Dynamic Data Reduction in Industrial Automation Cyclic Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in efficiently transmitting control data due to competing network resources, leading to delayed or lost data frames, especially in Ethernet-based communication networks with mixed real-time and non-real-time data, resulting in bandwidth limitations and potential system failures.
Innovation Solution
Implement a method for dynamic, data-point-based reduction in cyclic process data communication, adapting data transmission to available bandwidth by selectively omitting data sets during network overloads, prioritizing critical data for continuous transmission, and using network monitoring to optimize data delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cyclic communication transmits all data in every cycle, then reliability is improved through retransmission capability, but communication overhead increases and bandwidth efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by selectively transmitting only a subset of process data in each cyclic communication round instead of all data. The system dynamically determines which data points to transmit based on their importance and current network conditions, thereby reducing communication overhead while maintaining essential functionality and reliability.
2Quantity of substance
If event-based communication is used to reduce bandwidth consumption, then bandwidth efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to packet loss detection and lifesign transmission mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the cyclic communication adaptive rather than static. The system dynamically adjusts the set of transmitted data points based on current network load conditions and data priority, allowing the communication behavior to flex between cyclic and event-based characteristics without requiring complex event-based protocols.
3Reliability
If network resources are oversized to ensure sufficient bandwidth, then reliability is improved, but cost increases and resource efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of data transmission by dynamically selecting which data points to transmit based on priority levels and network conditions. This allows the system to maintain reliable operation with critical data even when network resources are constrained, avoiding the need for oversized network infrastructure.
4Reliability
If prioritization mechanisms are implemented to handle network overload, then critical data transmission is improved, but device complexity increases due to packet management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments process data into different priority groups or categories. By dividing the data transmission task into segments based on priority levels, the system can selectively transmit critical data segments while omitting less important ones during network overload, reducing packet management complexity compared to uniform prioritization approaches.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and an automation component (Publisher P) for transmitting control data between industrial automation components (Publisher P, Subscriber S), wherein data telegrams with data sets containing updated control data are cyclically transmitted over a packet-switched network (N). Utilization or status information (NZ) about at least one section of the network (N) is provided to or acquired by the sending automation component (Publisher P), wherein, at least in the case of network congestion, a portion of the data sets is transmitted with a reduction dynamically adapted to the load, such that, when transmitted with the reduction, an affected data set is not transmitted with every cycle of the cyclic transmission.This method dynamically adjusts the amount of data transmitted to the available bandwidth without deviating from a fundamentally cycle-based communication.