Techniques for Establishing a Versatile and Safe Industrial Controller System by Means of Interpreters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional industrial controller systems for safety-critical applications face hardware overhead due to redundancy measures, and existing software-coded processing techniques are specific to particular safety applications and hardware, complicating safety classification and failure analysis.
Innovation Solution
An industrial controller system employing two redundant software channels for interpreting industrial control programs, using an encoder and two interpreter units to process application and input data, allowing hardware-independent safety classification and simplified failure analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundancy measures are employed to enhance operational safety, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to hardware overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a redundant copy of the control program in encoded form, executing it through a second interpreter to verify correctness. This software-based copying approach achieves safety redundancy without duplicating hardware components, thereby improving reliability while avoiding hardware overhead complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces hardware-based redundancy (mechanical/duplicate physical systems) with software-based redundancy using encoders and interpreters. The encoded control program and coded processing instructions substitute for physical hardware duplication, eliminating hardware overhead while maintaining safety through software verification
2Device complexity
If software-coded processing is used for redundant execution, then hardware overhead is reduced, but adaptability decreases due to application-specific implementation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal encoder and interpreter architecture that can process any control program regardless of application domain. The encoder converts control programs into encoded form, and the second interpreter executes these encoded programs with coded processing instructions, creating a hardware-independent safety verification system applicable to diverse industrial control scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the control program into an encoded parameter representation that can be universally processed. By changing the form of the control program from native to encoded format and adding coded processing instructions, the system achieves hardware independence and broad adaptability across different safety applications
3Productivity
If compiled code is executed on COTS hardware, then productivity is improved, but reliability decreases due to undetected failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through the second interpreter that continuously monitors and verifies the execution of the encoded control program. The coded processing instructions provide diagnostic feedback to detect random failures, ensuring that productivity gains from COTS hardware do not compromise reliability through undetected errors
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial controller system comprises an encoder unit receiving application code of an industrial control program and converting the application code into a coded-processed application code; wherein the encoder unit receives input data for the industrial control program and converts the input data into coded-processed input data. The industrial controller system further comprises a first interpreter unit adapted to receive the application code and the input data and to convert the application code and the input data into a first industrial control code; and a second interpreter unit adapted to receive the coded-processed application code and the coded-processed input data and to convert the coded-processed application code and the code-processed input data into a second industrial control code; and a combination unit adapted to combine the first industrial control code and the second industrial control code into a resulting industrial control code for the industrial control program.