Adapter Cable Redundancy for Industrial Network Fault Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current network failure recovery methods in industrial automation systems, such as those using Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol and Hirschmann HIPER-Ring, require extensive network discovery and resource usage, leading to significant delays and potential data loss during reconfiguration, especially in decentralized architectures where physical access to remote I/O modules is difficult and reliability is critical.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a redundant transmission media system with adapters that dynamically switch between primary and secondary Ethernet ports using multicast addressing and a connection manager to ensure continuous data flow without physical changes, allowing seamless operation even when primary transmission media fail.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If redundant cabling is used to provide transmission media, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork reliabilityVSAvoidcabling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network connection is segmented into multiple independent transmission media paths (primary and secondary cables) between network devices. Each path can operate independently, allowing the system to maintain connectivity through one path when another fails, thus improving reliability while managing complexity through modular segmentation of the communication channel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If the entire network is discovered before rerouting, then fault recovery accuracy is improved, but loss of time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault detection accuracyVSAvoidrecovery time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring alternative transmission paths and maintaining network topology information in advance. When a fault occurs, the controller can immediately switch to a pre-identified backup path without performing a complete network discovery, thus reducing recovery time while maintaining adequate fault detection capabilities through selective monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discovering the entire network before rerouting, the system performs partial discovery by monitoring only critical path segments and maintaining readiness information for common failure scenarios. This partial action approach provides sufficient fault detection accuracy for the most likely failure modes while significantly reducing the time penalty associated with complete network discovery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If RSTP or Hirschmann HIPER-Ring is used for redundancy, then reliability is improved, but computing resources are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork redundancyVSAvoidcomputing resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the complex network discovery and path calculation algorithms from RSTP and HIPER-Ring protocols and replaces them with a simplified redundancy mechanism. The system maintains only the essential backup path information without performing extensive network-wide calculations, thus achieving reliability through redundancy while minimizing computing resource consumption by removing unnecessary computational overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Adaptability or versatility

If physical changes are made to connections for redundancy, then adaptability is improved, but ease of operation worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereconfiguration flexibilityVSAvoidoperational simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces mechanical physical changes (manual cable plugging/unplugging) with electronic switching between pre-configured transmission media. The controller automatically switches between primary and secondary communication paths through software control of network interfaces, maintaining adaptability to various failure scenarios while eliminating the operational complexity of physical reconfiguration by operators.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8230115B2Cable redundancy with a networked system

Publication Date: 2012.07.24 SCHNEIDER AUTOMATION INC

AI summary

Aspects of the invention provide apparatuses, systems, and methods for supporting cable redundancy in a network connecting a network controller (101) and an I/O device (109) (an adapter). An adapter includes a first port (407) and a second port (409) for receiving the same messages from a scanner (301) over a first and second transmission media (353, 355), respectively. A connection manager module (423) instructs a switching module (419) to direct the output data contained in the first message to a data structure (421) when the first transmission medium is operational and to direct the output data contained in the second message to the data structure when the first transmission medium is non-operational. Also, the adapter formats a message from input data. The connection manager instructs a switch (411) to direct the message to a primary port (407) when a primary transmission medium (655) is operational and to direct the message to a secondary port (409) when the primary transmission medium (753) is non-operational.