Simulation I/O Kernel for Industrial Control Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional industrial simulation techniques suffer from inefficiencies in data fidelity, update rates, and simulation accuracy due to the lack of direct communication between simulation and I/O module configurations, leading to non-deterministic latency and bypassing of I/O module configurations during validation, which compromises the realism and thoroughness of control program testing.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a simulation system that leverages I/O module configuration information within an industrial controller to facilitate direct communication between a plant simulation and the controller's I/O module instances, using an I/O connection pool to exchange simulated I/O data as raw values, and employs a synchronization mechanism to maintain clock synchronization between the controller and simulation, thereby replicating real-world I/O signal processing and reducing configuration overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a middleware layer (e.g., OPC server) is used to link simulation I/O points to controller data table addresses, then the simulation can exchange I/O data with the controller, but transmission latency increases and data fidelity deteriorates due to the non-deterministic nature of the middleware layer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the middleware layer from the simulation architecture, enabling direct communication between the simulation I/O points and the controller data table. This eliminates the non-deterministic processing delays introduced by middleware while maintaining data exchange functionality, thereby reducing transmission latency and improving data fidelity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a simulation I/O kernel as a new intermediary that directly interfaces with the controller's I/O module instances. This kernel acts as a deterministic mediator that preserves the timing characteristics and data fidelity of real I/O signals while enabling simulation execution on general-purpose computers with operating system interruptions.
2Reliability
If simulated I/O data is exchanged directly with the controller data table via middleware, then data can be transmitted, but the I/O module configurations are bypassed reducing simulation accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the simulation I/O kernel multi-functional by enabling it to both exchange data with the controller data table and simultaneously interface with I/O module instances. This allows the simulation to benefit from both direct data access and the signal processing capabilities of I/O module configurations, improving simulation accuracy without requiring separate configuration systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the I/O module configuration environment within the simulation by having the simulation I/O kernel interface with virtual I/O module instances that replicate the behavior of physical I/O modules. This allows the control program to be tested against realistic I/O signal processing while maintaining simulation flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the simulation executes on a general-purpose computer with operating system functions, then simulation execution is flexible, but transmission latency increases due to OS interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation I/O kernel serves as a protective intermediary layer between the simulation application and the operating system. It abstracts away the non-deterministic OS interruptions by providing a stable, deterministic interface for I/O data exchange, allowing the simulation to run on general-purpose computers while maintaining timing accuracy.
4Ease of manufacture
If I/O module configurations are bypassed during simulation, then data exchange is simplified, but the control program's behavior with respect to I/O scaling and configuration is untested
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation I/O kernel is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it enables direct data exchange for simplified setup while also interfacing with virtual I/O module instances for comprehensive validation. This dual functionality allows the same simulation infrastructure to support both quick prototyping and thorough validation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A simulation environment is provided for running a process simulation used to validate an industrial control program. The simulation environment exposes the I/O module configurations defined in the control program and retrieves module configuration information therefrom. This I/O module configuration information is combined with generic, module-specific I/O module profiles to create a pool of available controller I/O points, which can be selectively associated with I/O points in the simulation to create an I/O point mapping. During control program validation, simulated I/O data is exchanged between the process simulation and the I/O module instances in the controller in accordance with the I/O point mapping. A variation of these techniques for use with cloud-based emulations is also described.