Industrial Compute Module Configuration via Add-On Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial automation systems face challenges in efficiently configuring and managing compute modules, particularly in defining properties and settings for industrial computing devices without requiring raw programming.
Innovation Solution
The use of design software to define properties and settings of compute modules through add-on profiles (AOPs), which allow users to configure operating parameters, communication channels, and other settings via graphical user interfaces, eliminating the need for raw programming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If design software with add-on profiles is used to configure compute modules, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces design software with add-on profiles as an intermediary layer between the user and the compute module configuration. This mediator translates high-level user requirements into detailed configuration parameters, simplifying the user interface while managing the underlying complexity through structured profile management and parameter mapping mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration system is segmented into modular add-on profiles, each handling specific functional areas or device types. This segmentation allows the complex configuration process to be broken down into manageable, independent modules that can be selectively applied, reducing the perceived complexity for users while organizing the underlying system architecture.
2Ease of operation
If graphical user interfaces are used for configuration, then ease of operation is improved, but information loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates and maintains digital copies of configuration data across multiple representations - graphical interface elements, profile definitions, and underlying parameter structures. This copying mechanism ensures that information is preserved and synchronized across different layers of the configuration system, preventing data loss while maintaining user-friendly graphical interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration system implements feedback loops that continuously synchronize data between the graphical user interface and the underlying configuration parameters. This feedback mechanism ensures that information entered through the graphical interface is accurately captured, validated, and reflected in the actual device configuration, preventing information loss.
3Ease of operation
If raw programming is eliminated for configuration, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The add-on profile system enables self-service configuration where the system automatically generates and validates configuration parameters based on selected profiles and user inputs. This self-service mechanism maintains precision by incorporating built-in validation rules, default value management, and automatic parameter derivation, eliminating the need for manual programming while ensuring configuration accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages configuration precision through structured parameter changes within defined profiles. Each add-on profile contains pre-defined parameter sets with appropriate data types, validation rules, and interdependencies. When users configure devices through the graphical interface, they are working within these structured parameter frameworks that ensure precision and consistency without requiring raw programming.
Data Source
AI summary
A method may include receiving, via a computing system, a request to retrieve a profile file associated with an industrial computing device that may communicate data with a plurality of industrial devices in an industrial system. The method may also include retrieving the profile file from a storage component configured to store a plurality of profile files associated with the industrial computing device and the plurality of industrial devices. The method may also include presenting one or more visualizations based on the profile file, such that the visualizations may include one or more input fields that may receive user input for defining parameters associated with the industrial computing device. The method may then include receiving the parameters via the user input via the input fields and sending the parameters to the industrial computing device. The industrial computing device may adjust one or more settings based on the parameters.