Wireless Transmission Status Feedback for Industrial Process Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication protocols for industrial automation, such as EtherCAT and ProfiNet, assume reliable and delay-free data transmission, which is not applicable to wireless data transmission, leading to latency issues and impacting the deterministic behavior of industrial process control.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that provide status information about wireless data transmission to a remote controller, allowing it to monitor and manage transmission problems in real-time, by using a wireless communication network with a first interface for receiving status information and a second interface compliant with industrial process communication protocols, enabling the controller to treat the apparatus as a virtual field device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless data transmission is used to control industrial processes from a remote controller, then the flexibility and ease of deployment are improved, but the reliability and deterministic behavior deteriorate due to latency and transmission issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where status information about data frame transmission (including transmission status, delay information, and loss information) is continuously monitored and provided back to the remote controller. This allows the remote controller to adapt its control actions based on actual transmission conditions, compensating for wireless transmission reliability issues while maintaining the flexibility of wireless deployment.
2Ease of operation
If wireless data transmission is used, then the ease of deployment is improved, but the deterministic behavior worsens due to packet loss, jitter, and re-transmission delay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides status information proactively before control actions are significantly impacted by transmission issues. By monitoring and reporting transmission status, delay, and loss information in advance, the remote controller can take preliminary corrective actions to maintain deterministic behavior, reducing the effective impact of wireless transmission delays.
3Reliability
If status information monitoring is implemented, then the reliability of control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional apparatus that simultaneously performs wireless communication, status information monitoring, and protocol conversion. By consolidating these functions into a single device that interfaces with both the wireless communication network and the remote controller, the solution improves reliability through comprehensive monitoring while avoiding the complexity increase that would result from adding separate monitoring devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for providing status information relating to a wireless data transmission that is used to control an industrial process by a remote controller is presented, wherein the remote controller is coupled to a field device of the industrial process via a wireless communication network supporting the wireless data transmission. An apparatus implementation of the technique comprises a first interface configured to be coupled to one of a user equipment, a radio access network and a core network of the wireless communication network, and a second interface compliant with an industrial process communication protocol used for communication between the remote controller and the at least one first field device. The apparatus is configured to receive the status information via the first interface and provide the status information, or information derived therefrom, via the second interface towards the remote controller.