Virtual Placeholder Configuration for Distributed Input/Output Modules
AssigneeSchneider Automation Inc.
InventorsRichard Blair, Kenneth Lee, Nitin Dhayagude, Kerry Van de Steeg, Heinz Schaffner, Torsten Joachim Brune, Sascha Michael Kress, Michael Streubel
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Abstract
A modular distributed I/O system for an industrial automation network that allows one or more modules of an island to be omitted without requiring reconfiguration of the system by maintaining a consistent I/O image representation of the distributed I/O network for various physical distributed I/O configurations, and managing reconfiguration changes using Virtual Placeholder objects.
Claims3
An automation system comprising:
- a network interface module;
- a plurality of I/O modules comprising an I/O island;
- and a translation table configured using Virtual Placeholders such that an I/O module in a physical slot X having node ID X is presented outside the I/O island as if that I/O module were located in slot Y.
A system for configuring a process image in an automation network having one or more optionally uninstalled I/O modules, the system comprising:
- an island having a network interface module, the island further including a plurality of connections for I/O modules;
- and
- configuration software run by the network interface module that provides a consistent process image for each one of the plurality I/O modules whether or not physically present.
A method of configuring a process image of an island to indicate optionally uninstalled I/O modules comprising the steps of:
- providing an island having a network interface module and a plurality of ports, each of the plurality of ports capable of connection to an I/O module;
- connecting I/O modules to select ports of the plurality of ports;
- and,
- creating a process image of the island that indicates whether an I/O module is physically present and not present using Virtual Placeholders.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.