Industrial Controller Proxy Execution for Deterministic External Computing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial controllers face challenges in managing shared resources between internal and external processing routines, leading to unpredictable control due to asynchronous execution and data management issues between different processing devices.
Innovation Solution
An inter-processor interface is configured to manage the execution of control programs across multiple processing devices, establishing transparent communication and data management between the industrial controller and external processing devices, allowing proxy instructions to launch functions on external units while integrating execution details seamlessly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If external computational devices are used to perform computations, then computational capability is improved, but execution predictability and data management reliability deteriorate due to asynchronous execution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an inter-processor interface as an intermediary component that mediates communication and data exchange between the industrial controller and external processing devices. This interface establishes a structured communication protocol that ensures synchronized data access, manages shared tags, and coordinates execution between asynchronous systems, thereby maintaining execution predictability while enabling enhanced computational capability through external devices
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple processing devices execute control programs asynchronously, then computational flexibility is improved, but data management complexity and reliability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The inter-processor interface implements a universal communication framework that handles multiple functions including data exchange, synchronization, error handling, and coordination of shared resources across different processing devices. This multi-functional interface simplifies data management by providing a standardized method for all processors to access and manage shared tags, reducing the overall complexity despite the presence of multiple asynchronous processing devices
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial controller that integrates execution of a control program on the industrial controller with execution of additional functions on an external processing device is disclosed. Integrating the external processing device provides an improved system for third party development of control functions which may be unique to specific applications. The system manages communication between the industrial controller and the external processing device, manages access to data stored in the industrial controller, and makes the details of the integration transparent to the programmer.