Actuator-Based Redundancy for Distributed Control Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Establishing communication between master and slave controllers in redundant systems for achieving redundancy on the control plane is complex and costly, especially when the control units are spatially remote.
Innovation Solution
Actuators receive control data from both control units and autonomously decide which data to use for their functions, eliminating the need for direct communication between the control units, thus simplifying the system and reducing switching times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct communication between master and slave controllers is established to achieve redundancy, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator serves as an intermediary that receives control data from both master and slave controllers independently. Instead of requiring direct communication between controllers, the actuator mediates by selecting which controller's data to use, thereby achieving redundancy without complex inter-controller communication infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the communication paths so that each actuator can independently receive control data from both control units through separate communication channels. This segmentation eliminates the need for a unified complex communication network between controllers while maintaining redundancy.
2Reliability
If direct communication between master and slave controllers is established, then system stability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator acts as a cost-effective intermediary that provides system stability through intelligent selection of control data sources. This approach avoids the high cost of establishing direct communication infrastructure between distributed controllers while maintaining system stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Each actuator autonomously decides which controller's data to use based on its own assessment of data validity and system state. This self-service capability eliminates the need for expensive centralized communication arbitration mechanisms, reducing implementation cost while maintaining stability.
3Reliability
If spatially remote control units are connected for redundancy, then system availability is improved, but communication network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication network is segmented into independent point-to-point connections between each actuator and the control units. This eliminates the need for complex mesh or star topology networks connecting remote controllers, simplifying network design while maintaining availability for spatially distributed components.
Solution Approach 2:
Actuators serve as intermediaries that receive and process control data from remote control units independently. This approach allows remote control units to communicate through the actuator intermediary rather than requiring direct complex network connections, simplifying the overall network architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling a system consisting of at least two control units, namely a first control unit and a second control unit. The system includes least one actuator and at least one sensor. The control units generate control data for the actuator on the basis of the information from the sensor. The method includes receiving, with the actuator, both the control data of the first control unit and the control data of the second control unit. The method also includes deciding, with the actuator, whether to use the control data of the first or second control unit to carry out an actuator function with the actuator.