Redundant Industrial Network Spanning Tree and Ring Protocol Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial automation systems face issues with communication interruptions leading to unnecessary message repetition and potential system failures due to the use of time-critical protocols in production environments, particularly with high volumes of short messages, which can result in costly production downtime.

Innovation Solution

A method and communication device that utilize a spanning tree protocol in one subnetwork and a parallel or ring redundancy protocol in another, allowing for rapid reconfiguration in case of errors by configuring a virtual network node connected to all nodes via a virtual connection that cannot be interrupted, enabling the first subnetwork to treat the second subnetwork as a star-shaped expansion, thus isolating errors and maintaining operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If a spanning tree protocol is used in the first subnetwork to prevent message loops, then message transmission stability is improved, but reconfiguration speed upon error decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemessage transmission stabilityVSAvoidreconfiguration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The industrial communication network is divided into two separate subnetworks: a first subnetwork using spanning tree protocol for stability, and a second subnetwork using parallel or ring redundancy protocol for rapid reconfiguration. This segmentation allows each subnetwork to optimize for its specific function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A gateway device acts as an intermediary between the two subnetworks, translating messages between spanning tree protocol and parallel/ring redundancy protocol. This mediator enables the two different protocols to work together, allowing the first subnetwork to maintain stability while the second subnetwork provides fast failover capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If redundancy is implemented using traditional protocols, then system reliability is improved, but communication overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidcommunication overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Different parts of the network have different protocol characteristics: the first subnetwork uses spanning tree protocol with higher overhead for loop prevention, while the second subnetwork uses parallel or ring redundancy protocol with lower overhead for redundancy. Each subnetwork is optimized for its specific function, reducing overall communication overhead while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS9218230B2Method for transmitting messages in a redundantly operable industrial communication network and communication device for the redundantly operable industrial communication network

Publication Date: 2015.12.22 SIEMENS AG

AI summary

A method for transmitting messages in a redundantly operable communication network includes a first subnetwork with a tree topology and a second subnetwork, wherein messages are transmitted in the first subnetwork in accordance with a spanning tree protocol, communication devices associated with network nodes of the first subnetwork interchange messages containing topology information with one another in order to form a tree topology, messages are transmitted in the second subnetwork in accordance with a parallel or ring redundancy protocol, and a virtual network node which is connected to all network nodes of the second subnetwork via a respective virtual connection which is uninterruptable by an error is configured as the root network node of the first subnetwork.