a master device (20) and a slave device (40) controlled by the master device (20) are connected. An instruction receiving unit (13) of the terminal control device (10) receives an instruction from a user to select any one of communication ports provided in at least one of the master device (20) and the slave device (40). A light emission instruction unit (14) of the terminal control device (10) instructs the master device (20) or slave device (40) on control of causing at least part of an intermediate portion of a communication cable connected to the communication port received by the instruction receiving unit (13) to emit light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal control device, a control method for a terminal control device, a terminal control program, a slave device, and a master device. [Background technology]

[0002] In the field of factory automation (FA), various types of devices that share work processes are controlled. To coordinate the operation of various controllers, I / O control devices, manufacturing equipment, etc. used in work in a certain area such as a factory facility, an industrial network, also known as a field network, is constructed to connect these devices.

[0003] A typical industrial network uses a master-slave system consisting of various slave devices and a master device. A slave device is a network terminal that controls or collects data from equipment installed in a factory, or devices such as sensors and controllers. A master device is a device called a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), for example, that centrally manages these slave devices.

[0004] In such industrial networks, numerous communication cables are laid between each device to create a network. Ethernet / IP (Ethernet Industrial Protocol) and EtherCAT (Ethernet For Control Automation Technology) are examples of such industrial network methods (ETHERNET: registered trademark, Ethernet: registered trademark, EtherCAT: registered trademark).

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal monitoring device that acquires terminal information from network terminals, including their addresses, type information, and communication status information. In this terminal monitoring device, when an administrator or the like operates a lamp lighting instruction box on a communication status screen, the lamp of a specific slave device whose information is displayed on the communication status screen is lit. This allows the administrator or the like to easily know where the slave device displayed on the communication status screen is located in the field. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-145273 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-325121 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When replacing the above-mentioned communication cables during regular maintenance or line expansion, or when replacing a communication cable due to a broken or shorted cable, on-site workers may not be able to easily determine which cable is in question or where it is wired. Furthermore, when issuing instructions for replacement from a remote location, there may be multiple cables of the same color bundled together, making it difficult for the person issuing the instructions to communicate the details to the on-site worker, who must rely on skills such as looking at a diagram. It is also difficult for on-site workers to determine which unit contains the cable in question and which port on that unit it is connected to.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a terminal control device, a control method for a terminal control device, a terminal control program, a slave device, and a master device that allow workers and others to easily identify communication cables that need to be replaced in an industrial network. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention employs the following configuration: A terminal control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a terminal control device connected to a network to which a master device and a slave device controlled by the master device are connected, and includes: an instruction receiving unit that receives an instruction from a user to select one of the communication ports included in at least one of the master device and the slave device, and a light emission instruction unit that instructs the master device or the slave device to control illumination of at least a portion of an intermediate portion of a communication cable connected to the communication port received by the instruction receiving unit.

[0010] According to the above configuration, first, a user selects one of the communication ports provided in at least one of the master device and the slave device. Then, at least a portion of the intermediate portion of the communication cable connected to the selected communication port is illuminated. Therefore, at least a portion of the intermediate portion of a specific communication cable can be illuminated in response to a user instruction. This makes it possible to clearly notify an on-site worker of the communication cable that needs to be replaced, for example, when replacing the communication cable or when replacing the communication cable due to a break or short circuit.

[0011] In the terminal control device according to the above aspect, the light-emitting instruction unit may instruct the master device or the slave device, which is equipped with the communication port and the light-emitting unit, to emit light to a light-receiving unit provided in a connector of the communication cable connected to the communication port.

[0012] In the above configuration, the communication cable can emit light by receiving light from a light-receiving unit provided in the connector, and therefore, the communication cable can be made to emit light by controlling a light-emitting unit provided in the master device or the slave device.

[0013] In the terminal control device according to the above aspect, a display control unit may further be provided that displays a network configuration showing the connection status of the master device and the slave device, and the instruction receiving unit may identify the master device or the slave device that has the communication port to be selected in response to a selection instruction from the user to select either the master device or the slave device shown in the network configuration displayed by the display control unit.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the user can select the master device or slave device to which the communication cable to be illuminated is connected from the displayed network configuration, thereby more easily issuing an instruction to select the communication cable to be illuminated.

[0015] In the terminal control device relating to the above-mentioned aspect, the display control unit may display one or more communication ports provided in the master device or the slave device identified by the instruction receiving unit, and the instruction receiving unit may identify the communication port to be selected based on a selection instruction from the user to select one of the communication ports displayed by the display control unit.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the user can select from the displayed network configuration the master device or slave device to which the communication cable to be illuminated is connected, and then select the communication port to which the communication cable to be illuminated is connected from the communication ports of the selected master device or slave device, thereby making it easier to select and instruct the communication cable to be illuminated.

[0017] In the terminal control device relating to the above-mentioned aspect, the instruction receiving unit may receive an instruction from a user specifying the lighting state of the communication cable connected to the communication port selected by the user, and the lighting instruction unit may control the communication cable to light up in the lighting state received by the instruction receiving unit.

[0018] According to the above configuration, the user can specify the illumination state of the communication cable. Therefore, it is possible to illuminate multiple communication cables with different illumination states, so that even if it is desirable to illuminate multiple communication cables at the same time, the user can distinguish between them and recognize them.

[0019] A control method for a terminal control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method for a terminal control device connected to a network to which a master device and a slave device controlled by the master device are connected, and includes an instruction receiving step of receiving an instruction from a user to select one of the communication ports provided in at least one of the master device and the slave device, and an illumination control step of controlling the illumination of at least a portion of an intermediate part of a communication cable connected to the communication port received in the instruction receiving step.

[0020] A terminal control program according to one aspect of the present invention is a terminal control program for causing a computer to function as any one of the above-described terminal control devices, and is a terminal control program for causing a computer to function as each of the above-described units.

[0021] A slave device according to one aspect of the present invention is a slave device connected to any one of the terminal control devices described above, and is equipped with an illumination control unit that controls the illumination of at least a portion of the intermediate portion of the communication cable in accordance with instructions from the illumination instruction unit.

[0022] A master device according to one aspect of the present invention is a master device connected to any of the terminal control devices described above, and includes an illumination control unit that controls illumination of at least a portion of the intermediate portion of the communication cable in accordance with instructions from the illumination instruction unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the terminal control device according to one aspect of the present invention, a worker or the like can easily identify a communication cable that needs to be replaced in an industrial network. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an industrial network to which a terminal control device according to an application example or each embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a slave device applied to an industrial network. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a terminal control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a master device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a slave device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing a communication cable according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a communication cable according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an end portion of a communication cable according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for issuing an instruction to emit light to a communication cable by a control unit of the terminal control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen D1 displayed on a display unit by a display control unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for controlling light emission of a communication cable by a control unit of a slave device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for issuing an instruction to emit light to a communication cable by a control unit of a terminal control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen D2 generated by a display control unit and displayed on a display unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen D3 generated by a display control unit and displayed on a display unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for issuing an instruction to light up an LED by a control unit of a terminal control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen D4 generated by a display control unit and displayed on a display unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the screen D4 when the lighting button is pressed. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the screen D4 when red is selected. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] 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.

