OPC UA Transmission Settings for Process Data Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack an efficient method for setting up communication environments between control devices and information processing devices to transmit necessary process data for application execution, particularly in manufacturing settings, where manual settings are cumbersome and do not consider communication load effectively.
Innovation Solution
A control system that employs a publish-subscribe communication scheme using OPC UA, where an arithmetic means determines the optimal transmission setting for process data based on evaluation criteria, ensuring efficient data set composition and transmission to balance communication load and application requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual transmission setting is performed for process data, then the communication environment can be established between control device and information processing device, but the setting process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines transmission settings by having the information processing device generate a data collection plan that identifies necessary process data, calculates communication loads, and configures transmission parameters without requiring manual operator intervention. The control device then automatically transmits data according to these generated settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The information processing device performs preliminary analysis to determine which process data is necessary for applications before transmission settings are established. The system pre-calculates communication loads and pre-configures optimal transmission parameters, so that when transmission begins, all settings are already optimized and ready.
2Reliability
If all process data is transmitted to ensure application execution, then data completeness is achieved, but communication load increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary process data from the control device based on application requirements. The information processing device analyzes which specific data points are needed for each application and configures transmission settings to send only those selected data elements, excluding unnecessary data to reduce communication load.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts transmission parameters such as data collection intervals, transmission frequencies, and data formats based on application needs and communication load conditions. This allows optimization of data transmission efficiency while maintaining the reliability needed for application execution.
3Productivity
If transmission setting is optimized for each application, then communication efficiency improves, but the complexity of setting management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The information processing device serves multiple functions: it identifies necessary process data, calculates communication loads, generates data collection plans, and configures transmission settings all in one integrated system. This universal approach allows the same device to handle multiple applications with different requirements without requiring separate setting management systems for each.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from application performance and communication load monitoring to continuously optimize transmission settings. The information processing device monitors how applications use received data and adjusts transmission parameters accordingly, automatically managing the complexity of setting optimization across multiple applications.
Data Source
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AI summary
One object of the present invention is to easily perform transmission setting such that process data necessary for execution of an application is transmitted from a control device toward an information processing device. A control system (1) includes arithmetic means (300) that determines a transmission setting (400) transmitting a data set (50). The arithmetic means (300) includes acquisition means (320) that acquires process data (52) necessary for each of one or a plurality of applications (220) executed by an HMI (200) and determination means that determines how to transmit the process data (52) used in each application (220) according to an evaluation criterion (360) regarding a communication load.