Redundant Safety Network Controller for Failure Takeover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic safety systems face challenges in providing comprehensive protection against various hazards due to the need for practical trade-offs between system complexity, coverage, cost, and risk, often resulting in inadequate redundancy and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a safety network controller with redundant communication pathways via daisy chain and packet-switched networks, allowing for flexible adaptation to different environments and hazard scenarios, including serial port connections, network circuitry for packet exchange, and processing circuitry for responsibility transfer in case of failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundancy is implemented in safety network controllers, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety network controller is segmented into functional modules including processing circuitry, network circuitry, first serial port, and second serial port. Each module handles specific tasks independently, allowing redundancy to be implemented through modular duplication rather than complex monolithic redesign. The controller can be divided into active and standby units that mirror each other's functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements preliminary action by pre-configuring both a first serial port and a second serial port along with their associated daisy chain networks before failure occurs. The redundant communication pathways are established in advance, and the standby controller is pre-loaded with system state information, enabling immediate takeover without complex real-time decision-making during failure events.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication pathways are implemented, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety network controller is designed with universal communication capabilities through multiple serial ports that can each independently establish daisy chain networks. Each serial port and its associated network circuitry can function independently or in conjunction with others, allowing the same hardware infrastructure to adapt to various network topologies and failure scenarios without requiring specialized components for each configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety network controller is comprised in an electronic safety system. The safety network controller comprises a first serial port and a second serial port, each of which is configured to communicatively connect to a redundant safety network controller via a respective daisy chain network. Each daisy chain network comprises at least one safety device controller that is controlling a corresponding safety device. The safety network controller further comprises network circuitry configured to communicatively connect to the redundant safety network controller via a packet-switched network. The safety network controller further comprises processing circuitry configured to exchange, with the redundant safety network controller: serial communication via each of the daisy chain networks; packets via the packet-switched network; and responsibility for control over one or more of the safety device controllers in response to detecting a failure.