SD Card Based RTU Firmware Upgrade and Data Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Non-SD card based RTUs face limitations in storing large-scale history data at high resolution for extended periods, and they become inaccessible if hardware or software is corrupted, requiring complex software tools for firmware upgrades, project configuration, and data export.
Innovation Solution
An SD card based RTU system that allows for secure, portable storage of function codes and data, enabling easy firmware upgrades, project downloads, configuration exports, and system resets without software tools, using on-chip memory and a portable storage interface to access and execute functions directly from an SD card.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional non-SD card based RTU storage is used, then hardware structure is simpler, but data storage capacity and accessibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an SD card as an intermediary portable storage medium between the RTU processing circuitry and the data storage requirement. The SD card interface circuitry mediates between the existing RTU hardware and the external SD card, enabling large-scale data storage without fundamentally redesigning the core RTU hardware architecture. This resolves the contradiction by adding storage capacity through an intermediate component rather than expanding internal storage directly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the storage function from the processing function by using separate components: the RTU processing circuitry remains in the main unit while the SD card provides external storage. This segmentation allows the RTU to maintain its original simple hardware structure while gaining access to large storage capacity through the separable SD card interface.
2Ease of operation
If firmware upgrades require complex software tools, then system security is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the RTU to perform firmware upgrades autonomously using the SD card. The processing circuitry detects the SD card, automatically loads firmware from it, and executes the upgrade process without requiring external software tools or complex intervention procedures. This self-service capability dramatically simplifies the ease of operation while maintaining system integrity through controlled automatic verification processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares firmware updates in advance by storing them on the SD card before the upgrade process. The firmware is pre-validated and ready-to-execute on the SD card, allowing the RTU to perform the upgrade by simply reading and executing the pre-prepared firmware image without requiring complex real-time software tool intervention during the upgrade process.
3Quantity of substance
If data is stored in on-chip memory only, then access speed is fast, but data storage capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds another dimension to the storage architecture by introducing a secondary storage layer (SD card) alongside the primary on-chip memory. This creates a hierarchical storage system where frequently accessed data can be stored in fast on-chip memory while historical and archival data are stored on the SD card, effectively resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and access speed by utilizing different storage dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested storage structure where the SD card storage capacity contains and supplements the on-chip memory storage. The system can nest frequently used firmware and configuration data in the fast on-chip memory while storing large volumes of historical data on the SD card, creating a nested hierarchy that provides both fast access for critical data and large capacity for archival data.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system includes a remote terminal unit (RTU) (102) and a portable storage medium (PSM) (645), such as a secure digital (SD) card. The RTU includes processing circuitry (300). The RTU includes a portable storage interface (340) configured to physically connect to the PSM and electrically couple the PSM to the processing circuitry. The RTU includes on-chip memory (315). The processing circuitry is configured to determine that the PSM is coupled to the processing circuitry and access a specified folder(655) of the PSM. The processing circuitry is configured to: in response to determining that the PSM stores function code in the specified folder, perform a specified function (514, 516, 518, 520, 522) corresponding to the function code by executing the function code.