[0026] §1 Application Examples First, an example of a situation in which the present invention is applied will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an industrial network 1 in a production factory or the like to which a terminal control device 10 according to this application example is applied.

[0027] The industrial network 1 includes a master device 20 and multiple slave devices (such as slave device 40) that serve as network terminals. Each slave device is controlled by the master device 20 through the industrial network 1, and implements various processes in a production factory or the like.

[0028] 1, the slave devices are connected to the master device 20 via a hub 30 or another slave device. Alternatively, the slave devices may form a partial network of a ring topology in the industrial network 1 together with a ring supervisor 60.

[0029] The terminal control device 10 according to this application example is also connected to the industrial network 1. A control unit 11 (to be described later) of the terminal control device 10 includes an instruction receiving unit 13 and a light emission instruction unit 14 (see FIG. 3).

[0030] The instruction receiving unit 13 receives an instruction from a user (e.g., an administrator; hereinafter, the case where the user is the administrator) to select one of the communication ports provided in at least one of the master device 20 and the slave device. The light emission instruction unit 14 instructs the master device 20, the slave device 40, etc. to control the illumination of at least a part of the intermediate portion of the communication cable connected to the communication port received by the instruction receiving unit 13.

[0031] This allows at least a portion of the intermediate portion of a specific communication cable to be illuminated in response to an instruction from an administrator. Therefore, for example, when replacing a communication cable or when replacing a communication cable due to a cable break or short circuit, it is possible to clearly notify on-site workers of the cable that needs to be replaced. The communication cable may be illuminated only in a portion of the intermediate portion, or may be illuminated along the entire length of the cable. A communication cable that illuminates along its entire length may be one in which a continuous illuminated area is provided from one end to the other, or one in which multiple illuminated areas are dispersed along the length of the cable. Furthermore, when illuminating along the entire length of the cable, the amount of light may be gradually reduced from the light-emitting side.

[0032] §2 Configuration example [Embodiment 1] <Industrial Network> The industrial network 1 to which the terminal control device 10 according to the first embodiment is applied will be described in further detail with reference to Fig. 1. As a specific example, Ethernet / IP (ETHERNET: registered trademark) is applied to the industrial network 1.

[0033] The industrial network 1 is configured to include a master device 20 and multiple slave devices (slave device 40, slave device 50, and other slave devices not shown). In this embodiment, the slave devices also include a ring supervisor 60, which will be described later. Hereinafter, the master device 20, the multiple slave devices, the hub 30, and the ring supervisor 60 may be collectively referred to as terminals. The industrial network 1 is also configured to include a terminal control device 10 according to the first embodiment. The terminal control device 10 has a display unit 17 for displaying a screen. Furthermore, a control computer, also referred to as a tool (not shown), may be connected to the industrial network 1.

[0034] A programmable logic controller can be applied to the master device 20. Slave devices (slave device 40, slave device 50, and other slave devices not shown) managed or controlled by the master device 20 are linked to the master device 20 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 20 side (upstream side).

[0035] Alternatively, the ring supervisor 60 may configure a partial network of a ring topology in the industrial network 1 together with other slave devices. Hereinafter, such a partial network will be referred to as a ring network 2. The ring supervisor 60 is a communication device that configures the ring network 2 with multiple slave devices under its control. The ring supervisor 60 is also referred to as an Ethernet / IP Tap (ETAP).

[0036] In this case, the ring supervisor 60 and the slave devices 40 managed by the ring supervisor 60 constitute a partial network of the ring topology. The slave devices 40 managed by the ring supervisor 60 are linked to the master device 20 side (upstream side) of the industrial network 1 through the ring supervisor 60.

[0037] The terminal control device 10, master device 20, hub 30, ring supervisor 60, and the above-mentioned slave devices are connected to one another by communication cables 70. As shown in the figure, the above-mentioned slave devices may be connected to communication cables 70 not only on the master side but also on the opposite side (downstream side) thereof, and may be further linked to other slave devices (other devices).

[0038] <Example of a slave device> 2 shows a slave device 40, which is a specific example of a slave device applied to the industrial network 1. The slave device 40 is a terminal in the industrial network 1, has a rectangular shape, and is provided with two Ethernet ports (communication ports) for connection to the industrial network 1.

[0039] The two Ethernet ports, Ethernet ports ETN1 and ETN2, have Ethernet connectors 41 and 42 for connecting a communication cable 70, which are arranged side by side in the short direction on the top of the slave device 40. In FIG. 2, the Ethernet connectors 41 and 42 are shown as M12 type. The Ethernet connectors 41 and 42 may be of other types, such as RJ45 type. LEDs (light-emitting units) 47 are provided on both sides of the Ethernet connectors 41 and 42 in the short direction.

[0040] In this embodiment, the slave device 40 is a terminal also called an I / O control device. A plurality of devices, such as sensors and controllers, can be connected to the slave device 40, which is an I / O control device. The slave device 40 has a plurality of device ports for this purpose, each of which is provided with a device connector 43. In the specific example of FIG. 2, the slave device 40 has eight device ports, and symbols P1 to P8 are attached next to the corresponding device connectors 43.

[0041] The slave device 40 can supply power of a required voltage to the device through the device port. The slave device 40 can also receive a voltage signal from the device through the device port. Furthermore, the slave device 40 can communicate with the device through the device port in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. IO-LINK is a specific example of the predetermined communication standard.

[0042] The slave device 40 further includes a power input port PWR_IN and a power output port PWR_OUT. The power input port PWR_IN and the power output port PWR_OUT are provided with a power input connector 44 and a power output connector 45, respectively.

[0043] 2, the above connectors (Ethernet connector 41, Ethernet connector 42, device connector 43, power input connector 44, and power output connector 45) are arranged on the front side of slave device 40. Hereinafter, the front side of slave device 40 will be referred to as the panel side.

[0044] In Figure 2, the Ethernet connector 41, the Ethernet connector 42, the device connector 43, the power input connector 44, and the power output connector 45 are each drawn schematically, and their shapes are not accurately represented.

[0045] A lamp 461 is provided on the panel surface of the slave device 40, which can notify the occurrence of an operational abnormality in the slave device 40. In addition, an indicator 462 is provided on the panel surface of the slave device 40, which can display the operating status of the slave device 40 and the status of communication via the Ethernet ports ETN1 and ETN2.

[0046] 2, the indicators 462 include a lamp U / IN_PWR, a lamp OUT_PWR, a lamp L / A_ETH1, a lamp L / A_ETH2, a communication error indicator lamp NS, and a device error indicator lamp MS. The lamp U / IN_PWR indicates the status of power supply to the slave device 40 through the power input port PWR_IN. The lamp OUT_PWR indicates the status of power output through the power output port PWR_OUT.

