Industrial Data Gateway for Non-Standard Protocol Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of industrial devices with diverse operating protocol interfaces poses challenges due to the need for dynamic adaptation to new or replaced equipment, and existing solutions like OPC UA standard adoption are not universally applicable, leading to sub-optimal decision-making and high costs.
Innovation Solution
An industrial data integration device and method that includes interaction modules for standard and non-standard protocols, with life cycle management and service discovery, enabling unified registration and management of services across heterogeneous devices, and providing a unified interface via a Web server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If proprietary interface protocols are used for each device, then device-specific functionality is maintained, but integration complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between field devices with proprietary protocols and the upper business layer. The gateway translates proprietary protocols into standard protocols (Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, OPC UA), eliminating the need for the upper layer to directly support multiple proprietary protocols. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining device-specific functionality while simplifying integration complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device is designed with multi-functionality to support multiple proprietary protocols and multiple standard protocols simultaneously. This universal approach allows a single gateway to handle diverse device types, reducing the need for multiple specialized integration components and lowering overall system complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the upper business layer directly supports multiple protocol interfaces, then all devices can be integrated, but development effort and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway acts as an intermediary that handles protocol translation, shielding the upper business layer from the complexity of multiple proprietary protocols. The upper layer only needs to implement standard protocol support, while the gateway manages the complexity of proprietary protocol adaptations, significantly reducing development effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional layers: the gateway layer handles proprietary protocol complexity, while the upper business layer focuses on standard protocol implementation. This segmentation allows each layer to be developed and maintained independently, reducing overall development effort and complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standardized wrappers are added to existing devices, then protocol compatibility is achieved, but device modification becomes necessary
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying existing devices to add wrappers, the gateway serves as an external intermediary that performs protocol translation. This approach achieves protocol compatibility without requiring any physical or software modifications to existing field devices, maintaining ease of operation.
4Device complexity
If only standardized devices are supported, then integration is simplified, but data completeness for decision-making is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway enables the system to support both standardized and proprietary devices without compromising integration simplicity. By translating proprietary protocols into standard protocols, the gateway ensures that data from all device types can be collected and made available to the upper business layer, maintaining data completeness while preserving integration simplicity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An industrial data integration device, method and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed. The industrial data integration device includes: a first interaction module for interacting with a first industrial field device based on a non-standard protocol; a life cycle management module for managing the life cycle of the first interaction module; a service discovery module for discovering a first service provided by the first interaction module, wherein the first service is related to the interaction between the first interaction module and the first industrial field device. The device, method and computer-readable storage medium can provide services related to industrial field device using non-standardized interface protocols, have the advantages of high scalability, high security, cost-effective and high flexibility.