Systems and Methods for Segment Synchronization
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJohn Petzen, William Pettigrew, William Galt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The embodiments described herein include systems and methods for synchronized execution of macrocycles of similar duration across communications segments of a control system. Such synchronized execution approach enables a reduced control system response time by increasing the predictability of execution timing of one segment with regards to alternative segments. Thus, the control system may be able to more accurately and precisely provide control functionality
Claims20
An industrial process control system comprising:
- a first link active scheduler configured to operate on a first communications segment while a second link active schedule operates on a second communications segment, wherein the first link active scheduler is configured to schedule a first access time on the first communications segment approximately the same as a second access time on the second communications segment, the first access time relates to a first field device on the first communications segment of the industrial process control system, and the second access time relates to a second field device on the second communications segment of the industrial process control system.
A method, comprising:
- obtaining, via a processor of a device on a first communications segment of an industrial control system, a reference time;
- determining, via the processor, a first macrocycle duration of the first communications segment;
- and
- scheduling, via the processor, a first macrocycle execution time for a first macrocycle on the first communications segment, wherein the first macrocycle execution time is approximately the same as other macrocycle execution times on other communications segments of the industrial control system when macrocycle durations of the other communications segments are approximately equal to the first macrocycle duration.
A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium comprising executable code, the executable code comprising instructions for synchronizing macrocycle execution times across multiple communications segments of an industrial process control system based upon common macrocycle durations of each of the multiple communications segments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.