[0047] The lamp L / A_ETH1 indicates the status of communication via the Ethernet port ETN1. The lamp L / A_ETH2 indicates the status of communication via the Ethernet port ETN2. The communication error indicator lamp NS indicates the communication status (Network Status) regarding the presence or absence of an error in these communications. The device error indicator lamp MS indicates a device error in the slave device 40 itself.

[0048] Furthermore, on the panel surface of the slave device 40, adjacent to the device connector 43 of each device port, there is arranged a device status indicator lamp 463 that indicates the connection of a device to each device port or the status of the connected device.

[0049] <Terminal control device (10)> Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal control device 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 also shows a state in which the terminal control device 10, the master device 20, the slave devices 40, 50, and the ring supervisor 60 are connected via a network N. The terminal control device 10 includes a control unit 11, an input unit 16, a display unit 17, a storage unit 18, and a communication unit 19. The control unit 11 includes a management unit 12, an instruction receiving unit 13, a light emission instruction unit 14, and a display control unit 15.

[0050] The control unit 11 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the execution of processing of each function provided in the terminal control device 10. The control unit 11 receives an instruction from the administrator to select a communication port of the terminal, and instructs the terminal to control the communication cable connected to the communication port whose selection has been received to light up with an LED.

[0051] The management unit 12 is a functional block that acquires terminal information including an address, type information, and communication status information from each terminal that constitutes the industrial network 1 via the communication unit 19. When the terminal is a ring supervisor 60, the terminal information may include the address of a slave device 40 that constitutes the ring network 2 managed by the ring supervisor 60.

[0052] The instruction receiving unit 13 receives an instruction from the administrator to select a communication port provided in one of the terminals. Specifically, the instruction receiving unit 13 specifies the terminal provided with the communication port to be selected in response to a selection instruction from the administrator to select one of the terminals shown in the network configuration displayed by the display control unit 15.

[0053] The light emission instruction unit 14 instructs the terminal to control the communication cable connected to the communication port accepted by the instruction acceptance unit 13 to emit light over the cable length. The light emission instruction unit 14 instructs the terminal equipped with the communication port to emit light from a light emitting unit (LED) that emits light toward a light receiving unit (optical fiber cable) provided in the connector of the communication cable connected to the communication port.

[0054] The display control unit 15 displays the network configuration indicating the connection status of the terminals on the display unit 17. A screen D1 that the display control unit 15 displays on the display unit 17 will be described later.

[0055] The input unit 16 is a user interface that accepts input operations from the administrator. As a method for accepting instructions from the administrator, any known technology may be applied as appropriate. For example, a touch panel display integrated with the display unit 17 may be applied. Alternatively, technologies such as a keyboard, movement buttons (so-called arrow keys), a mouse, a trackball, or a touch pen may be employed.

[0056] The display unit 17 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and information is transmitted to the administrator through a screen displayed on the display unit 17. The display unit 17 also displays various images generated by the display control unit 15 based on input operations by the administrator.

[0057] The storage unit 18 is a storage device that stores various computer programs read by the control unit 11 and data used in various processes executed by the control unit 11. The storage unit 18 also stores a program (terminal control program) 181 that receives an instruction from an administrator to select a communication port of a terminal and instructs the terminal to control the communication cable connected to the communication port to emit light.

[0058] The communication unit 19 is a communication interface that executes communication with the master device 20 and each terminal that constitutes the industrial network 1. The communication unit 19 may be provided with a plurality of communication ports for connecting to the industrial network. In this case, the terminal control device 10 can switch and connect to any one of the plurality of industrial networks by switching the communication port.

[0059] <Master device (20)> FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the master device 20. The master device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 23, a communication unit 24, and an LED 25. The control unit 21 is a CPU and controls the execution of processing for each function of the master device 20. The control unit 21 also includes a light-emission control unit 22. The light-emission control unit 22 controls the light emission of the communication cable 70 in accordance with an instruction from the light-emission instruction unit 14. Specifically, the light-emission control unit 22 turns on the LED 25. The storage unit 23 is a storage device similar to the storage unit 18. The communication unit 24 is a communication interface that executes communication with the terminal control device 10. The LEDs 25 are provided on both sides of the communication port of the master device 20. When the light-emission control unit 22 turns on the LED 25, light is incident on (projected onto) an optical fiber cable 73 (described later) provided in the communication cable 70 connected to the communication port, causing the optical fiber cable 73 to emit light.

[0060] <Slave device (40)> FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the slave device 40. The slave device 40 includes a control unit 48, a storage unit 51, a communication unit 52, and the LED 47. The control unit 48 is a CPU, and controls the slave device 40 to execute the processing of each function. The control unit 48 also includes a light-emission control unit 49. The light-emission control unit 49 controls the communication cable to emit light in accordance with an instruction from the light-emission instruction unit 14. Specifically, the light-emission control unit 49 turns on the LEDs 47 provided on both sides of a selected one of the Ethernet ports ETN1 and ETN2. As a result, light is incident on an optical fiber cable 73 (described later) provided in the communication cable 70 connected to the communication port, causing the optical fiber cable 73 to emit light.

[0061] <Communication cable (70)> Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the communication cable 70, and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the communication cable 70. The communication cable 70 has a tubular portion 71, and an internal cable connection line portion 72 inside the tubular portion 71 has, for example, four conductors built in. Two optical fiber cables 73 are provided in the tubular portion 71 so as to face each other across the center of the internal connection line portion 72. The optical fiber cables 73 are provided over the length of the communication cable 70. In this case, the communication cable 70 can be made to emit light over its entire length.

[0062] 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating the end of the communication cable 70. As an example, the diagram illustrates a state in which the communication cable 70 is connected to the Ethernet connector 41 of the slave device 40 via a connector 81. The connector 81 includes an in-connector connection line portion 82 connected to the in-cable connection line portion 72, and an in-connector optical fiber (light receiving portion) 83 connected to the optical fiber cable 73. When the connector 81 is connected to the Ethernet connector 41, the in-connector optical fiber 83 comes into contact with the LED 47. When the light emission control unit 49 turns on the LED 47, the light from the LED 47 enters the in-connector optical fiber 83 and is further propagated to the optical fiber cable 73, causing the optical fiber cable 73 to emit light.

[0063] 8 shows a state in which the connector 81 is connected to the slave device 40, but the same connection is made when the connector 81 is connected to the master device 20. When the connector 81 is connected to the communication port of the master device 20, the optical fiber 83 in the connector comes into contact with the LED 25. When the LED 25 is turned on by the light emission control unit 22, the light from the LED 25 enters the optical fiber 83 in the connector and is further propagated to the optical fiber cable 73, causing the optical fiber cable 73 to emit light.

