Legacy Industrial End-Device Messaging Through Time-Sensitive Ethernet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial plants with Ethernet networks enhanced for time-sensitive communication face challenges in integrating end devices that are not aware of this functionality, necessitating a solution to enable their participation in time-sensitive communication.
Innovation Solution
An enabler component on the end device maps and converts messages to Ethernet frames with time-sensitive communication functionality, coordinating with network devices to ensure timely delivery, while minimizing changes to the end devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Ethernet networks are enhanced with Time-Sensitive Networking functionality for time-sensitive communication, then communication reliability and timing precision are improved, but device complexity and compatibility requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an enabler component as an intermediary layer between legacy control applications and the TSN-enhanced Ethernet network. This enabler component handles the complexity of TSN functionality (priority mapping, quality of service parameters) while allowing legacy end devices to communicate without modification, thus improving communication reliability without increasing device complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If legacy end devices are integrated into a TSN-enhanced Ethernet network, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but communication precision and timing synchronization worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The enabler component acts as a mediator that translates legacy device communications into TSN-compatible formats. It maps legacy message priorities to TSN priority levels and injects appropriate quality of service parameters, enabling legacy devices to participate in the TSN network while maintaining millisecond timing precision through network-level enforcement rather than device-level implementation
3Measurement precision
If end devices are upgraded to be TSN-aware, then communication precision is improved, but ease of operation and implementation difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the enabler component monitors communication patterns and automatically adjusts priority mappings and quality of service parameters. This feedback loop allows the system to maintain timing precision while adapting to changing communication requirements without requiring manual reconfiguration or complex user intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The enabler component provides self-service functionality by automatically analyzing message content and assigning appropriate TSN priority levels without user intervention. It autonomously manages the translation between legacy communication patterns and TSN requirements, eliminating the need for users to understand or configure complex TSN parameters
Data Source
AI summary
A method for transporting a message from an end device in an industrial plant over an Ethernet network with extended functionality for time-sensitive communication includes obtaining the message from a control application of the end device, mapping the message, based at least in part on the content of the message, to at least one functionality for time-sensitive communication converting the message into Ethernet frames; encoding a request to transport the message; transmitting the Ethernet frames; decoding the request; and forwarding the message on the Ethernet network according to the requested functionality for time-sensitive communication.