Control device, control system, and control method

Abstract

The CPU unit (10) includes an abnormality detection unit (101) that detects an abnormality occurring in at least one of a plurality of external devices including an auxiliary power supply (12), a power receiving unit (11), a memory unit (14), a main power supply unit (20), and the CPU unit (10), and stores abnormality data in the memory unit (14) that includes data indicating which device has the abnormality, and a notification unit (15) that notifies the user of information indicating which device has the abnormality based on the abnormality data. The device includes an alarm control unit (102), and a power supply unit (13) that supplies power to the memory unit (14) and the alarm control unit (102). The memory unit (14) and the alarm control unit (102) operate based on the power supplied by the power supply unit (13). The power supply unit (14) supplies power from the main power supply unit (20) when the power receiving unit (11) is able to receive power from the main power supply unit (20), and supplies power from the auxiliary power supply (12) when the power receiving unit (11) is unable to receive power.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control system, and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] In a control system, a technique is known that indicates the location of an abnormality in order to support maintenance work when dealing with an abnormality. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a programmable logic controller (PLC) that notifies the location of the abnormality when a system abnormality is detected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-008496 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, maintenance work to deal with abnormalities may be performed with the power supply from the main power source to the device cut off. For example, the main power source may be turned off during inspection of the device to prevent electric shock or abnormal operation. Or, the main power source may fail to supply power to the device due to a breakdown in the device.

[0005] The technology described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that when the power supply from the main power source is cut off, the location where the abnormality has occurred is not notified, and maintenance work cannot be sufficiently supported.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a control device etc. that can notify the location of an abnormality even when the power supply from the main power source is cut off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the control device according to the present disclosure includes an auxiliary power source, a power receiving means for receiving power from a main power supply device, a storage means, an abnormality detection means for detecting an abnormality occurring in at least one of a plurality of external devices including the main power supply device and the control device, and storing abnormality data in the storage means, the abnormality-related data including data indicating which device has the abnormality, an alarm control means for notifying information indicating which device has the abnormality based on the abnormality data stored in the storage means by a first alarm means, and a power supply means for supplying power to the storage means and the alarm control means. The storage means and the alarm control means operate based on the power supplied by the power supply means. The power supply means supplies power from the main power supply device when the power receiving means is able to receive power from the main power supply device, and supplies power from the auxiliary power source when the power receiving means is unable to receive power from the main power supply device. The control device is a central processing unit (CPU) of a programmable logic controller, and each of the external devices is a unit of the programmable logic controller that is managed by the CPU unit. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, even when the power supply from the main power source is cut off, it is possible to notify the location where an abnormality has occurred. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a control system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a power supply operation by a CPU unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a control system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, a control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) A control system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Note that thick dashed arrows in Fig. 1 indicate the connections of power supply lines and the flow of power, and thin dashed lines indicate the connections of communication lines.

[0012] The control system 1 is a control system realized by a programmable logic controller (PLC) including various units. The control system 1 controls sensors, actuators, etc. (not shown). The control system 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) unit 10, a main power supply unit 20, and one or more expansion units 30. The main power supply unit 20 supplies power to the CPU unit 10 and the expansion unit 30. The CPU unit 10 is communicatively connected to the main power supply unit 20 and the expansion unit 30. The CPU unit 10, the main power supply unit 20, and the expansion unit 30 constitute a PLC. The control system 1 is an example of a control system according to the present disclosure.

[0013] The CPU unit 10 is a unit that controls the control system 1 as a PLC. The CPU unit 10 normally operates on power supplied from the main power supply unit 20. The CPU unit 10 executes a program to communicate with the expansion unit 30, obtains sensor values ​​obtained from sensors (not shown), controls actuators (not shown), and so on.

[0014] The CPU unit 10 communicates with the main power supply unit 20 and the expansion unit 30, and detects abnormalities in the main power supply unit 20 and the expansion unit 30. When the CPU unit 10 detects an abnormality in the main power supply unit 20 and the expansion unit 30, it notifies the user of information related to the abnormality. The information related to the abnormality includes information indicating at least which unit has the abnormality. This notification is also performed even when the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off. The functional configuration of the CPU unit 10 and details of abnormality detection, notification, etc. will be described later. The CPU unit 10 is an example of a control device according to the present disclosure.

[0015] The main power supply unit 20 supplies power to the CPU unit 10 and the expansion unit 30. The main power supply unit 20 is communicably connected to the CPU unit 10. Through communication, the CPU unit 10 can detect an abnormality in the main power supply unit 20. The power supply by the main power supply unit 20 can be stopped as appropriate by the user. For example, during maintenance work, the user can stop the power supply by the main power supply unit 20 by turning off a power switch (not shown) provided on the main power supply unit 20 to prevent electric shock, abnormal operation, etc. The main power supply unit 20 is an example of a main power supply device and an external device according to the present disclosure.