[0064] <Processing of the terminal control device (10)> The following describes the process of issuing an instruction to light up the communication cable by the terminal control device 10. The control unit 11 executes the process by reading out the program 181 from the storage unit 18. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of issuing an instruction to light up the communication cable by the control unit 11 of the terminal control device 10.

[0065] The display control unit 15 of the control unit 11 displays a screen D1 (S1) for the administrator to select a terminal that will illuminate the connected communication cable among the master device 20, the slave device 40, and other slave devices. Screen D1 will be described later.

[0066] The instruction receiving unit 13 determines whether or not the selection of the terminal for illuminating the communication cable has been received from the administrator (S2). If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the selection of the terminal has not been received from the administrator (S2: NO), it repeats S2.

[0067] If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the selection of the terminal has been received by the administrator (S2: YES), it determines whether or not the selection of the communication port of the terminal to which the communication cable to be illuminated is connected has been received (S3).If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the selection of the communication port has not been received by the administrator (S3: NO), it repeats S3.

[0068] The light emission instruction unit 14 transmits an instruction to the terminal to emit light to the LED corresponding to the optical fiber cable of the selected communication cable (S4), and the process ends. As a result, for example, the administrator causes light from the LED 47 to be incident on the optical fiber cable 73 of the desired communication cable 70, causing the communication cable 70 to emit light.

[0069] <Screen D1> FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a screen D1 that the display control unit 15 displays on the display unit 17. The screen D1 has a display Ca for a "Configuration and Setting List" on the left side of the screen D1. Examples of display Ca include "Ethernet" and "Programming." FIG. 10 illustrates a state in which Ca1, which indicates the "Ethernet" configuration, is selected by the administrator. When Ca1, which indicates the "Ethernet" configuration, is selected, the display control unit 15 displays a terminal display Cb for selecting a terminal. Here, for ease of understanding, only three slave devices 40 in the industrial network 1 are shown as terminals in the display Cb. Each bar in the display Cb indicates the ID number and model information of each terminal. FIG. 10 illustrates a state in which bar Cb2, which indicates the slave device 40 No. 2 whose "ID number" is "E002," is selected.

[0070] When the device is selected (S2: YES above), the display control unit 15 displays a display Cc of the processing content. Examples of display Cc include "Cable Redundancy," "Cable Lighting Command," "Format Change," "Import Slave Settings and Add New," "Export Slave Settings," "Reconfigure Node Address," and "Edit Slave Terminal Configuration." FIG. 10 shows a state in which the bar for "Cable Lighting Command" in Cc6 is selected. When "Cable Lighting Command" is selected, the display control unit 15 displays a display Cd for selecting a communication port and turning on or off the LED 47. Examples of display Cds include "Port1 Lighting Enabled," "Port1 Lighting Disabled," "Port2 Lighting Enabled," and "Port2 Lighting Disabled." Here, Port1 and Port2 correspond to Ethernet ports ETN1 and ETN2. In FIG. 10, selecting Cd1 results in "Port1 Lighting Enabled" being selected (S3: YES above). Here, the communication port is selected and the lighting command is issued simultaneously. Here, "Port1" corresponds to "Ethernet port ETN1." In the case of "Port1 lighting enabled," the LEDs 47 on both sides of the Ethernet connector 41 are lit in order to light up the communication cable 70 connecting the slave device 40 with the "ID No." of "E001" and the slave device 40 with the "ID No." of "E002." The communication cable 70 is illuminated along its length from one end to the other.

[0071] In this way, the administrator can select the communication port to which the communication cable 70 to be illuminated is connected and light up the LED 47 provided in the communication port. While the LED 47 is lit, the lit portion can be easily identified by changing the color of the C-shaped portion Cb0 on the display Cb, which corresponds to the communication cable 70 connecting the slave devices 40, from its normal color. To turn off the LED, the administrator presses the "lighting disable" button for the corresponding communication port.

[0072] Although the bar indicating the master device 20 is omitted from screen D1, when the master device 20 is selected by the administrator in the same manner as the slave device 40, the instruction receiving unit 13 receives the instruction of this selection. The light emission instruction unit 14 instructs the master device 20 to turn on the LED 25, and the light emission control unit 22 turns on the LED 25, causing the optical fiber cable 73 of the corresponding communication cable 70 to emit light.

[0073] <Processing of slave device (40)> The following description will be given taking as an example a case where the slave device 40 is selected as the terminal that will illuminate the communication cable. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for controlling the illumination of the communication cable by the control unit 48 of the slave device 40.

[0074] The light emission control unit 49 of the control unit 48 determines whether or not an instruction to light up the LED has been received from the terminal control device 10 (S11). If the light emission control unit 49 determines that an instruction to light up the LED has not been received (S11: NO), it repeats S11.

[0075] When the light emission control unit 49 determines that it has received an instruction to light up the LED from the terminal control device 10 (S11: YES), it causes the LED provided in the corresponding communication port to light up (S12), i.e., turns it on, and ends the process. As a result, light from the LED 47 is incident on the optical fiber cable 73 of the communication cable 70 desired by the administrator, and the communication cable 70 lights up.

[0076] 10, "Port1 lighting enabled" is selected, so light emission control unit 49 lights up two LEDs 47 provided in Ethernet connector 41. As a result, light is incident on optical fiber cable 73 of communication cable 70 connected to Ethernet connector 41, causing optical fiber cable 73 to emit light.

[0077] In the master device 20, the light emission control process for the LED 25 is performed in the same manner as above.

[0078] <Control method of terminal control device (10)> The control method of the terminal control device 10 includes an instruction receiving step of receiving an instruction from a user to select one of the communication ports provided in at least one of the master device 20 and the slave device 40. The control method of the terminal control device 10 also includes an illumination control step of controlling illumination of at least a part of the intermediate portion of the communication cable connected to the communication port received in the instruction receiving step. The above-mentioned S3 corresponds to the instruction receiving step. The above-mentioned S4 corresponds to the illumination control step.

[0079] <Effects> In this way, the manager can illuminate at least a portion of the middle portion of the communication cable 70, allowing the worker to clearly identify the communication cable 70 that needs to be replaced. The worker can easily identify the communication cable 70 without knowledge of factory drawings, etc. The manager can remotely instruct the worker to replace the communication cable 70. The illuminated communication cable 70 can also be used to trace the terminal to which the communication cable 70 is connected. For example, if the communication cable 70 is illuminated along its entire length from one end to the other, even if the location of the terminal is unknown, the terminal can be easily found by tracing the communication cable 70. Note that the communication cable 70 connecting the hub 30 to the terminal control device 10, another hub 30, or the ring supervisor 60 can also be illuminated when replacement is required.

[0080] [Embodiment 2] In the second embodiment, the display control unit 15 displays a screen D2 showing a list of terminals, and a screen D3 showing one or more communication ports provided in the terminal identified by the instruction receiving unit 13. Here, a case will be described in which the screen D3 shows information about the selected terminal and illuminated buttons. In the second embodiment, the instruction receiving unit 13 identifies the communication port to be selected in response to a selection instruction from the administrator who selects one of the communication ports displayed by the display control unit 15.

