Deterministic Measurement Controller Architecture for Safe Fast Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microcontrollers in control systems face challenges in ensuring functional safety and speed due to the multitude of functions they need to perform, leading to inefficiencies in measurement and control operations.
Innovation Solution
A control system architecture is introduced, featuring a system bus with a system controller and a measurement bus with deterministic, programmable finite-state machines as measurement controllers, separated by a bus interface, allowing for independent operation and full simulatability of measurement functions, and utilizing RISC processors for efficient data processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a microcontroller is used to perform both measurement functions and system control functions, then the system can be integrated in a single device, but the processing speed decreases and functional safety becomes difficult to guarantee
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into two separate functional units: a measurement controller dedicated to measurement functions and a system controller dedicated to system control functions. This segmentation allows each controller to specialize in its specific tasks, preventing the processing speed degradation that occurs when a single microcontroller handles multiple diverse functions simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement functions are extracted from the system controller and assigned to a dedicated measurement controller. This extraction removes the computational burden of measurement processing from the system controller, thereby improving the overall processing speed and responsiveness of the control system.
2Device complexity
If a microcontroller performs multiple functions including measurement and system control, then the device can be compact, but functional safety becomes difficult to guarantee
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is divided into separate measurement controller and system controller units, each with dedicated functional responsibilities. This segmentation enables independent verification and validation of each controller's functional safety, making it easier to guarantee overall system safety compared to a monolithic microcontroller approach.
Solution Approach 2:
A measurement bus acts as an intermediary communication interface between the measurement controller and system controller. This dedicated communication channel ensures safe and reliable data transfer while maintaining functional isolation, which is critical for guaranteeing functional safety in control systems.
3Device complexity
If measurement functions are integrated into the system controller, then the system structure can be simplified, but the measurement processing speed and precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into dedicated measurement controller and system controller units. The measurement controller specializes in measurement signal acquisition, conditioning, and processing, which improves measurement precision by providing dedicated hardware and software resources for measurement tasks rather than sharing them with system control functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement controller is designed with local optimization for measurement processing, including dedicated analog-to-digital converters, signal conditioning circuits, and measurement-specific algorithms. This local quality enhancement ensures high measurement precision while the system controller handles system-level control functions.
4Device complexity
If a microcontroller handles multiple functions, then the device can be cost-effective, but the system responsiveness and speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into separate measurement controller and system controller units that can operate independently and in parallel. This segmentation enables simultaneous execution of measurement functions and system control functions, significantly improving system responsiveness and overall productivity compared to a sequential single-microcontroller approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The dedicated measurement controller enables continuous measurement processing without interruption by system control tasks, while the system controller continuously manages system operations. This continuous parallel operation maintains high productivity and responsiveness for both measurement and control functions simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a control system which is configured to provide control and/or regulating signals, comprising a system bus with a system controller, wherein the system controller is configured to execute system functions of the control system; a measurement bus with a measurement controller, wherein the measurement controller is configured to execute measurement functions for acquiring and/or processing measurement data and/or output functions for adapting and/or outputting control and/or regulating signals, wherein the measurement controller includes or is a deterministic, programmable finite-state machine and is configured such that the measurement functions and/or output functions executable by the measurement controller are fully simulatable, and wherein the measurement controller is operable using a predetermined program code, wherein the measurement controller has a ROM memory and the predetermined program code is provided in the ROM memory; and a bus interface providing a communication connection between the system bus and the measurement bus.