Control system, control device, conversion device, method for controlling control system, method for controlling control device, and method for controlling conversion device
AssigneeMurata Machinery, Ltd.
InventorsWataru KITAMURA, Kentaro KATAOKA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control system includes a to-be-controlled apparatus disposed in a clean room, a control device disposed outside the clean room and controlling the to-be-controlled apparatus through Ethernet communication, and a conversion device disposed in the clean room and mutually converting communication data on Ethernet communication with the control device and communication data on serial communication with the to-be-controlled apparatus.
Claims12
A control system comprising:
- a to-be-controlled apparatus disposed in a clean room;
- a control device disposed outside the clean room to control the to-be-controlled apparatus through Ethernet communication;
- and
- a conversion device disposed in the clean room to mutually convert communication data on the Ethernet communication with the control device and communication data on serial communication with the to-be-controlled apparatus.
A control device configured to control a to-be-controlled apparatus via conversion between Ethernet communication and serial communication performed by a conversion device including a buffer that temporarily holds control data received from the control device until the control data is transmitted to the to-be-controlled apparatus, the control device comprising:
- an estimator that estimates a consumption of the buffer;
- a generator that generates the control data to control the to-be-controlled apparatus and transmits the control data which is generated;
- and
- a limiter that determines a maximum transmission rate of the control data based on the consumption estimated by the estimator and regulates a transmission data rate of the control data to be transmitted by the generator to a rate equal to or less than the maximum transmission rate which is determined.
A conversion device configured to mutually convert Ethernet communication performed by a control device and serial communication performed by a to-be-controlled apparatus, the conversion device comprising:
- a buffer that temporarily holds control data received from the control device until the control data is transmitted to the to-be-controlled apparatus;
- and
- a transmitter that transmits, to the control device, first information indicating that a consumption of the buffer is greater than a first threshold to change a maximum transmission rate of the control data to be transmitted by the control device to zero.
A method to control a control system that causes a control device included in a transfer system to control a conversion device and a to-be-controlled apparatus, the conversion device being controlled via Ethernet communication with the control device, the to-be-controlled apparatus being controlled via serial communication with the conversion device, the method comprising:
- causing the control device disposed outside a clean room to control the to-be-controlled apparatus disposed in the clean room via Ethernet communication;
- and
- causing a conversion device disposed in the clean room to mutually convert communication data on Ethernet communication with the control device and communication data on serial communication with the to-be-controlled apparatus.
A method to control a control device that controls a to-be-controlled apparatus via conversion between Ethernet communication and serial communication performed by a conversion device, the conversion device including a buffer that temporarily holds control data received from the control device until the control data is transmitted to the to-be-controlled apparatus, the method comprising:
- estimating a consumption of the buffer;
- generating the control data to control the to-be-controlled apparatus and transmitting the control data which is generated;
- and
- determining a maximum transmission rate of the control data based on the consumption estimated in the estimating step and regulating a transmission data rate of the control data to be transmitted in the generating step to the maximum transmission rate which is determined.
A method to control a conversion device that mutually converts Ethernet communication performed by a control device and serial communication performed by a to-be-controlled apparatus, the method comprising:
- acquiring a consumption of a buffer that temporarily holds control data received from the control device until the control data is transmitted to the to-be-controlled apparatus;
- and
- transmitting, to the control device, first information indicating that the consumption is greater than a first threshold to change a maximum transmission rate of the control data to be transmitted by the control device to zero.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.