Virtual I/O Switching for Real-Time Industrial Control Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial control systems face limitations in scalability, reconfigurability, reliability, and performance due to hardware-driven architectures, which restrict their ability to efficiently manage data and I/O operations, leading to issues with data archiving, communication resource utilization, and system responsiveness.
Innovation Solution
A multi-purpose hardware/software architecture decouples hardware from software, enabling dynamic simulation and run-time process control through a virtualized environment that abstracts I/O operations, allowing for easier scaling, reconfiguration, and improved reliability and availability by using virtual and physical components that cooperate for real-time control and simulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hardware-driven architecture is used in industrial control systems, then system stability and reliability are improved, but scalability and reconfigurability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into virtual components (virtual I/O devices, virtual controllers, virtual data historians) that can be independently configured, deployed, and managed. This segmentation allows the system to maintain hardware-level reliability while achieving software-level flexibility and reconfigurability, as virtual components can be modified without affecting physical hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
A virtualization layer is introduced as an intermediary between hardware and software components. This layer includes virtual I/O devices and virtual controllers that mediate between physical hardware and control applications, enabling both hardware stability and software flexibility to coexist by decoupling their dependencies.
2Reliability
If centralized hardware devices are used for process control, then system reliability is improved, but communication resource utilization and system responsiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Centralized control functions are segmented and distributed across multiple virtual components including virtual controllers, virtual I/O devices, and virtual data historians. This distribution reduces communication bottlenecks and improves resource utilization while maintaining system reliability through coordinated operation of distributed virtual components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-dimensional centralized architecture to a multi-dimensional virtualized architecture where control functions can be deployed across multiple dimensions (physical servers, virtual machines, containers). This enables improved communication resource utilization and responsiveness while maintaining reliability through redundant virtual component instances.
3Reliability
If hardware components are tightly coupled with control software, then system reliability is improved, but ease of reconfiguration and scaling deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Virtualization technologies serve as intermediaries that decouple hardware components from control software. Virtual I/O devices and virtual controllers act as mediators that enable control applications to interact with hardware through standardized virtual interfaces, making reconfiguration and scaling easier while maintaining reliability through consistent interface contracts.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtualized architecture creates universal interfaces that can work with multiple hardware platforms and control software configurations. Virtual components can be configured to perform different functions and can be scaled independently, enabling easy reconfiguration and scaling while maintaining system reliability through standardized virtualization layers.
4Productivity
If more hardware resources are allocated to improve system performance, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and hardware costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple virtual components and control functions are merged and consolidated on shared physical hardware infrastructure. Virtualization technologies allow multiple virtual controllers, virtual I/O devices, and virtual data historians to coexist on the same physical servers, improving system performance through better resource utilization while reducing hardware complexity and costs by eliminating redundant physical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtualized architecture creates universal hardware platforms that can support multiple control functions and applications simultaneously. A single physical server can host multiple virtual controllers and data historians, providing improved system performance through efficient resource sharing while reducing overall hardware complexity and costs compared to dedicated hardware for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulation and run-time Control platform includes a virtual process environment coupled to a physical process environment, where components/nodes of the virtual and physical process environments cooperate to dynamically perform run-time process control of an industrial process plant and/or simulations thereof. Virtual components may include virtual run-time nodes and/or simulated nodes. The MPDSC includes an I/O Switch which delivers I/O data between virtual and/or physical nodes, e.g., by using publish/subscribe mechanisms, thereby virtualizing physical I/O process data delivery. Nodes serviced by the I/O Switch may include respective component behavior modules that are unaware as to whether or not they are being utilized on a virtual or physical node. Simulations may be performed in real-time and even in conjunction with run-time operations of the plant, and/or simulations may be manipulated as desired (speed, values, administration, etc.). The platform simultaneously supports simulation and run-time operations and interactions/intersections therebetween.