Industrial Controller Optical Communication Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial controller devices face limitations in high-speed serial communication due to the compatibility issues with existing designs, especially when using industrial Ethernet, which complicates network management and increases error rates and costs, particularly in large-scale installations like high-rise building air-conditioning systems.
Innovation Solution
An industrial controller device with a control unit that processes Protocol Control Information (PCI) to generate and parse transmission frames, combined with optical transmission/reception units and a switching unit to manage downlink and uplink frames, enabling efficient communication and error reduction by using Protocol Data Units (PDUs) for sensor control and state reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If industrial Ethernet is employed for high-speed communication, then data transfer speed is improved, but device complexity and network management difficulty increase due to requiring hubs, switches, gateways, and IP address configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the Ethernet gateway device from the network architecture, allowing industrial controller devices to communicate directly with host devices through optical transmission. This eliminates the need for IP address configuration, subnet management, and gateway devices, thereby reducing network architecture complexity while maintaining high-speed communication capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables industrial controller devices to directly perform both control functions and high-speed communication functions without requiring separate gateway devices. The controller devices themselves handle optical transmission and reception, combining multiple functions into a single device and simplifying the overall network architecture
2Length of stationary object
If Ethernet cables are used for long-distance transmission, then communication range is extended, but data transfer error rate increases and transmission speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical signal transmission through copper Ethernet cables with optical signal transmission through optical cables. This substitution enables long-distance transmission without the signal degradation and error rates associated with electrical cables, while maintaining high transmission speeds and eliminating the need for repeaters or extenders
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple host devices are connected using multi-drop method, then network expandability is improved, but communication speed decreases due to collision and retransmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces optical transmission/reception units as intermediaries between host devices and industrial controller devices. These units provide dedicated optical communication channels that eliminate signal collisions and retransmissions associated with multi-drop electrical connections, enabling both high-speed communication and network expansion through daisy-chain topology
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables very high-speed serial communication with an ultralow error rate, allowing for seamless expansion of industrial controller devices without the need for additional hubs, switches, or gateways, thereby simplifying network design and operation while maintaining high data transfer performance.
Implementation Method 1
a first optical transmission/reception unit configured to externally send or receive the uplink or downlink transmission frame
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial controller includes a control unit, a first optical transmission/reception unit, a second optical transmission/reception unit, and a switching unit. The control unit handles a downlink transmission frame depending on whether or not the Protocol Control Information (PCI) of the downlink transmission frame corresponds to an ID of an industrial controller device, and internally generates and outputs an uplink transmission frame. The first optical transmission/reception unit externally sends or receives the uplink or downlink transmission frame. The second optical transmission/reception unit has at least one port, and externally sends or receives the uplink or downlink transmission frame. The switching unit sequentially transfers the downlink and uplink transmission frames, transfers the uplink transmission frame to the first optical transmission/reception unit, and transfers the downlink transmission frame to the second optical transmission/reception unit.