Microservice Process Control With Shadow Blocks for Custom Calculations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional process control systems face challenges in modularity, making it difficult to modify or introduce new functionality due to highly interdependent software components, and require custom calculations that are complex to implement, often relying on unreliable external interface protocols.
Innovation Solution
A micro-service architecture with containerized control system services that are modular and independently deployable, using a service message bus for communication, and a shadow function block to integrate custom calculation engines, enabling greater design flexibility and simplifying development and troubleshooting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional process control systems use highly interdependent software components, then system integration is achieved, but modularity and ease of modification deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the process control system into independent microservices, each encapsulating specific control functionality. These microservices communicate through well-defined interfaces, allowing the system to maintain integration while enabling individual services to be modified, deployed, and scaled independently, thus resolving the contradiction between system integration and modularity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an event bus as an intermediary mechanism that enables communication between microservices without direct coupling. This mediator allows services to interact through published and subscribed events, maintaining system integration while preserving the independence and modularity of individual services.
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom calculation engines are integrated using external interface protocols, then functionality is extended, but reliability deteriorates due to protocol instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a shadow function block as an intermediary layer between the control system and custom calculation engines. This shadow block translates external calculation requests into internal control system operations, providing a stable, well-defined interface that isolates the control system from the instability of external protocols while maintaining extended functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual representation (shadow) of the function block that interfaces with custom calculation engines. This shadow copy handles all communication and translation, allowing the actual control logic to remain unchanged and reliable while supporting flexible external functionality extensions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If control system services are deployed as integrated monolithic systems, then system coherence is maintained, but development complexity and troubleshooting difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monolithic control system into independent microservices, each with its own codebase, deployment unit, and team ownership. This segmentation reduces development complexity by allowing parallel development and independent deployment of individual services while maintaining system coherence through standardized communication protocols and shared event bus.
4Power
If hardware resources are allocated to support control functions, then processing capability is provided, but hardware limitations constrain system flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs microservices with universal interfaces and standardized communication mechanisms that can run on diverse hardware platforms. This multi-functionality allows the same control logic to be deployed across different hardware configurations, eliminating hardware constraints on system flexibility while maintaining full processing capability through virtualized resource allocation.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a micro-service control architecture provides a modular, flexible platform for designing, diagnosing, updating and/or expanding process control systems. Each service is containerized to provide portability and isolation from other components of the process control system. In another aspect, a function block diagram includes a “shadow” block that acts as an interface to an external, custom calculation engine, thereby enabling the custom calculation engine to operate synchronously with respect to other function blocks of the function block diagram.