Redundant Automation System and Method for Operation Thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016154403-A1
Application number	US-201514949627-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 23, 2015
Priority date	Nov 28, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Redundant automation system and method for the operation thereof in which a reference device is used to provide simplified addressing of a main automation device and a substitute automation device in the redundant automation system for controlling a technical apparatus, where the reference device is configured to activate a first connection path between further automation components, which are connected to the field bus, and the first automation device, and is furthermore configured to recognize a failure of the first automation device and thereupon to activate a second connection path between the further automation components, which are connected to the field bus, and the second automation device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A redundant automation system for controlling a technical apparatus, comprising:
a field bus; a first automation device includes a first control program for controlling the technical apparatus, and a first data interface having an assigned first address and being connected to the field bus; a second automation device including a second control program for controlling the technical apparatus, and a second data interface having an assigned second address and being connected to the field bus; and a reference device comprising a reference data interface which is connected to the field bus and to which a reference address is assigned, the reference device activating a first connection path between further automation components, which are connected to the field bus, and the first automation device, and the reference device further recognizing a failure of the first automation device and thereupon activating a second connection path between the automation components, which are connected to the field bus, and the second automation device; wherein the first and the second control programs are each formed to execute the same control tasks for the technical apparatus.

2 . The redundant automation system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a connection setup by the further automation components to one of (i) the first automation device and (ii) the second automation device is established via the further automation components contacting the reference address.

3 . The redundant automation system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reference device is formed as a separate device and is connected to the field bus separately from the first automation device and the second automation device.

4 . The redundant automation system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the reference device is formed as a separate device and is connected to the field bus separately from the first automation device and the second automation device.

5 . The redundant automation system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reference device includes a monitoring device which is configured to monitor established connections of the further automation components to the first automation device with respect to a connection termination.

6 . The redundant automation system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reference device includes an initialization device which is configured to inform at least one of (i) the first automation device and (ii) the second automation device of an existence on the field bus of the reference device when the reference device is initially connected to the field bus; and wherein the first and second automation devices upon learning of the existence of the reference device are furthermore configured to provide a notification to said reference device regarding which of the two automation devices currently controls the technical apparatus.

7 . A method for operating a redundant automation system for controlling a technical apparatus, the method comprising:
operating a first automation device as a main automation device such that a first control program for controlling the technical apparatus is operated in the first automation device; operating a second automation device as a substitute automation device such that a second control program for controlling the technical apparatus is operated in the second automation device, the first automation device being synchronized with the second automation device via a link, the first and the second control programs each functionally executing the same control tasks for the technical apparatus, and the first automation device being operated on a field bus via a first data interface and the second automation device being operated on the field bus via a second data interface, and the first data interface being assigned a first address and the second data interface being assigned a second address; and operating a reference device comprising a reference address such that a first connection path is activated between further automation components, which are connected to the field bus, and the first automation device, and furthermore such that upon recognition of a failure of the first automation device a second connection path is activated between the further automation components, which are connected to the field bus, and the second automation device.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the connection setup by the further automation components to one of (i) the first automation device and (ii) the second automation device is effected via the further automation components contacting the reference address.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the reference device is formed as a separate device and is operated separately from the first automation device and the second automation device on the field bus.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the reference device is formed as a separate device and is operated separately from the first automation device and the second automation device on the field bus.

11 . The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a monitoring device is operated in the reference device and monitors established connections of the further automation components to the first automation device with respect to a connection termination.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein an initialization device is operated in the reference device, said initialization device detecting an initial connection of the reference device to the field bus and informing at least one of (i) the first automation device and (ii) the second automation device of existence of the reference device on the field bus; and wherein the first and second automation devices upon learning of the existence of the reference device are furthermore operated to provide a notification to said reference device regarding which of the two automation devices currently controls the technical apparatus.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the initialization device initiates a first notification call to the first automation device and a second notification call to the second automation device;
wherein the first notification call is acknowledged by the first automation device via a first reply and the second notification call is acknowledged by the second automation device via a second reply; wherein in an event that the first reply reveals that the first automation device is the main automation device, the reference device is configured such that connection requests directed to the reference address from the further automation components connected to the field bus are routed via the first address to the first automation device, and in an event that the second reply reveals that the second automation device is the main automation device, the reference device is configured such that connection requests directed to the reference address from the further automation components connected to the field bus are routed via the second address to the second automation device.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Arbogast Hans-Jürgen

Classifications

• G05B19/0428 Primary

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

• G05B2219/33315

  Failure detection and reconfiguration · CPC title

• G05B2219/24182

  Redundancy · CPC title

• G05B19/414

  Structure of the control system, e.g. common controller or multiprocessor systems, interface to servo, programmable interface controller · CPC title

• G05B23/0213 Primary

  Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols · CPC title