Systems and methods for enhanced modular controller port to port communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10551815-B2
Application number	US-201715720654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 13, 2017
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

An enhanced modular controller is disclosed that includes a plurality of configurable communication ports and a control logic layer operable to control equipment of a process plant. The plurality of communication ports include a first set of communication ports and a second set of communication ports which are operable to communicate with one or more nodes of a distributed control system of the process plant. The enhanced modular controller also includes a software layer that accepts port configuration parameters that define one or more port communication rules for the first set of communication ports and for the second set of communication ports. The one or more port communication rules causes the software layer to selectively allow or restrict retransmission of incoming messages, where the incoming messages are received at the first set of communication ports or the second set of communication ports.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An enhanced modular controller comprising:
a control logic layer operable to control equipment of a process plant, the equipment configured to perform a physical function within the process plant;
a plurality of communication ports, the plurality of communication ports operable to communicate with one or more nodes of a distributed control system of the process plant, wherein the plurality of communication ports include a first set of communication ports and a second set of communication ports; and
a software layer that accepts port configuration parameters, the port configuration parameters defining one or more port communication rules for the first set of communication ports and for the second set of communication ports, the one or more port communication rules causing the software layer to selectively allow or restrict retransmission of incoming messages, the incoming messages incoming at either the first set of communication ports or the second set of communication ports.

2. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 , wherein at least one incoming message causes the control logic layer to control the equipment of the process plant.

3. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 , wherein the equipment and the enhanced modular controller are each a part of a modular control system.

4. The enhanced modular controller of claim 3 , wherein the modular control system is a skid-mounted system.

5. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 , wherein the enhanced modular controller is built natively on a platform of the distributed system of the process plant, the enhanced modular controller communicating with the one or more nodes of the distributed control system via a native communication protocol, and wherein at least one port of the plurality of communication ports is configured as a native port, the native port implementing the native communication protocol of the distributed control system.

6. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 , wherein the enhanced modular controller communicates with the one or more nodes of a distributed control system via a standard communication protocol, and wherein at least one port of the plurality of communication ports is configured as a standard port, the standard port implementing the standard communication protocol.

7. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 , wherein the first set of communication ports includes a first communication port, a second communication port, and a third communication port.

8. The enhanced modular controller of claim 7 , wherein the incoming messages are incoming unicast messages, and wherein the one or more port communication rules causes the software layer to selectively allow the incoming unicast messages entering at any of the first communication port, the second communication port, or the third communication port to be transmitted to a particular one of the first communication port, the second communication port, or the third communication port.

9. The enhanced modular controller of claim 7 , wherein the incoming messages are incoming unicast messages, and wherein the one or more port communication rules causes the software layer to selectively restrict the incoming unicast messages entering at any of the first communication port, the second communication port, or the third communication port from being transmitted to a particular one of the first communication port, the second communication port, or the third communication port.

10. The enhanced modular controller of claim 7 , wherein the incoming messages are incoming broadcast-based messages, and wherein the one or more port communication rules causes the software layer to selectively allow or restrict transmission of the broadcast-based messages to the first communication port, the second communication port, and the third communication port.

11. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 , wherein the second set of communication ports includes a fourth communication port, a fifth communication port, and a sixth communication port.

12. The enhanced modular controller of claim 11 , wherein the incoming messages are incoming unicast messages, and wherein the one or more port communication rules causes the software layer to selectively allow the incoming unicast messages entering at any of the fourth communication port, the fifth communication port, or the sixth communication port to be transmitted to a particular one of the fourth communication port, the fifth communication port, or the sixth communication port.

13. The enhanced modular controller of claim 11 , wherein the incoming messages are incoming unicast messages, and wherein the one or more port communication rules causes the software layer to selectively restrict the incoming unicast messages entering at any of the fourth communication port, the fifth communication port, or the sixth communication port from being transmitted to a particular one of the fourth communication port, the fifth communication port, or the sixth communication port.

14. The enhanced modular controller of claim 11 , wherein the incoming messages are incoming broadcast-based messages, and wherein the one or more port communication rules causes the software layer to selectively allow or restrict transmission of the broadcast-based messages to the fourth communication port, the fifth communication port, or the sixth communication port.

15. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 , wherein the port configuration parameters causes the software layer to create or update a virtual local area network (VLAN) lookup table and one or more VLANS associated with the VLAN lookup table, the software layer accessing the VLAN lookup table and the one or more VLANs to selectively allow or restrict retransmission of incoming messages.

16. The enhanced modular controller of claim 15 , wherein an incoming message at a first communication port of the plurality of communication ports causes the software layer to lookup in the VLAN table an ingress port identifier (ID) of the first communication port and to determine, based on the ingress port ID, at least one destination port ID, the at least one destination port ID identifying a second communication port that the incoming message is to be retransmitted to.

17. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 further comprising a first controller and a second controller, wherein the first controller includes the control logic layer and the software layer, and wherein the second controller includes a redundant control logic layer and a redundant software layer, the redundant control logic redundant to the control logic layer and the redundant software layer redundant to the software layer.

18. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 , wherein the first set of communication ports is associated with a first network switch and the second set of communication ports are associated with a second network switch.

19. The enhanced modular controller of claim 18 , wherein the second network switch is redundant to the first network switch.

20. The enhanced modular controller of claim 1 , wherein the port configuration parameters are downloaded to the software layer from a remote processor.

21. A method for configuring a plurality of communication ports of an enhanced modular controller of a modular control system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a software layer, port configuration parameters, the port configuration parameters defining one or more port communication rules for the plurality of communication ports,

Assignees

• Fisher Rosemount Systems Inc

Inventors

• Ott Michael G
• Hieb Brandon
• Bennett William E
• Amaro Jr Anthony
• Capoccia Brian M
• Halgren Iii Robert Gustaf

Classifications

• G05B19/054

  Input/output · CPC title

• G05B19/056 Primary

  Programming the PLC · CPC title

• H04W84/10

  Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks · CPC title

• G05B19/41845

  characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity · CPC title

• G05B19/4185 Primary

  characterised by the network communication · CPC title