Energy storage method and system to power functional safety diagnostic subsystem

An industrial automation control system implemented method for powering a diagnostic domain subsystem associated with the industrial automation control system, the industrial automation control system including a power supply subsystem including one or more output voltage rails, a functional domain subsystem configured to monitor and/or control one or more remote device associated with the industrial automation control system, a diagnostic domain subsystem configured to perform diagnostics of one or more conditions associated with the functional domain subsystem, and an energy storage subsystem operatively connected to one of the one or more output voltage rails and configured to store energy from the one of the one or more output voltage rails, the method comprising:

• a) monitoring an output voltage of the energy storage subsystem;
• b) determining if the output voltage is within a predetermined range;
• and
• c) if the output voltage is within the predetermined range, selectably powering the diagnostic domain subsystem.

An integrated functional safety controller comprising:

• a main module comprising:
• a first processor and associated circuitry;
• a second processor and associated circuitry;
• volatile memory;
• non-volatile memory;
• and
• an energy storage subsystem, the main module configured to provide a functional domain subsystem to monitor and/or control one or more remote devices, and provide a diagnostic domain subsystem configured to monitor and store in the non-volatile memory one or more conditions associated with the functional domain subsystem;
• a backplane operatively associated with the main module, the backplane configured to provide a first output voltage rail and a second output voltage rail operatively associated with powering the main module,
• wherein the main module and backplane are configured to power the functional domain subsystem by the first output voltage rail during a normal mode of operation, and the energy storage subsystem is operatively connected to the second output voltage rail and stores energy supplied from the second voltage rail during the normal mode of operation and operatively power the diagnostic subsystem using the stored energy during the normal mode of operation, and the energy storage subsystem operatively powers the diagnostic subsystem and functional domain subsystem during a control system operation associated with a failure of one or both of the first output voltage rail and the second output voltage rail due to one or more of powering down the controller, a fault associated with the first output voltage rail, and a fault associated with the second output voltage rail.