[0016] The expansion unit 30 operates using power supplied from the main power supply unit 20. The expansion unit 30 is communicatively connected to the CPU unit 10. The expansion unit 30 operates under the control of the CPU unit 10. Furthermore, through communication, the CPU unit 10 can detect an abnormality in the expansion unit 30. The expansion unit 30 is a unit such as an input / output unit or a network communication unit. The expansion unit 30 is an example of an external device according to the present disclosure.

[0017] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the CPU unit 10. The CPU unit 10 includes a power receiving unit 11, an auxiliary power source 12, a power supply unit 13, a storage unit 14, a notification unit 15, and a control unit 100.

[0018] Power receiving unit 11 receives power supplied by main power supply unit 20. Power receiving unit 11 supplies the received power to power supply unit 13. When power receiving unit 11 is unable to receive power from main power supply unit 20, the supply of power from power receiving unit 11 to power supply unit 13 naturally stops. For example, when an abnormality occurs in main power supply unit 20 and the power supply is cut off, or when the power switch of main power supply unit 20 is turned off, the supply of power from power receiving unit 11 to power supply unit 13 stops. Power receiving unit 11 is an example of a power receiving means according to the present disclosure.

[0019] The auxiliary power supply 12 includes a power supply source such as a dry cell, a rechargeable battery, or a supercapacitor (not shown). The auxiliary power supply supplies power obtained from the power supply source to the power supply unit 13. The auxiliary power supply 12 is an example of an auxiliary power supply according to the present disclosure.

[0020] The power supply unit 13 supplies power to the memory unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100. When there is power supply from the power receiving unit 11, that is, when the power receiving unit 11 can receive power from the main power supply unit 20, the power supply unit 13 supplies power from the power receiving unit 11 to the memory unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100. When there is no power supply from the power receiving unit 11, that is, when the power receiving unit 11 cannot receive power from the main power supply unit 20, the power supply unit 13 supplies power from the auxiliary power supply 12 to the memory unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100. In other words, the power supply unit 13 switches the power supply source for supplying power to the memory unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100 depending on whether the power receiving unit 11 can receive power from the main power supply unit 20. The power supply unit 13 is an example of a power supply means according to the present disclosure.

[0021] The storage unit 14 stores abnormality data created by the abnormality detection unit 101 described below. The storage unit 14 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 13. The storage unit 14 is realized by, for example, a flash memory. The storage unit 14 is an example of a storage means according to the present disclosure.

[0022] The notification unit 15 notifies the user of information regarding an abnormality occurring in the control system 1 based on a notification by the notification control unit 102 described below. The notification unit 15 particularly notifies information indicating which unit has an abnormality. The notification unit 15 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 13. The notification unit 15 is, for example, a display capable of displaying information regarding the abnormality as an image. Alternatively, the notification unit 15 may be a plurality of lamps indicating the unit in which the abnormality has occurred and the type of abnormality. Alternatively, the notification unit 15 may be a speaker capable of notifying information regarding the abnormality by voice. The notification unit 15 is an example of a first notification means according to the present disclosure.

[0023] The control unit 100 comprehensively controls the CPU unit 10. The CPU unit 10 operates using power supplied from a power supply unit 13. The CPU unit 10 includes an abnormality detection unit 101 and a notification control unit .

[0024] The abnormality detection unit 101 communicates with the main power supply unit 20 and the expansion unit 30, and detects abnormalities in the main power supply unit 20 and the expansion unit 30. The abnormality detection unit 101 also detects abnormalities in the CPU unit 10 itself. When the abnormality detection unit 101 detects an abnormality in the main power supply unit 20, the expansion unit 30, or the CPU unit 10, it creates abnormality data, which is data related to the abnormality, and stores it in the memory unit 14. The abnormality data includes data indicating at least which unit has an abnormality. The abnormality detection unit 101 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 13. The abnormality detection unit 101 is an example of an abnormality detection means according to the present disclosure.

[0025] For example, when the abnormality detection unit 101 is unable to communicate with one of the main power supply unit 20 and one or more expansion units 30, the abnormality detection unit 101 detects that the unit that is unable to communicate has a communication abnormality. At this time, the abnormality detection unit 101 creates abnormality data including data indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the unit that is unable to communicate, and stores the data in the storage unit 14. In addition, for example, the abnormality detection unit 101 may perform diagnostic communication with each unit and detect an abnormality based on whether or not there is an abnormality in the diagnostic result. Also, for example, when a signal that should be emitted from a part of a circuit of the CPU unit 10 is cut off, the abnormality detection unit 101 detects that there is an abnormality in the circuit. At this time, the abnormality detection unit 101 creates abnormality data including data indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the circuit, and stores the data in the storage unit 14.

