Modular Field Device Firmware for Adaptive Industrial Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face inflexibility due to rigid firmware in field devices, making it difficult to adapt to changing demands or regulatory requirements, leading to increased costs and performance burdens.
Innovation Solution
A self-adaptive field device with a repository, identity register, and framework that allows dynamic loading of firmware modules, enabling the device to adapt its firmware and optimize resource usage by loading only required functionalities, facilitating automatic detection and configuration of machine applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If firmware is optimized for a specific task within the functional configuration, then performance and reliability are improved, but adaptability to changing demands deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The firmware is divided into multiple independent firmware modules, each implementing a specific function or task. These modules can be selectively loaded and unloaded based on the required machine application, allowing the system to maintain optimized specialized modules while adapting to different configurations by composing different module sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The firmware configuration transitions from a static, fixed compilation to a dynamic modular structure. The framework enables runtime loading, unloading, and composition of firmware modules based on detected machine applications, allowing the system to adapt its functionality dynamically while maintaining the reliability benefits of specialized optimized modules.
2Adaptability or versatility
If field devices are made smarter with more embedded capabilities, then functionality is improved, but costs and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single field device type equipped with the modular framework can perform multiple different machine applications by loading different combinations of firmware modules. This universal approach replaces the need for multiple specialized field device types, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatile functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Specific functional capabilities are extracted into separate, independently loadable firmware modules rather than being permanently embedded in the field device. This allows the core field device to remain relatively simple while gaining access to specialized functions only when needed through selective module loading.
3Productivity
If firmware is loaded on the field device, then task execution capability is improved, but flexibility for changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The firmware system transitions from static loading to dynamic modular loading. The framework enables the field device to load required firmware modules based on detected machine applications, execute tasks with high productivity through optimized specialized modules, and simultaneously maintain flexibility by unloading or replacing modules when task requirements change.
Solution Approach 2:
Firmware modules are prepared and registered in advance with the framework, allowing the system to quickly detect machine applications and load the appropriate pre-prepared modules. This preliminary organization enables both rapid task execution capability and flexible adaptation to different applications without requiring complex runtime compilation or interpretation.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-adaptive field device is disclosed having a repository, an identity register and a firmware framework having static firmware modules. Further disclosed is an industrial automation system of self-adaptive field devices, and a method for configuring such a system. The method includes booting each field device, evaluating each field device, and initialising each field device. The method may further include resource load balancing.