[0081] <Processing of the terminal control device (10)> 12 is a flowchart showing the procedure for issuing an instruction to light up the communication cable by the control unit 11 of the terminal control device 10. The control unit 11 reads out the program 181 from the storage unit 18 and executes the process.

[0082] The display control unit 15 of the control unit 11 displays a screen D2 representing the terminal (S21). Screen D2 will be described later.

[0083] The instruction receiving unit 13 determines whether or not the selection of the terminal for illuminating the communication cable has been received from the administrator (S22). If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the selection of the terminal has not been received from the administrator (S22: NO), S22 is repeated.

[0084] When the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the selection of a terminal has been received by the administrator (S22: YES), the display control unit 15 displays a screen D3 showing the communication ports of the selected terminal (D23).

[0085] The instruction receiving unit 13 determines whether or not the selection of the communication port to which the communication cable to be illuminated is connected has been received (S24). If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the selection of the communication port has not been received by the administrator (S24: NO), S24 is repeated.

[0086] If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the selection of the communication port has been received by the administrator (S24: YES), the light emission instruction unit 14 sends an instruction to the terminal to emit light to the LED corresponding to the optical fiber cable of the selected communication cable (S25), and ends the process. As a result, for example, the administrator causes light from the LED 47 to be incident on the optical fiber cable 73 of the desired communication cable 70, causing the communication cable 70 to emit light.

[0087] <Screen D2> 13 illustrates a screen D2 generated by the display control unit 15 and displayed on the display unit 17. The screen D2 has the following display.

[0088] The text display Cp1 indicates that the screen displayed on the display unit 17 is screen D2. This allows the administrator to clearly recognize that the screen in question is screen D2. Here, as an example, "Ethernet / IP Monitor" is written.

[0089] By using the screen selection box Bp to select a screen, the administrator can easily select the desired screen and display it on the display unit 17. In FIG. 13, the screen selection box labeled "Ethernet / IP Monitor" indicating screen D2 is selected.

[0090] The text display Ctm displays the time. The configuration readout box Br (information acquisition instruction box) is used when reading out the configuration of the industrial network 1. The function of the configuration readout box Br will be described later. The selection box Bn represents each terminal in the industrial network 1. By selecting a terminal using the selection box Bn representing the terminal, the administrator can obtain detailed information related to that terminal by displaying it on the display unit 17 as a separate screen. In addition, the administrator can select a terminal, select a communication port on screen D3, and illuminate the communication cable connected to the communication port.

[0091] When the communication unit 19 is provided with multiple communication ports, the port list box Spt is used to identify the communication port. The administrator operates the port list box Spt to select a communication port from the list of multiple communication ports of the communication unit 19 that is displayed. Then, a screen D2 about the industrial network to which the communication port is connected is generated by the control unit 11 and displayed on the display unit 17.

[0092] 13, the selection boxes Bn representing terminals are arranged on the screen D2 in the order of their IP addresses (Internet Protocol Addresses). At this time, if there are any vacant numbers in the order of the IP addresses, the positions of the vacant numbers are displayed as blank spaces where no selection boxes Bn representing terminals are to be placed.

[0093] Therefore, the selection box Bn representing a specific terminal is placed in the same position even if there is an increase or decrease in the number of terminals in the industrial network 1. In the industrial network 1, due to process changes, setup changes, etc., the connections of terminals such as slave devices may be changed, or unused equipment may be powered off.

[0094] Even in such a case, the selection box Bn representing a specific terminal continues to be placed in the same position, so that the administrator looking at the screen D2 can easily grasp the status of the terminals in the industrial network 1.

[0095] The number of terminals such as slave devices in the industrial network 1 can be as large as several hundred or more, so the selection boxes Bn representing all the terminals often do not fit on one screen. For this reason, screen D2 is configured to allow page scrolling.

[0096] 13, page turning boxes Bpg, which are used for operations to turn pages forward and backward, are located at both ends of the bottom of screen D2. Also, in the center of the bottom of screen D2, an image display Ppg is located, which shows the pages, with figures representing each page arranged in a row for the total number of pages.

[0097] In the image display Ppg showing the pages, the figure representing the currently displayed page is displayed in a color different from the figures representing other pages, so that the administrator can easily recognize which page out of all the pages is being displayed.

[0098] The selection box Bn representing the terminal displays the text display Cmd of the terminal's model information and the text display Cip of the IP address, allowing the administrator to easily identify the model of the device that is identified by the IP address within the industrial network 1.

[0099] The selection box Bn representing a terminal is provided with a display indicating the attributes of the terminal. Here, as examples of terminal attributes, a graphic display Prm indicating that the terminal is a ring supervisor 60 and a graphic display Prs indicating that the terminal is a slave device that constitutes the ring network 2 are displayed.

[0100] Furthermore, the absence of these displays indicates that the terminal is not a terminal that constitutes the ring network 2. This allows the administrator to easily recognize the existence of the ring network 2 that is constructed within the industrial network 1 and the devices that constitute it.

[0101] Furthermore, the selection box Bn representing the terminal displays a lamp-like image display that indicates the terminal status. Here, as an example of the terminal status, a machine status image display Lms is displayed, which indicates the machine status (machine status) of the terminal itself, whether or not there is a machine abnormality, using color.

[0102] Furthermore, the selection box Bn representing the terminal displays a communication status image display Lns, which indicates the communication status (Network Status) of the terminal using color to indicate whether or not there is an abnormality in the terminal's communication. This allows the administrator to easily recognize the presence or absence of an abnormality in each terminal in the industrial network 1 by looking at a large number of terminals at a glance.

[0103] <Generating screen D2> The screen D2 is generated as follows: The instruction receiving unit 13 detects that the administrator has operated the configuration readout box Br. The management unit 12 broadcasts the operation to the industrial network 1 via the communication unit 19.

[0104] Each terminal in the industrial network 1 that receives the broadcast returns a message including its IP address and model information to the terminal control device 10. The management unit 12 acquires part of the device information of each terminal from these messages. Based on the device information, the display control unit 15 generates a screen D2 on which a selection box Bn representing each terminal is arranged.

[0105] Furthermore, if the device information of a terminal indicates that it is a ring supervisor device, the management unit 12 inquires of the terminal about the addresses of the slave devices that make up the ring network 2, and receives the results. In response to this information, the display control unit 15 adds a graphic display Prm indicating that the terminal is a ring supervisor 60 and a graphic display Prs indicating that the terminal is a slave device that makes up the ring network 2 to the selection box Bn that represents the terminal.

[0106] When the administrator operates the configuration readout box Br again, the above series of operations is executed, and a screen D2 is generated showing each terminal that is currently capable of communication within the industrial network 1.

