Programmable Controller Fault Detection via Execution Status Logging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current machine control systems face challenges in identifying faulty code modules, particularly in complex systems with thousands of code modules, where intermittent faults and multiple system failures complicate the detection process, and existing methods fail to accurately determine which code module is responsible for system failures.
Innovation Solution
A control system with a programmable controller and non-volatile memory that executes code modules and writes execution status to designated memory locations, allowing for identification of faulty code modules based on their execution status, thereby pinpointing the faulty module.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If custom software is written and installed to identify faulty code modules, then the ability to detect faulty modules is improved, but the time and complexity required for multiple iterations of software installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically recording execution status of code modules in non-volatile memory before a failure occurs. This preliminary data collection eliminates the need for multiple iterations of custom software installation, as the fault identification information is already captured and stored when the failure happens.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs self-service by automatically monitoring and recording which code modules are executing when a failure condition is detected. The system uses its own resources (processors, non-volatile memory) to capture fault information without requiring external technician intervention or repeated software installations, thereby reducing technician time and complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional fault detection methods are used in complex control systems with thousands of code modules, then the system can operate, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring the faulty module increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring execution status of code modules and recording this information in non-volatile memory. When a failure occurs, the feedback mechanism provides immediate information about which modules were executing, enabling rapid identification of the faulty module without manual analysis of thousands of code modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The non-volatile memory acts as an intermediary that stores execution status information between the code modules and the fault detection process. This intermediary component captures and preserves the state of code execution at the time of failure, making it easier to identify faulty modules in complex systems with thousands of code modules.
3Productivity
If code modules are executed without execution status tracking, then the system operates efficiently, but the ability to identify faulty modules when failure occurs is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a copy of the execution status information in non-volatile memory without interfering with the normal execution of code modules. This copying mechanism preserves the state of which modules are executing at any given time, enabling fault identification while maintaining system execution efficiency during normal operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a control system for a machine. The control system has an electronic module containing at least one programmable controller. The at least one programmable controller stores a plurality of code modules, and be configured to identify from the plurality of code modules a module that contains a code fault. The at least one programmable controller identifies the code fault by executing, with the at least one programmable controller, the code module, writing a code execution status to a designated memory location on the electronic module, and identifying, based on the code module execution status, the code module that contains the code fault.