AS Interface Bus Participant with Logical Slave Multiplexing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern field devices in decentralized control systems require efficient data exchange for various parameters and diagnosis, but existing AS interface technologies are limited by insufficient bit-oriented data capacity, especially in drive engineering applications.

Innovation Solution

A device that acts as a bus participant, allowing multiple bus participants to share a single connection, enabling both fast bit-oriented and slow byte-oriented data exchange, and switching between modes for different data exchange requirements, using a microprocessor to simulate multiple logical slaves and support various bus systems like AS interface, CAN, and Profibus.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple bus participants are connected via separate connections, then data exchange reliability is improved, but cabling complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata exchange reliabilityVSAvoidcabling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple logical bus participants into a single physical device that shares one connection to the bus. The device internally implements multiple logical slaves, allowing multiple participants to communicate through a single physical connection, thereby reducing cabling complexity while maintaining data exchange reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The bus participant device is designed to perform multiple functions by implementing different logical slaves within a single device. Each logical slave can handle different data exchange requirements (bit-oriented or byte-oriented), making the device universal and capable of serving multiple roles through one connection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Speed

If bit-oriented data exchange is used for fast communication, then communication speed is improved, but data capacity is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication speedVSAvoiddata capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The device dynamically switches between different operational modes (first mode with bit-oriented exchange and second mode with byte-oriented exchange) depending on the data exchange requirements. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to use fast bit-oriented communication when speed is critical and byte-oriented communication when larger data capacity is needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the data exchange parameters by switching between bit-oriented and byte-oriented modes. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to different communication needs, using bit-oriented mode for high-speed low-volume data and byte-oriented mode for higher-capacity data transfer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If byte-oriented data exchange is used for complex data, then data capacity is improved, but communication speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata capacityVSAvoidcommunication speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of operation

If separate devices are used for bit-oriented and byte-oriented functions, then functional clarity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional clarityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10191876B2Device and method for addressing, and converter

Publication Date: 2019.01.29 SEW EURODRIVE GMBH & CO KG

AI summary

It is provided to implement a different number of logical slaves in a field device for use in an AS interface network as a function of the assigned address, which slaves may be addressed using the assigned address in the standard or in the expanded addressing mode. Thus, in a field device, it is possible to provide slaves having different profiles, via which different data types may be exchanged. Furthermore, a method is provided, with which a field device having different slaves is able to be addressed in a simple manner while avoiding double addressing.