Concurrent Updating Linear Topology Industrial Controllers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial automation environments, updating control devices often disrupts downstream communications due to the need for resets, which can be time-consuming and inefficient in hierarchical systems.
Innovation Solution
An update controller identifies control devices on a linear topology that require resets and updates them in a hierarchical manner, allowing for concurrent updates and resets across levels of the hierarchy to minimize disruption and shorten the update process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control devices are updated sequentially in a hierarchical manner, then update reliability is maintained, but update time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control devices into multiple hierarchical levels (first level, second level, etc.) and updates them in parallel within each level. This segmentation allows simultaneous updates of multiple devices at the same hierarchical level while maintaining controlled reset sequences, thereby improving productivity without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The update controller identifies and groups control devices that require resets before initiating the update process. By performing preliminary identification and grouping of devices needing reset, the system can coordinate concurrent updates and resets efficiently, reducing overall update time while maintaining system stability.
2Reliability
If control devices are reset after updating, then firmware updates are properly applied, but downstream communications are interrupted causing loss of time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of control devices that require resets and groups them by hierarchical level before initiating updates. This preliminary grouping enables coordinated reset operations that minimize communication interruptions, as devices at the same level can be reset concurrently rather than sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by enabling concurrent updates and resets of control devices at the same hierarchical level. This parallel processing approach reduces the total time that downstream communications are interrupted, as multiple devices are updated and reset simultaneously rather than one after another.
3Productivity
If all control devices are updated concurrently, then productivity improves, but system complexity and coordination difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the control device population into distinct hierarchical levels, creating manageable segments that can be updated in parallel. This segmentation reduces coordination complexity by limiting the scope of concurrent operations to devices at the same level, while still achieving high productivity through multi-level parallelism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a hierarchical dimension to the update process, organizing devices into multiple levels rather than treating them as a flat group. This dimensional organization allows concurrent updates within each level while maintaining overall system coordination, effectively managing complexity through structured hierarchy.
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial controller within an industrial automation environment is provided. The industrial controller includes a plurality of control devices, and an update controller which is configured to identify control devices that are on a linear topology, identify control devices on the linear topology that require a reset after updating, and identify a hierarchy of the control devices. The update controller is also configured to update control devices within a first level of the hierarchy, and reset the control devices within the first level of the hierarchy after all of the control devices within the first level of the hierarchy have completed updating. The update controller is further configured to concurrently update control devices within a second level of the hierarchy, and concurrently reset the control devices within the second level of the hierarchy after all of the control devices within the second level of the hierarchy have completed updating.