[0107] The management unit 12 periodically inquires about the status of each terminal whose IP address it has acquired and receives the information. The display control unit 15 determines the color of the device status image display Lms and communication status image display Lns of the selection box Bn representing the terminal according to the information. This allows the administrator to know the status of each terminal in real time on the display unit 17. This allows the administrator to know about cable breaks, short circuits, etc.

[0108] The administrator can look at screen D2 and select the master device 20 or slave device 40 to which the communication cable 70 to be illuminated is connected. Examples of when the administrator may select a terminal include when the communication cable 70 connected to the terminal needs to be replaced during regular maintenance or when adding a line, or when the communication cable 70 needs to be replaced due to a break or short circuit in the communication cable 70. The presence or absence of a break or short circuit in the communication cable 70 may be determined by looking at the color of the communication status image display Lns.

[0109] 13 is displayed, the following describes a case in which an administrator instructs replacement of the communication cable 70 connected to the Ethernet port ENT2 of the slave device 40 represented by Bn1. The administrator presses selection box Bn1 among the selection boxes Bn on screen D2. When selection box Bn1 is selected by the administrator, the display control unit 15 displays screen D3.

[0110] <Screen D3> 14 illustrates an example of screen D3 generated by the display control unit 15 and displayed on the display unit 17. Screen D3 displays detailed information about the communication status of a specific slave device 40 and is a screen for instructing the lighting of a specific communication port. The following is displayed on screen D3.

[0111] The text display Cp2 indicates that the screen is related to a specific slave device 40. Here, as an example, the model name and the text "GI-xxxxxx Monitor" are displayed, indicating that the model is being monitored. This allows the administrator to clearly recognize that the screen is a screen showing information about a specific model of slave device 40.

[0112] The slave information selection box Bsi indicates that for a specific slave device 40, there is screen D3 and a screen for detailed information other than the communication status. By using the slave information selection box Bsi to select a screen, the administrator can easily select the desired screen and display it on the display unit 17. Here, as an example, screen D3 is labeled "Ethernet / IP statistics and lighting."

[0113] The text display Ctm indicates the time. The port list box Spt and the configuration readout box Br are the same as above. The address list box Sip indicates the IP address of the selected slave device 40.

[0114] The image display Pst shows a list of the status of the slave device 40. The image display Pst is an imitation of the display of each lamp of the indicator 462 provided on the slave device 40, as shown in FIG. 2, and is displayed in synchronization with the indicator 462 of the slave device 40. The administrator can grasp the status of the slave device 40 from the terminal control device 10 without seeing the actual slave device 40. The lamp lighting instruction box Bih will be described later.

[0115] The image display Pet resembles the Ethernet connectors 41, 42 and indicator 462 of the slave device 40. A cable information text display Ccb is displayed at the end of each line extending from the display of the Ethernet connectors 41, 42. Examples of cable information text displays Ccb include "Communicating normally," "Disconnected," and "Short circuited." The cable information text display Ccb displays the status of the communication cable 70 connected to each Ethernet port. By displaying the cable information text display Ccb in association with each Ethernet port, it is possible to recognize at a glance which Ethernet port the information indicated is information about the communication cable connected to.

[0116] A light button Ccp is displayed below each cable information text display Ccb. When the administrator presses one of the light buttons Ccp, the instruction receiving unit 13 receives an instruction to select a communication port and also receives an instruction to light the LED 47 of that communication port. The light emission instruction unit 14 of the terminal control device 10 instructs the slave device 40 to light up the LED 47, and the light emission control unit 49 of the slave device 40 turns on the LED 47, causing the optical fiber cable 73 of the corresponding communication cable 70 to emit light. When the administrator presses the same light button Ccp again, the light emission control unit 49 turns off the LED 47, and the optical fiber cable 73 stops emitting light. The administrator may determine to light up the LED 47 based on the cable information text display Ccb and press the light button Ccp, or they may press the corresponding light button Ccp at their own discretion.

[0117] By displaying image display Pst that imitates the shape of a portion of the slave device 40, the administrator can recognize at a glance that the content displayed on screen D3 is information related to that model of slave device 40. Furthermore, by displaying image display Pet that imitates each Ethernet connector of the slave device 40, the administrator can recognize at a glance that the content displayed on screen D3 is information related to the Ethernet ports of the slave device 40 in particular.

[0118] 14, for example, if a disconnection occurs in the communication cable 70 connected to the Ethernet port ETN2, the cable information text display Ccb will display "Disconnected." Also, a warning image display Wcb will be displayed on the line extending from the Ethernet connector 42, which represents the communication cable 70.

[0119] Furthermore, the distance from the Ethernet connector 42 to the location of the fault is displayed as a distance character display Cds. As a result, when a fault occurs in the communication cable 70, the administrator can recognize the fact, the nature of the fault, and the location of the fault in real time on the screen D3. Note that information about faults in the communication cable 70 is displayed not only for disconnections but also for short-circuit faults.

[0120] The Ethernet port character information Cet indicates information about the status of communication via each of the Ethernet ports ETN1 and ETN2. Here, information about the status of communication is, for example, statistical information about communication errors, and various other information about communication via each Ethernet port that is held by the slave device 40.

[0121] When the administrator operates the lamp lighting instruction box Bih (I'm Here button) on screen D3, the lamp 461 of the specific slave device 40 for which screen D3 is displaying information lights up. Further operation by the administrator after that will turn off the light.

[0122] At this time, the management unit 12 instructs the slave device 40 to turn on or off the lamp 461 via the communication unit 19. Note that turning on the lamp 461 here includes blinking the lamp 461.

[0123] This allows the administrator to easily know where in the field the slave device 40 displayed on screen D3 is located. In particular, if an abnormality such as a disconnection of the communication cable 70 or an abnormality in the slave device 40 itself is reported on screen D3, the administrator can immediately recognize the location of the abnormality by operating the lamp lighting instruction box Bih.

[0124] The manager can turn on the lamp 461 using the management unit 12, and can also light up the corresponding communication cable 70 using the light-emission instruction unit 14 and the light-emission control unit 49. This notifies the worker of the communication cable 70 that needs to be replaced, and also notifies the worker of the slave device 40 to which the communication cable 70 is connected.

[0125] <Generating screen D3> Screen D3 is generated as follows: The instruction receiving unit 13 receives an instruction from the administrator to transition to screen D3.

[0126] The following are examples of instructions: When the selection box Bn representing the terminal that is the slave device 40 is selected on screen D2; When the selection box "Ethernet / IP statistics and lighting" representing screen D3 is selected from the slave information selection box Bsi on a screen other than screen D3 for the slave device 40; When the IP address of a specific slave device 40 is selected from the list of IP addresses of the slave devices 40 that is displayed by operating the address list box Sip on screen D3.

[0127] When the instruction receiving unit 13 receives an instruction to transition to screen D3 for a specific slave device 40, the management unit 12 inquires of the slave device 40 about terminal information related to communication via the communication unit 19. The display control unit 15 generates screen D3 based on the information and causes the display unit 17 to display it.

