Gateway Diagnostic Driver for Disruptionless Field Message Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional diagnostic techniques for industrial control automation systems disrupt device communications and require additional hardware to diagnose interfacing issues between field devices and gateway devices, making them cumbersome and costly.
Innovation Solution
A diagnostic driver embedded within a gateway device captures electronic data messages from field devices without disrupting communications, using serial and Ethernet interfaces to transmit messages to a workstation for diagnosing interface issues, eliminating the need for physical disconnection or extra hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If conventional diagnostic techniques are used to diagnose interface issues, then diagnostic capability is improved, but device communications are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a diagnostic driver as an intermediary software component that runs on the gateway device itself. This driver captures messages at the application layer without interfering with the underlying communication protocols, allowing diagnostics to proceed while maintaining normal device communications uninterrupted.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the diagnostic function from the communication function by implementing a dedicated diagnostic driver module within the gateway device. This segmentation allows the diagnostic capabilities to operate independently alongside the normal communication operations, preventing interference between the two functions.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If conventional diagnostic techniques are used to diagnose interface issues, then diagnostic capability is improved, but additional hardware is required
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic driver acts as a software intermediary that leverages existing hardware resources (serial/Ethernet interfaces and processors) to perform diagnostic functions. This eliminates the need for specialized diagnostic hardware by mediating between the existing communication infrastructure and the diagnostic needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a software-based copy of the communication interface functionality within the diagnostic driver. Instead of requiring physical hardware copies or specialized diagnostic equipment, the driver replicates the necessary interface capabilities in software form, allowing message capture and analysis using existing hardware resources.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If conventional diagnostic techniques are used, then interface issues can be diagnosed, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic driver is designed as a universal solution that can diagnose multiple types of interface issues (serial and Ethernet) through a single software component. This multi-functionality reduces system complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require multiple specialized diagnostic tools and procedures into one unified diagnostic capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device performs self-diagnosis through the embedded diagnostic driver, eliminating the need for external diagnostic equipment or complex setup procedures. The system serves its own diagnostic needs internally, reducing overall system complexity by removing external dependencies.
Data Source
AI summary
Capturing messages exchanged with field devices in an industrial process without disrupting communication of the messages. A diagnostic driver embedded within a gateway device detects abnormal conditions in connections between the gateway device and the field devices. The diagnostic driver captures messages indicative of the abnormal condition without disrupting message communication. The driver is capable of transmitting captured messages, on demand, to a workstation computing device for diagnosis of the abnormal condition.