[0026] When the anomaly detection unit 101 does not detect any particular anomaly and past anomaly data is stored in the storage unit 14, the anomaly detection unit 101 deletes the anomaly data.

[0027] The notification control unit 102 refers to the abnormality data stored in the memory unit 14, and notifies information related to the abnormality based on the abnormality data by controlling the notification unit 15. In particular, the notification control unit 102 notifies information indicating which unit has an abnormality by the notification unit 15. The notification control unit 102 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 13. The notification control unit 102 is an example of a notification control means according to the present disclosure.

[0028] The notification control unit 102 does not issue any particular notification when no abnormality data is stored in the storage unit 14. As a result, when no abnormality is detected, no notification is issued from the CPU unit 10.

[0029] Next, an example of the power supply operation by the CPU unit 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The operation shown in Fig. 2 continues to be executed while the CPU unit 10 is running.

[0030] Power supply unit 13 of CPU unit 10 determines whether power receiving unit 11 is receiving power from main power supply unit 20 (step S101). As described above, this is determined based on whether power is being supplied from power receiving unit 11 to power supply unit 13.

[0031] When power is being received from the main power supply unit 20 (step S101: Yes), the power supply unit 13 supplies the power received from the power receiving unit 11, i.e., the power from the main power supply unit 20, to the memory unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100 (step S102). Then, the operations from step S101 are repeated.

[0032] When power is not received from main power supply unit 20 (step S101: No), power supply unit 13 supplies power from auxiliary power supply 12 to storage unit 14, notification unit 15, and control unit 100 (step S103). Then, the operations from step S101 are repeated.

[0033] With these operations, even when the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off, the memory unit 14, the notification unit 15 and the control unit 100 operate using power from the auxiliary power supply 12, so that an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 101 and abnormality data is stored in the memory unit 14, and information about the abnormality, particularly information indicating which unit has the abnormality, is notified by the notification control unit 102 and the notification unit 15. In other words, the CPU unit 10 can notify the location of the abnormality even when the power supply from the main power supply is cut off.

[0034] (Embodiment 2) A control system 1 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The control system 1 according to the second embodiment is generally similar to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, but differs in that the CPU unit 10 is communicably connected to a terminal 40. According to the control system 1 according to the second embodiment, information related to an abnormality can be notified not only by the notification unit 15 of the CPU unit 10 but also by the terminal 40.

[0035] The notification control unit 102 of the control unit 100 according to the second embodiment outputs information related to the abnormality to the terminal 40 via communication, thereby notifying the terminal 40 of the information related to the abnormality. When the power receiving unit 11 is able to receive power from the main power supply unit 20, the power supply unit 13 supplies power from the main power supply unit 20 to the control unit 100 and the storage unit 14, and therefore the notification control unit 102 can output information related to the abnormality to the terminal 40. When the power receiving unit 11 is unable to receive power from the main power supply unit 20, the power supply unit 13 supplies power from the auxiliary power supply 12 to the control unit 100 and the storage unit 14, and therefore the notification control unit 102 can similarly output information related to the abnormality to the terminal 40.

[0036] The terminal 40 is communicatively connected to the CPU unit 10, and notifies a user of information related to an abnormality based on communication with the notification control unit 102. The terminal 40 is a terminal device such as an industrial personal computer, a display, or a smartphone. The terminal 40 is an example of a second notification means according to the present disclosure.

[0037] (Modification) In each embodiment, the control system 1 is realized by a PLC, but the control system 1 may be realized by something other than a PLC. For example, the control system 1 may be a master-slave system including one master that receives power from a main power supply device and multiple slaves. In this case, the master is an example of a control device according to the present disclosure, and the slave and the main power supply device are examples of an external device according to the present disclosure.

[0038] In each embodiment, the auxiliary power supply 12 has an internal power supply source such as a dry cell, a rechargeable battery, or a supercapacitor. However, the power supply source to the auxiliary power supply 12 may be external to the CPU unit 10. For example, in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the auxiliary power supply 12 may use the terminal 40 as a power supply source and receive power from the terminal 40. In this case, when the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off and the terminal 40 is not connected to the CPU unit 10, information regarding an abnormality is not notified, but this is not a major problem if the terminal 40 is always connected to the CPU unit 10 during maintenance work.

[0039] In each embodiment, the control unit 100 of the CPU unit 10 includes an abnormality detection unit 101, which operates using power from the power supply unit 13. However, the abnormality detection unit 101 does not necessarily operate using power from the power supply unit 13, and may operate only when power is being supplied from the main power supply unit 20. Even in this case, if abnormality data is stored while power is being supplied from the main power supply unit 20, the memory unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the notification control unit 102 will operate using power from the auxiliary power supply 12 even if the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is subsequently cut off, so that the CPU unit 10 can notify information related to the abnormality.