[0128] Furthermore, if the terminal information includes information indicating that there is an abnormality in communication at any of the Ethernet ports, the management unit 12 causes the slave device 40 to perform a cable diagnosis on the communication cable 70 connected to the abnormal Ethernet port. The management unit 12 then receives the results of the cable diagnosis from the slave device 40.

[0129] The results of the cable diagnosis may be normal, broken, or short-circuited. In the case of a broken or short-circuited cable, the results may also include the distance from the slave device 40 to the fault location. Based on this information, the display control unit 15 generates a screen D3 containing information about the communication cable fault and displays it on the display unit 17. The administrator can learn about the occurrence of a fault in the communication cable 70 and its details by simply displaying the screen D3, without having to give any special instructions to the slave device 40.

[0130] The inquiry for terminal information for generating screen D3 is repeatedly executed while screen D3 is displayed, and detailed information about the communication status of a specific slave device 40 is displayed in real time on screen D3.

[0131] The list of IP addresses of the slave devices 40 that can be displayed in the address list box Sip on the screen D3 is generated by extraction based on the type information in the terminal information.

[0132] <Effects> As described above, the administrator can select the terminal connected to the communication cable to be illuminated on the displayed network configuration screen D2, and can select the communication port connected to the communication cable to be illuminated from among the communication ports on screen D3. This makes it easier to select and instruct the communication cable to be illuminated.

[0133] Furthermore, if the administrator determines from the cable information character display Ccb on screen D3 that the communication status of the communication cable 70 is abnormal, the administrator can select the communication port of the communication cable 70. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, if a disconnection fault has occurred in the communication cable 70 connected to Ethernet port ETN2, the administrator presses the illuminated button Ccp corresponding to Ethernet port ETN2.

[0134] Although the screen D3 is described as displaying information indicating the communication status of the communication cable 70, the present invention is not limited to this. The screen D3 may not display information indicating the communication status, and the administrator may select the communication cable 70 to be illuminated at his or her discretion.

[0135] [Embodiment 3] In the third embodiment, the display control unit 15 displays a screen D4 showing a list of device ports. Here, a case where the screen D4 shows status information of the device ports and lighted buttons will be described. In the third embodiment, the instruction receiving unit 13 specifies the device port to be selected in response to a selection instruction from the administrator who selects one of the device ports displayed by the display control unit 15.

[0136] In the third embodiment, the instruction receiving unit 13 receives an instruction from the administrator specifying the light-emitting state of the communication cable connected to the communication port selected by the administrator. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the communication port is the device port. LEDs 53 are provided on both sides of the device connector 43 of the device port.

[0137] The light emission instruction unit 14 controls the communication cable to emit light in the light emission state accepted by the instruction acceptance unit 13 .

[0138] <Processing of the terminal control device (10)> 15 is a flowchart showing the procedure for issuing an instruction to light up an LED by the control unit 11 of the terminal control device 10. The control unit 11 reads out the program 181 from the storage unit 18 and executes the process.

[0139] The display control unit 15 of the control unit 11 displays a screen D2 for the administrator to select a terminal that will cause the connected communication cable to emit light (S31).

[0140] The instruction receiving unit 13 determines whether or not the selection of the terminal for illuminating the communication cable has been received from the administrator (S32). If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the selection of the terminal has not been received from the administrator (S32: NO), S32 is repeated.

[0141] When the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the selection of a terminal has been received by the administrator (S32: YES), the display control unit 15 displays a screen related to the selected terminal (S33). When the terminal is a slave device 40, the administrator presses "Ethernet / IP and lights on" in the slave information selection box Bsi, causing the display control unit 15 to display screen D3, and when the administrator presses "I / O Setting Status and lights on" in the slave information selection box Bsi, causing screen D4 to be displayed (S33).

[0142] The instruction receiving unit 13 determines whether the lighting button of the communication port to which the communication cable 70 to be illuminated is connected has been pressed (S34). If the lighting button has been pressed, the communication port is also selected. If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the lighting button has not been pressed (S34: NO), S34 is repeated.

[0143] If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that the light button has been pressed (S34: YES), it determines whether or not a light color has been selected (S35). If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that a color has not been selected (S35: NO), it repeats S35.

[0144] If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that a color has been selected (S35: YES), it determines whether continuous lighting or blinking has been selected (S36). If the instruction receiving unit 13 determines that continuous lighting or blinking has not been selected (S36: NO), it repeats S36.

[0145] If the light emission instruction unit 14 determines that continuous lighting or flashing has been selected (S36: YES), it sends an instruction to the terminal to light up the LED 53 corresponding to the optical fiber cable 73 of the communication cable 70 in the selected lighting state (S37), and terminates the processing.

[0146] The following describes a case where the administrator selects the screen D4 representing the device port and selects the illumination state of the communication cable 70 connected to the device port.

[0147] <Screen D4> 16 illustrates an example of a screen D4 generated by the display control unit 15 and displayed on the display unit 17. The screen D4 displays detailed information and illuminated buttons regarding the connection status with a specific device of the slave device 40, which is an I / O control device. The screen D4 displays the following:

[0148] The character display Cp4 indicates that the screen in question relates to a specific slave device 40. This is similar to the character display Cp2 on screen D3. The slave information selection box Bsi indicates that for the specific slave device 40, there is screen D4 and a screen other than screen D4.

[0149] Here, as an example, screen D4 is described as "I / O Setting Status and Lights On." Also, screen D3 is described as "Ethernet / IP Statistics Information and Lights On." However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and there may be screens that display other types of information.

[0150] By using the slave information selection box Bsi to select a screen, the administrator can easily select a screen that displays required information about a specific slave device 40 and display it on the display unit 17. By making such a slave information selection box Bsi common to various screens for a specific slave device 40, the administrator can easily perform selection operations.

[0151] The text display Ctm indicates the time, the port list box Spt, the address list box Sip, the configuration readout box Br, the image display Pst showing the status of the slave device 40 in a list, and the lamp lighting instruction box Bih are the same as those described above.

[0152] The image display Pdp imitates the shape, including the arrangement, of the device connectors 43 of the slave device 40. By displaying such an image display Pdp, the administrator can recognize at a glance that the content displayed on screen D4 is information about the slave device 40 of that model.

[0153] In addition, the administrator can recognize at a glance that the content displayed on screen D4 is information particularly related to the device ports of the slave device 40. Furthermore, because the device port information text displays Cpi are displayed in association with the respective device connectors 43, the administrator can recognize at a glance which device port the information indicated relates to.

[0154] As shown in FIG. 16, the device port information text display Cpi may include the following information: Display regarding the setting of the connection mode with the device Display regarding the status of the connection with the device Display regarding the model name of the connected device The administrator can easily grasp detailed information about the devices set up and connected to the slave device 40, which is such I / O control equipment, from the display on the display unit 17.

