Open Machine Interface for Cross-Manufacturer Surface Mount Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial equipment used in processes like surface mounting lacks interoperability due to incompatible communications protocols, hindering seamless data exchange and control between different machines from various manufacturers.
Innovation Solution
An open application interface using standardized communication protocols like JSON-RPC 2.0, secured with TLS, allows any equipment to participate, enabling connection and data sharing regardless of manufacturer, type, or specific protocol, facilitating control and data exchange across diverse industrial machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple proprietary communication protocols are used for different industrial equipment, then each equipment can maintain its own specialized communication standards, but interoperability between equipment from different manufacturers is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a gateway device that acts as an intermediary between equipment using different proprietary protocols. The gateway translates messages between various protocols (GEM, CFX, Hermes, etc.) and a standardized internal format, enabling interoperability without requiring all equipment to adopt a single protocol. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining equipment-specific protocols while enabling cross-equipment communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device is designed with multi-functionality to support multiple communication protocols simultaneously. It can interface with equipment using GEM, CFX, Hermes, or other proprietary protocols, translating them all to a universal internal message format. This universal interface capability enables the system to work with diverse equipment while maintaining a consistent communication framework.
2Loss of information
If equipment-specific communication protocols are maintained, then equipment can operate independently with specialized standards, but data exchange and control between different machines is impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway serves as an information exchange intermediary that receives data from equipment using proprietary protocols, translates it to a standardized format, and forwards it to the MES or other equipment. This ensures complete data exchange capability while handling protocol compatibility through translation, preventing information loss in multi-vendor environments.
3Ease of operation
If proprietary protocols are used for each equipment type, then manufacturer-specific control requirements can be met, but seamless control across diverse equipment is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway enables seamless control across diverse equipment by translating control commands from the MES through the standardized internal format to equipment-specific protocols. This maintains ease of operation for manufacturer-specific equipment while enabling cross-manufacturer control through the translation layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway's multi-protocol support provides universal control capability across equipment from different manufacturers. It can issue control commands to equipment using GEM, CFX, Hermes, or other proprietary protocols through a single unified interface, making cross-manufacturer control as easy as manufacturer-specific control.
Data Source
AI summary
An open application protocol for industrial equipment is disclosed. Disclosed techniques include: opening a connection between (a) an open application associated with a manufacturing execution system and (b) an instance of a data sharing interface operating on an industrial machine used in a surface mounting process, the open application being configured to communicate with any machine that implements the data sharing interface, regardless of machine type or manufacturer; discovering, by the open application via the connection, discoverable information associated with the industrial machine, the discoverable information including one or more of data items, events, commands, or alarms; and controlling, by the open application via the connection, operation of the industrial machine to control at least a portion of the surface mounting process.