[0040] In each embodiment, the abnormality detection unit 101 of the control unit 100 of the CPU unit 10 detects abnormalities in the main power supply unit 20, the expansion unit 30, and the CPU unit 10 itself. Alternatively, the abnormality detection unit 101 may detect only abnormalities in some of these units. For example, the abnormality detection unit 101 may not detect abnormalities in the CPU unit 10 itself. In this case, even if an abnormality occurs in the CPU unit 10, no notification will be given. However, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the CPU unit 10, it is obvious to the user that an abnormality has occurred in the CPU unit 10 without the need for notification, such a form may be adopted. Also, for example, the abnormality detection unit 101 may detect only abnormalities in the CPU unit 10 itself.

[0041] In the second embodiment, the CPU unit 10 includes the notification unit 15, and the notification control unit 102 notifies information related to an abnormality through both the notification unit 15 and the terminal 40. Alternatively, the CPU unit 10 may not include the notification unit 15, and the notification control unit 102 may notify information related to an abnormality only through the terminal 40. In this case, the terminal 40 is an example of a first notification means according to the present disclosure.

[0042] In each embodiment, the power supply unit 13 of the CPU unit 10 always supplies power from the auxiliary power supply 12 to the storage unit 14, the notification unit 15, and the control unit 100 when the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off. However, the power supply unit 13 may switch whether to supply power from the auxiliary power supply 12 or not when the power supply from the main power supply unit 20 is cut off based on a user's setting. For example, if the power switch of the main power supply unit 20 is turned off for a long period of time during normal operation, the power stored in the power supply source of the auxiliary power supply 12 may be unnecessarily consumed. For this reason, it is convenient if the switching can be performed by the user's setting. This switching setting may be performed by providing a dip switch in the CPU unit 10, for example. Alternatively, in the case of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, an engineering tool program may be installed in the terminal 40 and the setting may be performed via the engineering tool.

[0043] Furthermore, when configuring the CPU unit 10 via an engineering tool, it may be possible to configure not only the power supply switching settings but also the type of information to be notified as information regarding an abnormality. For example, it may be configured to display only the unit in which an abnormality has occurred, or to display the details of the abnormality.

[0044] Various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 control system, 10 CPU unit, 11 power receiving unit, 12 auxiliary power supply, 13 power supply unit, 14 memory unit, 15 alarm unit, 20 main power supply unit, 30 expansion unit, 40 terminal, 100 control unit, 101 abnormality detection unit, 102 alarm control unit.

Claims

1. A control device, an auxiliary power supply, power receiving means for receiving power from a main power supply device, storage means, abnormality detection means for detecting an abnormality occurring in at least one of a plurality of external devices including the main power supply device and the control device, and storing, in the storage means, abnormality data including data indicating which device the abnormality has occurred in; notification control means for notifying, by first notification means, information indicating which device an abnormality has occurred in based on the abnormality data stored in the storage means; power supply means for supplying power to the storage means and the notification control means; characterized in that the storage means and the notification control means operate based on the power supplied by the power supply means; the power supply means supplies power from the main power supply device when the power receiving means can receive power from the main power supply device, and supplies power from the auxiliary power supply when the power receiving means cannot receive power from the main power supply device; the control device is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) unit of a programmable logic controller; each of the plurality of external devices is a unit of the programmable logic controller and is a unit managed by the CPU unit. Control device.

2. further comprising the first notification means, wherein the power supply means further supplies power to the first notification means. The control device according to claim 1.

3. wherein the notification control means further notifies by second notification means outside the control device. The control device according to claim 2.

4. the power supply means switches, based on a setting by a user, whether to supply power from the auxiliary power supply when the power receiving means cannot receive power from the main power supply device. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A control system comprising the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the plurality of external devices.

6. A control method for a control device, wherein the control device has an auxiliary power supply, power receiving means for receiving power from a main power supply device, storage means, abnormality detection means for detecting an abnormality occurring in at least one of a plurality of external devices including the main power supply device and the control device, and storing, in the storage means, abnormality data including data indicating which device the abnormality has occurred in; Notification control means for notifying, by the first notification means, information indicating which device has an abnormality based on the abnormal data stored in the memory means; comprising; The control device is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) unit of a programmable logic controller, Each of the plurality of external devices is a unit of the programmable logic controller and is a unit managed by the CPU unit, When the power receiving means can receive power from the main power supply device, power from the main power supply device is supplied to the memory means and the notification control means, and when the power receiving means cannot receive power from the main power supply device, power from the auxiliary power supply is supplied to the memory means and the notification control means; Control method.

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