Method for controlling an OPC UA server, OPC UA server, control circuit, computer program, and computer-readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11870848-B2
Application number	US-202217706772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2022
Priority date	Mar 30, 2021
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A server, control circuit, or method for controlling an OPC UA Server includes receiving a request for data from an OPC UA Client, determining whether the request and/or the data requires a slow data access or a fast data access by a hardware implemented control circuit of the OPC UA Server; obtaining first data from a memory unit of the OPC UA Server when the request and/or the data requires the slow data access; obtaining second data from an second address space of the control circuit when the request and/or the data requires the fast data access; and sending the obtained first or second data to the OPC UA Client.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an OPC UA Server, the method comprising:
receiving a request for data from an OPC UA Client;
determining by a hardware implemented control circuit of the OPC UA Server whether at least one of the request or the data requires a slow data access or a fast data access as in comparison to each other;
when the determination indicates that at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access, obtaining first data from a first address space of a memory unit of the OPC UA Server;
when the determination indicates that at least one of the request or the data requires the fast data access, obtaining second data from a second address space of the control circuit; and
sending the obtained first or second data to the OPC UA Client.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the request contains an address associated with the requested data, and wherein the determination whether the request and/or the data requires the slow data access or the fast data access depends on the address of the requested data.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the determination whether at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access or the fast data access depends on an endpoint to which the request is directed and which is provided by the control circuit.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the determination whether at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access or the fast data access depends on the requested data.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein data, which is requested at least with a predetermined frequency or higher, is classified as the second data and stored in the second address space of the control circuit.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein data, which is used for a parameterization, a configuration, and/or a diagnose of the OPC UA Client, and/or data exceeding a predetermined amount of data, is classified as the first data and stored in the memory unit of the OPC UA Server.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein data, which is bound to real-time requirements and/or which is needed in the context of a control process of the OPC UA Client, is classified as the second data and stored in the second address space of the control circuit.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the data is input/output (IO) Signals.

9. An OPC UA Server, comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one memory unit, which is coupled to the processor and which provides a first address space containing first data;
a control circuit, which is coupled to the processor, which is implemented in hardware, and which comprises a second address space containing second data;
wherein the control circuit is configured for:
receiving a request for data from an OPC UA Client;
determining, whether at least one of the request or the data requires a slow data access or a fast data access as in comparison to each other;
obtaining the first data from the memory unit, if at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access;
obtaining the second data from the second address space, if at least one of the request or the data requires the fast data access; and
sending the obtained first or second data to the OPC UA Client.

10. The OPC UA Server in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the request contains an address associated with the requested data, and wherein the control circuit is configured to determine whether at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access or the fast data access, depending on the address of the requested data.

11. The OPC UA Server in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the control circuit provides at least two endpoints for receiving the request and is configured for determining whether at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access or the fast data access depending on the endpoint to which the request is directed.

12. The OPC UA Server in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the control circuit is configured for determining whether at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access or the fast data access depending on the requested data.

13. The OPC UA Server in accordance with claim 9 , wherein data, which is requested with at least a predetermined frequency or higher is classified as the second data and stored in the second address space of the control circuit.

14. A control circuit for an OPC UA Server, the OPC UA Server comprising a second address space and being configured for:
receiving a request for data from an OPC UA Client;
determining whether at least one of the request or the data requires a slow data access or a fast data access as in comparison to each other;
obtaining first data from a memory unit of the OPC UA Server when the determination indicates that at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access;
obtaining second data from the second address space when the determination indicates that the request and/or the data requires the fast data access; and
sending the obtained first or second data to the OPC UA Client.

15. The control circuit for an OPC UA Server in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the request contains an address associated with the requested data, and wherein the control circuit is configured to determine whether at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access or the fast data access, depending on the address of the requested data.

16. The control circuit for an OPC UA Server in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the control circuit provides at least two endpoints for receiving the request and is configured for determining whether the request and/or the data requires the slow data access or the fast data access depending on the endpoint to which the request is directed.

17. The control circuit for an OPC UA Server in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the control circuit is configured for determining whether at least one of the request or the data requires the slow data access or the fast data access depending on the requested data.

18. The control circuit for an OPC UA Server in accordance with claim 14 , wherein data, which is requested with at least a predetermined frequency or higher is classified as the second data and stored in the second address space of the control circuit.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Braun Roland
• Bauer Philipp
• Mendoza Francisco

Classifications

• H04L67/1097 Primary

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• H04L67/568

  Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching · CPC title

• G06F9/547 Primary

  Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services · CPC title

• G06F12/0802 Primary

  Addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means, e.g. caches · CPC title

• G06F12/023

  Free address space management · CPC title