Systems and methods for controller diagnostics and service

A remotely diagnosable distributed control system for an industrial plant, the remotely diagnosable distributed control system comprising:

• a network of distributed controllers configured to manage an operation of the industrial plant;
• a plurality of communication modules;
• a first communication link operatively coupling the network of distributed controllers to one another via the plurality of communication modules;
• a second communication link;
• a diagnostic engine communicatively coupled to the network of distributed controllers via the second communication link and configured to monitor a plurality of diagnostic parameters;
• and
• a remote communication link configured to allow remote access to the diagnostic engine from a remote support platform, such that the remote support platform can obtain the plurality of diagnostic parameters and can initiate support services,
• wherein at least one of network of distributed controllers is configured to generate the diagnostic parameters that identify communication faults between one or more of the network of distributed controllers and one or more of the plurality of communication modules and/or between the one or more of the plurality of communication modules and the first communication link,
• wherein the diagnostic engine, in response to the remote support platform initiating the support services, is further configured to:
• identify, based on the diagnostic parameters, the communication faults between the one or more of the network of distributed controllers and the one or more of the plurality of communication modules and/or between the one or more of the plurality of the communication modules and the first communication link;
• and
• transmit, in response to identifying the communication faults, the diagnostic parameters to at least one of the network of distributed controllers to implement one or more operations that (i) re-route functions in the industrial plant, (ii) shut down functions in the industrial plant, (iii) shut down one or more subnets of a network of the industrial plant, and/or (iv) shut down the industrial plant.

A method of remotely diagnosing a system of an industrial plant, the method comprising:

• remotely accessing a diagnostic engine via a remote support platform, wherein the diagnostic engine is coupled to a plurality of computing resources of the industrial plant via one or more communication links, wherein the plurality of computing resources comprises a plurality of controllers configured to manage an operation of the industrial plant and a plurality of communication modules, and wherein the plurality of controllers is communicatively coupled to one another via the plurality of communication modules utilizing the one or more communication links;
• generating, by at least one of the plurality of controllers, a plurality of diagnostic parameters comprising at least one controller parameter and at least one component parameter that identify communication faults between one or more of the plurality of controllers and one or more of the plurality of communication modules and/or between the one or more of the plurality of communication modules and the first communication link;
• developing at least one diagnostic protocol based on the plurality of diagnostic parameters;
• triggering the diagnostic engine to execute the at least one diagnostic protocol;
• identifying, by the at least one diagnostic protocol and based on the plurality of diagnostic parameters, the communication faults between the one or more of the plurality of controllers and the one or more of the plurality of communication modules and/or between the one or more of the plurality of communication modules and the one or more communication links;
• and
• transmitting, by the at least one diagnostic protocol in response to identifying the communication faults, the diagnostic parameters to at least one of the plurality of computing resources to implement one or more operations that (i) re-route functions in the industrial plant, (ii) shut down functions in the industrial plant, (iii) shut down one or more subnets of the one or more communication links, and (iv) shut down the industrial plant.