Manufacturing Service Bus Bridge for Domain Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication systems between enterprise software applications and manufacturing controllers in industrial automation systems are unpredictable, fault-intolerant, and not performance scalable, leading to instability and diagnostic challenges due to differences in programming languages, messaging protocols, and execution environments.
Innovation Solution
A communication system utilizing a manufacturing service bus with internal service busses and a bridge to establish virtual channels, employing a predefined messaging framework with standard instructions and a service-oriented architecture to facilitate message exchange between control and enterprise domains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If customized code is used to enable communication between enterprise software applications and manufacturing controllers, then communication between different domains is enabled, but the system becomes unpredictable and fault intolerant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component that mediates communication between enterprise software applications and manufacturing controllers. The gateway translates messages between different protocols and formats, enabling communication while maintaining system reliability through standardized interfaces and controlled translation processes, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of communication interface standardization by implementing a standardized gateway interface that can adapt to different protocols through configuration rather than custom code. This allows the system to maintain reliability through standardization while preserving adaptability through configurable parameter changes, eliminating the need for unpredictable customized code
2Adaptability or versatility
If customized code is used for domain communication, then messaging exchange is enabled, but the system becomes complex and difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal gateway component that can handle multiple messaging protocols and communication scenarios through a single standardized interface. This multi-functional gateway reduces system complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require multiple customized communication modules, making the system easier to configure and manage while maintaining versatile messaging exchange capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as a universal intermediary that standardizes communication patterns across different domains. By providing a single point of integration with standardized interfaces, the gateway simplifies system management and configuration compared to implementing custom communication code throughout the system, thereby reducing complexity while preserving messaging exchange capability
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple messaging protocols are used in the system, then communication flexibility between different applications and controllers is improved, but configuration and management becomes complex and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway serves as a protocol translation intermediary that handles multiple messaging protocols internally while presenting a standardized interface to the rest of the system. This approach maintains communication flexibility by supporting multiple protocols through the gateway's translation capabilities, while simplifying configuration and management by hiding protocol complexity behind a unified interface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the protocol handling function into a separate gateway component, isolating protocol complexity from the main system applications and controllers. This segmentation allows each protocol to be handled independently within the gateway while maintaining a simple standardized interface for the rest of the system, thereby reducing overall configuration and management complexity while preserving communication flexibility
Data Source
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AI summary
An improved industrial automation system and communication system for implementation therein, and related methods of operation, are described herein. In at least some embodiments, the improved communication system allows communication in the form of messages between modules (20A,...,20D;18A,...,18E) in different control or enterprise domains. Further, in at least some embodiments, such communications are achieved by providing a communication system including a manufacturing service bus having two internal service busses (28;30) with a bridge (32) between the internal busses. Also, in at least some embodiments, a methodology of synchronous messaging is employed.