[0155] <Generating screen D4> Screen D4 is generated as follows: The instruction receiving unit 13 receives an instruction from the administrator to transition to screen D4. For example, this instruction may be given when the selection box Bn representing the terminal that is the slave device 40 is selected on screen D2, and the selection box "I / O Setting Status" representing screen D4 is selected from the slave information selection box Bsi.

[0156] When the instruction receiving unit 13 receives an instruction to transition to screen D4 for a specific slave device 40, the management unit 12 inquires of the slave device 40 about terminal information related to the device connection status via the communication unit 19. The display control unit 15 generates the above-mentioned screen D4 based on the information and causes the display unit 17 to display it.

[0157] The inquiry for terminal information for generating screen D4 is repeatedly executed while screen D4 is being displayed, and detailed information indicating the connection status with devices at each device port of a specific slave device 40 is displayed in real time on screen D4.

[0158] When the device port information character display Cpi of the device port P3 displays "Short circuit abnormality" as the Status, the administrator can press the lighting button of the device port P3 to instruct the light-emitting indicator 14 to light up the communication cable 70 connected to the device port P3.

[0159] <Screen display transition of screen D4> The transition of the screen display when the light-on button is pressed on screen D4 will be described below.

[0160] Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the screen D4 when the light button is pressed. As shown in Fig. 17, when the light button is pressed, a bar appears for selecting "red," "yellow," "blue," and "green." When a color is selected by the administrator (S35 above), the instruction receiving unit 13 specifies the color.

[0161] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of screen D4 when "red" is selected. As shown in FIG. 18, when the color selection button is pressed, a bar appears that allows selection between "continuous lighting" and "flashing." If the administrator selects "continuous lighting," the light emission control unit 49 keeps the LED 53 lit, i.e., the light emission of the communication cable 70 continues. If the administrator selects "flashing," the light emission control unit 49 flashes the LED 53, i.e., the light emission of the communication cable 70 flashes.

[0162] <Effects> In this way, the administrator can specify the lighting state of the communication cable. Therefore, since it is possible to light up multiple communication cables with different lighting states, when it is desirable to light up multiple communication cables at the same time, it is possible to distinguish between them and allow the worker to recognize them. By using multiple lighting colors, it is also possible to determine which communication cable 70 belongs to which line even if multiple communication cables 70 are mixed up in a duct or the like.

[0163] In the above embodiment, the case where the light emission state of the LEDs 53 provided on both sides of the device connector 43 is specified has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. The light emission state of the LED 47 provided on the Ethernet port ETN1 or the like may also be specified. The light emission state is not limited to a color, continuous lighting, or flashing. For example, the optical fiber cable 73 on one side of the communication cable 70 may be illuminated. In this case, it may be possible to indicate, for example, that the conductor inside the tube portion 71 on the optical fiber cable 73 side is broken and needs to be replaced.

[0164] [Software implementation example] In the above embodiment, the terminal control device 10, the master device 20, and the slave device 40 each include a computer that executes instructions from a program, which is software that realizes each function. This computer includes, for example, one or more processors and a computer-readable recording medium that stores the program. The object of the present invention is achieved by having the processor in the computer read and execute the program from the recording medium.

[0165] The processor may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit).The recording medium may be a "non-transitory tangible medium" such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like.

[0166] The computer may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program. The program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium capable of transmitting the program (such as a communication network or broadcast waves). One aspect of the present invention may also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[0167] The functional blocks of the terminal control device 10, the master device 20, and the slave device 40 (particularly, the instruction receiving unit 13, the light emission instruction unit 14, the display control unit 15, the light emission control unit 22, and the light emission control unit 49) are realized by software.

[0168] The functional blocks of the terminal control device 10, the master device 20, and the slave device 40 (particularly, the instruction receiving unit 13, the light emission instruction unit 14, the display control unit 15, the light emission control unit 22, and the light emission control unit 49) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed on an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like.

[0169] The present invention is not limited to the above-described application examples, configuration examples, and embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0170] 1. Industrial Networks 2. Ring Network 10 Terminal control device 11, 21, 48 Control section 12 Management Department 13 Instruction Reception Department 14 Light-emitting indicator 15 Display control unit 16 Input section 17 Display section 18, 23, 51 Storage section 181 Programs 19, 24, 52 Communications Department 20 Master device 22, 49 Light Emission Control 25, 47, 53 LED (light projector) 26 Connectors 30 Hub 40, 50 Slave device 41, 42 Ethernet connector 43 Device Connector 44 Power input connector 45 Power output connector ETN1, ETN2 Ethernet ports P1~P8 device ports 70 Communication Cable 73 Fiber Optic Cable 81 Connector 83 Optical fiber inside connector (light receiving part)

Claims

1. A terminal control device connected to a network to which a master device and a slave device controlled by the master device are connected, an instruction receiving unit that receives an instruction from a user to select one of the communication ports provided in at least one of the master device and the slave device; a light emission instruction unit that instructs the master device or the slave device to control the illumination of at least a part of an intermediate portion of a communication cable connected to the communication port received by the instruction receiving unit; A terminal control device comprising:

2. 2. The terminal control device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting instruction unit instructs the master device or the slave device, which includes the communication port and the light-emitting unit, to emit light to a light-receiving unit provided in a connector of the communication cable connected to the communication port.

3. a display control unit that displays a network configuration showing a connection state between the master device and the slave devices, 3. The terminal control device according to claim 1, wherein the instruction receiving unit identifies the master device or the slave device having the communication port to be selected in response to a selection instruction from the user to select either the master device or the slave device shown in the network configuration displayed by the display control unit.

4. the display control unit displays one or more communication ports included in the master device or the slave device identified by the instruction receiving unit, The terminal control device according to claim 3 , wherein the instruction receiving unit specifies the communication port to be selected in response to a selection instruction from the user to select one of the communication ports displayed by the display control unit.

5. the instruction receiving unit receives an instruction from a user specifying a light emission state of the communication cable connected to the communication port selected by the user; 5. The terminal control device according to claim 1, wherein the light emission instruction unit controls the communication cable to emit light in the light emission state accepted by the instruction acceptance unit.

6. A method for controlling a terminal control device connected to a network to which a master device and a slave device controlled by the master device are connected, comprising: an instruction receiving step of receiving an instruction from a user to select one of the communication ports provided in at least one of the master device and the slave device; a light emission control step of controlling light emission of at least a part of an intermediate portion of the communication cable connected to the communication port received in the instruction receiving step; A control method for a terminal control device having the above-mentioned configuration.

7. A terminal control program for causing a computer to function as the terminal control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the terminal control program causes the computer to function as each of the units.

8. A slave device connected to the terminal control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a slave device including a light emission control unit that controls light emission of at least a part of an intermediate portion of the communication cable in accordance with an instruction from the light emission instruction unit;

9. A master device connected to the terminal control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a master device including a light emission control unit that controls light emission of at least a part of the intermediate portion of the communication cable in accordance with an instruction from the light emission instruction unit;

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