Intelligent self-determining I/O device
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorGregg Sichner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A universal input/output device for an industrial automation control system includes a housing, a power supply for connecting to a voltage source, an input/output circuit for communicating with an industrial process, and a network adapter circuit for communicating data to and from a data network. The device also includes a backplane communication circuit for sending backplane data upstream and downstream along a backplane, and a device setup control circuit. The device setup control circuit performs an initialization process to configure said device as one of: (i) a stand-along block I/O device; (ii) a network adapter module of a modular I/O device; or (iii) an I/O module of a modular I/O device. The configuration method is automatic and based upon data being received into the device.
Claims6
An universal input/output device for an industrial automation control system, said device comprising:
- a housing;
- a power supply for connecting to a voltage source;
- an input/output circuit for communicating with an industrial process;
- a network adapter circuit for communicating data to and from a data network;
- a backplane communication circuit for sending backplane data upstream and downstream along a backplane;
- and,
- a device setup control circuit that performs an initialization process to configure said device as one of:
- (i) a stand-along block I/O device;
- (ii) a network adapter module of a modular I/O device;
- or (iii) an I/O module of a modular I/O device.
An industrial automation control system, said system comprising at least two intelligent self-determining I/O devices, each of said I/O devices comprising:
- a housing;
- a power supply for connecting to a voltage source;
- an input/output circuit for communicating with an industrial process;
- a network adapter circuit for communicating data to and from a data network;
- a backplane communication circuit for sending backplane data upstream and downstream along a backplane;
- and,
- a device setup control circuit that performs an initialization process to configure said device as one of:
- (i) a stand-along block I/O device;
- (ii) a network adapter module of a modular I/O device;
- or (iii) an I/O module of a modular I/O device.
A method for constructing an industrial automation control system, said method comprising:
- connecting a plurality of intelligent self-determining I/O devices to a data network;
- performing an initialization routine with each of said intelligent self-determining I/O devices, said initialization routine comprising for each of said intelligent self-determining I/O device:
- (a) determining if network data are being received into said device;
- (b) determining if upstream backplane test data are being received into said device;
- (c) determining if downstream backplane test data are being received into said device;
- and,
- (d) configuring said device as one of (i) a stand-along block I/O device;
- (ii) a network adapter module of a modular I/O device;
- or (iii) an I/O module of a modular I/O device based upon whether at least one of network data, upstream backplane test data, and downstream backplane test data are received into said device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.