Field Device Connection Initialization Using Readiness Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The initialization of communication connections between field devices and operating devices in automation technology often encounters issues, making it difficult to establish reliable communication according to predefined protocols.
Innovation Solution
A method where the field device generates an announcement message with a first date indicating the possibility of communication and optionally a second date specifying the duration until the connection is possible, allowing the operating device to initialize the connection only when conditions are met, and displaying this information to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the operator device attempts to initialize the communication connection immediately, then the initialization process is fast, but the initialization may fail because the communication connection is not yet available
Solution Approach 1:
The field device performs preliminary actions by generating and transmitting a notification message that announces the availability of the communication connection before the operator device attempts initialization. This preliminary announcement allows the operator device to check readiness and only initialize when the connection is actually available, preventing failed initialization attempts while maintaining fast successful connection establishment.
2Reliability
If the field device waits for the communication connection to be fully available before announcing readiness, then the connection reliability is high, but the user experiences unnecessary delays
Solution Approach 1:
The field device announces readiness as soon as the communication connection becomes available, performing the announcement action in advance before the operator device completes its initialization sequence. This preliminary announcement eliminates unnecessary user waiting time while ensuring the connection is actually ready, as the notification is only sent when the field device can truly communicate.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification message serves as feedback from the field device to the operator device, providing real-time information about connection availability. This feedback mechanism allows the operator device to adjust its initialization timing based on actual connection status, optimizing both reliability and response time by avoiding both premature and delayed initialization attempts.
3Device complexity
If the operator device initializes the communication connection without checking availability, then the initialization process is simple, but problems occur during initialization
Solution Approach 1:
The notification message acts as an intermediary mechanism between the field device and operator device. Instead of the operator device directly attempting initialization without knowledge of connection status, the notification message mediates the interaction by conveying availability information. This intermediary approach adds minimal complexity to the initialization process while dramatically improving reliability by ensuring initialization only occurs when the connection is actually available.
Data Source
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Figure 3
AI summary
A method for initializing a communication link between a field device (1) and an operator device (2) according to a communication protocol is presented and described, wherein the communication protocol defines a notification message (6) with a data area (7). The object of the present invention is to provide a method for initializing a communication link between the field device (1) and the operator device (2) according to the communication protocol, in which problems during initialization are at least mitigated. This object is achieved by a method that is modified as follows: The field device (1) generates and sends a notification message (6) according to the communication protocol with a first data element (8) in the data area (7). The first data element (8) determines whether a communication link is possible or not.The operating device (2) receives the notification message (6) and then, when the first date (8) determines the possibility of a communication connection, the operating device (2) initiates the communication connection.