Ethernet Control Circuit for Redundant DCS Fieldbus Communication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional DCS systems face challenges in intercommunication between CI cards handling different field bus protocols and lack connectivity to external devices, leading to data processing and monitoring issues when local controllers fail.

Innovation Solution

A control circuit for use with Ethernet, comprising a switch module, a communication interface module, and a controller module, which enables communication between CI cards and external devices, even if the controller module is broken down, through Ethernet connectivity and redundancy features.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If dedicated communication interfaces are used for each field bus protocol, then protocol-specific performance is optimized, but system complexity and number of components increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotocol processing efficiencyVSAvoidnumber of CI cards
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes CI cards universal by enabling them to communicate through a common Ethernet interface regardless of their native field bus protocol. Each CI card maintains its protocol-specific processing capabilities while adding Ethernet communication functionality, allowing a single CI card type to handle multiple protocols through the unified Ethernet network.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250103029A1Control circuit and distributed control system
Publication Date: 2025.03.27 ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG
  • US20250103029A1 patent drawing
  • US20250103029A1 patent drawing
  • US20250103029A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A control circuit for use with a network and a distributed control system. The control circuit incudes a switch module, a communication interface module coupled to the switch module and configured to convert data sampled from industrial field into a format suitable for being transmitted to the switch module via the network, and a controller module coupled to the switch module and configured to receive the converted data from the switch module and process the converted data. The switch module is configured to enable a communication between the communication interface module and external devices outside the control circuit and a communication between the controller module and the external devices.