Safety relay configuration system with multiple test pulse schemes using graphical interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10020151-B2
Application number	US-201414563497-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2013
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A safety relay configuration system for configuring safety functions to be carried out by a safety relay is provided. The configuration system comprises a number of features that facilitate intuitive and simplified configuration of an industrial safety relay, including but not limited to features that guide the user through the configuration process using an intuitive sequential procedure that provides feedback and prompts based on user interaction, enforce design consistency throughout the configuration project by intelligently limiting user selections, and visually organize configuration and status information in a manner that efficiently utilizes display space and allows the user to quickly evaluate available configuration options.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for configuring an industrial safety relay, comprising:
a memory that stores executable components; and
a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising:
a configuration component configured to create a configuration program for a safety relay based on configuration input that adds a safety monitoring function block element to the configuration program, wherein the safety relay monitors an industrial safety system and controls an ability of an industrial system to run based on a status of one or more safety devices of the safety system, and the safety monitoring function block element corresponds to a safety device, of the one or more safety devices, to be monitored via an input terminal of the safety relay and comprises a first graphical parameter setting element that facilitates selection, as part of the configuration input, of a first terminal of the safety relay to be used as a source of a first test pulse conforming to a first test pulse scheme for the input terminal; and
a graphical interface component configured to receive the configuration input and to display the safety monitoring function block element,
wherein

the graphical interface component is further configured to, in response to selection of the first graphical parameter setting element, display a terminal selection window graphic that displays graphical indications of available safety relay terminals of the safety relay,
selection of a first graphical indication, of the graphical indications, corresponding to the first terminal assigns the first test pulse to the first terminal,
the terminal selection window renders a second graphical indication, of the graphical indications, corresponding to a second terminal of the available safety relay terminals as being non-selectable in response to a determination that the second terminal has been assigned to be used as a source of a second test pulse conforming to a second test pulse scheme, and
the executable components further comprise a communication component configured to send the configuration program to the safety relay to facilitate programming of the safety relay, wherein
the programming of the safety relay causes the safety relay to output the first test pulse via the first terminal and to output the second test pulse via the second terminal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration component is configured to support at least three test pulse schemes including the first test pulse scheme and the second test pulse scheme.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the safety monitoring function block element is a first safety monitoring function block element, and the configuration component is further configured to set the first terminal as a default setting for the first test pulse scheme for a second safety monitoring function block element subsequently added to the configuration program based on selection of the first terminal as the source of the first test pulse for the first safety monitoring function block element.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration component is further configured to, in response to a determination that the safety monitoring function block element corresponds to a safety mat device, set a first unused terminal of the safety relay as a first source of the first test pulse and a second unused terminal of the safety relay as a second source of the second test pulse for the safety monitoring function block element.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the terminal selection window graphic organizes the graphical indications of the available safety relay terminals into two or more groups corresponding to respective two more terminal categories.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the two or more terminal categories comprise at least one of embedded safety input terminals, multi-purpose terminal, expansion module input terminals, or networked input terminals.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the safety monitoring function block element is a first safety monitoring function block element,
the safety device is a first safety device, and the input terminal is a first input terminal, and
the graphical interface component is further configured to, in response to addition, to the configuration program, of a second safety monitoring function block element corresponding to a second safety device to be monitored via a second input terminal of the safety relay, assign the first terminal to be used as the source of the first test pulse for the second input terminal based on the selection of the first terminal to be used as the source of the first test pulse for the first input terminal.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphical interface component is further configured to, in response to a determination that the safety monitoring function block element corresponds to a safety-rated device, render a first subset of the graphical indications representing non-safety-rated terminals of the available safety relay terminals as being non-selectable on the terminal selection window graphic, and render a second subset of the graphical indications representing safety-rated terminals of the available safety relay terminals selectable on the terminal selection window graphic.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving first configuration input that associates a safety monitoring function block element with a configuration program for a safety relay device, wherein the safety relay device monitors an industrial safety system and controls an ability of an industrial system to run based on a status of one or more safety devices of the safety system, and the safety monitoring function block element corresponds to a safety device, of the one or more safety devices, to be monitored via an input terminal of the safety relay device;
in response to selection, via interaction with the safety monitoring function block element, of a graphical parameter setting element of the safety monitoring function block element that facilitates selection of a test source terminal to be used as a source of a first test pulse for the input terminal, displaying a terminal selection window graphic that renders graphical indicators representing available safety relay terminals of the safety relay device, wherein the first test pulse conforms to a first test pulse scheme, and the displaying the terminal selection window comprises,
in response to determining that one of the available safety relay terminals of the safety relay device has been assigned to be used as a source of a second test pulse conforming to a second test pulse scheme, rendering one of the graphical indicators corresponding to the one of the available safety relay terminals non-selectable via the terminal selection window graphic;
receiving, via interaction with the terminal selection widow graphic, second configuration input selecting a graphical indicator, of the graphical indicators, representing a safety relay terminal of the available safety relay terminals;

setting the safety relay terminal as the test source terminal for the input terminal based on the second configuration input;
configuring a configuration program for the safety relay device based on the first configuration input and the second configuration input; and

sending the configuration program to the safety relay device to facilitate programming of the safety relay device, wherein the programming of the safety relay device causes the safety relay device to output the first test pulse via the safety relay terminal.

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Prosak Bradley A
• Helpenstein Thomas
• Papenbreer Rudolf
• Lorenz Dirk
• Heckel Oliver

Classifications

• H01H50/00 Primary

  Details of electromagnetic relays ({H01H51/28 takes precedence;} electric circuit arrangements H01H47/00; details of electrically-operated selector switches H01H63/00) · CPC title

• G05B19/056

  Programming the PLC · CPC title

• G05B2219/13144

  GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface · CPC title

• G05B19/0428 Primary

  Safety, monitoring (G05B19/0423 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B19/0426 Primary

  Programming the control sequence · CPC title