HART Multiplexer Command Consolidation for Industrial Network Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial networks using multiple communication protocols face inefficiencies due to incompatible protocols and duplicative network traffic when translating data requests across different protocols.
Innovation Solution
A HART multiplexer analyzes concurrent requests to identify the minimal set of HART commands necessary to access required data, combining them to optimize data access and reduce network traffic by using only supported commands, and sends these commands to the HART device, generating responses to fulfill all requests efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication protocols are used to access different devices and data, then protocol compatibility and data accessibility are improved, but network traffic complexity and communication efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between devices using different communication protocols. The gateway receives requests from devices using one protocol, translates them into the appropriate protocol for the target device, and returns the responses. This mediator approach enables protocol compatibility without requiring direct multi-protocol support between all devices, thereby improving adaptability while managing complexity through centralized translation logic.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data requests are translated between different protocols, then data accessibility across protocols is improved, but network traffic efficiency and duplication worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple data requests into a single consolidated request when possible. When the gateway receives multiple requests for data from the same source device, it merges these requests into one translation operation, reducing the number of protocol conversions and minimizing network traffic duplication. This merging strategy maintains full data accessibility while significantly improving network traffic efficiency by eliminating redundant translations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If protocol translation is performed for each request, then data access across protocols is maintained, but communication speed and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-translating and caching frequently accessed data between protocols. The gateway identifies commonly requested data and performs translation in advance, storing the translated data for quick retrieval. When subsequent requests are received, the gateway can serve them from the cache without performing full protocol translation, thereby maintaining cross-protocol communication capability while significantly improving communication speed for repeated access patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
A device, such as a HART multiplexer, may allow access to one or more HART instruments from a single interface. The device may also support access to the HART instruments from a second interface. Requests for reading or writing data to or from a HART instrument may be combined at the device into a set of HART commands that may be more efficient than the HART commands that would be sent if each request was processed independently.