Automation network, network distributor and method for transmitting data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11700145-B2
Application number	US-202117405709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2021
Priority date	May 28, 2019
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

An automation network with network subscribers is provided, in which the network subscribers are interconnected via a data line network. At least one network subscriber is configured as a master subscriber, which is adapted to send telegrams via the data line network. At least one network subscriber is configured as a network distributor, which is adapted to route telegrams. The network distributor has a plurality of input/output ports, and is connected to the master subscriber via a first input/output and data line network. The master subscriber is configured to use a telegram element to indicate that the telegram is enabled for processing by the network subscribers. In addition, the network distributor is configured to process a telegram received via the first input/output port when the telegram element indicates enablement of processing of the telegram by the network subscribers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automation network comprising:
network subscribers that are interconnected via data lines,
wherein at least one of the network subscribers is configured as a master subscriber configured to send telegrams over the data lines,
wherein at least one of the network subscribers is configured as a network distributor configured to route the telegrams,
wherein the network distributor comprises a plurality of input/output ports and is connected via a first of the input/output ports to the master subscriber via the data lines,
wherein the master subscriber is configured to indicate with a telegram element in a telegram to be sent that the telegram is enabled for processing by the network subscribers, and
wherein the network distributor is configured to process a telegram received via the first input/output port when the telegram element of the telegram indicates an enablement of processing of the telegram for the network subscribers.

2. The automation network according to claim 1 , wherein the network distributor is configured, if the network distributor receives a telegram from the master subscriber via the first input/output port, which telegram indicates release of the processing of the telegram for the network subscribers by the telegram element, to output the telegram after the processing by the network distributor via a permanently allocated further input/output port of the network distributor, if further network subscribers are connected to the permanently allocated further input/output port of the network distributor.

3. The automation network according to claim 1 , wherein, if a telegram does not indicate an enablement of processing of the telegram by the network subscribers and the network distributor determines upon routing the telegram that the telegram is intended for network subscribers directly connected via an input/output port of the network distributor, the network distributor is configured to release the telegram for processing by the network subscribers and to indicate the release of the processing by the telegram element.

4. The automation network according to claim 1 ,
wherein the telegrams have a telegram identifier, and
wherein the network distributor is configured to perform routing of the telegrams via the input/output ports of the network distributor based on the telegram identifier.

5. The automation network according to claim 1 ,
wherein the telegram element is formed as a data element with a first or second value,
wherein the first value indicates that the telegram is enabled for processing by the network subscribers, and
wherein the second value indicates that the telegram is blocked for processing by the network subscribers.

6. The automation network according to claim 1 , wherein the telegrams are EtherCAT telegrams, and wherein the telegram element is configured as an EtherCAT protocol type.

7. A network distributor comprising:
a plurality of input/output ports and a processing unit for processing and/or routing a telegram,
wherein the network distributor is configured to be connected to a master subscriber via a first of the input/output ports over data lines, and
wherein the processing unit of the network distributor is configured to process a telegram received via the first input/output port of the network distributor from the master subscriber if the master subscriber indicates by a telegram element in the telegram that the telegram is enabled for processing by the processing unit of the network distributor.

8. The network distributor according to claim 7 ,
wherein the processing unit of the network distributor is connected to the first input/output port of the network distributor, and
wherein the processing unit of the network distributor is configured, if the network distributor receives a telegram from the master subscriber via the first input/output port, to indicate by the telegram element an enabling of the processing of the telegram for the processing unit of the network distributor, and for outputting the telegram after processing by the network distributor via a permanently allocated further input/output port of the network distributor, if further network subscribers are connected to the permanently allocated further input/output port of the network distributor.

9. The network distributor according to claim 7 , wherein, if a telegram does not indicate an enabling of processing of the telegram by the network subscribers, and the network distributor determines by the processing unit when routing the telegram that the telegram is intended for network subscribers directly connected via an input/output port of the network distributor, the processing unit of the network distributor is configured to release the telegram for processing by the network subscribers and to indicate the release of the processing with the telegram element.

10. The network distributor according to claim 7 ,
wherein the telegrams have a telegram identifier, and
wherein the processing unit of the network distributor comprises a protocol chip for processing the telegrams and has a routing unit to perform routing of the telegrams via the input/output ports of the network distributor on the basis of the telegram identifier of the telegrams.

11. The network distributor according to claim 10 , wherein the protocol chip of the processing unit of the network distributor is configured as an EtherCAT slave controller.

12. The network distributor according to claim 10 ,
wherein the routing unit of the processing unit of the network distributor is configured to compare the telegram identifier of the telegrams in each case with a routing table and to output the telegrams via an input/output port of the network distributor allocated to the telegram identifier, and
wherein the routing unit of the processing unit of the network distributor is configured to release a telegram for processing by the network subscribers and to indicate the release to the network subscribers in the telegram with the telegram element.

13. The network distributor according to claim 7 ,
wherein the telegram element is formed as a data element with a first or second value,
wherein the first value indicates that a telegram is enabled for processing by the network subscribers, and
wherein the second value indicates that a telegram is blocked for processing by the network subscribers.

14. The network distributor according to claim 7 ,
wherein the telegrams are configured as EtherCAT telegrams and the network distributor is configured to process the EtherCAT telegrams, and
wherein the telegram element is configured as an EtherCAT protocol type.

15. A method for transmitting data in an automation network,
wherein the automation network comprises network subscribers, wherein at least one of the network subscribers is configured as a master subscriber configured to send telegrams,
wherein at least one of the network subscribers is configured as a network distributor configured to route the telegrams,
wherein with a telegram element in a telegram to be sent it is indicated that the telegram is enabled for processing by the network subscribers, and
wherein the network distributor is configured to process a telegram received via a first input/output port when the telegram element of the telegram indicates an enablement of processing of the telegram for the network subscribers.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein for processing and/or routing a telegram a processing unit is used.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein, if the network dis

Assignees

• Beckhoff Automation Gmbh

Inventors

• Janssen Dirk
• Essler Florian
• Beckmann Guido
• Beckhoff Hans
• Büttner Holger
• Rostan Martin
• Rettig Thomas

Classifications

• H04L2012/4026

  Bus for use in automation systems · CPC title

• H04L12/40182

  by using a plurality of communication lines · CPC title

• H04L12/40013

  Details regarding a bus controller · CPC title

• H04L12/403 Primary

  with centralised control, e.g. polling · CPC title

• H04L12/462 Primary

  LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone · CPC title