Association Module for Flexible Process Variable Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current process control units in automation engineering lack flexibility in interprocess data interchange, requiring system restarts and production downtime for updates or changes in control processes, as interprocess data interchange is defined within the control process itself and not dynamically adjustable.
Innovation Solution
A process control unit with an association module that mediates the interchange of process variables between control processes based on dynamic association rules, allowing changes without stopping the system or recompiling the control program, enabling flexible interprocess communication and configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If control processes are updated or changed by stopping the system and recompiling the control program, then the control program can be modified, but production downtime occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The control program is divided into multiple independent control processes that can be updated individually. Each control process is a separate module that can be loaded and executed independently, allowing specific processes to be modified without affecting the entire system and without requiring production stoppage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static, monolithic control program to a dynamic, modular architecture where control processes can be loaded, unloaded, and updated during runtime. The interprocess data interchange mechanism is also made dynamic through association rules that can be modified without system restart, enabling continuous operation during updates.
2Ease of operation
If interprocess data interchange is defined within the control process itself, then the control process is self-contained, but flexibility for dynamic changes is lost
Solution Approach 1:
An association module is introduced as an intermediary between control processes. This module manages interprocess data interchange through association rules that define how processes communicate. The rules are stored separately and can be modified dynamically without changing the control processes themselves, providing flexibility while maintaining process self-containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The interprocess data interchange mechanism is separated into a different dimension - from being embedded within control processes to being managed externally through association rules in an association module. This dimensional separation allows the interchange logic to be modified independently of the control processes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional or changed control processes are introduced dynamically, then system functionality can be extended, but interprocess data interchange compatibility issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The association module provides a universal interface for all control processes to communicate through standardized association rules. This universal mechanism handles data interchange between any combination of control processes, whether existing or newly added, without requiring process-specific communication code. The system can dynamically add control processes with different functionalities while maintaining consistent communication through the universal association rule mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
The process control unit is configured to execute a plurality of control processes, wherein a first control process executed on the process control unit is configured such that there is no provision for direct exchange of process variables with a second control process, but rather this exchange takes place via an interposed association module. An association specification is used to ascertain the control process(es) to which the process variable needs to be handed over. One advantage includes the increased flexibility in the exchange of process variables, which now takes place in the individual control processes by an association module. Restarts of the process control unit and associated production losses advantageously become unnecessary. Additional resources in the process control unit or in an engineering system may be reduced or avoided. The decreased complexity means that the control systems and engineering systems are developed more easily and hence also more quickly.