Industrial Controller Protocol Diagnosis for Communication Fault Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In machining systems, the complexity of communication protocols and increased number of settings make it difficult to identify the cause of communication failures or errors between controllers.
Innovation Solution
A controller with multiple communication units corresponding to various protocols, which starts up and attempts communication in a predetermined order, using diagnosis units to diagnose communication conditions step-by-step, allowing for parameter adjustments and error logging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If communication protocols and settings are made more complex to support multiple communication standards, then adaptability to different devices is improved, but device complexity and difficulty of identifying communication errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The communication unit is divided into multiple communication protocols (first communication protocol and second communication protocol), each handling specific communication tasks. This segmentation allows the system to support multiple communication standards while maintaining clear separation of functions, making it easier to identify which protocol is causing communication issues without overwhelming complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication protocols are implemented to support diverse devices, then adaptability is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring communication errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is configured to attempt communication using the first communication protocol before the second communication protocol. This preliminary action establishes a clear diagnostic sequence: if the first protocol fails, the system knows to try the second protocol. This ordered approach makes error identification straightforward by eliminating protocols systematically until communication succeeds or all options are exhausted.
3Measurement precision
If manual inspection of communication settings is required to diagnose communication failures, then measurement precision of error causes is improved, but loss of time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit automatically performs communication attempts using multiple protocols in a predetermined order without requiring manual intervention. The system self-diagnoses communication issues by systematically trying different protocols and identifying which one succeeds, thereby eliminating the need for manual inspection while maintaining accurate error cause identification.
Data Source
AI summary
It is desired to be able to easily identify a cause of a communication abnormality in an industrial machine. A controller of an industrial machine which communicates with an external device through a network includes: a plurality of communication units which respectively correspond to a plurality of communication protocols; and a diagnosis unit which starts up the communication units in a predetermined order and attempts communication using the communication protocols corresponding to each communication unit that is started up so as to diagnose the conditions of communication step by step.