Safety Controller Diagnosis for Automated Installations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety controllers in automated installations lack comprehensive fault diagnosis, often misleading operating personnel by not distinguishing between logical and physical errors, which can lead to incorrect identification of system states and hinder effective fault rectification.
Innovation Solution
A safety controller and method that integrate installation diagnosis with system diagnosis, providing a diagnosis report that accounts for both installation states and associated system states, enabling the identification of physical errors causing logical errors and enhancing fault rectification capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If safety controllers use traditional diagnosis methods that only monitor installation states, then the system structure remains simple, but the diagnosis accuracy deteriorates because physical errors cannot be distinguished from logical errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges installation diagnosis with system diagnosis into a unified integrated diagnosis system. The safety controller simultaneously monitors both installation states (logical errors) and system states (physical errors), combining their diagnostic capabilities to provide comprehensive fault detection and accurate error identification.
2Productivity
If safety controllers provide comprehensive diagnosis information, then fault rectification efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional diagnosis units and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The safety controller is designed with multi-functional capability, serving both as a control device and an integrated diagnosis system. It simultaneously performs installation monitoring, system state monitoring, error detection, and fault diagnosis functions, eliminating the need for separate dedicated diagnosis equipment and reducing overall system complexity while improving fault rectification efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety controller for controlling an automated installation in accordance with a user program has a control unit receiving a plurality of control input signals from a plurality of sensors. The control unit produces a plurality of control output signals on the basis of the control input signals in accordance with a user program. The control output signals drive actuators in order to adopt one of a plurality of installation states of the automated installation. An installation diagnosis evaluation unit produces a number of installation state signals representing which one of the plurality of installation states is existent at a defined moment of time. In addition, a system diagnosis evaluation unit produces a number of system state signals, with each system state signal representing one from a plurality of operational system states of the controller system, which is formed by the control unit and its connected sensors and actuators, at the defined moment of time. A diagnosis report unit produces a number of diagnosis signals depending on the installation state signals, depending on the system state signals, and depending on predefined associations between said installation states and said operational system states. The diagnosis signals represent a number of diagnosis reports which are a result of a combination of both the installation states and associated operational system states. A display unit displays the diagnosis reports in response to the diagnosis signals.