Fieldbus Driver Interfaces for Additional Functionality Visibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current device access software frameworks for fieldbus networks lack the ability to provide a comprehensive overview of additional functionalities supported by fieldbus components and their drivers, limiting user understanding and activation of these features, especially due to restrictive data transfer limitations via standard interfaces like the FDT standard.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of proprietary interfaces between the framework application and integrated drivers allows for the transmission of additional information about fieldbus components' and drivers' functionalities, enabling a broader data exchange and merging of information to present a general overview of available features, which can be activated locally or remotely through cloud connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard interfaces (e.g., FDT standard) are used for data exchange between drivers and framework application, then compatibility and ease of integration are improved, but the quantity and detail of information about additional functionalities that can be transmitted is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The data exchange interface is segmented into two distinct parts: a standard interface for basic compatibility and communication, and a proprietary interface for transmitting detailed information about additional functionalities. This segmentation allows the system to maintain broad compatibility through the standard interface while simultaneously capturing comprehensive functionality information through the proprietary interface, thus resolving the contradiction between compatibility and information completeness.
2Loss of information
If proprietary interfaces are implemented to transmit detailed functionality information, then the quantity and detail of information about additional functionalities is improved, but device complexity and implementation effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The framework application serves as an intermediary that manages both the standard and proprietary interfaces. It receives basic data through the standard interface and supplementary functionality information through the proprietary interface, then consolidates this information into a comprehensive overview. This intermediary approach allows detailed information transmission without requiring the entire system to be redesigned, thus managing complexity while maintaining information completeness.
3Ease of operation
If comprehensive information about additional functionalities is consolidated in the framework application, then user overview and decision-making capability are improved, but data processing and consolidation effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The framework application performs preliminary consolidation of functionality information from multiple drivers during the data exchange phase. By pre-processing and organizing the information about additional functionalities into a structured format before user interaction, the system reduces the time required for real-time data processing and enables users to immediately access comprehensive functionality overviews without experiencing delays during operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a framework application for device access software. The framework application can be installed on a host. At least one driver can be integrated into the framework application, said driver being designed for access to an associated field bus component of a field bus network. For each integrated driver, the framework application has a standard interface, via which data can be exchanged between the driver and the framework application. For at least some of the integrated drivers, the framework application has one or more proprietary interfaces in addition to the standard interface, via which proprietary interfaces data can be exchanged between the respective drivers and the framework application. Information regarding additional functionalities that are supported by the driver or by an associated field bus component can be transferred from the driver to the framework application via at least one of the proprietary interfaces. The framework application is designed to merge the information regarding additional functionalities.