Industrial wireless system, network controller, wireless node, and network construction method

A network controller that operates as a master device in an industrial wireless system, the network controller comprising:

• a first port that is wire-connected to a first wired network;
• a plurality of second ports wire-connected to at least one wireless node operating as a root node among a plurality of wireless nodes operable as slave devices;
• and
• a management portion that manages a wireless network formed by the plurality of wireless nodes,
• wherein the management portion is configured to search for a wireless node to be operated as the root node connected to the second port, and when the wireless node is found, set configuration information for constructing the wireless network among the plurality of wireless nodes in the wireless node, and thereby cause the wireless node operating as the root node to transfer the configuration information to at least one other wireless node except the root node among the plurality of wireless nodes, and
• the network controller controls an indicator lamp of the at least one other wireless node when the network controller becomes communicable with the at least one other wireless node via the root node.

A wireless node managed by a network controller that operates as a master device for a plurality of wireless nodes in an industrial wireless system, the wireless node comprising:

• a LAN port that is wire-connected to an industrial device or is wire-connectable to the network controller;
• a storage part that stores configuration information acquired from the network controller through the LAN port when the network controller is connected to the LAN port;
• a first wireless module that constructs an industrial wireless network in the industrial wireless system based on the configuration information and is wirelessly connected to another wireless node as a next hop among the plurality of wireless nodes;
• a second wireless module that constructs a wireless network for acquiring the configuration information necessary for constructing the industrial wireless network when the network controller is not connected to the LAN port based on prior knowledge, acquires the configuration information through the wireless network, and stores the configuration information in the storage part;
• and
• an indicator lamp,
• wherein the indicator lamp lights up in lighting types in:
• a state in which the wireless node is not connected to any wireless network;
• a state in which the wireless node is wirelessly connected to another auxiliary wireless network for acquiring configuration information for connecting to the wireless network;
• and
• a state of being connected to the wireless network according to the configuration information.

A method for constructing an industrial wireless network in an industrial wireless system, the method comprising:

• storing, by a network controller operating as a master device, configuration information necessary for constructing the industrial wireless network in a storage part;
• lighting up an indicator lamp of a wireless node added as a slave device to the industrial wireless network in a first lighting type;
• searching for, by the network controller, a wireless node wire-connected to the network controller;
• transferring, by the master device, the configuration information to the wire-connected wireless node when the wire-connected wireless node is found;
• transferring the configuration information to a wireless node to be added as the slave device in the industrial wireless system by the wire-connected wireless node functioning as a root node in the industrial wireless system;
• constructing, by the root node and a wireless node to be added as the slave device, the industrial wireless network based on the configuration information;
• and
• lighting up the indicator lamp of the wireless node in a second lighting type when a wireless node to be added as the slave device joins the industrial wireless network.