Industrial Network Emulation Using Packet-Arrival Clocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial simulation systems face challenges in accurately modeling communication timings between industrial controllers and physical equipment, leading to variable data packet timing and jitter due to limitations in the system clock granularity of hardware platforms.
Innovation Solution
The proposed industrial simulation system uses the arrival time of data packets from the industrial controller as a clock signal to schedule the sending of simulated device data packets, rather than relying on the system clock or additional network emulation hardware, ensuring high-frequency and accurate data exchanges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the system clock is used to schedule data packet transmission, then the timing is simplified, but the timing accuracy and jitter performance deteriorate due to limited clock granularity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (communication control component) that mediates between the system clock and the data transmission process. This component receives the system clock signal but decouples the transmission timing from direct clock dependency by using event-driven triggering based on received data packets, thereby improving timing accuracy without requiring a higher-frequency system clock.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/system-level clock-based timing mechanism with an event-driven software-based timing mechanism. Instead of relying on the system clock's periodic interrupts to schedule transmissions, the system uses the arrival of received data packets as triggers to initiate transmissions, substituting a rigid mechanical timing system with a flexible event-based system that achieves higher effective timing resolution.
2Measurement precision
If additional network emulation hardware is used to achieve high-frequency data exchanges, then the timing accuracy improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the industrial communication environment within the simulation system. Instead of using additional physical network emulation hardware to replicate industrial communication timing, the system software-emulates the timing characteristics by processing received packets and generating responses with controlled delays, achieving hardware-free high-frequency data exchange simulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulation system uses its own received data packets as the trigger mechanism for generating response packets. The system serves itself by using the incoming communication stream to drive the outgoing communication stream, eliminating the need for external synchronization hardware or additional network emulation devices. The received packets inherently provide the timing reference needed for accurate response generation.
3Measurement precision
If the system clock granularity is increased to improve timing accuracy, then the data packet timing precision improves, but the processing overhead and system resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic timing approach where the effective timing resolution adapts to the actual communication needs. Instead of using a fixed high-frequency system clock that consumes constant resources, the system dynamically determines transmission timing based on when data packets are actually received and when they need to be sent, achieving high timing precision only when necessary and reducing processing overhead during idle periods.
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial simulation system exchanges data between a virtualized industrial system and an industrial controller at high frequencies and accuracies without the need for additional network emulation hardware. Rather than timing the sending of emulated device data packets from the simulation to the industrial controller using an operating system clock, the simulation system uses the arrival event of a data packet received from the industrial controller as the clock signal that drives the sending of data packets from the virtual system to the controller. Using the arrival time of data packets from the industrial controller as the clock signal rather than the system clock of the operating system can yield high accuracy, low jitter data exchanges during simulation.