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US 2020/0394146 A1Published application
Process control device having modern architecture and legacy compatibility
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsPaul F. McLaughlin, Ananthapadmanabha Krishnamurthy, James M. Schreder, John Rosa-Bian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A apparatus having a control network and a first controller comprising a microprocessor configured to support communication functions, control execution functions, I/O functions, and control network interface functions, a second controller configured as a redundant partner to the first controller, and an I/O link and I/O modules.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a. a control network;
- b. a first controller comprising a microprocessor;
- i. the microprocessor configured to support communication functions, control execution functions, I/O functions, and control network interface functions, wherein the microprocessor supports a redundancy manager to engage a redundant token bus controller (RTBC) or Ethernet protocol;
- c. a second controller configured as a redundant partner to the first controller;
- and
- d. an I/O link and I/O modules.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- a. detecting the nature of a redundant partner to a first controller wherein the first controller comprises a microprocessor wherein the microprocessor supports a redundancy manager to engage a redundant token bus controller (RTBC) or Ethernet protocol, the microprocessor configured to:
- i. support communication functions, control execution functions, I/O functions, and control network interface functions;
- ii. support both ethernet protocols and RTBC protocols for communication with a control network;
- iii. support both control execution environment (CEE) and a parameter access server/point processing executive (PAS/PXX) control functions;
- b. disabling the ethernet protocols and the CEE control function and utilizing the RTBC protocols and the PAS/PXX control function of the first controller when the nature of the redundant partner is detected to be a legacy controller;
- and
- c. utilizing the ethernet protocols and the CEE control function of the modern controller when the nature of the redundant partner is detected to be another first controller.
4 more elements
A method of upgrading controllers in an industrial automation system comprising:
- a. removing a legacy controller from a redundant pair of controllers in the system;
- and
- b. replacing the legacy controller with a modern controller wherein the modern controller comprises a single microprocessor configured to support communication functions, control execution functions, I/O functions, and control network interface functions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.